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reasonsforhope · 4 months

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[Warning: Graphic (some very graphic) shark-fishing pictures at the link.]

"Suhardi isn’t your average snorkeling guide. Born on the Indonesian island of Lombok, he’s spent his life on water. While he now seeks out sharks for the enjoyment of tourists, he once hunted sharks to help earn money to feed his family and educate his two children.

Suhardi was a fisherman for more than 20 years. He first started fishing working on his parents’ boat, but was then asked to join the crew of a shark boat where he was told he could earn a lot of money. Back on deck, he looks embarrassed to divulge what a meager wage it was, but finally confesses he earned around $50 for up to a month at sea.

Now he and 12 other former shark fishermen are part of The Dorsal Effect, an ecotourism company that helps ex-shark hunters find a new vocation. Each week, the team takes groups of tourists, schoolchildren and university students to off-the-grid locations and guides them around pristine reefs. Each trip is designed to take guests on an exploratory journey of both the shark trade and marine conservation through the eyes of the Sasak people of Lombok.

Lombok is a hotspot for marine diversity, sitting just east of the Wallace Line, a biogeographical boundary separating Asia and Australia and their respective fauna. Pristine coral gardens and around 80 species of sharks can be found in its waters. The island is also part of the world’s largest shark-fishing nation. Only the whale shark (Rhincondon typus) is protected in Indonesia; all other sharks can be legally caught.

The Dorsal Effect first launched in 2013, a year after Suhardi met Singaporean ecologist Kathy Xu, who had traveled to Lombok to find out more about the shark trade. The diminutive but quietly determined Xu wanted to protect sharks, but because she knew shark fishing was poorly paid and dangerous, she wanted to hear the fishermen’s stories too. They told her how once they could fish for sharks close to shore, but now with the shark population dropping, the fishermen said they needed to travel farther out to sea, only to come home with a relatively poor catch. The reduced catch also meant reduced pay, so they often couldn’t cover their costs...

Yet, when Xu asked why fishers didn’t seek out another trade, she learned they didn’t want to be separated from the sea. They saw it as part of their heritage.

But as they spoke longer, the shark fishermen talked about the coral gardens that could be found under the waves, ones that only they knew about. Inspired by a whale shark diving trip she’d taken with scientists on the Great Barrier Reef, Xu had an idea. “If such spots exist,” she recalls telling the fishers, “I could take tourists out with you and pay you more than you earned shark fishing”.

At first, Xu guided the former shark fishermen on how to become eco-friendly tour operators. They dropped anchor away from the reef, served guests plant-based dishes, and made sure all trash was taken back to shore. But then Xu saw that something special was happening: The former fishermen had started to take the guest experience into their own hands, making sure tourists felt at home. Suhardi painted “Welcome” in large letters over the front of his boat, fitted green baize to the top deck for outdoor seating, and hung curtains in the cabin so his guests could enjoy some shade.

Suhardi has already bought a new boat with his earnings from snorkeling trips. “Every day is my best day,” laughs Suhardi, whose smile always travels from his mouth to his eyes.

While they were receiving tourists from across the globe, there was another group that Xu wanted to reach out to. “I think it was the teacher in me who felt impassioned about influencing the young,” she says. She reached out to schools and created a five-day program that would help students understand the shark trade and local conservation efforts. During the program, paid for by the school and students, participants would not only meet the ex-shark fishermen so they could ask them about their lives, but also hear from NGOs such as the Wildlife Conservation Society about their efforts to slow the trade. The Dorsal Effect also hired marine biologists to host nightly lectures and help the students with their field surveys...

The students were faced with the realities of the fishing trade, but they were also encouraged to take a balanced view by The Dorsal Effect team. The villagers weren’t just taking the fins, and throwing away the rest of the shark; they processed every piece of the animal. While they did sell the meat and fins to buyers at the market, they also sold the teeth to jewelers, and the remains for pet food.

The Dorsal Effect also takes students on an excursion to the fishermen’s village, a small island that lies off the coast of Lombok. Marine biologist Bryan Ng Sai Lin, who was hired by The Dorsal Effect team, says that on one trip with students he was surprised by how quickly the young people understood the situation. “One of them said it’s good to think about conservation, but at the same time these people don’t really have any other choice,” Lin says....

Conservation scientist Hollie Booth of Save Our Seas, which does not work directly with The Dorsal Effect, says the need to provide legal profitable alternatives to shark fishing is critical: “We are never going to solve biodiversity and environment issues unless we think about incentives and take local people’s needs into account. These kinds of programs are really important.”"

-via Mongabay, December 15, 2023

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centrally-unplanned · 1 year

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In some local DC urbanism news, Georgetown University is doing a remodel of one of its dorms, Henle, so it can be bigger and fit more students. Yay! But of course, that means the existing dorm will be out of commission for a bit, so the students need to live elsewhere. Which means they will rent apartments, basements, townhouses, whatever, in the local area, maybe even spur a little construction, for a few years and then things return to normal.

Hahahaha fuck no This Is America - the local resident housing committee had 100% veto power over the multi-billion dollar institution's ability to remodel its own dormitories, so they were only able to get approval by banning all juniors (the dorm's typical residents) from living in a 'neighborhood zone':

"Students cannot live inside this border" which, hilariously, includes the entirety of the university campus itself. Just amazing that this map exists, printed on an official website. Students will have to live outside the zone and commute to campus, and the university runs its own dedicated bus service to some key apartment hotspots since public transport isn't reliable or expansive enough. The number of affected students, will, of course, outnumber the entire local population of neighborhood property owners. Because democracy!

In unrelated news, NIMBYism Delenda Est.

#kowloon manifesto

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moumouton4 · 3 months

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i need itachi's beach day with his s/o nsfw plss

Beach Vacation || Itachi Uchiha x reader

A/n : I don't remember this gif, though he looks like he is at the beach 🤩

Warnings : no mention of gender for reader ( unless that mention of pregnancy ), exhibitionism no one sees though, cockwarming, vanilla sex, implicit bredding kink, 18+ READERS ONLY and wrap it before you tap it

Masterlist ⚜

I don’t give permission to repost my work, if you want to share it just reblogue it

Word count : 706

It’s not always that the both of you get to enjoy so vacation, let alone beach vacation

He is always hovering around you because you’re showing a lot of skin and he is torn between a pure protectiveness towards you and the ones you may attract the gaze off, and a deep magnetic attraction that keeps him longing for more

Even if he too is on vacation he doesn’t want you to lift a single finger either for the grocery shopping or simply to make a sandwich

He’s going to princess treat you during the whole time

Now that you’re finally at the beach he’s going to make sure you’re not to warm, stay hydrated and doesn’t need some ice cream or whatever snack to cool down or break a little fast

Of course even if you’ve never been there, Itachi knows every good place that is away from the tourist hotspots. With him it’s guaranteed privacy for sure

And since he isn’t working he is also not wearing his signature robe nor his kasa ( you know the hat )

You’ve guessed it, your eyes are clearly wandering on his strong and lean body. He looks so damn hot like this dark short trunks that showcases his long legs and his tight fitting shirt that lets you catch glimpses of his toned chest

He would send you teasing glances because he knows you’re starring

At the beach, even if you’re in a relatively private area he’s going to make sure you set your towels in a place where you're sure there won't be any vis-à-vis, and where you can leave quickly if the need arises - what do you want, habits die hard

“Hey let me help you my Love” he’d tell you as he sets your towel down for you

Looking at the gentle wave breaking against the shore he thinks that taking you there would have the power to connect you together and with nature in ways not many other places would

But he doesn’t know the water composition enough to take the risk ( also i’ve heard it wasn’t very good lol )

He is very wary in vacation, he cares too much about you and his in not in his comfort zone there

Normally he would wait for the night to set on the beach to have his way with you. Overlapping your two towels, maybe even adding a third one to get comfy enough and make sure you sands gets in the way

Then he would lay you down before gracefully make him way between your thighs, either to have a little midnight snack or to give your his love in the most primal way

Loving you between the skies, as the rhythmic sounds of your bodies meld with the ones of the water

