#ayways

[soggyyspoons]

[cosmicredcadet]

I think a lot of stories would be a whole lot better if their main plot wasn't constantly having to compete with a romantic subplot.

[semrielle]

ohhh your ocs are so wonderful

I FEEL SO VALIDATED (i literally yelled this when i read this) THANK YOU SO MUCH THATS MEANS A LOT

[sunnysviolin]

Choices (Rewrite)

Hey guys! I decided to do a rewrite of Choices because I felt like I could expand on it a bit more. You can also read it on ao3 here but because this fic was originally just on here, I thought I would also post it on here

Her son was still asleep.

The house was bright with the afternoon light, sun spilling in from all of the windows. It was one of the things she loved most about her home, how much light it was able to bring in. From the big wide windows in the piano room, to the tiny one overlooking the staircase. Even though it was small it filled the room with brightness. Even the sliding glass doors brought in the sunshine, although she almost never opened the curtains anymore. The light touched everything in the house, the empty stairwell, the miscolored walls, the dozens and dozens of cardboard boxes stacked precariously on top of one another.

Sometimes the memories floated up from where she had tampered them down, catching on a thought floating in her head and coming up to the surface. The light in the house made her think of the windows, and the windows made her think of the piano, the one piece of furniture she was leaving behind, and the piano made her think of the day they bought the house.

She had been pregnant by then, just beginning to show. They had told their respective parents earlier that month on the first trimester mark, and all four had been pleased. It felt good to earn Takashi’s parents approval, it may have only come from the child growing in her, but she was happy to have it. Anything would beat the icy stares and cold judgement that they had when he first brought her home for dinner.

The day they bought the house was also the day they found out they were having a girl. Cold gel on her belly and a monitor pressing against her, and there was a picture of their daughter. She still looked more like an alien than a baby, but she had little fingers and little toes, and her doctor said that the baby was a girl. She couldn’t have been more excited.

She had been hesitant about buying the house at first, scared of the possibilities. Could they afford the house with everything the baby might need? Was the house too big, was it safe enough for their child? Takashi had assured her that everything would be fine, but the doubts were still egging at her, even on this final day that they could possibly turn back. It was the piano that changed her mind. The piano, and her daughter.

As she stood in the doorway of the room that had the piano, she rested a hand on her stomach. Her mind was still reeling from the knowledge that there was in fact a little person in her, a little person that would grow into a little girl for her to love and cherish and raise.

She had never learned to play the piano, but this little girl would. She would sit at the piano with long black hair, straight like her fathers instead of wavy like her own. This little girl would have her eyes, and a perfect smile. She would grow up in this house, and her parents would be with her for every step of the way.

Takashi had come up behind her and she had turned herself into his arms, declaring there and then that this was their home now. They signed the papers only an hour later in their realtors office, and she had been in her final month of pregnancy when they finally had moved in. There had been some water damage, and Takashi hadn’t wanted to risk mold around her and the baby. She had been a whale by the time they finally got into the house, waddling around unpacking cardboard boxes so very similar to the ones adorning the house now.

It had felt right then, like the real beginning to her life. Everything had made sense. Now the brightness of the house was overwhelming, the sun hitting her eyes and leaving black blurs in her vision. She kept most of the curtains shut, and there was no one there who would open them back up for her.

Still, the light kept creeping in.

Stop thinking about that. Get back to what you have to do.

I left some food in the fridge for you downstairs. It's STEAK... your favorite! Love you, XOXO.

She circled that final O and peeled the sticky note off of the pack, placing it on the wall by the doorway next to the rest of her little messages to her son. Sunny did better when he had reminders of things, and the bright neon of the stickies tended to catch his eye long enough to engage his curiosity. She patted the note twice to ensure it was stuck on firmly, and then she started her mental checklist again.

Pack up the last of our things. Check.

Call the landlord to start setting up the apartment. Check.

Make sure the moving men knew to leave the piano. Check.

Leave Sunny a list of chores. Check.

Make sure Sunny has what he needs and knows how to get it. Check.

Everything was laid out exactly as it should be. Everything was taken care of. So why did she have a foreboding feeling? Why did she not want to leave? She had wanted to leave this house for the last four years, she had craved escaping the grief and pain that tainted the walls. Now she was finally at the precipice of getting exactly what she wanted, and fear was holding her in place.

