premise: as a friend of the most attractive students in school, you're more than used to acting as the middleman between them and the people vying for their affection, often tasked with delivering presents or handing out their love letters. however, when you chance upon a small bouquet of flowers on your desk without a note indicating the sender or who you're meant to give it to, you start to wonder if this one's supposed to be yours.
a/n: hahaha why is this so long... anyways this is a college au + reverse harem of some sorts. enjoy. i really don't want this one to flop so likes and reblogs are appreciated thx
“Do you think it's a prank?”
“Why is that the first thing that pops into your mind?” Keqing sighs as she fixes her makeup in front of a compact mirror, smacking her lips to spread the color evenly. “You're really cute, [Name]. why wouldn't someone like you by now?”
Your face burns at the offhand comment. “You're only saying that because we're friends.”
Ayaka giggles, twirling a lock of your hair with her finger. “Of course not. You're very adorable! If anything, it'd be more surprising if nobody likes you.”
“Who do you think it's from, though?” Ganyu quietly asks from beside you, observing the handful of carnations laying on your desk. Scanning the students currently present in the room, she thoughtfully adds, “maybe someone on the shyer side since they couldn't give it to you directly?”
“Or someone who did it to be romantic,” Kokomi suggests, scrutinizing the flowers with keen eyes. “That's quite nice of them.”
You hummed in contemplation, trying to figure out who placed it on your table. “Are you sure it's not a prank... or a mistake? You all sit beside me, so maybe they mistook my seat for yours-”
“You're the only one who faithfully sits there, [Name]. We don't even have assigned seats so most of us sits wherever,” Keqing clarifies, staring at you with a disapproving look. “Don't deny it. You know it's yours.”
“But I can't think of anyone who would like me!” you exclaim in defeat. “I am curious about who gave it, though... I should try to find out who it is...”
“More importantly...” Ganyu smiles at you, noticing the blush dusting your cheeks. “Who do you want it to be?”
childe:
in all honesty, he's your first guess.
not because you think he likes you or anything! he's just a huge flirt.
at the beginning of the school year, you hardly got along. you know he's a friendly guy, but it's in the way that... intimidated you. he's part of the “mood maker” clique, attracting attention wherever he goes, and you're not sure if you could handle his energy...
you preferred to stay away from the spotlight though that's a bit hypocritical considering you're friends with the prettiest group of girls in your year, and he relished in it. you didn't know if you could get along.
you didn't become friends until you were assigned partners for a project that meant a lot for your grade, and you vowed to yourself if you couldn't be close to him, you should at least be close enough to work together without trouble.
in the end, you surprisingly hit it off, childe easing the awkward air between you with jokes and random stories to tell about his weird friends. your friendship didn't end when the project did, and you continued to hang out outside of school. you're sure he didn't approach you to get closer to your friends, either; though you had some doubts at first, he was nothing alike with the jerks who tried to use you.
you're no stranger to the pranks he pulled, nor were you unaware of his flirty nature; he occasionally entertained the lot who fancied him when he attended drinking parties. so it made perfect sense if it was childe who gave those flowers, along with the gifts that followed after. it would just be him messing around again, right? oh, definitely! it wouldn't be the first time he spent his money in reckless abandon, bragging that he has the cash to spare for it.
but unexpectedly when you bring up the topic, his expression darkens, showing no sign of joking around. he looks a little shocked, too, to know someone was pursuing you.
“it's not from me,” he admits, gently taking your hand. “but it's true that i like you.”
xiao:
xiao is one of the people you deliver presents to lol
due to his intimidating disposition (and the endless amount of nasty rumors swirling about him, thanks to said intimidating disposition), hardly anybody would dare to approach him, daunted by the perpetual scowl etched on his face. he remains as eye candy, but an entity no one could reach.
you avoided him at first, too. his face is admirable, you can say that much, but you've become somewhat desensitized from having been surrounded by pretty faces 24/7 so you can't really say it's anything new... and yes, you are scared of him to a certain degree. you could never guess what he's thinking.
you weren't sure if he's as scary as people make him out to be though, since people tend to exaggerate gossip for the sake of shock value. he once defended a middle schooler from high school delinquents (through persuasion and not with fists), but the story somehow twisted into another tale entirely detailing how xiao had brutally wiped the floor with their faces and painted the concrete floor with blood...
but as intimidating as he might seem, you don't think he's that kind of character. if you overlook his piercing glare and sharp tongue, he's quite decent.
... you thought that way until you caught him tailing you on your way home.
he crept up behind you, maintaining a natural distance, but after numerous twists and turns in hopes of leading him away, he had yet to cease heading towards your direction. you wouldn't be so suspicious if you hadn't purposely gone in circles around town, leading back to where you came from — which meant he didn't have a particular destination in mind, and fully intended on being hot on your tail.
tired of having bated breath waiting for his next move, you gathered all your courage and confronted him directly, cornering him to the nearest wall to assert dominance. xiao seemed startled by your forwardness, and you took his moment of vulnerability as an opportunity to interrogate him.
unexpectedly, he sheepishly confesses, “i'm not a stalker, i got worried since you're going home this late. haven't you heard about the crime rate these days...”
from there on, you suppose you could say you understood him better. though he's snappy and stern, he's not that terrifying, even sweet at times. when you become proper friends (and you stop suspecting him as your stalker), he saves you a seat next to him, or brings you coffee that you like when he notices you're sleepy in class.
