Cornbread Slam

i like oc x canon No i dont actually hate hugo ADULT!!!!1!!1!!

[molombo]

What does it take to make African mythology real? Everything we had. Over 70% of our Kickstarter Backers came from Tumblr. Thank you. Now it's yours.

ZAIROO is out now.

[xosiren]

𝖠𝗇𝗈𝗄 𝖸𝖺𝗂 𝖺𝗍 𝖡𝖮𝖥 500

[black-sasuke]

Can anyone help me eat today pregnant black woman currently really struggling with the day to day

$Hopesoda

Venmo: Hope-soda

PayPal: [email protected]

[black-sasuke]

Could use help still today is Monday I have a job interview on wed

[black-sasuke]

I’m really struggling still my will to live is at an all time low I have no support nothing going on and no motivation I appreciate all the help so far it’s July 16th words of encouragement are also welcome

[folkfashion]

Nguendelengo woman's clothes, Angola, by Jordi Zaragozà Anglès

[creatingblackcharacters]

"Defying the Default"- Skin Tones and the Presence of Black Characters

Okay, this one is going to be half lesson and half a thought experiment- it may get a bit frustrating, as conversations like this often do- but remember, discomfort is not always a bad thing! So I ask that you walk with me for this one.

It’s also interesting, because I’m going to direct this towards everyone (readers included!), but specifically towards my fanfic writers of media with no visual medium, as I’ve noticed this pattern there, and it makes up a good amount of creators on this site. Okay? Okay.

Behold! Many shades of brown!

I had to wade through a lot of colorism for this, and even this link is subtly racist in its introduction- the idea that brown is ‘unexciting’ 🙄.

Anyway, you know where I’m going with this:

"Chocolate and Coffee"

Even the link above pulled this! Writers who use this... they’re not ‘wrong’ per se but… often uninspired. It feels... Lazy. When you can tell an author has put no thought into the brown of choice, it makes Black readers feel like you believe these are the only shades of brown- that that’s all we look like. Even chocolate is more diverse (white, milk, dark, marbled, cookies and cream?) Coffee can come in numerous shades as well (light, medium, dark roast? Type of bean?)

My first direction to help with this: make it a point to know what shade that character is (whether canonically, or if you're the original creator, look at a reference and write it down) and find a name! Be consistent! Find similar browns to one another. If the canon Black character's skin color is done poorly, find something similar and use that! (I'll get more into this in the next lesson!)

Our skin colors may modify as we age, it changes over the seasons/presence in the sun, and some people even have vitiligo! But we're not gonna be “dark roast coffee” one morning and “light milk chocolate” suddenly. We're not chameleons lmao.

And you know what? That shade you choose might very well be 'coffee'! But it's not going to be because you didn't look and assumed we're all some random brown! That’s the intent showing! If we can find endless ways to describe the beauty of white/pale skin, we absolutely can for brown! Be willing to unpack why you may not believe brown to be capable of beauty, and work through unlearning that- it will show in your writing! One way is by pausing with yourself, and recognizing when you had a biased thought. Even by this, you’re learning!

Here’s where I want us to get into the thought experiment:

I want you to think about the description of characters in stories (as a whole). Challenge yourself- in the fics and stories you read, how often is anyone blatantly labeled 'White'? Read a story or fic; how long can you imagine them as not-White before it's ever clarified? Because not even 'pale' automatically implies a White person!

You know how I’ve mentioned before that 'Black people are not a monolith'? I can find you at least some examples of Black people fitting some of the common descriptions of white characters.

"Brunette with brown eyes"

(Fun fact: I actually learned back in my Masters program that genetically no one has ‘black’ hair- our eyes are processing it as black, but it’s really just dark brown due to eumelanin. Regardless, if you stand us in the direct sunlight, you will see that our hair is usually just dark brown!)

"Red hair with pale skin"

“‘tanned’ skin with hazel/green eyes”

“blond hair" (period!)

Now, I’m not saying that blond haired Black people or Black folk with albinism are overly representative of my people. What I AM saying is that it needs to not be taken for granted that a reader is automatically assuming a character is White in your piece of fiction- I can assume your character looks like anything if it's not stated! Especially if the OG source is a book or a podcast! We’re just used to assigning these features- and characters- as white until ‘proven not’! The default!