Just imagine a nice and slow love making with the only sounds are your breathings and the waves

But if he really wants you during the day he’s surely going to free his throbbing hard erection and discretely motion for you to come closer

Carefully pushing your swimsuit aside you’d sink on him, stifling any moans or groans that would escape your mouth as more of him slides into you

“Ngh just like that Beautiful” he praises

Not to make it too obvious if anyone were to come around here you’re sitting facing away from him. But if you actually looking at him you’d witness the way his teeth sunk in his bottom lip, still his hands that were at your hips squeezed with the force of the desire he felt towards you

Maybe will roll his hips upwards from time to time just to grant you both that delicious friction

If you’re feeling a little more frisky you can still tighten your inner muscles to tease him until his head falls in the crook of your neck, against your shoulder as he gently presses his mouth open while he cums and fills your insides with tangible traces of his love

“You wanted it so much now, didn’t you ?” he’d whisper lowly against your ear

You naively thought you were going on vacation with your lover, it may only be a little plan of his to put a baby inside you

Taglist : @dreamcastgirl99

#naruto #naruto imagine #naruto smut #naruto shippuden #naruto shippuden imagine #naruto shippuden smut #itachi uchiha #itachi uchiha imagine #itachi uchiha x reader #itachi uchiha smut #itachi x reader #itachi smut #smut #request #miri-writes

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redrose10 · 2 months

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The next chapter of Cinnamon & Vanilla should be out mid-to the end of next week. We’re getting close to the end and I really appreciate all the support on that one. Here is a little sneak peak at the next story that I plan to release. As you can probably tell I’m very Yoongi biased. This one will probably just be one big story instead of a multi chapter thing, but that could change. Let me know if this is something you’d actually be interested in reading!

Inn Keeper Yoongi x Female Author Reader

Summary: You have never experienced true love which is hilarious considering you write romance novels for a living. When you end up staying at The Interlude Inn located in Holly Falls you start to wonder if maybe the answer to your newest love story is sitting behind the welcome desk. Quickly, you find out that Min Yoongi hides a lot of pain and sorrow behind his shy smiles and quick glances.

Warnings: (may get updated) Swearing, character death, very very angsty for a while, mentions of physical and verbal abuse, bullying, a really mean letter, panic attacks, eventual light smut, it will get better

Teaser Below The Cut

Once you arrived at the airport you really wished you’d done a little more research about Holly Falls. After some digging and a conversation with a very outgoing Uber Driver you found out that eleven months out of the year the town is very low key and relaxed, but for one month it is a tourist hotspot thanks to the insane amount of blooming cherry blossom trees. According to your new Uber friend, people come to Holly Falls during this month to see the fields of trees blooming in all their glory. The normally quiet town embraces the crowds providing various festivals and parades and gimmicks to draw in the guests as well as their wallets. And of course you just happen to travel over there smack dab in the middle of it all.

The driver dropped you off in the middle of the fun so with your bag slung over your shoulder you started heading into different hotels trying to book a room. In the city you could walk into pretty much any hotel at any time and book a room. You had assumed it would be same in this small town so you had decided to wait to book a room until you could see them in person wanting to get the feel and make sure you chose the right fit. You imagine in any other month it would be much easier to obtain a place to stay here, but due to the large tourist presence every single hotel was completely booked for the entire month.

You were just about ready to give up and head to the airport to see about booking a flight home when an older gentleman came up to you carrying various handmade trinkets for sale.

“See anything you like miss? All of these are under $10.”, he asked.

Politely you smiled, “No thank you. Not right now.”

You thought he had left until you saw him dangling a hand painted sun catcher in front of you. The design a beautiful beautiful cherry blossom. Trying to bite your tongue and not snap at the elderly man you again shook your head.

“Here have it for free. You seem to need a little cheering up.”, he smiled.

Reaching up you grabbed the delicate glass from him, “Thank you. I really appreciate it. I’m sorry if I came off rude. I’m just really stressed out right now.”

“Didn’t know about the cherry blossom season and now you can’t find a place to stay?”, he asked.

“How did you know?”, you replied wide eyed.

The elderly man chuckled while taking a seat next to you, “There’s always at least one person that gets stuck here with nowhere to stay because they didn’t know how crazy things can get around here this time of the year.”

“Mmh yeah that would be me this year. I need somewhere to stay for a couple weeks or I’m going to have to head back home.”

“You know there might be somewhere that still has a room available. It’s just outside all of the hubbub. About ten miles just over that hill. If you get to Taehyung’s Strawberry Farm then you’ve gone too far.”, he said pointing in the opposite direction of the festivities.

“Really? You think they’d have a room? I wonder why they wouldn’t be booked like every other place.”

The gentleman stood up from the bench you were both on, “Its worth a shot. It’s a little farther away from all the action than people like to be. Plus the owners are a little on the unique side.”

You were concerned at this statement. The last thing you wanted to do was end up being the story line of a true crime documentary.

He continued, “They are very nice people. A young man and his grandmother. They just tend to be very secluded and to themselves. It’s called Interlude Inn. You can’t miss it.”

You thanked him for the information and watched as he walked into a large group of people trying to sell the rest of his merchandise. Placing the delicate sun catcher in your bag you ordered another Uber to take you over to the inn. A familiar vehicle quickly pulled up in front of you with the same talkative man from earlier. You wondered how there weren’t any other drivers available, but you smiled as you slid in the back seat anyways.

“Leaving so soon?”, he asked.

You chuckled, “No I just need to find somewhere else to stay. Can you please take me to The Interlude Inn?”

Suddenly the man stopped, turning to look back at you.

“Miss you don’t want to stay there. Surely there’s somewhere else around here you can stay.”

“Every hotel is completely booked. If this inn doesn’t have a room then I’ll have to just go home.”

He sighed, “Alright miss. If you insist.”

He began the drive to your location. His words about finding somewhere else stuck in your mind.

“Sir?”

“Yes Miss”

“What you said earlier. What is so bad about this inn?”

“Well, the grandma, I think her name is Mae, is very sweet. She’s done the best she can with what she had. But that Min boy, he’s a little odd.”

“Ohhh…Like serial killer odd?”

The man chuckled, “No not that kind of odd. He’s just very quiet and keeps to himself, but he is polite. He’s never seemed to have any friends and I doubt he’s ever had any kind of relationship. He comes into town only a few times a year, mostly when his grandmother needs something. He doesn’t acknowledge anyone, even when they speak to him directly. People usually only stay at the inn as a last resort during this busy season.”

From what you’re hearing he seemed like just a quiet introverted person who loves his grandma. You weren’t sure why everyone seemed so leery of him.

The car pulled up infront of the inn. The large wooden sign out front verified you were indeed at The Interlude Inn. Thanking your driver you grabbed your bag and made your way up to the entrance.

The Inn looked cozy and welcoming. It was smaller than you had imagined. There couldn’t be more than three or four rooms. Off to the side you noticed a little garden with various plants starting to bloom.

On the door hung a welcome sign adorned with hand painted lady bugs and butterflies. Turning the handle you gently pushed in the door being greeted by a heavenly aroma making your stomach grumble. The entrance room which also doubled as a living room had two couches, one on either side of a coffee table. A television hung on the wall above a fireplace. In the corner was a small desk which you assume would be where you could request a room.

Walking over you noticed a younger man crouching down so he was eye level with one of the drawers. He appeared to be about your age, mid to late twenties. Black hair with a slight curl to it hung over his forehead. Beautiful cat like eyes and his soft lips formed into a deep pout. You wanted so badly to reach over and squeeze his chubby cheeks, but you knew that was a weirdness you didn’t want to invoke. He was fidgeting with a drawer that seemed to be stuck and you could here the argument he was having in soft whispers,

“Come on you stupid thing.”

“It shouldn’t be this difficult.”

“Please, I just need a pen and then I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the day.”

You chuckled hearing him begging the drawer to cooperate. Reaching into your bag you grabbed one of your spare pens and set it on the desk, “Here I have a pen you could use.”