On a whim she called out that she was leaving to the empty dead house. Sunny did not wake. Sunny’s door did not open. She hadn’t expected it to, but she hoped it would. He might have come downstairs and give her a hug goodbye, he might have given her some sign that he was aware she even existed at all.

Except he wouldn’t, and it was better to pretend that it was just because of the house. Once she got him out of this house it would all be okay again, and to get him out of the house, she needed to leave and set up their new home.

With that thought at the forefront of her mind, she picked up her handbag and walked to the door. It was heavy when it opened, it had always been heavy, but now it was a struggle to even get the knob to turn. But turn it did, and soon she was standing in her yard, the front door closing behind her with an ominous click. That sound always sent a shiver racing down her spine. It was the same noise as when the men closed Mari’s casket. A simple quiet snick, efficient in its brutality.

That’s the sound that happened when they finally took my baby away. That’s the sound that happened when they shut the world forever on her beautiful face. She never shut any of the doors in the house anymore in an effort to avoid that sound.

She hurried to the car and slammed the door shut, the vibration of it rolling up her arm and cancelling out the noise of the casket door closing. A shaky breath flew out of her mouth and she gripped the steering wheel, letting her head fall against it.

It’s all fine. Everything is fine. You’re overreacting to a little noise. It’s just an overreaction.

She grabbed her purse and began to dig through it, the jingly sound of her keys coming from its depths. Once she found them she jammed the key into the ignition, about to turn it when it happened again. A crackly voice in her head, speaking in slow gravely Japanese. The voice of her Baasan stuck in her mind, stalling her hand from turning the key.

You shouldn’t leave him alone.

It was a ridiculous thought. She had left Sunny home alone plenty of times. It wasn’t anything new or out of the ordinary. Sunny probably wouldn’t even get up, except to use the bathroom and eat. She would be back in three days, and then they would be able to move on with their lives. There was nothing to worry about. She turned the key, and Baasan spoke up again.

Three days? You told yourself one, then two at most. Now Three? What on earth could you possibly need to do that would keep you away from your son for three days. He’s fragile now, you know.

Plenty of things Baa-Baa She rationalized. She had to lay out the furniture, call an inspector, get food for the fridge, and make sure everything would be just the way it should be for Sunny’s arrival. There was lots to do, and she needed all of that time. It wasn’t like she had left Sunny in a ditch without shelter or care. He was in his home, the only home he had ever known, with food to eat and a warm bed.

Ah yes, a single steak. Certainly enough for three days. He’s going to starve while you are gone. Why do you want to starve your son?

She wasn’t starving him. She...she wasn’t. Sunny barely ate anymore anyway. Uncertainty wound itself around her shoulders. She had left him a steak in the fridge, and the microwave was right by it to warm it up. She had even sharpened the knife for him.

Leaving your only son with a sharp knife alone in the house. What a choice .

She shook her head, unable to shake the thoughts from her head. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, and she threw her body around, pulling out of the driveway and speeding down the road. Her Baasan’s voice screamed in her head

Turn Back. Turn Back, damn you. Go back, he needs you. You left out a knife, a knife you sharpened. You didn’t sharpen any of the others. Why did you leave that knife out? Do you want him to hurt himself?

“No!” She shouted into the empty air, startling herself. Her hands jerked, and the car jerked too, pulling into the other lane. An oncoming vehicle blared its horn, and she overcorrected, going half off the road. The man in the other car gave her the finger as he whizzed past, and she laughed, a strangely broken sound. Why would she want to hurt Sunny? He was her baby, her little one. The last little one she had, the only family she had. All she had now was her son, and she would never let anything hurt him.

“I’m doing this for him,” She said to herself, her voice placid and sweet, “It’s all for him. Once he’s out of that house things will be better. It’ll be all better,”

Why couldn’t she believe herself? She wasn’t lying, she wanted this for Sunny.

You want it for you. You want to be rid of that place, rid of the memories and everything you lost. Whatever it takes you’re leaving that all behind and it will be like none of it ever existed. That’s for you, not him.

But Sunny wasn’t one of the things she wanted to leave behind. Sunny was coming with her. But that didn’t explain why he wasn’t here sitting in the car with her. Baasan tried speaking up one last time.