it wasn't long until everybody came to know you were friends and a girl finally — you guessed it — asked you to send a love letter to xiao in her stead.
when you gave it to xiao, he was unusually flustered, flushed pink to the tips of his ears. his expression falls flat once you tell him it's from someone else, badly containing the disappointment to show on his face.
nevertheless, you continue to be friends, and xiao has learned not to expect much from you.
he's the earliest to arrive in class, so you ask him if he'd seen the person who gave you flowers. with a cold, hard look, he says no.
he's acting kind of weird, isn't he...
diluc:
the barista in the coffee shop near your university that has to put up with so much bullshit flirting everyday.
he has to reject people in a roundabout way, and you know he hates it, but of course he has to provide great customer service if he still wants customers right... directly breaking their hearts would only make problems.
but he takes no shit from rude customers.
no, you weren't one of them. in fact, diluc quite liked you a bit. first of all, you don't have any romantic interest for the staff, you genuinely enjoy his drinks (he knows because your face is like an open book), and you mind your own business. he tolerates you enough that he can make small talk with you and it doesn't upset him in the slightest.
so it really ticked him off when some idiot was bothering you in the cafe, starting an argument over a trivial matter that shouldn't be fussed over.
in normal circumstances, diluc would've done the usual protocol — reason with the angry customer, offer free products, and let them leave the premises peacefully. but the moment he saw the man grab your shoulders and you winced in pain as a result, he didn't even have to think of what to do next.
cold coffee rained down on the ill-mannered man's head, evoking a surprised scream out of him. his fingers left your body in favor of patting away the sticky liquid from his clothes, and you stared blankly at the seething figure behind him.
“your order,” diluc announced, his voice tinted with rage. then he pretended to remember something, looking at the empty cup in his hand. “oh, i apologize. you ordered it hot, didn't you?” he forced a smile on his face. “would you like me to brew another one for you?”
the man erupted to a new screaming fit, but he was promptly dragged aside. diluc immediately questioned if you were hurt anywhere, his voice a total 180 from before and turning into a soft tone you nearly didn't recognize.
“that stunt you pulled...” you nervously said. “will you be okay...? won't you get, er, dismissed because of it?”
“...you don't know i own this place?”
“???”
in any case, you've become good friends ever since that incident. so when your secret admirer gives you your customized drink from diluc's shop (that even xiao doesn't know the recipe of!), you ask him if there's a customer who ordered your exact drink that morning.
strangely enough, he changes the subject.
“he only gave you coffee?” diluc wrinkles his nose. “he's not fit for you.”
he proceeds to shove you a plate of pancakes for breakfast and won't let you talk about that topic again.
kazuha:
the soft-spoken boy working part-time as a florist. as one would expect, his good-looking features attracted customers left and right, just like how a flower allures bees with its colorful petals and sweet nectar.
he studies in a different university from you, but it's relatively close by and you run into each other a lot. you could say you're pretty good friends; you exchanged contact information and text every other day, phone each other up to have a meal together whenever you're both free, and hang out over the weekend.
he stirred up some drama with you once. on a rainy day, he invited you to eat lunch together, but you've forgotten to take an umbrella before leaving for school so you told him you'd be a little late 'cause you had to run to the convenience store first. however, he told you not to worry about it and abruptly ended the call.
fast forward to the afternoon: the glass doors to leave the corridors had a few people lurking by, covering what was beyond. you cocked up an eyebrow in question, confused over what was all the fuss, but then you see that familiar pale hair streaked with bright red.
kazuha stood innocently by the school gates, a crimson umbrella in hand, and a small bouquet in the other. he checked his wristwatch every few minutes, seeming to be waiting for someone. he completely ignored the gawking stares pinned on his frame, busying himself by humming a quiet tune.
you hesitantly pushed open the doors, approaching him with wary steps. he immediately perked up once noticing you, beaming brightly to greet you with enthusiasm. he offered you the bouquet, telling you it's nothing more than a small gift the owner had let him craft for free (who mistakenly thought kazuha had a lover, since he was always on his phone texting someone).
you might have known the reasons behind the present, but nobody else did. and what general implications could gifting a bouquet of flowers have?
thus, the school's online forum exploded with questions, asking for the identity of the pretty boy standing by their university, and the lucky person he'd given flowers to.
needless to say it was hard to convince your friends that no, he isn't your boyfriend.
but that was another issue! the issue NOW is the other bouquet you received, much more recent in nature. after suspecting childe, your next thought was to ask kazuha if he had any buyers who purchased the same flowers you had.
his lips twitch for a moment, faintly looking displeased. but he flashes a flawless, award-winning customer service smile, covering his initial expression easily.
“no such customer ordered for those flowers that day. but i am curious about this matter... could you humor me and explain more in detail, by any chance?”
albedo:
the med student fawned over by students and teachers alike. he's simply brilliant, idolized by the entire student body. though he's mainly studying science, he's been praised for his art as well, his paintings hung in the art room proudly.
you're not very familiar with him, only knowing him through hearsay. you don't know what he looks like, so you've never confirmed for yourself if he's as beautiful everyone says he is.
he's well-known but you haven't heard anything bad about him, which is an impressive feat. his name is only ever mentioned in concert with endless compliments.
you meet him by chance in exam season. unsurprisingly, the library is filled to the brim, tables stacked high with books and each chair occupied by agitated students sipping energy drinks and coffee to stay functional. amidst all the chaos, one student remains radiant and carefree, leisurely flicking pages through his notes. he's situated by a corner table, unbothered by the mindless zombies despite having plenty of free seats beside him and everyone else is squished together like canned tuna.
