#tao forms

[eraseer]

Kirk Knuffke Trio w Michael Bisio, Matthew Shipp

"Gravity Without Airs"

TAO Forms, 2022

free jazz

Artwork by Robin D. Williams

bandcamp blurb: This is Knuffke’s debut as a leader for TAO Forms, following on his being elemental part of James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet’s Jesup Wagon, one of the most acclaimed jazz releases of 2021. That album was eventually voted #1 Album of the Year in the JazzTimes Critics Poll & the international Jazz Critics Poll established by Francis Davis. Accolades for the cornetist’s own recent work as leader include NPR’s Jazz Album of the Year laurel for 2017’s Cherryco, his homage to Don Cherry – a prime influence. DownBeat praised the way that album showcased Knuffke’s “nonchalant versatility and ebullient melodic gifts,” while esteemed critic Francis Davis called it “nothing short of spectacular.” On his guiding artistic impulse, Kirk Knuffke says: “I’m concerned with making beautiful music. Beauty is always first, though not in a precious way. It can be in a rough way, too.” A prolific, lauded record-maker, Gravity Without Airs fulfills his poetic aims as well as any recording he has made. This work finds Knuffke in the rare, even unique, trio format of cornet, piano and double-bass. His partners are two ever-estimable pillars of creative music, and the work they’ve created together here brims with melody and mystery. Regarding the album title, Knuffke explains: “I was reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius while preparing for this recording. He used the phrase ‘gravity without airs’, and it stuck with me. That’s what it’s all about! Being heavy but not putting on airs – that’s what my favorite musicians do. In these days of social media and constant hype and self-promotion, this is what we should really aspire to: do the work and study, get into your thing and avoid showing it off half-cooked. Matthew and Michael have that sort of grace. I was really touched because once we started playing, they both got excited and wanted to play more and more – that’s how we ended up with a double album,” Knuffke recalls. "I hope people can listen to it as a whole, so they can hear all the subtleties as well as the shape and flow of the album. I have to say: I’m especially proud of this one.” 

More information:

https://taoforms.bandcamp.com/album/gravity-without-airs

[dustedmagazine]

Fay Victor — Life Is Funny That Way (TAO Forms)

Photo by Deneka Peniston

If Herbie Nichols is remembered at all, it’s as a jazz composer and a pianist, not as a songwriter. In the decades since his death he’s carved out a small legacy with musicians like Roswell Rudd, the Clusone Trio and Misha Mengelberg recording albums with his material. These are the records that do the heavy lifting in carrying his music on; Nichols own The Complete Blue Note Recordings (Blue Note, 1997) is a bulky three-CD set that's out-of-print and goes for a premium on the secondary market.

Never a recording success in his short lifetime, Nichols paid the bills by working a variety of gigs: he taught piano, penned articles and poems for magazines, and accompanied singers. Throughout this he was writing music at an almost frantic pace: about 170 compositions, some with lyrics. And even if you don’t know Nichols’s name, you’ve probably heard his most famous one: “Lady Sings the Blues,” a song that Billie Holiday turned into a standard. When Nichols died in 1963, writer AB Spellman noted he’d never had a year where he supported himself solely on his own music.

In recent years, New York based jazz singer Fay Victor has developed her interest in Nichols music with her Herbie Nichols SUNG project. Life Is Funny That Way is the result of these years of work: she’d added lyrics to a set of Nichols’s songs, fleshed out arrangements on others. Over 11 performances, she’s backed with a jazz quartet and brings this music — some of it never recorded in Nichols’s lifetime — to life.

It opens with “Life Is Funny That Way,” a song starting with Victor and sax player Michaël Attias together. When they get to the chorus the band joins in with a nicely swinging groove. Immediately you can hear the chemistry between Attias and Victor: they almost play in unison, his notes mirroring her singing. The other players (Anthony Coleman on piano, Ratzo Harris on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums) create a nice backing for Attias and Victor to branch out on.

Conversely, Coleman and Harris are all but absent on “The Bassist.” It opens with an understated drum solo by Rainey: light rolls, gentle cymbal taps. He builds up until Victor and Attias join in together, again acting as two leads that are mostly playing in sync. But when Victor starts scatting, her and Attias start trading riffs and playing off each other.

Occasionally, the band slows things down to a crawl, giving Victor a chance to stretch out and sing a slow ballad. “Bright Butterfly” has Harris bowing his lines, giving a thick and fuzzy background for Attias and Victor. “The Culprit Is You” has a similar approach, but with Coleman’s sparse piano and little pushes by Rainey’s drumming. It lends this performance a nice smoky, late-night vibe where you can almost see the spotlight closing tight onto Victor as she stretches her notes. And on “Lady Sings the Blues,” Victor’s voice has a bright, almost warm quality as she leans into Billie Holiday’s lyrics.

The band occasionally gets a chance to shine too. Late in the record, they play “Twelve Bars” as a slow mood piece, with Coleman bouncing around his piano as the rhythm section whips up a swirl of noise behind him. It’s one of the more angular pieces here, showing Nichols’ more outside style. He wasn’t just a straight ahead bop pianist.

Life Is Funny That Way offers a nice primer on Nichols: music that’s alternately challenging and straight ahead, close enough to the tradition to seem familiar with enough twists it can catch you off guard. It’s a good way to dive into his music. Let’s hope Victor’s project isn’t a one-off.

Roz Milner

[arc-hus]

Grand Canyon Bookstore, Nujiang, China - TAO (Trace Architecture Office)

[stopper-my-heart]

Caught Saved by Isaac - Heartstopper S1E5

Is everyone ready for a round 2?