The young man let out a sudden squeal after you startled him. He jumped backwards and landed on his behind with a loud thud.

“Oh no I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you had heard me come in.”, you apologized feeling terrible.

The poor guy sat on the ground trying to collect himself before bringing himself back to a standing position. That’s when you noticed his cheeks were a bright shade of red, making you want to squeeze them even more. The man didn’t say a word. His eyes were barely able to focus on you, instead they would move around the room before returning to you for just a second before he’d quickly look elsewhere.

“Ahh this must be the Min boy the driver was talking about?”, you thought to yourself.

#bts #yoongi fanfic #yoongi x reader #min yoongi #yoongi x y/n #yoongi fic #yoongi angst #bts fanfic #bts x reader #yoongi au #yoongi fluff #bts fic #bts fluff

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villainessprefect · 1 year

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title: This is Where I Belong (With You)

summary: You left Twisted Wonderland and life never really was the same. You miss what you had. You miss him.

And he misses you too. Enough to try and answer your wish.

ship: Idia x gn!reader

word count: 3,797

note: I try my hand at a ‘you come back to twst after going home’ fic

Read on AO3

A deep and long sigh escapes you as your gaze lingers on the screen held in the palm of your hand. The light illuminates your face, forcing your eyes to adjust to the brightness. Regardless of your vision, you don't actually read the messages popping into your notifications. Even if your name is mentioned, you don't feel like you belonged in this group.

It's all...complicated. They were your friends, but the bonds formed felt so distant. As if you were only there out of pity and proximity. You were an addition by chance not by choice.

You lift your head to gaze at the world around you. This magicless, dull world that you yearned for so much. The safety and familiarity of a world you grew up in. Here, you are normal, like every other face in the crowd. People don't scorn you for your ordinary features. You fit into this lifeless and empty world. Despite being born and raised here, you don't feel like a part of this world.

Yet, this is your home. It always had and always will be.

The grip on your phone tightens. The black cat charm that dangles from it sways and brushes against your skin thanks to the night breeze. Neglecting the conversation continuing, you shove the phone into your pocket. It's not important anyway.

A hand grips at the strap of the messenger bag slung over your shoulder. You squeeze the strap before beginning your journey back to your apartment. With your body on auto-pilot and mind in a haze, you easily drift amongst the sea of people. No one stands out, no one tries to pester you, no one pays attention to you. Everyone follows their own mechanical routine.

Life is so simple without magic.

Sometimes you wondered if it had all been a dream. Your time in Twisted Wonderland felt so far away like a different life time. Could a world of magic really exist? It all felt so fantastical that it was hard to believe at times.

The scars left on your body were real. The little marks from getting into trouble with your friends to the piercing wounds from a dangerous Overblot. If you were ever to forget, your body certainly wouldn't. They were proof of your adventures and heroic deeds. A testament that you had lived to tell an impossible tale.

And you couldn't possibly forget the memories created during your time in that world. Many may have left a horrendous stain, but in the end they were fond to look back on. No matter what your mind would claim, your heart would fight otherwise. Those friendships were irreplaceable. Even if you were in another world, they would always be tied to your heart.

What truly kept your belief in that world was the singular gift that had survived the trip back with you. This, unlike the others, was concrete proof. The hand gripping your strap releases it only to reach for something else. A cold piece of metal rests upon your chest, hidden by your shirt and kept close to your heart. Fingers carefully glide over the small, skull-shaped mechanism.

It was a gift from Idia. One given when your friendship truly cemented and you knew you had unlocked his route, as he would say.

"I-It's a hotspot! P sure it's better than whatever your dorm has...actually, it's probably better than anything this school can offer you that isn't made by me, fuehehe!"

"Really? This is so cool! I promise not to lose it."

"I-It's nothing...Bet you didn't know it also has a s-secret function."

"What is it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?"

The memory brings a smile to your face. Despite never finding out the secret, you still kept the little gift. Surprisingly, it still worked even in this world. While the speed diminished, it still did the job. You may not be so heavily reliant on the internet like him, but damn did this thing come in handy. And every time you used it, it almost felt like he was here to offer his assistance and give you the world wide web himself.

The smile you wear falls almost as easily as it appeared. Thoughts of him left a sharp pang in your heart. A pain so familiar- too familiar. It was hard not to think of him, but how could you not when he left such an impression on you? That genius shut-in of Ignihyde who could make the impossible possible with a little tinkering. If given the right push, he really could accomplish anything. The way he could cower away from a crowd one second and then go off on a passionate rant the next with the right topic. His love of video games was so sincere which was something you could resonate with.

The stinging sensation in your chest continues to jab the longer you dwell in your memories. You're used to it at this point. Was it a good or bad thing? You prefer the former as it's a sign that your feelings were still there.

You grip the skull in your hand and wonder if you should have stayed behind in that world with him. A confession had never left either of your lips. Whether it be out of fear on his end or yours, you couldn't tell. But you didn't want to start something that would abruptly come to an end with your departure. Still, you couldn't help but think about the 'what ifs'. If he had said anything, or if you had...would you have stayed? Maybe...Maybe...

Maybe if you saw him on your final day, the outcome would have been different. It was silly, hypocritical thinking. You wanted a silent departure, to not cause a fuss at the school, the complete opposite of your arrival. You wrote a letter to everyone instead of gathering with them knowing how difficult it would be if you were to face them. Selfish. That's what you called yourself. But after seeing Grim's reaction upon learning that you were leaving, how could you handle everyone else's? Seeing the cat's eyes well up and hearing his cries, his pleas to keep you here nearly made you stay.

Idia got his own letter. There was still so much to say, so much to talk about, games to play, anime to binge. You wished him the best in his life, for a budding future for him and Ortho, and, while a little hopeful, you wished that he could one day change his fate. You never signed the letter with a goodbye, rather a wish to meet him again one day.

But you know that isn't possible. Crowley had warned you that leaving meant never returning. If you possessed some sort of magic, it may be possible. But you possessed none.

The skull meets with your skin once more, eyes glowing blue for just a second. It's cold to the touch, always even on the hottest of days. The touch brings you back to reality. To a world and people who were just like you. Ordinary.

Yet, in the midst of normal life you spot something peculiar.

A blue wisp stands out in the darkness. The little flames flicker as it hovers in the air. Its tips swayed as people passed by it.

You look around, trying to see if anyone else notices this abnormality. Those who passed through it were unaffected by the floating ball of fire. You rub your eyes, thinking you're seeing things. But as your vision returns, the wisp remains.

Curious, you move forward. You slip through the people blocking your path and as soon as you're within arms reach, the wisp bounces before racing off. It flashes in and out of existence, beckoning you with its playful call.

You don't know what drives you to follow this mysterious flame, but you do. You ignore the people, their cries and demands for an apology for pushing past them. You don't care about the weight of your bag slung around your shoulder slowing you down or the fatigue from being up all day. They're a burden on your legs, making each step heavier than it should be. But you have to follow it. You can't lose this.

You can't lose him. Not again.

That's why you're chasing it, you think. The flickering blue is so familiar that you can't abandon it. So, you follow it. Far enough that cement turns to grass, buildings turn into trees, and the loud industrial nightlife turns into the silent whispers of a forest. It leads you further and further away from the world you're accustomed to.

Has a forest like this been near your home all along? You couldn't recall although you never ventured out like this. You weren't even sure you could make it back to the city at this point.

You're breathless, tired. The wisp's pace slows so that you can keep up. Despite the pain in your legs, you never stop, afraid that if you did you'd lose sight of the wisp and everything would return to normal.

When the wisp comes to a stop, so do you. It allows you to stand close before zipping past a push and leading you to a small pond.

The waters reflect the sky above so clearly that you could mistake it for a mirror. So pure and reflective. Yet, something isn't right. While the wisp and your image appear on the water, the sky is different. Yours is cloudy, dark, while this one appears clear and bright. You could see the stars and moon perfectly.

The little wisp begins to dance close to the water but never quite touches it. You feel like it's trying to tempt you to do the same. To lure you in and touch the water. Before you can find your voice, the wisp takes a hearty 'jump' into the air and lands into the water.