and you, carrying binders, books and stationery, are visibly desperate for a place to rest. his eyes leave the words in his notes briefly, beckoning you to come closer. and you, still unaware of his identity, gladly plop on a chair and heave your heavy supplies atop the table. it shakes for a moment as it bears the new weight, rattling his items, and the zombies gape at you in question. ironically, the person you've been bothering is not offended at all.
you sneak glances at him when you need to freshen your eyes from studying, nauseated by the letters that never seem to come to an end no matter how many paragraphs you've read. you're at awe by his fair skin, not a single blemish in sight, and he doesn't even have dark circles under his eyes. truly mysterious. either he has a magical skincare routine or he's not human. if anything, you'd think he just came from a relaxing vacation, not in the middle of hell week.
you snap out of your trance, and you scold yourself for being bewitched. you have more pressing concerns, and so you grill more information into your brain, oblivious to the turquoise eyes that begin to stare at you.
the next encounter comes when exams are finally over, and you celebrate by buying the pricey food set in the cafeteria. the crunch of golden breading is rewarding for your taste buds and you shovel more food towards your mouth, minding your own business.
the seat next to you is pulled back, and you pause from chewing. it's that guy again, his refined beauty easy for you to recognize. he places his tray on the table, smiling amiably as he asks if it's fine with you should he sit there. you nod, but there's plenty of vacant tables around. it's also pretty weird that he sat next to you, not across...
well, strange as it is, that's how you befriend albedo. you've yet to learn why he came on so strong, almost aggressive. like he really wanted to talk to you. but whatever.
the more you learn about him, the more his image of “golden boy” withers away. picture of elegance? the standard of sophistication? sure. but this guy doesn't hesitate to do the weirdest shit sometimes.
he doesn't fear anything. he puts anything edible in his mouth. one school trip to the countryside taught you a few things. if he's offered fried bugs, he'll eat it. if he's given frog legs, he'll eat it. he doesn't care. he'll eat seemingly anything. because of this, you worry his admirers will put something strange in the food they give him, but that possibility doesn't cross his mind at all. (well. not that he eats it. he rejects gifts most of the time. exceptions are when they come from you.)
you're starting to think he really doesn't fear anything. when you start to scream in fright like a headless chicken while watching a horror movie, he calmly studies the anatomy of whatever horrifying creature is on screen, questioning their ability to walk when half of their body is split apart. why is he questioning horror movie logic. “ghosts are supposed to be transparent and can pass through walls, how come she can grab the main character's hair and drag him to the incinerator?” “albedo, please.” (he comforts you when you get scared, hiding your face in his shoulder as he wraps his arms around you. he softly whispers in your ear to tell you when the scary parts are over.)
he's also an overprotective older brother. for good reason, actually. his little sister, albeit cute and outwardly harmless, is an explosive child who likes to make trouble. if he takes his eyes off her for more than two minutes, she will undoubtedly set fire to his little garden.
but aside from being a pain in the ass, his observation skills can help you — surely albedo can make a few guesses for your secret admirer's identity?
she's the reason why he's so observant. he can tell you trimmed your hair because he's all too used to klee chopping off her own hair with craft scissors. he also notices when you feel a bit under the weather. klee is the type to hide her sickness so she could play outside, and albedo would often have to forcibly tuck her back to bed. you're no different. he will, quite literally, drag you to your house and make you rest.
albedo blinks at you, uncharacteristically silent. he purses his lips, and gives you a small smile. he asks a few unassuming questions, things like what traces your secret left behind, or if they'd sent a love letter and he'd check the penmanship to see if he found it familiar.
he's not the most eager to help, you know that, but you're still slightly disappointed when he says, “sorry, i can't help you with something like that. it'd be better if you figured it out yourself.”
thoma:
the cute neighbor living in the apartment next door. just like kazuha, he studies in a different university, but you run into each other a lot because... well. obviously.
you find him rather silly. he'd signed the lease not knowing pets weren't allowed in the premises, and tearfully waved taroumaru goodbye when he moved in. to cope, he started staying at the park near the apartment building, playing with the dogs there and getting hit on by their owners in the process, but let's not talk about that.
despite being a newcomer, he fit right in with the tenants. he made effort to learn everyone's names and chatted with them whenever presented a chance, thus winning their favor. it isn't a strange sight to see him with middle-aged ladies and looking at home, listening earnestly to their complaints about their husbands or rowdy children. (his hard work pays off when they give him their special recipes and inform him of supermarket deals lol)
he seems to get along well with old men too, invited to their drinking parties. except thoma isn't good at rejecting alcohol from older adults, so when you save him from such situation — pulling him away from the old men prying into his love life, because surely a good kid like him would have someone to love him dearly — he's become eternally grateful.
he's honestly too good for his own good.
exhibit a: thoma is prone to cooking too much food for one person to eat in one sitting, so he tends to invite you to eat his hotpot with him or bring you packaged food you can easily pop into a microwave. after your one act of goodwill, he's become strangely attached to you, pronouncing you best buds. he then admits he used to live with a larger group of people (hence his cooking habits), and he's thankful for your company. (you'd argue you're getting the better end of the deal, receiving free food like this)
exhibit b: he's always available to help you in your troubles. need a hand with heavy groceries? he's on his way! ran out of soy sauce? just wait a bit, he's gonna grab some from the cupboard! forgot your key inside your apartment? then stay at his place for the meantime before the locksmith comes! your shower isn't working well?... he promises he won't peek in the bathroom, so feel free to take a bath h a h a h a. need someone's opinion on what outfit to wear for a date? sure, he's- wait.