I am guilty of this too! Even still, I reread many of my works and go ‘ah, I didn’t clarify.’ And I have to work on doing better at it. This is having intent for your Black characters, but really, it’s having intent for all of them!

(This doesn't mean going “the Black man said,” the way sometimes people say “the Chinese said” (which…. Tbh we should all stop doing that anyway, it's weird and racist))

My Next Challenge:

Some people may disagree, but- Ahem:

Say BLACK!

Breathe lmao! Take the time to recognize that it's OKAY to introduce a character as Black, to say Black, it's fine! Obviously be sensitive about it, don't shove it in there to “win your diversity points”, but like… People are Black. It's not a bad word. What matters is the context in which you used it!

You don't even have to say it every single time. Really just the first, introductory sentence will do. For example:

“[Character A], a bright, young, Black girl with knotless braids to her mid back, glittering hair clips matching her bright green t-shirt, and a brilliant smile that shined against her bistre skin.”

I recognize that some might argue that by saying “bistre”, you don't need to say Black. But 1) you don't have to be Black to be brown or dark skinned, and 2) There's a social stigma behind even saying Black- of discussing race in general, because it leads to discomfort. Race (as a sociological construct) exists. When we say nothing about it, allowing Whiteness to be the default, we're still emphasizing race, however silently! If you're already doing it... Why not mention it? 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️

(here's a good clip of Ijeoma Oluo discussing the difficulty of discussing race; while I highly recommend the whole thing, the relevant clip is 4:25-5:39)

Maybe they're in the Black student organization in a lead position, maybe they're in a Black main cast of a play- it's okay to have those things in the story to help develop the idea that your Black character is actively Black! Just do your research to make sure you’re not leaning into stereotypes!

“There’s no races in my fantasy/future world!”

That’s fair! But I want to give you an example of how people will still project these identities onto your characters anyway:

No one has an explicitly stated 'race' in Avatar: The Last Airbender (afaik); they’re all divided by element culture. YET, many people were offended that a mixed-Korean actress was cast in her role in the live action- they ‘just didn’t see it’, because subconsciously they'd imagined her ‘face claims’ as WHITE, despite it never once being mentioned in the canon! (there’s also a firm sexualization and east Asian fetishization argument to be made about it, but that’s not within the scope of this particular conversation.)

Point is, if you are including humanoid characters in your fantasy stories, fine. You don't need to say ‘Black’ outright. But, that just means that you’re going to have to be even more detailed in your description. Because if I were watching a TV show and a Black actor shows up as an elf… I know what features I’m seeing! Entire protests have occurred over the casting of Black actors in a role ‘meant for a white person’; so... everyone sees it!

Conclusion

This is another reason why intention in character design and writing is important! Context clues and socialization help me understand who your character is. If it works like this for white characters, it can work like that for everyone else! You just have to know enough about me to write it in (and that's where the social and societal bias lie, because how much do you really know about me?)

A way to better understand this is reading books by Black authors (for fantasy, I would highly recommend Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko and Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi) as well as Black literary classics! Finding and reading Black fic authors in fandoms with Black characters! By learning how we describe ourselves and our skin colors, you’ll learn and practice how to appropriately describe us!

Now I can't make you do any of this! But I do want you all- writers especially- to start noticing our bias, how we may default to the experience of whiteness- and how that affects the way we write. When we have Black characters, and really any character of color, we need to start paying attention to how often their features, culture, and activities are emphasized, even for what we may consider to be 'background' details. That’s how we normalize creation and understanding, and become better at writing!

It’s just something to practice; remember, it’s the thought that counts, but the action that delivers!

In addition, if you are interested in a simple read into why approaching race is so uncomfortable as a whole, I've attached Robin DiAngelo's book here! Thank you to the PDF guru @toiletpotato for the link!

[creatingblackcharacters]

I'm so glad somebody warned me ahead of time. Last time they did this, it was when Lestat graphically beat the shit outta Louis and they had the audacity to put the domestic violence warning on the NEXT episode when he hit him back 🙄 but as traumatizing as that was (both in Blackness and as a person with PTSD) at least that storyline checked out. This new shit? Nah Rolin come outside I just wanna talk.