Charlie: dissolves into mild panic, rushes off as quickly as possible, nothing to see here

Nick: straight up glitches, no sound even comes out

#thanks Isaac

The preceding interrupted flirting:

[angelicutz]

Shoutout to the brown haired characters w pronouns gotta be one my fav genders! 🗣️🙏

[divine-nonchalance]

Listen/purchase/download: Patience Is Elegance by HØR.NÆRT

[watery-melon-baller]

Real conversation I had with my brother, colorized

[snottieiottie]

This one goes out to all the tao xu, dawson leery, and abed nadir girlies

[chivclry]

@papilio-anima

Liyue kids

[summer-of-27]

Silk Flowers & zhongtao

Note: I am not an expert on Liyue lore, the following are just my delusional takes & theories viewed from rose-colored shipping lenses.

Silk flowers are a specialty exclusive to Liyue used for ascension by Hu Tao (and Xingqiu too).

I sometimes wondered why they chose this flower for Hu Tao. (It's obvious why Xingqiu uses it duh) And my zhongtao mind wanders if there is a connection between Zhongli/Rex Lapis and Hu Tao's ascension flower.

And anyone who has played the Liyue AQ knows that the answer is YES!

In the Three Poignant Perfumes quest, the Traveler gathers these three variants of silk flowers to make perfumes to offer to Rex Lapis.

And during that quest, we also get this achievement:

Which means that Rex Lapis loves the scent of silk flowers.

Also, they offer the most luxurious silk flower perfumes to Rex Lapis.

The people of Liyue also associate Rex Lapis with silk flowers.

Those lines underlined in yellow are for my past-life Hu Tao theory where she and Rex Lapis were lovers in her past life and she loved silk flowers hence why he also loves silk flowers. My theory in connection to those underlined in yellow is that Zhongli did not take on the form of a woman but it was Hu Tao's past self (maybe she was an adeptus before) was mistaken for her lover and she accepted a bunch of silk flowers from strangers. (But I also believe that Rex Lapis can take on the form of a woman if he wants)

Also another theory of mine is that after past-life Hu Tao passed away, Zhongli (and the adepti) painstakingly preserved his memories of Hu Tao in silk flowers in places where they've frequented together.

It would make sense if this flower is Zhongli's ascension material bcs of its connection to Rex Lapis yet for some reason it's Hu Tao's—the woman he works for/is always with.

[dustedmagazine]

James Brandon Lewis/Red Lily Quartet — For Mahalia, with Love (Tao Forms)

Photo by Henri Selmer

For Mahalia, With Love by James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet

James Brandon Lewis reconvenes the Red Lily Quintet—with Kurt Knuffke on cornet, Chris Hoffman on cello, William Parker on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums—for a set inspired by songs associated with Mahalia Jackson, the towering figure in gospel music in the previous century. The group develops the brief melodies of these traditional devotional tunes into vehicles for improvisation and exploration, creating a joyful noise that celebrates Jackson and also recalls the exploration of themes associated with the Black church by Charles Mingus, Albert Ayler and Roland Kirk.

In some cases, such as “Swing Low” and “Wade in the Water,” the source material is readily apparent while in others it is less so. The set begins appropriately and gently with Lewis’s adaptation of one of Jackson’s signature songs, “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” which provided the name for a radio show that she hosted in the 1950s and with which she wowed the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Lewis’s phrasing well captures Jackson’s meditation on a tune that, like the rest of those here, is beautiful in its simplicity rather than showy.

The quintet was rock-solid on its first outing, Jesup Wagon (2021), and is even more together this time around. Parker is, predictably, outstanding here, delving deep into the music whether soloing, as on “Go Down Moses” and the first minute of “Elijah Rock,” or providing bedrock support throughout. Hoffman’s cello often blends with Parker’s bass, somewhat like the dynamic between the two bassists in some of Coltrane’s bands. Knuffke once more serves as the perfect foil for Lewis as they alternately trade leads and blend their voices. His solo on “Deep River” well exemplifies his approach, building on the foundation established by Lewis before him, he ranges from flutters to searching cries consistent with the funereal theme of the song. Taylor, along with Parker, holds everything together, being equally effective in delivering frantic rolls, as on “Were You There,” and hand percussion, as on “Calvary,” and there are numerous satisfying moments when he and Parker lock in, such as the last couple minutes of “Elijah Rock”

Lewis’s ever-deepening mastery of the tenor is naturally on full display here. His playing, like this recording, delves into the history of jazz without ever sounding formulaic with a tone that is simultaneously ancient and cutting-edge. Here, his horn transforms into the voice of the great gospel singer, channeling as well the voices that she was influenced by and that influenced her.

Those who purchase the CD or vinyl versions can hear Lewis’s playing in a different context on a live recording of his composition for sax and strings with the Lutoslawski Quartet. Titled These Are Soulful Days, the piece interweaves themes from the spirituals and thus serves as a companion to the Red Lily Quartet recording. This fresh context for Lewis’s vision unfolds through the tranquil and plaintive “Prologue – Humility” and four movements to “Epilogue – Resilience.” The movements interweave more and less recognizable phrases from the gospel songs, particularly the dramatic eruption of “Wade in the Water” in Movement III, while “Epilogue” gets fairly noisy and atonal. An encore concludes the set in the form of a lyrical solo sax performance of “Take Me to the Water.”

For Mahalia, with Love, like Jesup Wagon and Lewis’s “Molecular” releases, is fairly high-concept, but the music is spunky and easy to enjoy, with plenty of groove and intensity. The bare nature of the source melodies is well-suited to jazz exploration (as successive generations of musicians have discovered). Lewis is still too young to be considered a jazz elder statesman (and national treasure), but he is steadily building a body of work and a perspective commensurate with that status.