YOU'RE GOING ON A DATE?
his face twists weirdly as you showcase two different shirts, asking which one he likes better. you raise an eyebrow when he doesn't dare to utter a single word. “are they both bad?”
he blinks rapidly, then shakes his head laughing. he half-heartedly points to the shirt in your left hand, but you can tell he doesn't really think much of it. he excuses himself fairly quickly, saying he had chores to do, and scurried back to his own home.
(you were only going to a date with ayaka's older brother because she insisted you both needed a love life, but it's not like you actually feel anything for him.)
it doesn't end there. thoma acts weird sometimes. he's strangely cold when he sees you inviting kazuha to your apartment to hang out. he also stiffens when he spots xiao walking you home.
but by far, he acted the weirdest when your phone number called him, but when he answered, he heard a different voice respond.
it's childe, whom you went drinking with. he doesn't know where you live, and you're not nearly sober enough to return home on your own, and it's not like you'll agree to staying over childe's house. you also refuse telling him your address, so childe is left with no choices but to call for someone he knows.
he uses your fingerprint to unlock the password in your phone, heading straight for your contact list, and dialed thoma.
it doesn't take long for thoma to arrive where you are, panting after running for a while, and childe is almost impressed. thoma hoists you up and you obediently wrap your arms around him.
“sorry for the trouble. [name]'s dead drunk as you can see,” childe comments, chuckling to himself. thoma doesn't look amused and replies with, “it's no trouble at all. i'd be glad to help [name] anytime.”
then in a way that almost seems possessive, thoma leaves childe behind.
so now when you arrive home, bouquet in your arms, red dusting your features, thoma is displeased once more.
(yet he is envious of those who can freely profess their affections, because he's certain if he were to ever admit his feelings to you, things can never be the same.)
gorou:
you first suspected childe because you thought the bouquet of flowers was a joke, but if it wasn't and it was real with the intentions of sweeping you off your feet...
then you might have another suspect in mind.
gorou is... a funny guy. can you put it like that? you don't know what to think of him. he's nice, you already know that very well, kokomi's good friends with him and told you a few stories about him, all of which are sweet and amusing. your first impression of him was that of a pure-hearted boy that can do no wrong.
he's younger than you by a year, and kokomi was fairly excited when she first told you he would be attending the same university soon. she promised to introduce you to him in hopes you'd be friends as well.
and okay, you could get behind that. there's nothing wrong with meeting new people. gorou sounded like a great guy too, and it'd be nice to take care of someone younger. you've been coddled by your seniors the past year as a freshman, and you thought it would only be right if you did the same to the new batch of students.
so you attended the welcoming party kokomi dragged you into. it was just a small gathering to get the freshmen familiarize themselves with older students, and she told you you'd get to meet gorou there, her eyes carefully scanning the crowd in pursuit of a specific face.
just as you were reminiscing over the past where your sadistic seniors encouraged you to drink a lot in the last welcoming party, shuddering in fright, kokomi tapped your shoulder and gestured to the brown haired boy standing before you.
it must be him. per courtesy, your lips curled into a practiced smile, exuding an amicable air. kokomi briefly exchanged a few words with him, but it looked like she was doing all the talking, the male frozen in spot as if he'd seen something strange.
he stared at you blankly, eyes slightly widened, and you slowly became unnerved with his vacant gaze, your smile faltering. you made eye contact with kokomi, silently questioning her, but she gave a subtle shrug of her shoulders, also confused by his behavior.
then, completely out of everyone's expectations, he'd dropped to the floor.
gorou had knelt on the ground with one steady knee, solemn in his endeavors. in an instant, your hand was seized, fingers enclosed in his warm palm. his piercing stare was impassioned, sincere at its core. heat shot up to the tips of your ears.
“marry me!”
his voice resounded in the entire room, earning unwanted attention. the chatter halted immediately, all eyes dedicated to the spectacle that was the both of you, and your mind began to spin, cold sweat dripping down your forehead.
your voice was caught in your throat, not knowing what to say, and all you could formulate was a garbled string of incoherent mess. undeterred, the grasp on your hand was unrelenting, gorou committed through this act until the very end.
everyone was thinking the same thing: we haven't even started drinking yet, but this little guy is drunk already??
shameless. crazy. a head with loose screws. you're probably the only one who'd describe gorou that way.
but what kind of sane man would say that upon first meeting???
kokomi quickly tried to mediate the situation for him, pulling him away and patting his back to knock him out of his dazed stupor, and pushed you to the farthest corner.
she vouched for him when she saw your puzzled expression, thinking of him as a weirdo, and she insisted he's normally not that odd. she swears he was never interested in dating before, and she isn't sure what changed for him to... propose... all of a sudden... to you, who he'd barely seen for ten seconds, no less.
naturally, it feels strange for you to see him. after that disastrous encounter, gorou — who did feel embarrassment for what he did, horrified at his own impulsiveness — tried to make amends, backtracking steps (he skipped way too many and immediately went to propose lol) and treating you normally like a friend of a friend, slowly trying to make the atmosphere between you casual instead of a freezing blizzard that kills off the amicable mood.