[creatingblackcharacters]

hello!! I was wondering if you have any advice on how to add shading/lighting to cornrows? I have an oc who wears his hair in cornrows most of the time, and I wanted to make sure I get the reflection of light done decently.

the first pic has my attempt of reflecting light, and the second is without thee rendering. tysm for all the character design posts, they’re insanely helpful — and all the work you do!! I hope your day is going well :]

So, I do my lighting abstractly, but what I do is light the inside of the shapes of the cornrow. You know, the little rhombuses (I'm pretty sure that's the word) that make up the shape of the braid? That's where you wanna put the light, individually. That creates the contrast between the darkness of the lines where the hair comes together, as well as the darkness of the edges.

It also matters where, what color, and how bright the light source is. Otherwise, I think this is fine! Like I wouldn't really question the lighting on the hair as much as I am the background color choice, but that's subjective. I've noticed a love for putting darker skinned characters on these really dark backgrounds with not a lot of lighting 😅 it's not always bad, but I feel like we really gotta have good lighting if we make this decision. It can't just be flat colors 😭

[creatingblackcharacters]

Matter of fact, let's get a thread going. Drop a Black futbol player, I'm trying to see my folks from round the world!!

I'll start. Djed Spence, hawt DAMN! 😤🔥🔥

[jupityed]

my goat ZION SUZUKI (ghana REPPP) !! he plays for japan national team and parma

my kings ousmane dembélé (left) and michael olise (right) !! both play for the french national team but dembélé plays for psg and olise plays for bayern

and i cannot forget eberechi eze!! england footy team and arsenal

KOBBIE MAINOO!!! (ghana REPPP) benched for the entireity of the wc (i think due to injury??) but love 4 him <3 england footy and man utd!

[bubiliviary]

Verdant strider 🌿

[will-o--the-wisp]

Ness is the one that's the most moe but Kaiser has bigger gap moe.

Ness is cute in everything he does and Kaiser needs to keep his stoic™ aura on. But then Kaiser eats some bread rusks and his cheeks become round and he unintentionally becomes cute.

[evilchineseautist]

proud to say I’ve been a Julian Loki fan even before that evil white man was introduced

[felesflos]

𐔌՞. .՞𐦯: (notes)

3 Days 'till I'm Yours

Albedo (Genshin Impact) × Reader It takes a trip to Inazuma for you to realize you’re ready for him

[Updates every 3 days] Masterlist | Next

──── ୨୧ ────

CHAPTER 4 | FRIDAY EVENING

            The night market is home to many affordable dinners, and fun desserts. Because of its many choices, there's always a process to be able to try almost everything in the area.

First, you buy one stick of this, another stick of that in a different stall, while avoiding the heavier foods until the end. Byakko plains is a giant hub of many foods in an area near the harvest, one of Inazuma's successful tourist attractions. This is also how the farmers in the area earn money, thus different delicacies are birthed in this seemingly endless night market. Paper lanterns decorate the stall, coloring Byakko plains in a soft warm light. 

Everyone is split into two, you and Albedo, Aether and Lumine, Lisa and Jean, and Venti and Kaeya. Albedo and you carried a variety of foods from the night market. In a plastic bag is an order for freshly cooked Yakitori, and on another hand are four pieces of Takoyaki in a small takeout box with bonito flakes and a drizzling of mayo. On Albedo's hand is an okonomiyaki that you and he are currently sharing. Inside the plastic bag hanging from his hands is one nicely packed Onigiri, and a sealed Yakisoba. Albedo told you that as long as you eat light on the first go, you’ll be able to eat at every stall, as if whatever the both of you had in your person is not enough to fill your stomachs. You’re eyeing every dessert stall Byakko plains has to offer. The delicious-looking Mochi, and the red bean-flavored Taiyaki surely caught your eye. As everyone meets by a vacant table, you eye each and everyone's finds: A crab okonomiyaki shared between Aether and Lumine, two pieces of onigiri and Yakitori for Kaeya and Venti, and two meals of Karaage and rice for both Jean and Lisa, with each holding a small platter of Gyoza and Takoyaki. You took a bite of your Takoyaki, immediately regretting it as the hot Takoyaki burns your mouth the moment you bite it. Albedo immediately gives his water bottle to you, and you take it, almost tearing up from the burn. 