Jim Marks

[arc-hus]

Swan Lake Visitor Centre, Weihai, China - TAO (Trace Architecture Office)

[nerdlordofnerds]

I think that Tao standing roughly ten seconds away from you and running at you screaming should be the new standard form of time measurement

[sfznyxio]

-ˋˏ GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL! ˎˊ

SYNOPSIS. do you have what it takes to be a pokemon master? step right up; start your adventure to become the greatest pokemon master of all time!

CHARACTERS. albedo, arataki itto, childe, diluc, gorou, hu tao, kaedehara kazuha, kaeya, kamisato ayaka, kujou sara, raiden shogun, sangonomiya kokomi, scaramouche, thoma, traveler (aether & lumine), venti, yae miko, yoimiya, zhongli

CONTENT. gn!reader. pokemon au. comedy, fluff. 2.1k wc. rewrite of gotta catch ‘em all! at my old main blog @/verxsyon. original was written before wanderer’s release, hence why he’s referred to as scaramouche. mentions of accidental arson by a pokemon (yoimiya).

VERA. oh, lookie. another pokemon au with another fandom. best memory with this song is when i went to amber liu’s concert in 2020 and it was at the end of her set list. my friend and i are huge pokemon fans, and we screamed out the entire song to the point we lost our voices the next day. fun times ten out of ten.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ALBEDO

an artist whose paintings are framed in numerous museums around the nation. albedo has trouble finding a subject for his next piece to place in the cathedral. while searching for mondstadt’s gym leader, his smeargle asks you on his behalf to help him out. you’re the nearest person around the area, and the pokemon exposes his hesitancy to ask you because he’s stunned by your appearance. you’re confused, but with your permission, you become his inspiration. as thanks, he acts as your tour guide.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ARATAKI ITTO

more or less your rival. he’s always the first trainer to challenge you to a battle as soon as you earn a gym badge, and he does it very annoyingly - one might add. itto thinks he’s all that, bragging that he’ll crush the elite four and the champion in one go with his best buddy, tauros. while he’s at it, he bets he can crush you too. but his arrogance gets the best of him when you won. the next time the two of you battle again, he swears that he won’t go easy on you.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. DILUC

a guide and bartender from the flying-type gym. diluc is assigned by the leader to serve drinks to challengers - as well as the gym leader himself. his talonflame is his best friend, but unfortunately he can’t help due to being used for the gym challenge. he’d rather battle someone instead of being behind the counter all day, so you suggest being his opponent. he doesn’t expect you to be so mischievous, similar to the leader, devising a plan to kidnap his partner. to your surprise, he agrees with it.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. GOROU

a trainer who frequently hikes the mountains to train with his lycanroc (dusk form). you meet the duo when your partner smells curry from his campsite. gorou is very kind to let you stay for the night, seeing that it’s getting dark and no town in sight. before departing in the morning, he warns you about the dangers you’ll face en route and says you and your partner are welcome to hang out with him anytime. when you earn the electric-type badge, you’ll celebrate with a feast full of curry.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. HU TAO

a trainer raised by mediums and fascinated with urban legends. hu tao is investigating the truth of those legends with her chandelure. seeing that you got lost in the totally not haunted forest that leads to the next gym, she proposes to join her investigation on the rumors of ghosts in the area. in return, she will give you tips on how to beat the gym leader. she habitually pranks people for fun, so you have a hard time believing that whatever she says is the truth.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAEDEHARA KAZUHA

a transfer student and your classmate at the pokemon academy. you feel sorry for kaedehara kazuha because he has to deal with you copying his notes every single day. that’s what you get for sleeping a lot in class. for someone who sits at the back of the class, his sawsbuck (autumn) is an attention seeker, annoying the poor guy with its antlers until he sends it back into its poké ball. apparently it doesn’t like you because his partner spends more time watching you sleep with hearts in his eyes.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAEYA

a famous pokemon coordinator. everyone expects kaeya to participate in the biggest pokemon contest of the year, with a purpose to celebrate his victory against the city’s gym leader. he thrives off excitement, so upon hearing that you, the future champion, is among the crowd, he wants to make sure the whole world knows you’re the real deal. at the peak of the competition, he sends his weavile to invite you onstage and challenges you in a battle as an excuse to flirt with you in front of millions.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAMISATO AYAKA

co-heir of the kamisato hotel chain. her older brother rarely stays at the penthouse due to business trips, so kamisato ayaka manages logistics in his stead. she’s rarely outside, but when she does, she’s with her glaceon at the boutiques shopping for new clothes. you happen to be at the same boutique as her, having a hunch that she’s a prominent figure in society. the two of you accidentally switch bags when passing by each other, but luckily it’s a minor issue. once it’s resolved, she quickly leaves.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KUJOU SARA

the daughter of a flying taxi pilot who was captured by the fatui with his pokemon. kujou sara is in the business with her corviknight. she wants to thank you for rescuing her family by giving you free access to the taxi anytime, anywhere. however, you feel embarrassed for contacting her on a daily basis because you never learned how to ride a bike. but the thing is, she already knows your secret, picking up on it very early. you did her a huge favor, so she doesn’t mind teaching you.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. RAIDEN SHOGUN

the electric-type gym leader and mayor of the “city of eternity”. married to her work, the raiden shogun is out of touch with the modern world. her gym staff, especially her morpeko, are concerned that she never has time for herself, so they ask you to keep her away from her office for the day. she’s confused, but agrees to go on a date with you. dango and light novels surprise you about her character - the sweetest person you’ll ever meet on the inside.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. SANGONOMIYA KOKOMI

a trainer who you first encounter at victory road. sangonomiya kokomi is sightseeing there and appears more than happy to accompany you until her destination. with her and her sylveon, double battles aren’t difficult to breeze through. at the exit of the cave, she asks for a battle to test out your strength. one hell of a strategist, however you’re quick to target her weak spots and win. she says that next time, she won't go easy on you at the league. that’s what a member of the elite four would say.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. SCARAMOUCHE