in spite of all that, however, you do feel as if his feelings are actually genuine. he can be clumsy, and incredibly so, you don't know who else could propose to another person within a span of a minute meeting them for the first time, but he means well! you started off on the wrong foot, and maybe this bouquet of flowers is him trying to curry your favor... or something...
yet all he gives is a disbelieving look, and that's enough to provide a clear answer: it's not from him, and he's upset.
it,, probably wasn't a good idea to ask someone who likes you about another person who likes you.
but if it isn't him, who else could it be?!
drop your guesses in the comments but im pretty sure it's already obvious lol
* when kenma is streaming, sometimes akaashi will walk in - he forgets the schedule. kenma's followers all love akaashi tho. he's known as kodzuken's pretty boyfriend: there's an entire instagram fan account for him and it consists of short clips of them interacting during livestreams and the occasional candid shot when a fan bumps into akaashi at the supermarket.
* one time akaashi walked in and started changing and the whole comment section EXPLODED
* anyway he only took off his shirt when kenma told him and akaashi's blushing video is now on the instagram for all to repeat. kenma liked it.
* akaken like to spend money on hinata. i mean, sponsorship aside, kenma treats it as a flex thing over the rest of the volleyball community - "you're in his DMs, i'm in his bank account, we're not the same" mentality
* kenma gets him clothes and gear, sometimes even allowance, while akaashi prefers to buy the sunshine child skincare like sunscreen or sends like new manga and language books.
* sometimes when kenma is tired he gets touchy. he will go to akaashi and just bury his face in akaashi's chest. akaashi will run his fingers through kenma's hair. kenma really likes this. it makes him feel calm and sleepy.
* sometimes kenma does this when akaashi is stressed, too. akaashi will hold kenma while he edits stuff on the computer - with kenma's head tucked under his chin and eyes focused on the computer screen. kenma will just play games like that, curled up in akaashi's lap. when he gets sleepy he'll just pull his head out from under akaashi's chin and sleep on his shoulder. akaashi,,, stuck there editing, leaves kenma alone.
* it's very quiet in the house. both of them are intuitive people - they feel the vibes and move from there. hinata, bokuto and kuroo all think they can read each other's minds. tbf, it looks like that to anyone. but it's just their way of communicating. a look, a gentle touch, a sigh.
* surprisingly, hinata and kuroo both enjoy the silence of the akaken house. it's peaceful, and grounding, hinata had commented. bokuto cannot stand the silence. so he doesn't come over as much, and definitely not when akaashi is not around. kenma doesn't have the energy to deal with bokuto most days.
*******
requests open;
masterlist here (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
i was actually gonna write daiike, but then @mother-sugawara left these tags on a reblog of my earlier post so i had to write small extras - thank u for loving akaken and sharing my love for them <3 WE NEED MORE. MORE RAREPAIR CONTENT
ATTENTION ALL GIRLS AND LADIES: if you walk from home, school, office or anywhere and you are alone and you come across a little boy crying holding a piece of paper with an address on it, DO NOT TAKE HIM THERE! take him straight to the police station for this is the new 'gang' way of rape. The incident is getting worse. Warn your families. Reblog this so this message can get accross to everyone.
This isn’t a big thing in England (that I’m aware of) but I’m still reblogging this because I have American mutuals and followers! Please please stay safe guys
ways to help protestors if you are unable to protest
everybody has to do their part. as a reference, this was posted on 1 june 2020. if any links are broken or direct to a place they should not, please feel free to add on with corrections. if there is new information with better knowledge, please feel free to share. thank you.
1. donate
do not donate to shaun king. he has repeatedly collected money to “support” black people, but no one knows where the money is.
BAIL FUNDS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST)
note: washington dc and new jersey have cashless bail systems.
bail fund google doc (also includes lawyers for protestors)
national bail fund network (directory of community bail funds)
community bail funds masterpost by @keplercryptids
resistance funds (google sheets; lists bail funds around the country)
nationwide bail funds (split a donation to the bail funds listed on the linked page with a single transaction)
atlanta bail fund
brooklyn bail fund
colorado freedom fund
columbus freedom fund
houston chapter of black lives matter
liberty fund (nyc based; focuses services on people from low-income communities)
los angeles freedom fund
louisville community fund
massachusetts bail fund
minnesota freedom fund (as of may 30, 2020, they are encouraging people to donate elsewhere since they have raised enough money; as of may 29, 2020, they do not have a venmo, as some fraudulent accounts have been claiming, source)
philadelphia bail out fund
richmond bail fund
MORE PLACES TO DONATE
note: more links are listed in the masterposts below.
northstar health collective (healthcare and medical aid for people on the front lines)
reclaim the block (aims to redistribute police funding to help the minneapolis community)
twin cities dsa (provides fresh groceries and hot meals to people in minneapolis)
2. educate yourself
it isn’t enough to sign petitions and reblog/retweet/etc. nonblack people, including people of color, owe it to black people to educate themselves and correct themselves and the people around them on anti-blackness.
note: more links are in the masterposts linked below.
resources and tools regarding racism and anti-blackness (google sheets compilation)
readings on society, racism, the prison system, etc. (twitter thread)
“where do we go after ferguson?” by michael eric dyson
official black lives matter website
3. give out supplies to protestors
people need supplies to protest safely, and even if they bring supplies with them, they can often run out. if you’re able, stock up and hand them out to people protesting. for more supplies to donate, see the “george floyd action” google docs link in section 5.