           "Don't worry, I also got baited by the Takoyaki," Venti pats your back. "The only difference is no one gave me water. You're fine, though!" Lumine gasps, deeply offended. 

           "I offered water!"           "It had lipstick stains!"           "We literally have the same lippie." Lumine rolls her eyes. 

           Despite the burn, your tastebuds are delighted by the taste of savory Octopus. The sauce was not overpowering, and the Bonito flakes added a nice texture. You look at Albedo, and he’s biting onto the okonomiyaki, watching his eyes crinkle in delight. He calls your name, and offers you a bite of the okonomiyaki. Feeding you in front of the group is a bit embarrassing, and you find that Lumine’s very teasing gaze makes you look away as you take a bite. Your embarrassment is easily overshowered by the blooming flavors of the savory pancake. “Oh, I like this.” Soon enough, you finish your first round of food, and Jean and Lisa head off to find more food. On the other hand you and Albedo focused on the other stalls that had heavier foods since the first round felt like an appetizer. Albedo goes to a different stall to get one of the orders, leaving you in the stall you're currently waiting in. He wasn’t keen on leaving you, but you’re more focused on getting back with the group as the hullabaloo grows the more you stay in the bustling side of the market. As  you're waiting for your korokke, you hear someone call you. 

           "Hi, miss." You look back, and it's a man your age with ashy white hair, with a red streak. His eyes were kind, red eyes that look warm and inviting.           "Yes?" You ask after a few seconds of silence. Poor guy's looking everywhere but you, trying to find the words. "Sorry. I think you're really pretty, and I really wanted to talk to you," He says, scratching his cheek. You blush, not expecting someone other than your friends to outright compliment you. You smile, not used to the compliments.           "Oh, thank you! That's so sweet of you." 

           "Are you single by chance?" He asks, and anticipates your reply, manifesting that somehow the gods have earthed love to bloom in the night markets of Byakko plains.           "I'm flattered with your interest in me, but I'm already taken." You look at him apologetically.           "Really? Such a shame." He looks down, hands clasped behind his back. "I would've wanted to spend my entire time in the night market with someone like you." You're not sure what to do, but it took one hand around your shoulders for the guy to realize that you weren't joking about being taken. Albedo pulls you close to his chest, holding Dango on his other hand. 

          "Do you know this guy?" Albedo asks you, and you shake your head. The other man doesn't seem to be shaken by his appearance, only humming with a smile.           "I'm Kazuha. I just happened to pass by and saw a pretty flower," he says, not really looking at Albedo, rather at you. He looks at Albedo, the same smile on his lips as if he wasn't just flirting.           "You found a real gem," he says before taking out a piece of paper with his phone number already written on it. "If you want more options, give me a call." Albedo snatches the paper in an instant, stuffing it inside his pockets.           "We won't be needing that. Thank you." Albedo leads you away from the white-haired man, a frown settled onto his face. You look up at his face, and to his hand that's settled on your shoulder. You held onto it, feeling the warmth of his palm on yours, and kissing his knuckles. You don't miss the red on his ears, nor the way he clears his throat as his cheeks flushed at the sensation of your lips on his hand.           "You don't have to be threatened. I'm not going anywhere."           “I’m not. I just don’t like it when people can cut in line.” You look at Albedo confused, and he’s smiling. “I am the first in line to your heart after all.” You give him a specific look, the look that says you had a really nice counter to what he said. “What makes you think there was a line to begin with?” His eyes glimmered at your cheeky response. You patted his back hard. ‘I barred the queue the moment you whisked me away.” He laughs, linking arms with you. “Then I’m really honored.” 

On your way back to the group, you find your group, and a red-haired man talking to Lumine. You watch Kaeya take the role of her boyfriend, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and you snicker as Lumine reluctantly wraps her arms around his waist. You could make out their conversation. 