a random trainer who you accidentally hit when catching pokemon. the boy named scaramouche roasts your terrible aim and exaggerates that he could’ve gotten a brain injury. you’re a relatively new trainer, so he does pity you and demonstrates how to throw properly. he then offers you to spar with his gengar because the pokemon ahead are super strong and your team should be fully prepared by then, but he won’t admit that to save himself the hassle for the future.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. TARTAGLIA

a commander of an evil organization, tasked to handle overseas matters with his wailord. the men in his division steal pokemon from trainers to discourage them from continuing on with their journey. his lax nature is what makes him struggle to get everything under control. luckily, you’re there to save the day. impressed by your heroism, tartaglia wants to hire you as his assistant, but of course, you outright refuse. he says the offer still stands, but you turn him down every single time.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. THOMA

the director of housekeeping in the kamisato hotel chain and bodyguard of the kamisato family with his arcanine. you heard that the hotels offer trainers to work as attendants for handsome pay, so you desperately go there to make your wallet thick again. you’re assigned to room service, being taught the basics of vacuuming floors and fixing beds. sometimes thoma goes off tangent, talking about his boss and his habit of feeding him odd dishes, which is quite concerning.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. TRAVELER

the professor’s assistant who assists you in completing the pokèdex. the first meeting with the traveler starts off with you showing how you use your pokemon partner for battle, who then realizes that it’s from the lab and accuses you for robbery and trespassing. the argument gets heated to the point where the professor had to step in and let you explain. after consulting with the professor, they become your travel buddy along with their minun (aether) or plusle (lumine) to help you on your journey.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. VENTI

a flying-type gym leader stationed in mondstadt and classical musician. as a hobby, venti plays windtrace with the citizens, which influenced the layout of his challenge. to battle against him, you have to avoid getting caught by his altaria. barely anyone passes because he's known to fool people constantly, so they never know what tricks he has up his sleeve. when you manage to win both the game and the battle, he shows up at your hotel that night, serenading you for good luck.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. XIAO

a trainer who works for the rock-type gym leader. loyal to a fault, xiao is determined to not let anyone get past him. staying true to his word, his tyranitar is very difficult to defeat, but you won’t let that stop you from getting the badge. his partner knocks out your team in one hit, sending you out for a rematch. on the way back to the gym, he got ambushed by “treasure hoarders”, a group who steals badges for a living, and you beat them up. from that moment, you earn his respect.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. YAE MIKO

the owner of the city’s publishing house and a friend of the electric-type gym leader. her guilty pleasure is teasing young trainers that she knows their deepest, darkest secrets. they become terrified, never to be seen in the city again. you agree that yae miko is terrifying because of how both she and her delphox carry themselves. it seems that you’re an exception, having the guts to charm her with your crappy flirting skills in hopes of her not scaring you out of her domain.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. YOIMIYA

the current owner of the naganohara daycare center which she inherited from her grandparents. yoimiya is very popular with children and young pokemon, entertaining them with fireworks. due to the lack of staff, you sign up to be a volunteer. one day, she and her grandparents find an egg in the playpen, and she asks for your help to hatch it together. don’t let it come near her flareon. it almost cooked the egg alive with its flames as well as almost burned the center down.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ZHONGLI

a rock-type gym leader stationed in liyue and a historian. zhongli enjoys drinking tea and myths of legendary pokemon. challenging gyms can be fun, but hunger and hydration sure aren’t. entering his gym, he notices how deprived you are from food and water, so he orders his garchomp and staff to arrange you a meal. the food must’ve cost a fortune, though his knowledge of every bit of history you can name shocks you more. he rambles so much that he forgets about your gym challenge that day.

[k-ast]

how tartaglia reacts when you're drunk and don't recognize him

tartaglia x gn!reader

part 2 is now here

sfw, drunk reader, angst, some fluff, reader has been hurt in prev relationships

A/N: i don't usually post stuff like this hehe, idk what changed my mind to!! hope you enjoy🤭

You had told him if you didn't come home before 2, he should probably come pick you up.

"Hey, you're here!" Hu Tao beams at Tartaglia.

"Thanks for watching them," he grins and gestures to you sitting at the counter.

"Yeah, dude, of course."

Tartaglia stares at you for a little while. He still can't get over how pretty you are, the curve of your nose, the ways your eyes kiss in the corners. Your hair looks surprisingly neat for someone who's drunk. Your expression is distant, finger trailing along the edge of the glass. You seem to be drinking vodka? He thought you didn't like vodka.

Sliding an arm around your shoulders, he leans to whisper in your ear, "Hey, pretty, you ready to go?"

You leap back into the present.

Looking puzzled, you push his arm off of you, saying, "Please don't call me that."

He blinks, a ghost of a smile still on his face. "Haha... what?"

Their faces mirror each other in confusion.

"I'm not going home with you, I have a boyfriend," you say, turning back to the half filled glass.

It clicks in Tartgalia's head, and a teasing grin forms. "A boyfriend, huh? Can I fight him for you?"

"You'd lose," you reply flatly, deadpan.

Dropping himself into the seat next to you and propping up his cheek, he says, "Tell me about this boyfriend of yours."

He watches his lover's expression brighten, like you forgot the entire exchange that just happened.

"Oh, he's the sweetest," you gush immediately. "And he makes me laugh so much, and he's so lively and good with people, but he's so hardworking and stubborn and, ugh, he's so beautiful. How is it possible to be so beautiful?"

His heart is about to explode all over Hu Tao's kitchen counter. His mind can't believe it, he's the reason your face is a beautiful, dreamy, rambling mess.