water bottles (dehydration and heatstroke are not things people should have to deal with alongside bastard cops. if the police in your area are particularly violent or known to use tear gas, get the ones with the sports cap/suction-thing/etc so people can use them as emergency eye-flushes.)
snacks (make sure to take into account that people have allergies of all sorts. foods will have a little label that says “may contain” and then list any potential allergens. write the allergens on the ziploc (or any container you use) in permanent marker, or better yet, write the snacks included in the pack.)
masks (don’t forget there’s still a pandemic going on. also it will aid in deterring facial recognition when the police try to track down protestors, also part two, if the cops use tear gas, wearing a mask (with the combination of a scarf or bandana) will lessen the adverse effects. lessen, not stop.)
bandanas, scarves, etc. and goggles (ski goggles, swimming goggles, etc.) (see above for explanation on the scarves. same goes for the goggles. anti–tear gas and anti–facial recognition.)
clean shirts (for people who are heavily gassed. also helps deter recognition through clothing.)
wound care supplies (band-aids, packets of neosporin packets or a similar antibiotic, alcohol wipes, etc.; if you can, decant bactine into those little travel bottles.)
a sharpie or another type of marker (for writing bail numbers or emergency contacts on arms, hands, etc. it’s not enough to have your city’s bail fund number stored on your phone; the police won’t give it to you to look it up. give people a marker so they can write it down, preferably not washable so it isn’t easily removed.)
IMPORTANT: KNOWING FIRST AID
tear gas: if you’re hit, get out as fast and as soon as you can. take anyone you can with you. the longer you’re in the gas, the harder it will be for you to see, and it can irritate your airways, making it hard to breathe. if you’re hit, don’t run; it’ll only make things worse on your lungs. when you leave the area, take a cold shower. don’t use hot water (it will only reactivate the agent); don’t bathe (it will only spread the CS around). (source 1) (source 2) (cdc fact sheet on tear gas)
move them to a clean and ventilated area where it’s as safe as possible.
ask them if they’re wearing contact lenses. have them remove it. if they’re wearing glasses, rinse it with water.
solution of half liquid antacid, half water. spray from the inside going out, with the head tilted back and slightly towards the side being rinsed. if they say it’s okay, open the eye slightly while doing this. (source)
bullet wounds: the most important thing is to stop the bleeding. be sure to check for an exit wound and cover that as well. treat both wounds, but treat the worse one first.
stop the bleed (youtube video by uc san diego health)
first aid in active shooting scenarios
making a tourniquet (a commercial tourniquet is best, but improvised ones can work as well if done properly; the most important things to remember is that tourniquets are for limb injuries and are not meant for the head or torso and that they have to be very tightly wound on the injury.)
how to apply pressure dressings
miscellaneous
adult cpr tutorial (youtube video by cincinnati children’s; think of “staying alive” by the beegees or “uptown funk”)
4. be a source of information
be responsible with this. people’s lives are at stake. that being said, the media is a fucking joke and the best way to get accurate information in a grassroots rebellion is amongst ourselves. record everything, but if you are going to share any information at all, be sure to blur people’s faces.
signal (encrypted messenger app; messages delete after x amount of time): app store | google play
tool for scrubbing metadata from images and selectively blurring identifiable features
tech tips to protect yourself while protesting (by rey.nbows on tiktok, via vicent_efl on twitter)
cop spotting 101 (google docs)
know your rights (by personachuu on twitter)
NUMBERS TO CALL FOR ARRESTED PROTESTORS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; SOURCES LINKED TO THE NUMBER)
remember to keep phones OFF unless absolutely necessary. cell phone towers, stingrays, location notifs can all be used to track you and other protestors. don’t fuck around. if your phone must be on, keep it on airplane mode as often as possible and only communicate using encrypted methods. no, snapchat doesn’t count. (a twitter thread on stingrays, for those interested)
lawyers assisting protestors pro-bono (by riyakatariax on twitter)
atlanta: 404-689-1519
chicago: 773-309-1198
minneapolis: 612-444-2654
5. miscellaneous links and links for protestors
masterpost of petitions to sign, numbers to call, places to donate, and more (carrd by dehyedration on twitter)
#blacklivesmatter (google docs by ambivaIcnt on twitter; includes information on relevant events, other masterposts, lists of petitions and donation links, how to protest safely and protests to go to, and more)
george floyd action (google docs; includes information on apps to download, supplies to buy and donate, places to donate to, protest safety, resources on unlearning racial bias, and more)
how to get out of ziptie “handcuffs” (by finnianj on tiktok, via katzerax on twitter)
how can i help? by @abbiheartstaylor
how to make a signal-blocking cell phone pouch
tips for protestors by @aurora00boredealis
twitter thread for protestors (by vantaemuseum on twitter)
also, if you’re protesting, change your passcode. make it at least 11 characters long and don’t use facial/thumb recognition.
Fresh list of organizations that need funding after this week
A lot of the lists on tumblr have been circulating all week and some of the organizations have taken in as much as they can use with the size/scope of their mission. I signed up to the excellent Reclaim the Block and they just posted this list on their facebook.
Black Table Arts - Gathering Black communities through the arts, towards better black futures.
Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha - CTUL is a worker-led organization where workers organize, educate and empower each other to fight for a voice in their workplaces and in their communities.
Du Nord Riot Recovery Fund - Du Nord Craft Spirits is a Black-owned distillery with a building that was damaged. They’ve “received a tidal wave of love and support from across the nation and many have asked how they can help… Therefore, Du Nord is establishing this fund to support black and brown companies affected by the riots.”