Turn Back. You can take it back before he even wakes up. Throw that knife out into the backyard. Let it rest next to where your son hung his sister.

Where your baby hung herself. He needs you. He needs his mommy.

No. No, it was fine.

Sunny didn’t need her. What Sunny needed was a fresh start. Sunny needed to get out of that house, that horrible house filled with ghosts- alive and dead. Sunny needed her to be his mother, to make decisions when he couldn’t. Sunny needed his mother to help him, and she would. She would fill this new house with new furniture and new clothes, and she would become a new person. A kinder person, a better person, someone who could forgive his mistakes. Someone who could love him. Someone who could see him without hating him.

Sunny would be fine. Sunny would sleep all day and all night like he always did. He was a caterpillar in a cocoon, and she was going to help him finish his metamorphosis. Leaving this house, his chrysalis, would help him to transform. He would emerge as her beautiful boy again, her quiet darling, her Sunny. She put on her turn signal and started up the drive once more, this time with no hesitation at all.

All he had to do was survive a few more days in the fog. He could manage that. He’d lived this long in it, hadn’t he?

[twstwonderlandstuff]

A dance for three. (OC x Chongyun x Xingqiu)

Warning: They will be OOC and I'm REALLY sorry! Also, this is just me rambling.

The docks of Liyue are full of lives dashing to and fro, each with their own destinations in mind, and this travelling group is no different.

"But it's harder! Let me and Aether have that one!" Paimon whines, trying to pry the sheet off Valie’s hands.

"Like you know anything about choosing perfumes!" Valie retaliates, avoiding the fairy’s advances.

"Paimon has a very good sense of smell! She'll know which perfume to give to Miss Baishi!"

"They ALL smell good! They're perfumes!"

Aether stares at the ruckus they cause and sighs. He loves his travelling causes, he does, but why the hell do they have to be so early in the morning?! With a weary frown, Aether apologizes to Zhongli (the ever-esteemed but mora-less gentleman simply chuckles) and steps between the two of them. With a strained smile, Aether raises his fists and-

TWACK!

“What the hell are you two doing so early in the morning?” Aether hisses. Despite being a traveller, early mornings are not his cup of tea.

"S...sorry..." The two murmur, each massaging the bump on their head.

"That hurts! What if Paimon's brain shrinks?" The fairy whines, biting her lip.

"Pick. A commision." Aether booms, hands on his exposed hip, honeyed locks swaying behind. "AND GO."

"YES SIR!"

Aether sighs as the two girls run away, leaning against the harbor's railing. The clear blue skies greet him when he looks up.

I hope nothing goes wrong.

BOOM

There’s the sound of an explosion coming from Paimon. Aether feels like crying.

_

"This would be perfect for lady Nigguang!" Baishi nods eagerly, her head already pooling with raunchy ideas of the Liyue Qixing, no doubt. "Yes, someone of her standing, with those silky-"

"-silky figure-hugging dress, embroidered in the finest of gold..." Valie interrupts, nodding. "But what does that have to do with perfume?"

"Excuse me?! That has everything to do with the perfume!" Baishi huffs, crossing her arms. "How someone smells is extremely important to how one carries themselves!"

"I mean, I guess so..."

"You guess so?!" Baishi huffs. "Hmmph, looks like you need to be taught a thing or two about Lady Ningguang's graces-!"

"Baishi, are you there?" Ningguang's elegant tone cuts through the argument with ease. "Oh, and the traveller's companion. Hello."

"Greetings." Valie bows with a smile, ignoring eye contact with Baishu. "I was just doing a commission!"

"Here, your payment." Baishi leaves her a generous amount of Mora and signals her to get out.

"I'll be running now! Bye!" With a cheeky grin, she runs off.

Ningguang nods at the fleeting figure, turning her attention towards Baishu. "So, as I said..."

=

"Chongyun, Xingqiu, beloved!" The cat-eyed exorcist and the bookworm jumps at the nickname and at the added weight when Valie wraps her arms around their back. “Did I scare you?”

“Bold as ever, my lady.” Xingqiu teases back, shutting his book with a snap and wrapping his hand around hers. “‘This is a fine morning, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, the sun’s out, but it’s not too bright that I feel like I’m melting.” Valie agrees.