“Babe, is this guy bothering you?” Kaeya says, and you can’t help but snort, watching it unravel. Lumine leans closer to Kaeya, and even calls him her husband. Albedo’s snickering, hiding his face as you’re hiding your face at his chest. 

The two of you wait it out, mildly amused, until the red-haired man walks away. 

Albedo recollects himself. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's friends with that guy," Albedo says to you, and you shrug. “So shameless.” You could hear him whisper, and you laugh, wrapping your arms around his waist, and looking up at him with a smile. He's weak against you, and he pats your head, brushing away the stray hairs. “You’re so captivating. I swear to the Archons above.”

Soon enough, you sit back at the bench along with your group.

           "Kaeya saves lives," Venti says, drinking his milktea. "Thank you Kaeya for being the group's boyfriend." The blue-haired man could only laugh. "Sure, everyone's boyfriend except for the woman on the plane." Lumine cuts Kaeya off. "Can't believe that guy. Very pushy." She rubs her temples. "Don't worry Lumine, I also got flirted on by a guy," you laugh as you bite off one dango. She looks at you with a deadpanned face. 

           "We know, you've been with Albedo for a while now." 

           "No, I meant someone tried to give me his number a while ago." Lumine's eyes widens and she looks at you, and then to Albedo, and then back at you. "Unfortunately true. He gave them his number while I was there, actively hugging them,” Albedo says bitterly. “The audacity," Albedo says with such offense that it felt so off in his voice. The rare times he’s not nonchalant, and it makes you laugh hard, and even Lumine who was shellshocked by the sudden expressiveness in his voice  couldn’t help but cackle. "Are you for real? They actually did?!" Albedo nods, fishing out the number he got, which was already crumpled. "He said, 'if you want options, give me a call', and Albedo immediately crumpled the paper!" You tell the group, and Venti laughs, clapping his hands. 

           "Gimme gimme!" Venti took the paper, and there it was, the man's number. "How funny would it be if I start chatting with him." Albedo mused, "Do whatever you want with it." 

           The sky is covered in a dark blue. It's nine o' clock in the evening, and you just got back to the vacation house. Everyone heads straight to their rooms to wash off the sweat of the day. You've been standing in the shower for a while, letting the warmth of the water reduce the soreness of your muscles. Your legs felt like jello, and your eyes beg to close. Once you were done with your bath, dressed for the bed, you were met with Lumine, wearing her matching Pajamas. She's smiling, and showing something on her phone. A recent conversation between her and Childe. You knew Childe to be a family man, based on what Lumine shows you. In the conversation, he mentions wanting her to meet his family. That makes you blush for her love life. "Go get that man. He's so whipped for you!" Lumine snickers, "Ehe, I know." Her laugh becomes less like a fuck boy and more of a gremlin who has found its first diamond. 

            "I'm not delusional, he wants me, right?"             "He DOES." The two of you giggle. 

Someone knocks on the door, and it's Aether, telling the two to come up to the theater room. 

You find everyone in the Theater room, and beeline to Albedo. You sit next to the blond man, and he wraps an arm around you, sharing his blanket with you, and easing you to a light cuddle. "Alright guys!" Venti says, taking everyone's attention. "Me and Kaeya bought Matcha Kahlua!" Everyone applauds the two. Venti and Kaeya held both a bottle, and before them were shot glasses. Everyone filled the glasses up with liquor. "For our successful first day in Inazuma!" To celebrate your first day outside of Mondstadt together, the glasses clink, and everyone cheers, downing the shot glass. Everyone is mildly satisfied with the taste, save for Lumine who, surprisingly, did not enjoy Matcha. 

           "Adding milk would taste very good," you commented, savoring the taste of the liquor. It's creamy, and tastes like the usual Coffee liquor, with a hint of earthy green tea. Adding milk would make this taste like an alcoholic latte. 

           "Why add milk when you can add Bailey's?" Kaeya replies with a grin, adding another shot to his own glass. 

           "Oh you're so right." He nods in pride. “The chef in the group said my idea was brilliant. Everyone, clap.” Only Lumine claps. Everyone converses with themselves. By now the Matcha had added on to your drowsiness, and you can't help but snuggle closer to Albedo. "I'm really sleepy," you mused, and Albedo brushes your hair, lulling you further into dreamland. 