And you're not done. "I don't deserve him," you say, "I wish I could do something for him, but he always says I don't have to."

Because you don't have to, my dove, Tartaglia thinks. You're doing more than enough already.

Your expression suddenly snaps. "Shit. I'm a terrible person. I need to go home."

Tartaglia snaps out of his own trance in alarm. "Why?"

"He's at home now, and I'm out here getting wasted." You rub your face and search for your bag and phone.

"Woah, hey, you're drunk," he holds you by the shoulders, "I'm taking you home."

"Just because you're literally gorgeous doesn't mean you get to touch and take home random people!" You smack his hands off of you, again. Tartaglia's not sure if he should cry or laugh.

You cover your mouth in surprise at your own words. "Holy fuck, I'm a terrible person," you whisper. "Am I allowed to call someone who isn't my boyfriend gorgeous?"

He's convinced alcohol makes your brain overthink twice as fast as it usually does.

He also thinks it's a dumb question. Have I given them the impression they can't speak their mind?

He thinks it's okay. "Of course you are," he tells you instead, frowning. "He's not a good boyfriend if you have to be allowed to do something."

"No, he's a great boyfriend!" you say instantly. "I just-" You cut yourself off with a sigh and chew on your fingernail. There's a loud thumping in his heart as he waits for you to continue.

"I never know about these things," you say finally. "I feel like he never really tells me how he truly feels. I don't know if there's something I do that actually bothers him. And I'm..." You rub your nose bridge. "I'm scared to ask."

Tartaglia is quiet for a long moment. What he has cleverly deduced from this is that his lover is scared of him. All pride he'd felt earlier from making you swoon is now replaced by a sick feeling of self hatred.

"Maybe there's just nothing you do that really bothers him," he suggests softly, trying to lighten the mood.

Your expression turns glum. Fuck, was that the wrong thing to say? He mentally kicks himself.

"That can't be right," you sigh. "When I have nightmares, he always wakes up to comfort me. I'm pretty sure that pisses him off. And he always says it's okay too, but-" you blink rapidly, like blinking away tears. Tag winces.

"But then he... he takes longer in the shower, adds more caffeine to his coffee. And- and he'll eat less of the breakfast I make him."

"Oh," he says smartly, running out of things to say. He should've paid more attention to the little things, knowing that of course you would.

You shake your head and squeeze your slightly glassy eyes shut. After mumbling to yourself, "stop oversharing to strangers" twice, you put the cork back in the vodka bottle and set your glass in Hu's sink after pouring it down the drain.

"Anyway," you turn to him when you're done, "goodnight, I guess. Thanks for listening?"

"I'll walk you home," he offers again, softly.

You hesitate. Of course you hesitate.

"You're drunk," he reminds you. "I'm sure your boyfriend won't mind as long as you get home safe."

You give in. You let him put his coat around your shoulders, but you don't put your hands through the sleeves.

Halfway home, you just stop walking.

"Love?" Tag tilts his head at you. "Darling, what's wrong?"

You blink a few times. "Tartaglia?"

He grins. "Yes, hi. You recognize me now?"

You blink again. Then a smile starts to spread, and you forget the reason for your daze. You put your arms into the sleeves of his coat. "Yes," you say sheepishly. "Hey, you."

A hand is held out for him to hold.

Their talk can wait for next morning.

sorry if tartaglia is a little ooc! thank you for reading 🫶 might post a part two where he comforts you about it?

[angeliteeyes]

Genshin Love Letters and Confessions - feat. Ganyu, Kokomi, Chiori, Shenhe, Jean, Sara, Ayaka, Keqing, and Hu Tao (in order)

Follow-up for my Genshin Love Letter event, in which these sweethearts sent you a love letter, but forgot to sign them. Still, you know them well enough to figure out who sent each and every one. Now, it's time to go and visit them in person. Shall we?

-Ganyu-

Your heart aches with sympathy at each written word as your eyes trail downwards. Even without a signature, you'd spent more than enough time with your half-Qilin companion to know of her... unique sleeping habits, as well as the vivid dreams that often accompanied them. Honestly, it's a miracle that she even survived this long, given how indiscriminate her choice of napping spots is.

You smile gently at the final words of her letter. As if you could ever say no to her.

Liyue Harbor was world-renowned for several different reasons, from the bustling businesses lining its streets to the gorgeous Glaze Lilies that bloomed along the edges of its landscape. Still, though, as your gaze falls onto Ganyu anxiously playing with a piece of her hair, you deduce that the city itself pales in comparison to the beauty of its inhabitants.

"Did you wait long?" You lean closer to her, making her blush from the proximity.

"Not at all, actually. I had planned to come here earlier, but... there were some last-minute issues I had to attend to." Her eyes shut for a moment, the very mention of work seemingly exhausting her. You nudge her in the direction of the nature-dense trail up ahead.

"Well, you're here now. How about we just leave all that work stuff behind for the night?" She softly exhales, letting the tension exit from her body, before agreeing.

It doesn't take long for you to notice her uncharacteristic quietness. Sure, she may act shy often around others, but with you? It was as if all of the words that yearned to escape from her lips during the day flooded out the moment she was with you at night. As her ramblings began about lazy coworkers or stressful workloads, you'd always been there, strolling by her side to listen. And yet today, you hear nothing. You shoot a glance to your side only to find her looking at the ground.

"Ganyu...? Did your dream scare you that much? You know I'd never actually hate you."

She nods pensively. "I know. Don't worry. I did ask to see you because of that, but that's not... the reason why, exactly." Your ears perk up as you silently wait for her to continue. She takes a deep, heavy breath before turning over to you. "It's just that—well, you know me. I've always felt this barrier between me and most other people, especially with my lineage. I've never... I've never known someone that I've been so scared of losing before."