“Good morning.” Chongyun cordially greets. “What brings you here today?”

“Um, well, I finished a commission, but Paimon and I got into a fight, so I don’t feel like talking to her yet. Oh, and, er, Aether looks like he’s in a bad mood, so...” Valie grinned sheepishly. “That also might be my fault, but…”

“The traveller is known to be patient. You must have done something outrageous.” Chongyun comments, earning a laugh at ouf Xingqiu.

“No way, it’s ‘cuz he isn’t a morning person, that’s all.” Valie denies, cutting in the middle of the two of them. “But still… I’ll find a way to make up to him later but for now-! Where are you two going?”

“To Wuwang Hill. Xingqiu found some clues that lead me to believe that there are some spirits lurking there.” Chongyun explains. With a small blush, he offers: “Would you like to come with us?”

“Yeah, defi- wait, Xingqiu gave you these clues?” Chongyun nods to her question, and Valie gives Xingqiu an extremely skeptical frown, complete with an exaggerated eyebrow raise that says: ‘Sir? You’re tricking him AGAIN?!’, which Xingqiu replies with a shrug.

“Let us make haste! While it is still bright in the morn’, the night may arrive faster than we anticipate.” Xingqiu reminds them, ignoring Valie.

With a defeated sigh, Valie nods begrudgingly, earning her a smirk from Xingqiu. “...Alright, let’s go.”

“...do you two have something you’re hiding from me?” Chongyun butts in, tired of watching their wordless argument.

“Nah.”

“No.”

The two reply at the same time.

“Oh yes, I just remembered. The second edition of “Young and Hopelessly Smitten” has just been published.” Xingqiu replies, snapping his fingers. “Finally.”

“YES! Oh My God I need to know what happens after that- that damned cliffhanger! We finally get to find out what happens, ey!!!” Valie raises her hands to Xingqiu, who stares, and gives her a small grin. Chongyun, noticing the grin, frowns. Just what is he planning?

With a sly smirk, Xingqiu grips Valie’s hand, his fingers intertwining against hers. “Yes! It’s a wonderful occasion.”

“...pfft.” Valie laughs, catching on. “Y’know, Xingqiu, I was asking for a high-five.”

“I am aware.” Xingqiu remarks back.

Ho… is this a challenge?

“Well, my dear sire, if you wanted to hold hands, you could’ve just asked.” Eyes gazing fiercely on a surprised Xingqiu, she raises his hand towards her lips and presses a kiss, making sure her eyes are still on him, and smiles calmly, ignoring the chatter of the surrounding people.

Despite being a hydro, Xingqiu feels like he's burning from the inside. His heart is simply beating too fast for him to keep up, and there’s not a thing he can do about it.

Turning, she lifts her hand to Chongyun. “Let’s go?”

“..Ah, um, yes.” Chongyun stutters, letting her take his hand, who also flares up when she kisses his hand, quickly sucking on a popsicle.

Calm down, Chongyun. Don’t lose yourself.

=

The pacing towards Wuwang Hill was slow, although none of them seemed to mind. Having run out of topics to talk about, they settle into a comfortable silence, until...

"...Do you want to get married?" Chongyun muses out of nowhere. Xingqiu and Valencia whips their heads at Chongyun, who nonchalantly stares back.

"...? Hmm? Are you okay, dude?" Valie worries, a frown setting on her face. "Did you eat some Jieyun Chili by accident?"

"I don't take you for someone to be so partial towards relationships, but then again…” Xingqiu's eyes shift over to Valie, then back to his best friend. "Times have changed."

"Answer my question." The cryo user insists, eyes locked on Valie.

"Um...yeah, definitely!" Valie nods with a wide grin, putting her hands together. "Wouldn't that be nice? Waking up to someone you love, kissing each other when you wake up, then going towards the kitchen to share a cup of coffee and talk about whatever pops into mind..." A dreamy sigh escapes her as she looks up to the surroundings.

"I see you've given it some thought." Chongyun replies, nodding sagely.

"W-well, it's only natural, right?! I-I mean, it's not like I think about it ALL the time!" Valie panics, looking away. "...I think about it all the time and I can't stop."

"And who do you imagine this scenario happening with?" Xingqiu asks, leaving Valie to splutter.