You gasp and reach out to stop it, feet nearing the edge but stopping a few inches short. You fear the flame has been extinguished upon meeting its natural enemy. There was no smoke to indicate it had gone out. Instead the ripples were smooth, gentle with no splashing, no sign that it was touched to begin with.

What was this? Magic? The thought gets your heart racing. A ray of hope shines in your eyes. For the first time in a long while, you feel excited. Happy.

But you know better than to get your hopes up. You were in a magicless world. Your home. It's a miracle that little wisp caught your eyes. And now, it is gone.

"This has to be a dream or else I'm going insane," you mumble. Your breath is shaky, tired. Tears prick at your eyes.

How could you be so foolish to think you could get a second chance? That you could see them- him- again?

Your mind tells you to leave, to go home and rest. You need to sleep. You're hallucinating, obviously. But you don't move an inch. That bit of hope swells in your chest. Unbelievable things happened to you once before, so why can't it happen again?

And then, it happens.

You hear someone call out your name.

Your eyes widen. The sound came from the water. A voice muffled yet you could hear it loud and clear. You stare down at your reflection, looking for something- someone.

A glimpse of another person reflects in the water and that's all the push you needed.

You take a jump, throwing caution to the wind. You brace yourself for a splash despite seeing the earlier performance. When your body comes in contact with the water, you don't feel anything. Darkness envelops your body, your soul. You feel lost until something takes a hold of your hand. Even though you don't know who it is, you put your trust in them. Besides, this isn't the first time you've taken a stranger's hand.

With a tug, you're pulled out of that floating sensation and collide with something. Your body meets with another and soon you're falling again, this time to the ground. Whoever it was who took your hand breaks your fall.

Instinctively, you clutch onto the person underneath you as you expected more. But when nothing else happens, you release your hold on them. Slowly, your eyes open as you push yourself off the person below. You stop once you see who it is.

"Idia...?"

His name comes out in a whisper. The poor soul was lying on his back, eyes shut with a slightly pained expression. The flames of his hair spread out underneath him. Your hands were enveloped by the flames and you couldn't help running a hand through them, just as you used to do.

You take in a breath and feel a lump in your throat.

"Is this real...?"

You extend a hand to caress his cheek. His skin is cold to the touch, but you can still feel his warmth. That strange cold yet warm feeling he always gave off. Your touch makes him stir with a groan. Golden eyes flutter open and squint at your figure. You don't give him a chance to process anything that happened within the last couple of minutes. Your hands are already flying around his neck and you nearly KO him once again.

"Idia, I love you."

It's not the first thing you wanted to say to him when given the chance to reunite. Honestly, an apology was what you wanted to start with. To him, to everyone. But this needed to be said. Unspoken words that needed to be heard. You missed your chance once and you didn't want to miss it again.

"I missed you so much."

Idia stutters something incomprehensible. You're certain that you've broken him considering the blue surrounding your vision begins to turn into a pink frenzy. Perhaps you've done a little too much to him. It's nice to know that he hadn't changed though.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to overwhelm you, I just..." You pull back, releasing your hold on the timid man. He keeps his gaze on you, surprisingly, unlike before. His gaze may flicker but he holds your gaze longer than he ever had before. "I never thought I'd see you again."

Idia gulps and opens his mouth. No words come out and he shuts it promptly. His mind is whirling with far too many thoughts. Your sudden affection and the realization that you were back had caused him to malfunction. He was supposed to be cool and embrace you, yet the most he could handle is taking your hand in his. Fingers slide to your wrist to feel your pulse. You're here. You're really here.

"Y-You know I had something p-planned to say, but...that c-confession?!" He raises his free hand to conceal his blushing face. Uttering that last word only made that pink hue deepen to a darker shade. "It's supereffective..."

"I had to say it," you respond quietly. "In case I couldn't get a chance again. You have to know."

Your own cheeks match the color of his now. The realization that you blurted out such important words finally hit and it leaves you feeling embarrassed. You don't shy away from him though, you remain confident in what you said. But the silence between you makes your confidence waver.

"Y-You kept it...?"

You follow where his eyes flick to and look down. You find his gift dangling between you.

"I told you I would. You gave it to me."

You swear that his hair is getting hotter and about to imitate real fire at this point. With his hair warming your hands a little too much, you take this chance to change your position. You still had him pinned down. So, you get to your feet and help him. Idia never lets go of your hand as you do. He sways a bit, but you help steady him.

"Why'd you have to leave like that?" He asks, voice barely above a whisper. "Disappearing like you're from some mystery genre. I was...Ortho, he..." He gulps. "W-We were worried about you."

You feel as if you've been stabbed through the heart. It's what you dreaded.

"If I had to say goodbye to all of you, I don't know if I would have been able to leave."

"Protag problems," he spits. "It's not fair though. You can't just come into my life like that and then disappear!" His voice raises, the ends of his hair turning red as it flares upward. His stare on you hardened, his own tears pricking at his eyes. "You were supposed to be different! You promised to never leave! I finally found someone to call a friend and that person just leaves! So, why did you leave me all alone?!"

He has every right to be angry with you. You should have said something, at least to him of all people.

"I'm sorry," you say, weakly. You squeeze his hand. "I'm sorry, Idia. I didn't know what to do. I had to go home, but I wanted to stay. I had my life back there, but this one too. I...I...I didn't know what to do." You take in a breath, doing your best not to let tears fall. "What would you have done?"

The look on your face causes his red to fade back to blue. He forgets just how painful of a decision it must have been. While he could easily make the decision in a game to progress the story, he never put himself in the hero's shoes. When given a choice to choose between two different lives, what do you choose? He's only ever had one choice forced upon him.

"I dunno...that kinda option wouldn't be presented to me, not in a million years. You still have that choice..."

You follow his gaze as it lingers elsewhere. You hadn't taken in the scenery around you with your gaze focused on him. But now, you could. You find yourself in a familiar setting. One lined with geometrical silver designs, walls lined with holograms projecting things you could barely understand. There were tables cluttered with spare parts and tools. The floor was a mess, reminding you of how Idia's room was. Messy and disheveled as he focused on his project.

And that project is what caught your attention.

A hexagon shaped portal that was taller than either of you. One crafted from metal with cables practically bleeding out of it. To the side was a small keyboard and screen to input information. A small ramp led to the center that showed a faint reflection of the forest you had been in not too long ago. The image was fading into a transparent blue color. You think, if you wanted to leave then now would be the time.

But you don't move, you don't even try.

"No," you say, ignoring your world and turning to him. "I've made my choice already." You gulp. "I want to stay here. With you. If you'll let me?"

"O-Of course!" He squeaks out. "You don't need my permission for something like that..." His feelings are going haywire. He was elated over your decision yet terrified. Were you really going to stay for him? Give up everything again to stay here? In a world you didn't belong in? Scratch that last question. You did belong here.

"How'd you do it?" You ask, hoping to distract him from shutting down and being genuinely curious. "Crowley said I couldn't come back."

"Did you seriously believe what he said?" He sighs. "Okay, maybe I get why. He's so flaky and can barely come up with a six number password for his phone. A-Anyway, I did get some...help." He coughs that last part, but you definitely heard it. Idia points to your gift.

"That was the key. It's something I made so I have access to it at all times. Ortho can pick up on its location, but he brought up the fact that he might not always be able to...so I got someone with stronger magic to be able to keep in touch. Sort of. If I could amplify the signal or put it on a wavelength he could sense then...even if the outcome of you disappearing did come true. I could find you."

You nod along with his words. You think you can grasp what he's saying.

"Kind of like a magical GPS?"

"Yes! And it worked!" He said rather proudly. Although he deflates shortly after. "Thats n-not weird is it? I-I can't go after you, but at least I could always send Ortho if you were in trouble. He's faster and better equipped for PvPs IRL."

"Thanks for always looking after me."

"Y-Yeah...! Np! I...r-really missed you..." His voice goes quiet. His body trembles and uses you for support. Confusion laces your face, but you keep still and quiet. Always patient with him. "A-And it's a little late of a response, but...i-if I don't respond my chances w-will definitely go down and lead to a bad e-ending. S-So...I l-l-like...l-love...you too."