Soon enough Jean took away the glasses, reminding the group of their itinerary for tomorrow. They will be trying the metro transit of Inazuma, heading to its more coastal and azure island, Watatsumi. You're reluctant to let go of Albedo, and back to your room, but alas, you had to head back. The moment you get into bed, sleep catches you, and you dream of anything your mind can get its hands onto.

──── ୨୧ ────

Masterlist | Next

TAGLIST : @fireriyu

[decompose1]

dude i don't normally like to dig at peoples fun i generally think people having fun is good but it is slightly disheartening when there's a really really good story about a strong platonic relationship and then the only thing the fans can do is ship the characters or worse make a crack ship with an unrelated character from another media because it's like they can't STAND a lack of romance in media like they absolutely must try to insert romance where it is absolutely not needed or relevant and honestly sours the story/media a lot more for me or they'll Die because they can't just be happy with a really good platonic relationship. it makes me very sad as a demiromantic girlie.

[mariekearchives]

you can’t read the doll !!

[questionablelightyagami]

he's like a grieving widow

[justanara]

Genshin Impact Anemo Men - How and where they would confess

Varka

He would confess in Mondstadt 100% whether you're actually from there or he met you in Nod-Krai during the expedition

If you met during the expedition he'd invite you to Mondstadt after the expedition is over, specifically for the Windblume festival (and his confession)

He wants you to see his home when it's at it's most beautiful and the people are all celebrating and in high spirits

It certainly wouldn't be a spur of the moment thing but something he's been thinking about and rehearsing how to best tell you for a few weeks

Although the location is rather public he'd know better than to put you in the spotlight and put you in a difficult situation so he would pull you to a more secluded place away from the crowd, out to the balcony of the tavern or perhaps taking a casual stroll together near the stalls while you're people watching together

He'd try to keep it casual like that in terms of environment while still making sure you'll feel his sincerity amidst the celebration and his carefully chosen words:

"Listen, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for quite some time now and I think I've been dragging it out for long enough. You've always held a rather special place in my heart ever since we met, you know.. And I suppose I can only hope that you feel the same way. And whether you do or you don't, I know that I'd regret it probably forever if I would never let you know how I really feel about you."

Ifa

He does NOT wait long to confess

In fact, it's quite obvious that he likes you, he couldn't hide it if he tried

Not that he ever thought of hiding it

What's wrong with falling in love? He likes you and he's pretttyy sure you like him too but if none of you ever take that first step you could just keep waiting for eternity!

Not happening under his rules, he doesn't mind taking that first step

The only problem is he is a lot more nervous than he thought he'd be when you're finally standing infront of him

He tries to keep the mood light with a few silly jokes but his nervous hand keeps tugging at his shirt collar and playing with the string of his hat

Cacucu calls him out on it but he just brushes it off

I think he'd confess during the evening

During the day he'd be way too busy tending to the saurians all over Natlan and he also does not want to keep you up late into the night (though he certainly wouldn't mind your quiet company while he's sorting through some documents)

But when the day is coming to an end and everyone is starting to settle down for the night he takes his chance to take you on a quick stroll for some "fresh air" he says (he needs it way more than you probably)

You can tell he's a bit more nervous than how he usually is

He doesn't speak for a while, it's just the sound of your footsteps and the calls of wild animals and birds from the distance that surround you; it's rather peaceful

At some point he'd start making casual conversation and you guys just talk about your day

Until he stops at a scenic spot where you have a good view of the flower feather clan from above.

The first stars are also starting to appear against the red setting sky and he'd look at you with a smile, encouraging you to join him

He has one hand on his hip and with the other he takes off his head while letting out a rather long exhale and you know the conversation is turning serious now

His smile doesn't fade but his eyes nervously lock on to yours

Even Cacucu can feel the tension and is surprisingly quiet (and maybe also because Ifa promised him some extra saurian crackers if he stays quiet while he's confessing to you)

"You know, the real reason I asked you to take a stroll with me was not just cause of the fresh air. I mean that too but uh- there's more and I- well, this is making me more nervous than I thought it would hahaha, whew, anyway, I think you already know this but I really really like you. And I mean more than just a friend. If I'm not mistaken I would say you feel the same but- uh, if not, forget all this and we can just keep being friends. After all, losing a great friend like you to something like this is really the last thing I want."