Little Earth Residents Association - Food and safety needs for residents of Little Earth of United Tribes.
Migizi Communications - MIGIZI Communications advances a message of success, well-being and justice for the American Indian community. Support them rebuilding after fire.
Minnesota Healing Justice Network - We provide a supportive professional community and mutual aid network for wellness and healing justice practitioners who also identify as IBPOC (indigenous, black, or people of color).
Northside business support - support businesses on Minneapolis’s Northside that have been impacted by recent demonstrations.
Pimento Relief Fund - We’re partnering with Pimento to provide black business without insurance relief after white supremacists set them on fire during the protests.
Powwow Grounds - send via paypal to [email protected] - Native-run cafe, currently providing meals to elders, protectors and community, purchasing medical supplies, fire supplies, cooking supplies.
Southside Harm Reduction- Southside Harm Reduction Services works within a harm reduction framework to promote the human rights to health, safety, autonomy, and agency among people who use substances.
Spiral Collective - A volunteer full-spectrum reproductive options and support group comprised of doulas, birth-workers, and passionate reproductive justice advocates. based in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, occupied Dakhóta territories.
Women for Political Change - Holistically investing in the leadership and political power of young women and trans & non-binary individuals throughout Minnesota.
Unicorn Riot - A decentralized media organization that has been live-streaming uprisings
The Du Nord Riot Recovery fund and Black Table Arts websites both say that they’ve achieved their funding goals (at current 9:24 EST June 1st).
The Minnesota Healing Justice Network, Pimento Relief Fund, Powwow Grounds, Southside Harm Reduction, Spiral Collective, and Unicorn Riot all have PayPal as an option!
We may be socially distant in this traumatic time, but we're not alone.
For the last few weeks, I’ve been going through it. First there was the constant stream of news about the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Black communities, then came the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade at the hands of police and the wrongful death of Ahmaud Arbery. Meanwhile I’m navigating this pandemic along with everyone else, and trying to figure out how to make a positive impact along the way. It’s been dizzying. And I know I’m not alone.
According to Naj Austin, founder of the social community for people of color Ethel’s Club, all of those complex feelings and mixed emotions are normal in times of crisis and collective trauma. Ethel’s Club, which previously offered free mental health counseling for members in its Brooklyn location, has now transitioned to a digital model. “The great thing about a healing space like Ethel’s Club is that it takes our identity, and everything that comes with that, into account. You can’t talk about these complex feelings without talking about Blackness.” The club’s online community is hosting free, hour-long grieving sessions twice monthly.
For many Black people practicing social distancing, the need for virtual resources has never been more clear. So, I’ve compiled a list of six more mental health resources, in addition to Ethel’s Club, that are providing virtual support to the Black community right now. However you choose to grieve, process, and/or stand in solidarity, remember that you’re not alone, and that your personhood and wellness still matter.
Dive in Well
Maryam Ajayi founded Dive in Well, an organization offering digital classes on various wellness practices, to create a more inclusive wellness industry. Dive in Well hosts donation-based digital events like breathwork classes and therapy sessions aimed at centering self care.
Sista Afya
This Chicago-based, community-driven organization provides women from across the Black diaspora with low-cost group therapy sessions, workshops, and free online conversations known as Online Sista Support Groups, which cover topics like managing the stress sparked by consuming news.
Healhaus
Founders Darian Hall and Elisa Shankle created this space in Brooklyn to provide accessible and inclusive wellness to their community. HealHaus is currently closed, but their ethos has continued virtually through live streamed classes, including a healing cypher for men of color.
Therapy for Black Girls
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford founded this organization to combat the stigma around therapy that might otherwise prevent Black women from seeking care. Now, TBG has become a successful podcast, a directory that aims to connect women with culturally competent therapists, as well as a private community Facebook support group. The organization holds free group support sessions weekly on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. EST.
The Nap Ministry
Performance artist and poet Tricia Hersey founded The Nap Ministry to champion Black rest as a form of reparations and resistance against burnout culture and capitalism. While she normally hosts free pop-ups where visitors can take brief naps and workshops in the Atlanta area, Hersey has been using Instagram to provide mini sermons about the importance of slowing down and getting more sleep when you’re a Black person fighting oppression day-in and day-out.
Inclusive Therapists
Austin-based therapist Melody Li founded the Inclusive Therapists database to provide therapists with training for racial trauma and connect people of all identities, abilities, and bodies with culturally sensitive care. Li herself, and many other therapists in the Inclusive Therapists network, offer reduced-fee teletherapy options to ensure that financial limitations do not keep people from pursuing care. Decolonizing Therapy and Viva Wellness are two other therapy practices with active online platforms.
Y’all need to go to standwithbre.com and sign the petition. It takes 60 seconds.
When you sign the petition, it sends and emails to 20 officials who can charge the men responsible for her death.
Bre, a black woman, was shot dead by white police officers in her own home. They had the wrong house and shot her for being home while black. The officers have not been charged.
Stand for her like you did Ahaud. Black women are not incidental victims of police brutality, we matter. Fight for us. Sign the petition.