A smile naturally forms from your lips. It's bright and blinding as your heart leaps against your chest. The confession hadn't been forgotten, but you hardly expected a reply from him. Now, you pull him into a proper embrace. You nestle yourself against his body, head resting against his chest. He flinches, going tense before relaxing. Shaky hands hesitate to wrap around you, but he manages. His hold is weak, scared of giving the wrong amount of contact. You don't mind it though.

"I promise I won't leave again."

You inhale. Exhale. Then you recall the world around you. This magic filled, bright world that you had been cast into against your will. It's dangerous and foreign. It's filled with so many wondrous things, things beyond your wildest imagination. Here, you're different. While you're another face in the crowd, you're acknowledged. Good or bad, you meant something here.

You had friends with real, lifelong bonds. Despite your differences you were considered part of their group. You may not have grown up together, but you did grow together as people. You would never be alone, never be an outcast as you once thought you were. People here were odd, rude, villainous at times, yet human. And you loved them despite their flaws.

One a little more than the others. One you were willing to give up your world for. One you would stay by his side until the end of time.

This is your home now. It always has and always will be.

#twisted wonderland #idia shroud #twisted wonderland x reader #idia shroud x reader #gn reader #twst x reader #twst #idia shroud x you #ignihyde

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shitpostingkats · 1 day

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Give me a post canon Neku that's ever so slightly Spooky.

When he moves through the crowds on the street, there is a little bubble of space around him. Unconsciously, people step aside to give him room to pass. You can track him even in a throng of people, just by the small parting of the masses, the one man gap of space that naturally forms around him, as the citizens of Shibuya feel something mighty moving among their midst.

His pockets constantly jingle with pins. Every promotional button, every limited-time swag, he collects almost without thinking, fidgeting with them as he talks. It seems like he carries his entire collection on him at all times, more than it seems can even physically fit in his pockets.

He sees people on the streets that no one else can see. He'll give them a little nod, a look of sympathy, and, occasionally, toss a pin from his seemingly never-ending collection to them. For just a second, there's someone visible, like the sheer act of being acknowledged by the Legendary Player raises them a frequency or two, bringing them just a little closer to this plane. Then you blink and they're gone. Faded back into the hustle and bustle of the city like they were never there at all.

He's somehow a regular at every shop, every restaurant. Locals recognize him, greet him like an old friend. This isn't exactly weird, per se, but what is weird is he can't be more than twenty. How does he even have the time to become a fixture at every hotspot in town? When he walks into a cafe, the staff instantly knows what he's going to order. But if you ask, the cashier will look puzzled, and tell you, in an almost confused admission, that they don't think he's ever been here before today.

He'll answer questions without you even having to ask them. He'll respond to unvoiced thoughts, back of the mind though jumbles, know exactly what you're trying to say even if you can't fit it into words. Sometimes, he'll tilt his head, like he's listening to some distant music, and in that moment you're not entirely sure he isn't reading your mind.

#neku went offscreen and casually became PSYCHIC #he is WEIRD he is a WEIRDO #vital that he's not aware how weird he looks to outside observers #in Neku's mind he's just going about his day #twewy #neo twewy #ntwewy #neku sakuraba #the world ends with you #ntwewy spoilers #neo the world ends with you #headcanons

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gardenhotspot · 2 years

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:00000 baroness quests leveled me up to 22

#garden hotspot #in our 2022 i am now level 22. .fitting lol #yes i am playing my dumb horse game i am indulging<333 #ive been level 21 for years you never level up in this game. .

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tsukimefuku · 1 month

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Lover's Pass

You and Nanami were sent to investigate cursed activity linked to disappearances in the Lover's Pass. Meanwhile, you both still have to deal with the fallout that happened after the last time you were together.

Based off Lovers Cave from ATLA (obviously).

The song: One last kiss - Hikaru Utada (on Youtube).

Tags: Jujutsu Kaisen, Nanami x OC/Reader, implied Higuruma x OC/Reader, angst, fluff, slight canon typical violence (nothing graphic).

WC: 4.6K

This is part of my "Jujutsu Partners Canon Divergence AU". A sequence of short stories and random drabbles for a Nanami x Reader x Higuruma long fic I might write. To see the ever-growing list of one-shots and short stories, please visit my masterlist :)

Disclaimer: the stories are NOT written and posted in chronological order of events. This happened after the stories "The Event, Part 1" and "The Event, Part 2", preceding "Tactics"(HiguReader). To see where this story fits in the timeline, please check the masterlist mentioned above.

Of course, you were trapped in The Lover’s Pass curse with Nanami after he turned you down. Obviously.

Since the day I met you, the heart began to turn its gears

I can't help but have a hunch that I will lose you

Oh, I know that we've done it so many times

But can you add one last favor?

Oh, Can you give me one last kiss?

It's something that I don’t want to forget

I love you more than you’ll ever know

— Utada Hikaru's "One Last Kiss"

"It's not very appropriate to be talking about such personal matters on your phone while you're inside a car with other passengers." Nanami chided, while he had his arm over the door to his side, not looking at you as he spoke. You had just got out of your call with Higuruma, having set your first not-date with him for later that day.

You scoffed. "Ijichi, did my conversation on the phone regarding a not-date later today offend you in any way?"

Ijichi was taken by surprise, and pushed his glasses back on his nose as he answered, doubtful, "no, Ms. I wasn't offended."

You looked at Nanami, whipping your head towards his position, making it abundantly evident you were glaring at him. He still wouldn't look at you. Then, without a word, you stopped glaring at him and looked outside your window. You were both on the back, glued to your respective doors, trying to put as much empty space between your bodies as possible.

You remembered your earlier conversation with Yaga.

"Do I really have to go with Nanami?" you asked, feeling defeated.

"You're the only two grade 1 sorcerers available. The others have got their plates full. From what we've learned, no one should go inside this curse's hiding place alone, so it's necessary to send two of you."

"What a bore." You said, pinching the bridge of your nose with two fingers. "So, the Lover's Pass curse. Some kids went missing trying to navigate underground tunnels because they were idiots. What do the legends say?"

"The origins of these tunnels are uncertain." Nanami began. You were displeased, and grunted at it lightly, expecting Ijichi to go over the briefing again, loathing having to listen to his voice. Nanami moved on, unbothered. "The legend says that a long time ago, two people from two rival families used those tunnels to meet each other in secrecy. It became an underground destination for couples, both literally and figuratively, it seems, but it has recently become a hotspot for cursed activity. There are currently 4 people missing. Their status is unknown."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." You sighed, dismissive, leaning your temple over the car's window. You heard Nanami sighing loudly on his side of the car, knowing full well he did it just so you could hear him, and the tension between the two of you was so intense it could be ceviche’d with a blunt blade.

Ijichi was particularly uncomfortable in the driver's seat, turning the radio on, trying to fill the dreadful silence with anything until you all got to your destination.

This is going to be hell.

“Ijichi, can we make a quick stop? I haven’t had any breakfast today.” You asked.

“Of course. I have to put some gas in, too.” Ijichi replied.

“That is the reason most people usually wake up early enough to be ready in time for their appointments.” Nanami pointed out, unsolicited.

“Nanami, get off my case. I’m not in the mood to hear this kind of chastising. Especially from you.” You retorted, keeping a low voice that was glimmering with incandescent fury.

Ijichi was terrified, worried he might be caught in the middle of a crossfire.

Nanami finally looked in your direction, with you refusing to make eye contact, but said nothing, returning his gaze to the view up ahead.

***

As you both got out of the car, you picked up your phone, only to realize it had very poor signal. You left a small bag with some cookies and water inside the car.

“Ijichi, will you wait for us here? We don’t have great cellphone reception.” You said, putting your phone back inside your waist bag.

“That is the usual course of action when we’re accompanied by an assistant.” Yet again, Nanami pointed out, unprompted.