Her footsteps come to a halt. Before you can question it, her hand reaches out to hold your own. As you look into her eyes, a flash of determination marches across them as she peers directly into your own.

"So that's why I want to be with you for as long as I can. Would you be willing to go out with me?" Her eyes squeeze shut and her hand, intertwined with your own, reverberates like a shivering rabbit. You clasp them gently in return.

"Of course."

-Kokomi-

As you slowly push the door to Kokomi's secret hideout open, her words come rushing back through your head. "I feel at ease with you around, and I know I can let my guard down and not stress about social expectations." Seeing her sleeping form slouched on top of her messy desk, you believe every word.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." You gently tousle her hair, earning a groggy whine from her in response. She stirs and looks up at you with a blank expression, processing your arrival, before snapping awake.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm the one that called you here, yet here I am nodding off." She throws in a nervous giggle before falling silent, playing with the ends of her sleeves. "So, you read it...right?" As she peers up at you with timid eyes, her expression brings to mind the image of a scared bunny. The thought—along with her sincerity—brings a smile to your face.

As much as you feel sympathetic to her fears... admittedly, this is far too perfect of an opportunity to tease her; besides, hearing those words from her lips would be much nicer than just reading a piece of paper. And so, you look down at her with a grin.

"Read what, exactly?" A shocked look—followed shortly by a glaring, blushing one—blanketed her face.

"Are you really going to make me say it out loud? It's too embarrassing..." She hesitates to bite the bait you laid out, yet you're not ready to give up just yet. Tauntingly, you lean in closer.

"Come on now, Kokomi. You're a master strategist, and you're telling me you didn't see this coming?" At this, her eyes widen and her hands move to cover her face. For several moments, no words are exchanged between the two of you—you patiently waiting for her to give in and her seemingly incapable of doing so. At least, that's what you think at first. But then slowly but surely, a tiny, muffled voice cracks through her shielding hands.

"...I like you..."

You pat her on the top of the head.

"I like you too, silly."

-Chiori-

A flash of rosy red coats your cheeks as you digest her words. When you saw that you'd received a letter, you couldn't possibly have imagined just how bold of one it would be. Still, though, you can't say you're too surprised by the idea that Chiori would write something like this; it's not like her public image came out of thin air.

Now that the weight of what you're holding is starting to sink in, oddly enough, you feel a sense of relief wash over you. Maybe it's just because she took on the hard work of confessing first, or maybe it's the way she hardly even considers the possibility that you'd reject her (good observation skills on her part). Or maybe it's just the fact that you finally get to know that your crush likes you back. Regardless of which one it is, she deserves to hear your own feelings.

"Chiori? Are you still working?" As you step onto the floors of the esteemed Chioriya Boutique, a whiff of her signature perfume alerts you to her presence. With a loud groan, she gets up and walks over to where you stand.

"Finally, you're here. Perfect timing actually; I didn't have time for lunch, so I'm rather hungry. So, tell me, what are your thoughts on that bakery I mentioned?" Her words rush out of her mouth so fast that you stumble over your own.

"Hey, wait! Aren't we going to talk about... you know... everything else you said in the letter?"

For a brief while, confusion scatters across her expression. Your stomach starts to feel queasy in anticipation, wondering what she'll have to say next. Despite how frequently she spoke her mind, its inner workings still remain a bit of an enigma to you. And then, at last, she continues.

"What is there to talk about? We like each other, and now we're both on the same page, so what's the issue?" Her words carry a strong, bulldozing attitude, as they always seem to. Yet, a slight blush envelops her face. You relax a little at the sight. Even the most confident of people can still get embarrassed, it turns out. You laugh a little, the action causing her to frown.

"Hey! What's so funny?" You shoot her a giddy smile in an attempt to reassure her.

"It's just nice seeing you be the one getting flustered for once, y'know?"

With that remark, her redness only increases more and more, until she looks like a bomb about to explode. She clicks her tongue at you before jutting her hand out to yank your wrist, dragging you outside into the city's streets towards the aforementioned shop.

You have a funny feeling that your life's about to get much, much more eventful now that she's claimed you as her own.

-Shenhe-

"I promise that I'll keep you safe from any dangers that dare threaten you while I'm around."

Reading the letter's final line brought you back to the first time you had met Shenhe. While you had been enjoying the scenery of the Liyue mountains, you'd unfortunately gotten lost and wound up in hostile Fatui territory. The situation rapidly went from bad to worse when they'd falsely assumed you were a spy or something... Really, if she hadn't shown up and rescued you, you're not sure what would've become of you that day. But there's no need to worry about that anymore; if anything, maybe it was good luck that happened. After all, it gave you the chance to see her in a positive light. Nothing like the scary rumors passed around back home.

It didn't take long before you grew fond of her and actively started to seek her out, always bringing along whatever gifts you could find. Thankfully, her unique taste in food meant you'd often spot favorite plants of hers along the way, so it didn't take much effort. Still, she always seemed so surprised by the presents. It made you wonder how many... or how few, you should say, that she'd received beforehand.

All that to say, you'd long since grown aware of her loneliness, of her unfamiliarity with human social customs, and how it's contrasted by her deep desire for connection. And you knew that you never, ever wanted her to be alone like that again.

As you drew near to her home out in the mountains, you breathed in the fragrant air. Looks like she's already gotten started on one of those herbal soups she's so fond of. Admittedly, you found them to be... a bit too unique for your tastes at first. Now, though, your taste buds have grown accustomed to them, to the point where you actually have started to crave those flavors... or maybe it's just that you associate them with her bright, expectant eyes eagerly watching you try out her favorite recipes, along with her subtle yet warm smile when you tell her you enjoyed them.