Lowkey can't stop yapping

Everytime you try to answer he just adds another thing (out of nervousness, he's trying his best ok 💔)

But it's ok you can just shut him up with a kiss OR if you're patient enough he'll eventually stop talking and finally look at you with hopeful but nervous eyes and his hat pressed against his chest

Just answer him already pls, he's dying inside

Wanderer

He tries so hard to be nonchalant about it

But he's constantly dropping little hints that he likes you and hopes you catch them

Spends like a suspicious amount of time with you and despite occasionally nagging you, he always helps you out whenever you ask him for a favor

Lowkey would rather die than confess cause he's scared of rejection

But there's only so much he can take and with a little nudge from the Traveller and Paimon and Nahida (who all know because no matter how nonchalant he tries to act, his behaviour gives him away quite easily) he'll gain a little courage to tell you his true feelings

He'll act annoyed about it infront of the others though

*Arms crossed* "Yeah, yeah, alright. I'll tell them. Will you finally stop dragging this on and on? It's getting real annoying, y'know?" *annoyed sigh*

He's terrified though on the inside

You're probably at the Akademiya and every step he takes inside the House of Daena makes him wish he'd just turn around and drop the whole thing and he almost does but before he gets the chance to do so there you are, tapping on his shoulder from behind to get his attention, giving him a little (huge) scare

Plays it off like he's unaffected

"There's something I have to tell you but.. we should go somewhere more private first."

Doesn't even waits for your reply, just grabs you by the wrist and leads you out of the building

He takes you up the Divine Tree that the Akademiya is built on and makes sure nobody is around before he turns his attention back to you

"Listen carefully because I'm not going to repeat myself. You know how I always seem to be around whenever you need a hand? Whether it's to help you out with your research by investigating some dangerous ruins or even something as simple as getting groceries with you.. well, I don't do that sort of stuff just for anyone, you know that, right? Truth is, I simply.. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

Heizou

He would not confess until he knows for sure you like him too but finding out whether you do or don't is child's play to him anyway

So once he knows, he starts planning where exactly to confess and how to catch you off-guard to make the whole experience as surprising and thrilling as possible for you

After all, the person he loves deserves a memorable confession from the one they love, no?

He pulls you into a little fake investigation that he made up, makes you believe you're gonna be helping him out and tells you to meet him at a certain spot at a certain time

Except there is no real investigation going on (at least none he needs your help with) and the spot just so happens to be your favorite scenic spot from your hometown at your favorite time of day, which is of course why he arranged for you two to meet right there, right then

Once you arrive he's already there, waiting for you with a bouqet of your favorite flowers and your favorite snack (is he bribing you? Maybe, but you're not complaining, are you?)

You're confused and he's amused

The nerves get to him too of course but he's pretty good at hiding it and playing it off cool

"Just on time partner. Let me get straight to the point. You'll forgive me if I reveal to you now that there was no investigation, right? So let me tell you the real reason I called you here. Although, I'm certain you figured it out by now. That's right, ever since I met you I've been intrigued by you and the more we got to know each other the clearer the answer became in my head.. and also in my heart. Please accept these gifts but more than that I hope you'll accept my love as well?"

Kazuha

You two met on the Crux and got to know each other better while voyaging on the sea

Before you even knew it you would spend many quiet nights together, staring at the moon's reflection on the dark water to get away from the other drunken, singing sailors

Sometimes he'd read you the poems he's written, sometimes you'd ask about their deeper meaning, sometimes he'd answer, sometimes he'd change the topic

Knowing that he was only a temporary addition on the ship and that he lived a life of aimless wandering, he first thought of keeping his feelings to himself, only pouring them out onto paper everytime his heart wanted to reach out to you

After all, he did not want to put you in an uncomfortable or difficult position where you'd have to make a difficult choice, it felt too selfish to ask you to leave your life behind and wander with him

Once again, it was captain Beidou who came to the young man's rescue

Kazuha had done a pretty decent job at hiding his true feelings but nothing ever really passes by captain Beidou's eye, does it?