You sighed heavily, and spent no words answering him, knowing full well it’d be tossing paper scraps to the wind. Ijichi simply nodded in your direction, uneasy at the growing tension between you and the ratio sorcerer. You waved at Ijichi, and started walking towards the entrance to the tunnel maze. It seemed to be under what was once an enormous mansion, debris being the only clues something ever stood there.

As you finished descending the stairs, Nanami reached you, and both started walking inside the dark tunnels. They were all haphazardly made, basically consisting of very rustic diggings and walls made of dirt. You grabbed a flashlight you had brought, and lit the way for you both.

The pair was walking for what seemed like ten minutes, and you made markings with your cursed energy in order to make the coming back process easier. Like leaving a breadcrumb trail.

The silence engulfing the steps was becoming unnerving, given that, since your last conversation, you had been furious with Nanami. He tried ringing your phone twice since then, and both times you refused his call.

He called your name to say something, and you instantly (involuntarily) sighed in contempt, still not looking at him. “What?”

“It’s about the curse. I do not intend to have a proper conversation in the middle of our mission, rest assured.” He replied, nonchalantly.

“You never intended to have a conversation.” You retorted, annoyed.

Nanami sighed. “We can talk about this in a later time. Now, let us look inside that tunnel. I believe I saw something.” He said, pointing to a turn to the left you both had just passed by.

“Fine.” You made your way back and lit the flashlight towards the tunnel Nanami had pointed at. However, as soon as you did, it became a solid wall.

What?

You drew the light away and over the same spot a few times, and it was certain: there was no way down there anymore.

“What did you see, Nanami?” You inquired, staring at the wall, confused.

You heard some ruffling, and saw Nanami unbutton his suit jacket, pulling his blunt blade from his back. “I saw a quick movement, like someone or something darting through the tunnel. I believe the curse is here.”

You thought for a moment, and couldn’t sense any type of concentrated cursed energy near.

“Nanami, let’s go back and check on the markings we left along the path.”

You both began walking back, alert to anything that might jump you on the way. However, you were met with another solid wall. Upon further inspection, you noticed that one of the markings you made could be partially seen in one of the corners of that tunnel.

“Nanami, look.” You said, pointing at it.

“I see. It can shift space inside the tunnels.”

“That might be the reason these people are going missing. They’re probably still down here.”

He nodded. “Yes. Let’s hurry.”

You kept walking for what felt like half an hour, and started to wonder if this curse was also able to stretch space. These tunnels were supposed to be less than 2 kilometers long, but you had surely been walking much more than that, and you didn’t feel like you were walking in circles. Also, there was no sign of other people ever having been down there.

“Nanami, I think we’re inside the curse. I mean, I don’t feel we’ve been walking in circles.”

“I understand your point. However, we can’t be sure of that.”

“We’ve literally been walking in a straight line and took less than two turns, Nanami. I’m pretty sure about it.” You answered him. For some reason, his simple correction, something so innocuous, brought up the anger you had been feeling for him these past few days.

Nanami sighed.

“Care to enlighten me?” You asked, voice poking at him. You were looking for trouble, clearly.

“If this curse actually distorts space, as we’re suspecting, the physics of it might be broken. There is no point in wondering if we’re walking in circles or not. We’re already under its effect.” He said, matter-of-factly.

This definitely rubbed you the wrong way.

You sighed. “Thanks for the class, teacher. Didn’t know curses could do that. It’s not like I came from a family with a centuries-old tradition on jujutsu, but well, maybe I don’t know how curses work.” You spat out, angrily, turning around to face Nanami.

He sighed, in a mixture of annoyance and tiredness. “This is not the moment for this.”

“Oh, for what? For you to remember that I’m not an idiot that has no idea what she’s dealing with? It sure isn’t. You should’ve thought about it days ago!”

He addressed you by your last name “-san”, when he started to speak again, and that was your last straw.

“We’re past that, aren’t we? It wasn't a last name basis a few nights ago.”

“You see, this is precisely the kind of predicament I hoped to avoid when we both agreed that getting romantically involved would be a foolish move.”

“Oh, Nanami-san, getting involved wasn’t the issue. The issue was what you did right after.”

“Now, please enlighten me on what exactly I have done wrong. I’ve been trying my best to be respectful and proceed with this clearly needed conversation.” He answered, his monotone not concealing very well his own feelings of dissatisfaction.

“Aren’t you the big shot that knows everything about the hardships of a jujutsu sorcerer’s life? Figure it out yourself.” You exclaimed.

“Are you displeased at what you perceived as a rejection of affectionate advances?” Nanami inquired.

You scoffed and looked at him, in utter and complete disbelief. “First and foremost, I’m not displeased, I’m furious. Second, you really think I’d be enraged at you because I felt rejected? Do I look like a fucking school girl?!” This was the very first time you ever cursed at Nanami, and it surprised him.

However, before he could answer, something spiked up from the floor, separating you both even further. It was a red mass that looked like a tentacle, but not quite. It first whipped at you, and you used your cursed technique to launch one of your small grenades at it. At impact, the shock waves from the explosion caused the tunnel to make a not so safe noise.

Shit. I can’t use my technique. This might collapse the entire tunnel system on our heads.

“Let me handle this! Your technique is no good here. It might knock down the surrounding walls!” Nanami shouted, as he advanced towards the curse’s tentacle.

“No shit, Sherlock!” You yelled back, jumping and rolling when it dealt a strong blow where you were previously standing.

He swiftly dealt a 7:3 critical hit at the tentacle’s base, and it was cleanly cut. It fell, squirming softly before it stopped. You looked closer, and the tentacle seemed to be made out of several red threads, all tightly-knit together.

“What the hell?”

“Well, it is called the Lover’s Pass. You’re probably familiar with the red thread myth.” Nanami said, pushing his glasses back in place.

“I am. I just didn’t expect it to be so... Thematic?” You answered, getting up, huffing.

“Neither did I.” He replied, as you both resumed your walking.

***

“Nanami, this is pointless. We’re not getting anywhere.” Complaining, you leaned against one of the walls. You both had been walking for almost three hours at this point. “Apart from that tentacle, the curse hasn't approached us.”

He sighed and also leaned against one of the walls, on the opposite side, looking at you. You didn’t look at him back, though.

“Is there anything about the legend from Lover’s Pass that could help us solve this?” You asked, defeated.

Nanami thought for a moment, resting one of his hands on his chin.

“Legend has it that the only way for leaving the maze of Lover’s Pass is through an act of... True love.” Nanami remembered, instantly pinching the bridge of his nose, still with his glasses on. A faint grunt from him could be heard.

You realized it as soon as he did.

“Like a kiss or something like that?”

He shrugged, displeased. “Perhaps. It’s an open-ended statement. I do not care much for those.”

You let out a loud ugh. “Are you serious? That’s the legend?”

“I’m afraid so.”

You sighed deeply, then approached Nanami. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

He was slightly surprised, but offered no resistance, given he knew this was an alternative you both should try, and you surely had enough intimacy for that.

You kissed him on the lips swiftly, dissociating as much as you could when doing so. His body was rigid at the alien sensation of you pressing your lips against his so… Indifferently.

You both waited for a few seconds after that, but absolutely nothing happened.

“Goddammit. Ah, well, worth the shot.” You shrugged off.

He sighed and pulled on his tie lightly, opening the button on the top of his shirt. “I believe we’re on the right track to solve this conundrum. But there is something about what just happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“This surely couldn’t be interpreted as an act of true love.” He pointed out.

You grunted, looking away. You were having a hard time looking at Nanami today, overall, unless you were bursting with anger, or glaring.

“You won’t even look at me properly, and haven't, ever since we picked you up earlier this morning.” Nanami noted.

Now you looked at him, without making any effort this time to conceal the rage you had bubbling inside, translated on the facial expression you had on.

“I’m just too angry at you right now to be affectionate!” You spat.

He sighed.

“I apologize.” Nanami said.

“For what?” You inquired.

“You’re furious with me, and have been for days. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t prevent me from apologizing.”

Your rage dripped from your next words like poison.

“If you don’t know why you’re apologizing, don’t even bother.”