Despite not knocking on her front door yet, it was hurriedly thrust open by Shenhe, who was now standing in front of you. It's a rather endearing quirk stemming from her superior senses that you've noticed ever since you started coming over—the way she'd rush over to you so fast, yet pretend to act nonchalant when you met face-to-face.

"Oh, you're here. Dinner's almost ready." She turns to walk toward her kitchen, but before she can make it, you reach out your arms to latch onto her. You bury yourself deeper into her backside and let your emotions seep out of your body and soak into her skin. A distinct sound of her breath hitching makes its way into your ears. You clear your throat.

"I promise, I'll stay with you forever and ever, Shenhe."

Her body relaxes into you as she reaches her hands up to cover your own. Even in the silence, you can feel the weight of her doubts being lifted off of her shoulders and dissipating into the air and clouds. If her worries ever do return, though, it'll be okay. You'll be right by her side to dispel them as many times as it takes.

-Jean-

From the moment you walked into the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, hushed murmurs and barely held-back giggles made their way into your ears. Seriously, what is up with everyone today? They can't possibly know about Jean's letter to you... right? Right? But then again, knowing her weird ideas about responsibilities and burdens, you're not so sure that she would've confessed to you without an outside push. You sigh before opening her office door.

"Jean?" You take in the strange view in front of you. She's sat in her usual spot, yet her typical orchestra of carefully organized papers is mysteriously missing. Looking at her, you notice that her hands are abnormally empty and resting—or shaking, more so—on her thighs. Realization hits you. "Wait, are you not working on anything?"

A flash of panic stirs through her as she rushes to explain herself. "It's not that I don't want to work, it's just—oh, how do I say this..." She fake coughs, attempting to regain composure. "The others may have caught wind of the letter I wrote you and, well, by the time I got back..." She gestures to her vacant desk space.

Ah, so that explains the weird energy of this place. Not to mention the wink Lisa threw you when she'd spotted you coming over here (then again, that may have just been her being her normal self). An awkward air fills the space between you two, as blushes rise to both of your faces. You decide eventually to break it, albeit with much embarrassment.

"So, uh, how long are they planning on holding your precious papers hostage for?"

She sighs and looks longingly at the door. "They said that I'm not allowed to work for the rest of the day. The only reason they didn't kick me out entirely was so you'd be able to find me faster."

You laugh at the images coming to mind of how that whole scenario must've went down. Even without being there, you can still perfectly hear Jean's complaining and failed attempts to argue ringing in your head as if you were. With a grin, you walk over to her side.

"Well then, let's make the most of this free time together." You grab her hand in yours as she looks up at you pensively.

"Does this mean you accept my confession?"

You press your lips into the top of her overheating head, a little blessing that you hope may bring her peace of mind. "Of course I do."

-Sara-

The miniature clock on your wrist glares tauntingly at you as you sprint towards your destination. 5:10 p.m. You didn't normally show up to your mandatory training with Sara this late, honest. It's just that work ran a bit longer than expected. That's all (and definitely not because you got distracted by a food vendor). Still, your muscles are already tensing at the scolding you know she's about to bombard you with.

It's odd, really. You're not even a part of the Tenryou Commission—or any job that requires physical training, for that matter. Yet all the same, Sara had abruptly waltzed into your life and demanded that you begin training with her. Apparently, it was something about you "needing to be able to defend yourself when she's not around" or whatever other weird things she'd bark at you when you slacked off or expressed any complaints.

Once you finally made it to your designated spot, you began to slow down, panting like a dog in summer's heat. You weren't given any chance to relax, though, as a stern voice pierced into your skin.

"You're late." Looking up timidly, her glare and harsh scowl came into view. Normally her reprimanding was subtler and layered with drawn-out speeches and explanations, but not today. She knew that both of you were already well aware of your error.

"I know, I'm sorry. Work just ran late and—"

"I don't want to hear it." She groans while looking you up and down. "Looks like I was right to make this decision after all."

You pause in confusion. "What decision?"

"This training isn't working out the way I thought it would. I had expected you to treat your safety as a top priority and give it your all, but clearly that's not happening. You're still much too weak for my liking." The urge to argue with her burned at your throat, yet you bit it back, just barely allowing her to continue speaking. Still, if she wanted to give up on training you, she could've just said so.

"So, in order to keep you as safe as possible, we will remain at each other's side every day. That way, I'll be able to protect you and ensure that you're never late to a training session again."

An empty silence lingers for several seconds as you process her words.

"So... like dating?"

Her face goes blank, like she's a broken machine failing to register commands. "What? No, we're just going to move in together and be with each other each day. That's perfectly normal."

You have to forcefully wrangle your facial expression under control at the absurdity of her obliviousness. The worst part is that you know she's completely serious. Before meeting her, you likely never would've believed anyone could be this unintentionally obtuse, but... well, here you two are.

Well, whatever. Maybe as time goes by, she'll begin to realize how awfully romantic your future living situation really is, or the meaning behind her constant blushing as your skin bumps into one another during practice. Until then, you'll happily remain by her side for as long as her confused heart demands.

-Ayaka-

Sakura bloom tea.

The sweet, fragrant aroma wafts all around you, originating from the twin teacups you and Ayaka are sharing. For some reason, she's begun to offer this kind exclusively during your visits. The cause of her actions eludes you, yet based on her attentive looks she throws your way each time the cup draws towards your lips, perhaps it holds more meaning than simple kindness. Today, the flavor is especially strong.

"Thank you for being willing to come over on such short notice. It really means a lot to me." Her voice peters out a little at the end of her sentence, a tranquility exuding from her form.

"Of course. It sounded like you had a lot to say, so I couldn't just ignore you."