After she talked some courage into him, and after he realized his pen and paper could not carry the weight of his affection for you alone, he decided to finally confess

He knew all too well he couldn't expect you to be a permanent part of his life and he had a hard time shaking the feeling of selfishness of wanting you permanently by his side anyway

At first he thought of confessing with a few lines of poetry but then decided he should face you with raw honesty and speak from his heart with whatever would come up in the moment

He waited until night time and the other pirates were all drunk and singing again and you two were once again staring at the glistening reflection of the moon on the water

The drunken sailors voices drowned out into the background as his heartbeat grew louder and louder and gentle waves crashed against the ship

He'd start talking about the moon first and the reflection you were both gazing upon

He'd muse about how despite the temporary nature of beauty, it didn't mean that it had no purpose or meaning. How things should be appreciated because they are temporary, like the changing seasons, fallen colorful leaves, sunsets..

And then he'd look at you like he wasn't talking about nature at all but about you all along

"I hope you have some room in your heart for a few more sentimental words. There's something I wish to tell you but before that.. I want you to know that I don't want to ask you to do anything that your heart does not desire, however, I must let you know how I feel for you, how I really feel, about how these nights we spent gazing upon the moon's reflection have easily become my favorite part of each and every day, how seamlessly you've blended into my life as if you were always a part of my journey, how my affection for you has been as persistent as these waves on the sea for a very, very long time. And although I tried to let the wind carry these feelings away from me, to avoid putting you in a difficult situation, they seem to be deeply anchored within me. Heh, for the first time in a very long time I have felt my heart trembling with the fear of change, of having to part ways with you who so naturally lives in my heart but upon taking a closer look I realized this fear is simply proof of how much I care for you, more than I'd even like to admit, so I'm not afraid, whatever your answer may be."

Xiao

His confession is very indirect

After all, he does not want someone as precious as you to get too close to him and get hurt

That doesn't mean he never thinks about telling you how much he cares for you

And there are quite a few almost slip-ups, sentimental quiet moments, usually late at night, when he almost says the words tugging at his heartstrings, but he never does

And you can tell that there is something he wants to get off his chest but you don't need to hear him say the words, you can feel his affection even in his silence

It's another one of those sentimental nights that started off not so sentimental

You were on your way home when several abbys mages cornered you

You could've dealth with them but Xiao was simply quicker

Instead of simply thanking him and going your seperate ways you decided to stick around, see if maybe he would finally reveal a bit more but he did not so you just stood atop a cliff and gazed at the full moon together while you recalled some of your adventures from the day to share with him

When it was time to leave you thanked him once more but before you could turn around he took a step towards you and reached for your hand to give you a little amulet

"You don't have to thank me. I will forever protect you when you're in danger. That's a promise.. and this.. it's an amulet. Keep it safe and by your side. Think of me whenever your gaze falls upon it"

Although he never says the words directly, both of you are aware of the unspoken truth between you

He's grateful for your understanding and you're grateful that he opened up his heart to you as best he could

Venti

I don't think he would straight up confess and expect a romantic relationship out of it, after all despite his laid-back lifestyle he is still an archon

However his confession would be more like a hint and indirect (a little similar to Xiao)

He'd take you to one of the highest points in Mondstadt where it almost feels like you're up on the clouds (no, not Dragonspine)

He says it's just a fun little trip and he's teasing you the whole way but it's not like that's something you're not used to and it's all with good intention (+ you probably tease him right back so you're even)

Makes wind currents to glide with you to your destination with his arm around your waist to make sure you don't fly off into the air

Once you reach the clifftop you're greeted by lush green grass and flowers of all kinds and dandelion seeds flying in the air

When he lets go of you and both your feet touch the ground he drops the teasing, the air turns serious and your heart skips a beat in the silence of anticipation

"My dear friend, I know you're smarter than you let on, I'm sure you know why you've been taken here. Do you remember when I promised I'd write a song just for you? That's right, this humble bard would like to play that promised song for you in the company of the flowers swaying in the wind and the clouds passing us by. I hope it touches your heart as it has touched mine."

[pipfrankenstein]

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