“Then, please, tell me what I’ve done to upset you this greatly.”

“No! Figure it out for yourself. Clearly you know more about things than I do, don’t you, Nanami?” You were nearly growling.

Suddenly, another tentacle appeared, but this time it came from the upper part of the walls, right behind you. Before you could react, it violently whipped you against the wall, and pierced through your right shoulder. You heard Nanami calling out your name. The pain shot through your body like cold nitrogen, and you almost reacted using your cursed technique, but restrained at the last moment, remembering the risks it ensued.

He appeared swiftly, and dealt a 7:3 blow to the tentacle's base, having it fall down beside you both. You fell to your knees and held your shoulder with your other hand, huffing, before you began employing your RCT for healing.

Nanami kneeled in front of you. “Are you alright?” He asked, mindlessly putting his free hand on your cheek, effectively cupping your face. You shivered at his touch, and looked him in the eyes. Underneath his glasses, you could see a slightly worried gaze, and that chipped away at your fury-fueled emotional brick wall.

“I’m… fine. I’m already healing myself. But thank you.”

He nodded, still cupping your face in a tender, affectionate way.

You both remained in that position for a little while, gazing at each other. It was then that you noticed the faint light from what looked like fireflies extending towards the tunnel maze, making some turns until it disappeared.

“What…?” You got up, and was left dumbfounded, because the lights suddenly went away. “Did you see that?”

Recomposing himself, Nanami got up. “I did.”

Then, it clicked.

“We’re attacked by the red threads when we’re fighting. And I guess the lights show the way out. They appeared when we-” you stopped in your tracks.

“When we had a moment of-”

“True love.” You choked out, the words pulling painfully at your heart strings. “Okay, I get it now.”

He put his blunt blade tucked away in his harness, and stood right in front of you.

“Then, we must talk.” Nanami said, in his matter-of-factly way. You were looking at the ground, and didn’t lift your gaze to meet his. He sighed softly and relaxed his shoulders, taking off his glasses, now speaking with a husky, softer voice. “I would like to talk to you, please, and be given the chance to understand what I’ve done to hurt you.”

You were caught off guard.

“Please.” He repeated, putting his finger under your chin to lift your eyes, and you did so, meeting his. This was the first time ever since that night he seemed to be actually looking at you, and not past you.

You sighed, as he put his hand over your shoulder, softly rubbing his thumb over it.

"Did you feel like I have taken undue advantage of the situation that night?" He asked, earnestly.

"No! It's not that." You pondered for a moment. Then, you began speaking again. "You lectured me that day, Nanami. It wasn't a conversation."

He was slightly surprised, but stayed silent, giving you time to elaborate.

"You never wanted to talk to me, you just had your mind made up. I was angry at you because you made a decision that affects us both entirely on your own, without even asking me about anything. You completely disregarded my input in your equation." You finally explained. "It was patronizing, and I felt deeply hurt by it."

Nanami then realized what he had done. Trying to shield you from hurt, he had pushed you exactly in hurt's way.

He sighed deeply as he put his other hand on your arm. "I... I apologize, truly."

You both locked eyes for a moment, and you felt the already so familiar fluttering heart. Your heart beat for this man, just like the sun rose for the day, and the moon came out for the night. The profound connection you had, which transcended time and space for more than a decade, had translated into the way each pump fervently happened because of, and for, him. You could barely breathe when he gazed at you like this.

With a sharp tug, you grabbed his tie and pulled him in your direction, locking lips, feeling the bright explosion from the longing that had swept you away in anger. You missed being close to Nanami so profoundly the past few days that it ached in places you never even realized existed, every pain pulsing away at your last kiss. He pulled you closer, diving into the passionate kiss, in his own silent sorrow and apology.

You barely felt the few tears that streamed down your eyes as you were both kissing. For the first time, the all consuming rage you felt had revealed its true colors. It wasn't anger; it was sadness.

You were overwhelmed with sadness and felt profoundly disappointed that, out of everyone, Nanami, the person you trusted the most, with your heart and with your life, was the one to hurt you so severely. You didn't feel used — you felt completely betrayed.

As your faces parted, you kept your eyes closed, fighting the urge to cry. He saw your pained expression, and a dark pit had formed in his stomach, the gravitational pull of guilt threatening to bring him down on his knees. Nanami cupped your face in between his hands and realized it was damp. Oh, I am a complete and utter imbecile.

"I am profoundly and sincerely sorry" he said, pulling you in for a hug, burying your face in his chest while he held the back of your head.

You sighed, hugging him back tightly and breathing intensely, trying to free up the heaviness that took over your chest. He nosed your hair, and trembled to your flowery aroma, today, smelling like daffodils. Oh, how much he had missed it, and you had absolutely no idea.

At that point, the fireflies began to appear again.

Nanami softly parted from you. "Look."

You turned your head, and saw them. There were many fireflies all over, lighting the tunnels greatly. It was actually... Beautiful. You separated from Nanami, sliding softly out of his embrace. He looked at you, somewhat apprehensive.

"We can get back to talking after we're finished here, okay?" You reassured him.

He nodded, and you both began to follow the fireflies' path.

As you were walking, you saw a couple, two women, laid on the ground beside each other, seemingly passed out. You took one of them in your arms, and Nanami did the same. Further ahead, you saw someone else, but when you both approached, realized this person must've been deceased for a while now. He was holding onto a small, bloody pocket knife.

Both of you decided to keep walking, and saw a bright white light at the end of the longest tunnel. The fireflies were leading you there, so you followed suit, finally reaching what seemed to be an empty white room. It wasn't empty, however. A woman — or what seemed like one — was on the ground, apparently on her knees, with her face in her hands, crying.

"Nanami, can you hold them both?" You asked, whispering. He nodded, and you put the lady you were carrying over his shoulder.

You then silently made your way towards the curse, summoning a grenade in your hand. This seemed to be in an almost separate dimension from the tunnel, so you figured it'd be probably safe using your technique here.

Why... Why did he abandon me here? The curse pleaded for an answer, stopping you in your tracks. He left me here to die- to die- to die-

You noticed that her neck seemed to be cut, and was oozing blood that dripped down the front of her white dress.

"Nanami, you told me there were four people missing, right? But we only saw one body..." you said, keeping your eyes laser-focused on the cursed spirit in front of you.

"Yes, during the course of the last two weeks. Two couples." He pondered for a moment. " ... Oh, I see."

This woman was the last missing person. The curse itself.

She had cursed herself at being abandoned to die by her lover in the Lover's Pass.

Why did he betray- betray- betray me!? The curse wailed, seemingly self-embracing, in a pitiful gesture for self comfort.

That was a heartbreaking sight to behold.

"Hey, Nanami, tell me something." You said, still looking at her.

"What?" He asked.

"If we exorcize her, will her spirit be freed or disappear along with the cursed energy tethered to it?"

Nanami was silent for a moment. "I do not know."

You sighed, sorrowful, and evaporated away the grenade you were holding onto, kneeling in front of the curse.

"Hey." You said, pulling its attention to you. Nanami was standing behind you, apprehensive, while he held the two passed out women. However, he decided to trust you, and stood down.

Why- why did he kill me?! Her eyes were pitch black, and sent chills down your spine.

"You have to forgive him. You have passed, there is nothing else that can be done. You both have. Only when you let go, will you be free. You cursed yourself." You said, warmly, sparing her a smile.

Her weeping started to subdue.

"You have to pass onto the other side." You insisted.

I can't- can't- can't- forgive him! He doesn't deserve- deserve- it! The cursed spirit shrieked, furiously.

"Then, don't do it for him. Do it for you. Free yourself. Only you can do that."

The curse's howling stopped, and you got up, stepping back, ready to pull a grenade on her if it were necessary. You had tried your best to free this spirit without exorcizing it.

The cursed spirit got up too, and turned it's back to you, suddenly being engulfed in all the fireflies that were spread throughout the tunnels. They got absorbed into her, and she radiated pure white for a moment, before you both could see it. She now looked human, a tall woman with long brown hair and a beautiful white summer dress, weaved around with red stitches all throughout.