She presses her cup back down onto the flat surface. "Yes, I did—if you're alright with hearing me out." You nod affirmatively and watch as her lungs fill up with air and determination, before exhaling. Her eyes bore into yours, a newfound intensity brimming within them.

"I'm well aware that many outsiders view me as extremely fortunate for my position in the Kamisato Clan. I can't say they're entirely wrong, but... they don't see the extent that it affects my entire life. They don't have to sit and listen to others converse with each other so happily and carefree, only to switch to formalities the moment I come over. They didn't have to watch the other children play outside together, only to be rushed over to another lesson on mannerisms. This position is a blessing, yes, but it's also a prison." Despite her somberness, a gentle smile stretches her lips from each side.

"You, though... When I'm with you, I feel free of those shackles. You treat me like a friend, like I'm more than just a person with a grand title."

All of a sudden, she disrupts her own speech. The once-silent room around her becomes filled with jarring thumps and thuds as she gets up from her seated position and strides over to you, slamming herself down by your side. You're about to open your mouth and question her, when her lips press themselves into yours. It's a bit harsh at first, but soon melts into a more timid softness.

She eventually pulls away, but only slightly. With a whisper, she speaks again.

"Can we be more than friends?"

Before long, the tastes of your pair of sakura bloom teas meet and become one once again. A simple, wordless answer, yet somehow, it communicates more than anything else you two could say to each other.

-Keqing-

Most of the time at work, Keqing was a permanent, thundering, and pervasive force throughout your day. Whether it was to pester you over some work with a tight deadline or to bring you little treats from the break room—the ones she claims she just happened to grab too many of—her presence was a permanent fixture in your daily life. And yet, today, she was nowhere to be found.

"Keqing? She said that she's in a meeting right now, I think."

"Oh, Keqing offered to go out and grab some office supplies. She's not back yet."

Over and over, time and time again, your questions got those same sorts of replies. Strange, since this has never happened before in your long time of being coworkers. You bite your lip and ponder. There's no way you're about to go home and leave her feelings unanswered. And so, you settle yourself into the seat at her desk and wait.

It isn't until nightfall that she returns. When she walks in, she nearly doubles over from the fright of seeing your shadowy form and shrieks violently.

"Don't scare me like that! Why are you here anyway? You're supposed to be home by now." You push yourself out of the seat.

"I wouldn't have to be if a certain someone hadn't been running around all day. You're the one that told me not to procrastinate telling you my feelings." At the mention of her letter, she stiffens and slowly deflates like a balloon. Her eyes drift to the side, far away from you.

"...I already told you not to respond. I know you don't like me like that anyway, so don't bother." With that, she turns away and starts to move her hand over the door handle. But before she can actually use it, you reach out to her.

"Keqing, wait."

You gently rest your hand on her shoulder, making her breath hitch. You continue to speak.

"I don't know what's making you think I don't like you, but I do. I really do."

After a few moments of silence, she slowly turns to face you. With a flash of concern, you notice two trails of tears making their way down her cheeks. Her lip is stained with trace amounts of blood, likely from biting it so hard—a nervous habit of hers. She locks eyes with you.

"Do you actually mean that?"

You cup her face with both hands. As much as you try to brush off the tears, more and more seem to replace them.

"Yes, I promise. And I'll prove it to you, no matter how long it takes."

-Hu Tao-

You've showered countless times. You've furiously scrubbed at each patch of skin you could reach. You even grabbed a wad of tape and started pressing and peeling it all over, but to no avail. The glitter enclosed in that stupid letter is still stuck to you like neon glue, regardless of how much effort you put into making it not so.

You had to get revenge.

Up ahead, Hu Tao is busy taking care of some funeral parlor work. Seeing her like this, you'd think she's an innocent, hardworking businesswoman, but you know the truth. You're literal walking proof of her more playful side and of just how cruel of a prankster she could be. It's alright, though; soon, she'll look exactly like you.

Seems like she's finally taking notice of your arrival. As she spins around to face you, a wide, bright-eyed grin makes its way onto her face.

"Hey there, looks like you received my present. Did you like it?" Her eyes narrow mischievously, probably hoping for an entertaining reaction out of you. You, though, simply smile back.

"I sure did. So much, in fact, that I got you this."

Her joyful expression falters after you speak. "Wait, what do you—"

A stream of bright, colorful rainbow glitter interrupts her words as it splashes onto her, making her yelp. You made sure to aim it for the exact same spots that her gift hit you. For a little while, she fails to even react, but soon after she quickly melts into a puddle of booming laughter. So much so that, by the time she's done cracking up, there's a well of tears stuck in her eyes. A high-pitched exhale escapes her throat as she meets your gaze.

"Now see, this is why I like you so much. You're always so fun to be around." She leans closer to you. "Say, how about you go out with me?"

You furrow your brows at her.

"Is this another one of your pranks?" She giggles a little, before making a solemn expression you've only ever seen her wear a handful of times. It's one exclusively saved for the most serious of moments with her, the kinds that leave no room for jokes or lighthearted quips.

"No, I really mean it. I like you. So, what do you say?" She presses herself even closer, talking in a faint, melodic tone. Her eyes watch you expectantly, as if she already knows what answer you'll give. And you know it too.

"Yes, I'll go out with you."

Her face beams with gleeful delight and quickly, she grabs you for a tight hug. Wait...

"Stop rubbing the glitter off on me!"

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Author's note: Good lord was this a long one, easily my longest post to date. Apologies for any mistakes, there ain't no way I didn't mess up somewhere in this 4.1k words, long as hell mess T-T still, I hope y'all enjoyed it <3

Taglist: @cmiru final post for the Love Letter event!!!! Thank you (and others, you know who you are mwa) for the support. It really means a lot to me :D