"AH- UM- I- it kind of depends on who I'm crushing on, but for right now it's a secret!." Her cheeks flush bright red at the thought. “..hehe.”

"Gh-! Anyway, how about you?” Valie nudges Xingqiu, but is interrupted by a waving Aether in the distance with a defeated Paimon tucked under his arm.

"Aw… well, gotta dash." She presses a quick hug on both of the boys, wrapping her arms around their waist and squeezing tight. "Catch you later?”

"Wait." Xingqiu pleads. "Give me a moment, my lady. I shan't be long."

My lady! Valie swoons internally.

"Ah, um, sure?" Valie questions, watching as Xingqiu kneels as Chong Yun watches, hands still intertwined.

"Xingqiu? Um-" A high-pitched squeal dies in her throat when he presses his lips on her hand, taking a few seconds before releasing it.

"I wish you a safe journey, my lady." Xingqiu bids, smiling up at Valie sincerely, eyes crinkling in appreciation.

"..."

"My lady?" When Xingqiu looks up, he sees a rare expression cross Valie’s face. Her expression blooms, akin to a red rose, flushing her entire face and even her ears. Lemon eyes darting this way and that, she nods.

"U- um- y-yeah-! T-t-thanks, Xingqiu, u-um-" Sounds leave her mouth, but most end up being incomprehensible when her voice pitches higher and higher, cracking.

Xingqiu smiles cheekily. I see, so this is what she's like when she's nervous.

"Valencia." Chongyun speaks up as well, lifting her cocoa-colored tresses against his thumb and index finger. “Do not forget about me as well.”

Xingqiu looks at the ice-haired exorcist, a small frown curling on his face. What could his aloof friend be thinking?

"A-ah, no like, I meant-" Valie murmurs, turning around. “Eh-!"

Chongyun leans down and stares at the locks intertwined between fingers for a few seconds, moving to press his lips against it, emboldened eyes staring at the increasingly flustered girl. After lingering a second longer than Xingqiu, he lifts his head and reluctantly lets them fall.

Valie’s eyes prickle in tears of embarrassment, already gathering at the edge of her eyes, and Xingqiu lifts his hand to wipe them away as Chongyun announces: “If danger were around the corner, do not hesitate to call us.”

"Y-yeah...t-thanks." Valie nods shakily. "I- b-bye!" With ragged breaths, she dashes away, covering her face with her hair.

-

Aether and Paimon watch with wide eyes at the scene before them as their third travelling partner runs towards them.

"Did Paimon just witness Valie getting kissed by Xingqiu and Chongyun?" Paimon trails, wide-eyed. “Did Paimon see that right?!”

Aether nods, similarly in disbelief. “I think so… I didn’t even realize they felt like that towards her...”

“Huh, and it was just yesterday she was talking about how she can’t date someone.” Paimon snorts. “Paimon thinks she’s a little blind!”

Aether stares at the girl’s ragged appearance, who is crouched on the stone ground a few feet away from them, silent.

This is going to be an exciting day.

[kyoupann]

Writing lesson plans sucks.

I’m going to try on my corset from when I turned 15 (:

[clownsgobeepbeep]

I keep forgetting to post about this so I'll just do it now heheh before I forget again

I've finally come up with the final concept of Schrader's Horror Movie/Villain AU which...I still don't have a name for

Anyways

In this AU, A great Depression fell upon the entire world, in a financial yet literal manner. Luckily, there exists the joyous wonder that is SAGE Institute, lead by the brilliant Schrader Sage who for a little over a decade has brought joy to the world. He has done this by creating all kinds of remedies for the people because he wants everybody to be happy, be happy so that they can all strive as one, large society! However, Schrader and his institute...may have taken it a tad bit too far...for now, the whole world is plagued with happy addicts. Everybody loved this new happiness that he brought and one dose of it was never enough, so everybody needed more, and more...these experiments all lead to the addicts who can practically be considered zombies...whether it be because they be mindless if not literal, mutated people who overdosed on the products. Even though his family mysteriously disappeared, Schrader continues the production of these items because he felt true joy at some point in his life, and he needs everybody to feel as he did...whether they like it or not.

Oh yeah, and let me tell you that I accidentally came up with A TON for this AU 

There's a reason why there's so many swirls and green 

[straw-bana-blog]

What's a consistent art style??