You smiled, and she turned around to look at you.

Thank you, the woman said, before stepping towards, away from you, disappearing into thin air.

Then, the pure white light that replaced all the walls, floor, and ceiling began to fade away as well. After a few moments, you and Nanami, as well as the two girls, were finally back to the entrance to the Lover's Pass.

***

After you left the women at the hospital, you, Ijichi and Nanami were back in Tokyo. You asked Ijichi to let you out of the car near the restaurant Higuruma had told you he'd be at.

You got out of the car, waving Ijichi goodbye, but were surprised to see that Nanami stepped out of the car as well, calling your name. Ijichi left, probably because Nanami told him to do so before he made his way out.

"Can we resume our conversation?" He inquired, looking at you... pleadingly?

You sighed. "Okay. Just give me a moment." You grabbed your phone and texted Higuruma, letting him know you'd be late.

You looked around and spotted a bench, walking towards it, waving Nanami to follow you. He did, and you both sat down on the opposite ends of it, looking at each other. The silence grew uncomfortable between the two, given none knew who'd speak first.

He did.

"Once again, I'd like to apologize for the hurt that I've caused you," Nanami said, earnestly, "and I hope you can forgive me for that."

"Will it make any difference to you if I tell you I already forgave you?"

Nanami was slightly taken aback. You continued.

"It seems that every time I forgive you or tell you there is nothing to forgive, my words just fall on deaf ears." You sighed. "I can't keep telling you there is nothing to be forgiven when you just won't listen. You have to forgive yourself. We can’t... You have to move past it. I'm tired of this, I've just about had it, Nanami."

He stayed silent.

"You were not saving me, or sparing me, when you made that decision by yourself. You broke my heart, Nanami. You wanted to protect me, and I understand that. I'm thankful for that. But you did it all wrong."

He sighed deeply. "Could you find it in yourself to forgive me?"

You gazed at him. "I forgive you. But I can’t forget this. And even if I can still trust you with my life, I don’t think I can trust you with my heart again."

These words cut through him like sharp blades. Hearing them felt worse than he had anticipated.

"That's reasonable." He finally replied, defeated.

There was nothing more to be said. You cupped his face with your hands, and he looked at you longingly, knowing what would come next.

You pressed one gentle last kiss on Nanami's lips as you said goodbye.

He was left sitting alone on that bench, as he saw you walking away to go on a date with someone else, taking your flowery scent and soft touch with you, away from him.

It felt more miserable than he thought it would.

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu nanami #nanami kento #jjk nanami #jjk fanfic #nanami x reader #nanami x you #jjk imagines #jjk x you #nanami kento angst #nanami angst #kento nanami angst #jjk angst #jjk drabbles #drabble

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freezingmcxn · 5 months

Text

MY CREEPYPASTA AU

(This is a more in depth version compared to the one on my Tik Tok, but it still doesn't contain full details because I’d rather you guys ask me questions on it,I find it easier to discuss!)

Maine

In my AU all of the Creepypastas and Proxies (this includes Hoodie and Masky from Marble Hornets) reside in Maine.

Maine has a deep history and the best folklore ever so I felt like it fit with what I was going for when I made this up.

The dark forests and gloomy,chilly weather fit my vision.The numerous small towns are also perfect because who doesn’t love a good small town horror story ;)

The Forests

Maine has GINORMOUS forests (90% of its covered in them) and they look pretty spooky.

In my AU the forests are not exactly normal.They’re home to lots of the creeps and Supernatural beings.

There’s a high amount of energy inside these forests,this causes the supernatural beings to form and evolve.(I will talk about them more further down this post)

Nobody knows exactly why the forests are such a hotspot for supernatural energy and magic,some think it’s down to the insane amount cult like seances and dark witchcraft inside the forests.

Nobody knows exactly what any of the cults are trying to achieve but there’s an unsettling feeling no matter how often you see them standing in circles around a fire.

The demons that reside here are thought to have been summoned by these activities.

You often find the witches bludgeoned and limbless after trying to make offerings to the creatures inside of the forest.

Small stick figures and voodoo dolls are usually found just before you enter the deep parts of these forests,the proxies think it’s the witches using them like a trail of breadcrumbs so they can return to preform more seances and offerings.

Some creeps move them around so they end up in the darkest parts of the woods,nobody’s ever returned from there.

There’s an interconnecting system to all of these forests.Every single forest in Maine is connected to one another in some way.

Once you go deep enough(like extremely fuckin deep) you can find yourself confused about your surroundings.This is usually due to the fact that you’ve walked through a portal.

Now let me explain how the portals work.

The portals between the forests in Maine are naturally created, as they are simply the result of the supernatural energy that connects the forests together.

The portals themselves can take many forms, such as small patches of glowing mist in between two trees or they could be completely invisible to the naked eye.

They can appear and disappear seemingly at random.

However,some portals stick around,the creeps use these to get around.

Proxies mark the trees between a portal with this symbol “⦻”.

They are always accessible to all creatures, no matter the time or place.

Because of the large amount of forests in Maine there’s an endless amount of summer camps inside of them.

During the camps off months some of the creeps (literally such a small number) use the summer camp cabins as their hiding or living places because they are isolated and remote.

When the camps start back up during the summer,abandoned buildings and ghost towns end up becoming occupied by some of the creeps who prefer to stay sheltered.

They survive off of the abandoned food and supplies left behind in the summer camp cabins.

They also scavenge for supplies and food in nearby towns and stores when the coast is clear and if they manage to come across money which is rare and is usually stolen.

Almost all of the time they make trips to the towns to steal supplies and groceries from shops and residences.

Disguises are a creeps best friend!

There are many different species of supernatural creatures that inhabit the deepest parts of the forests.

Some common examples of supernatural creatures that live in the forests include things like werewolves, vampires, ghosts, wendigos,demons,the rake (many of his kind) witches,skinwalkers literally anything you can think of.

The creeps all have a whole range of interactions with the supernatural creatures in the forest.

Some are afraid of them and be wary of them.

Others could have made some kind of pact or deal with them,they might use them to their advantage in some way or become friends.

Some even try to fight or kill them but that’s rare.

The creatures have a high possibility of being hostile,so it’s best to be wary and not trust the ones who are unnamed.

The proxies,as well as carrying out tasks for slender.Patrol the forests.

They ensure creatures stay inside their areas.

They put a stop to any risks of their “hide out” being discovered.

They try to also prevent people from stumbling upon the deep parts by killing them before they reach them but that doesn’t always work.

People that stray from hiking trails and end up in these parts of the forests slowly go insane.

The spirits and demons like manipulating people that end up here.

The proxies don’t do anything about this since they find it entertaining

tThey much rather watch someone completely break than have someone beg for their life.

They enjoy coming across a person that’s become completely insane from terror, the slender sickness and the confusing portal system they don’t know about(they could enter a portal without realising and be in a different forest even further away from an exit).

The proxies call them “Zombies”.

The “Zombies” last a week tops(lack of food,water,the creatures) and you can usually see them wandering aimlessly or even just standing in random fields staring off at nothing.

The mansion isn’t a home to any of the creeps I don’t see it working out tbh.

It’s more of a prominent feature that appears from time to time.

It travels through different forests every day so it’s never in one place at all,it’s not hard to find if you know your way around.

Normally, it sticks the the centres of the forests,if you can figure out which one it is,then boom you’ve got it.

No creeps or proxies really go near it unless they’re absolutely in dire need of shelter.

Inside is disgusting.There’s rubbish and dirt on everything,the floors and ceilings are all broken up.Mould is ever where too.

It’s mostly Spirits that occupy this mansion.

Usually it’s children spirits as they don’t really like the forests.

Sally Williams resides here but still likes to float around the forest from time to time.

THANK YOU FOR READING ALL QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME!!! ILL BE DISCUSSING MY VERSION OF THE CHARACTERS SOON

#creepypasta #alternate universe #slenderman #slenderverse au #creepypasta fandom #creepypasta art #realistic #hcs #headcanons requests #Spotify

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