Breonna Taylor was brutally shot and killed by police in her own home. Sign the petition, make calls and join us in our fight to demand #Jus
George Floyd, Tony Mcdade, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Tamir Rice, Akiel Denkins, Trayvon Martin, Gregory Gunn, Samuel DuBose, Brendon Glenn, Freddie Gray, Natasha Mckenna, Walter Scott, Christian Taylor, Michael Brown Jr, Ezell Ford, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Laquan McDonald, Yvette Smith, Jamar Clark, Rekia Boyd, Shereese Francis, Ramarley Graham, Manuel Loggins Jr., Sean Bell, Ronald Madison, Kendra James, Amadou Diallo, LaTanya Haggerty, Margaret LaVerne Mitchell, Aiyana Jones, Anthony Lamar Smith, Timothy Russell, Malissa Williams, Renisha McBride, Dontre Hamilton ,John Crawford III, Nicholas Thoma, Charley Lendeu Keunang, Meagan Hockaday, Justus Howell, Tony Robinson, Jeremy McDole, Sandra Bland, Andrew Loku, Jermaine Carby, Abdullahi Omar Mohamed, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Terrence Crutcher, Keith Lamont Scott, Michelle Shirley, Wendell Allen, Tanisha Anderson, Delron Dempsey, Kajieme Powell, George Tilman, Anthony Nuñez, Kimani Grey, Alva Braziel, Barrington Williams, Malcolm Ferguson, Rumain Brisbon, Kyam Livingston, Edmond Perry, Alberta Spruill, India Kager, Alexia Christian, Michelle Cusseaux, Alan Blueford, Oscar Grant, Kayla Moore, Nicholas Heywood, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis Sean Bell, Jessie Hernandez, Anthony Baez Denis Reyes, Rashaun Lloyd, Keith Childress, Bettie Jones, Kevin Matthews, Michael Noel, Michael Lee Marshal, Michael Lorenzo Dean, Eric Reason, Christopher McCorvey, Steven Day, Christopher Whitfield, Atatiana Jefferson, Maurice Holly, Jordan Michael Griffin, Nicholas Walker, Bennie Branch, Byron Williams, Arthur Walton Jr., Channara Tom Pheap, Patricia Spivey, Stephan Murray, Ryan Twyman, Dominique Clayton, Isaiah Lewis, Kevin Leroy Beasley Jr., Julius Graves, Marcus McVae, Marzues Scott, Bishar Hassan, Kevin Bruce Mason, Mario Clark, Jimmy Atchinson, D’ettrick Griffin, George Robinson, Andre Horton, Jesse Jesus Quinton, Mahlon Edward Summerrour, Charles D. Roundtree Jr, Chinedu Valentine Okobi, Antone G. Black Jr., Darell Richards, Botham Shem Jean, James Leatherwood, Joshua Wayne Harvey, Christopher Alexander Okamato, Cynthia Fields.
This is barely even half of the lives that have been taken by police brutality. Their lives mattered.
while protestors are out on the streets asking justice for breonna taylor's murder, louisville law enforcement has senselessly murdered another black man, david mcatee. he was the owner of a bbq restaurant and he was literally at the protests feeding people when he was killed after law enforcement blindly shot into a crowd!! his family says he was shot while trying to protect his niece!! he was known to feed police officers for free!! he was a good, kind man! say his name!!
important reminder that his murder occurred a 10 minute drive (or approx. 40 min walk) away from the protest sites... in a black neighborhood. his body was left out in the streets for nearly 12 hours. the officers who shot him were not wearing / did not activate their body cameras... so there is no evidence of the shooting.
you can sign a petition to bring justice to david and his family, by requesting the louisville mayor to take appropriate action by making sure the killer is identified and arrested.
BEAUTIFUL PERSON AWARD! Once you are given this award, you're supposed to paste it in the ask of 8 people who deserve it. If you break the chain nothing will happen, but it's sweet to know someone thinks you’re beautiful inside and out
BLACK = I would date you.
GREEN = I think you’re cute.
BLUE = You are my tumblr crush.
GREY = I wish you would notice me.
PURPLE = I don’t talk to you but I really love your blog.
TEAL = We have a lot in common.
YELLOW = I don’t know you at all.
ORANGE = I don’t like your blog.
BROWN = I don’t like you.
PINK = I think you are unattractive.
RED = I hate you with a burning passion.
WHITE = You scare me.
RAINBOW = BED PLZ.
SCARLET = You have influenced my decision/thoughts on something.
MAROON = You taught me something new.
CINNAMON = You’re a really cool person and admire you from afar.
PERIWINKLE = You make me laugh
MAUVE = You are really talented
BLUSH = Seeing you on my dash makes my day a little better.
CYAN = We have very little in common
THISTLE = I only just started following you
INDIGO = I’ve been following you for a long time
FUCHSIA = Your blog content is gold
COPPER = Your blog content is trash (and I love it)
VERMILION = You make me feel passionate
HONEYDEW = I want to call you by a nickname
LAVENDER = You inspire me
CORAL = You’re a meme
UMBER = I want to know more about you
FORGET-ME-NOT = You remind me of somebody
RAZZMATAZZ = I would share my favorite food with you
ARSENIC = I don’t know how to describe the way I feel about you
WINE = You make me feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the rope in gym class
SAFFRON = I love your ideas
TIMBERWOLF = I trust you
FALLOW = I want to run through the Northern wilderness barefoot with you
PLUM = I’d like to chat with you
TANGERINE = I love your aesthetic
SAGE = You make me cry
CRIMSON = We should collaborate on something!
VIRIDIAN = I wanna hang out on your blog
CHARTREUSE = You’re my homie
BURGUNDY = I get excited when I see posts from you
