#i dont want to ruffle feathers if i get really honest about the things i actually straight up do not and never will like

[spatio-rift]

Hello! I wanted to ask your favourite ships and the ones that you don't really like and why

Hiiii thank you for asking i love to talk about stuff like that and procrastinating on work. i think in recent years ive been enjoying comedic dynamics the most ^_^ i love to laugh and the best kind of dynamics (romantic or otherwise) to me are ones that are funny first and foremost. and theyre best when theres something compelling about it but still a lot of room to play around.

a funny thing ive noticed also is that for most of the media i really really like i care about a platonic unit including the ship/at least one character more than the ship itself? like strky > imakasa, taka (oto) > suika, $quad > kubometo.... like the shipping is funny but the platonic unit is where i get the warm feelings from.

now to actually answer the question ^_^

my favorite ships are the ones cited above as i said mainly because theyre hilarious to me. but i also like that suika dont necessarily like eachother but grow to care deeply for eachother, and the plausible possibility of a history together in oto as kids from how much they know about each other despite being so hostile in early hebi. what happened there... its funny asf but It Could Be That Deep. and also i like the idea that they still hold a massive grudge against sasuke literally 15 years after he fucked them over even though the man doesnt care and probably doesnt even remember. ive always liked the idea that they could have bonded when they reunited during the war over both being mad at him for treating them like dirt but alas kishimoto decided karin still being into sasuke and beating the shit out of suigetsu was funnier.

kubometo and imakasa have a lot less going on, mostly i just find them absolutely hilarious. imayoshi in knb is mostly presented as weird menacing and creepy from seirins pov so imakasa (and strky) is a fun way to play around with his sillier traits, because in that unit hes not a scary opponent determined to do everything in his power to win, hes not an eccentric senpai that never says what hes thinking to his teammates... around kasamatsu and other dudes his age hes just a gay little freak. its refreshing!

i will not pretend kubometo has anything like this going on. its just really funny to me! so many things in saipsi are, but this one really scratches an itch for me. i would actually say that trying to make it deeper than it is and write about it seriously makes it a lot less interesting for me. well thats just my saipsi philosophy in general ^_^ if you start thinking too hard about it it becomes less funny, which is a capital mistake when enjoying a gag manga.

Erm ! for the ships i do not like.... there are so many but out of respect for some beloved followers i wont mention the ones that i really hate just because im biased as hell and no other reason (lol). lets just talk about a few that i have actual arguments for.

for saipsi i dont mind a lot of things as long as it is made funny by people who like it (otherwise i just do not care) but when it comes to saiko and kusuo im sorry we need to stop what is happening here. Out of every possible pairing in saipsi why these two. asou made saiko because financial power was the only thing he could think of at the time that was left to be a challenge to kusuos powers, and then he never really pitted them against each other because it was (offense number 1) already done (kusuos dynamic with kokomi and her divine beauty esp in earlier saipsi revolves around the exact same thing) and (offense number 2) literally not even funny.

their main reasons for interacting are 1) one sided rivalry because of kokomis crush on kusuo, which was abandoned Very Quickly and thank god for that because it wasnt funny at all and made saiko less likeable with each panel (and it encroached on makotos reason for existing in the work as well) 2) The Purge, except saiko never ever learns who that cyborg ciderman cosplayer that humiliated him was. kusuo barely registers in saikos mind past his introduction like he really doesnt care. the ones that consistently and meaningfully interact with him are always nendou, aren and kaidou, kusuos just always around so we actually witness it. it actually matters a lot to me that saiko is one of the only characters that are in the (extended) friendgroup not because of kusuo but mainly because of first kokomi and then nendou. so why make him and kusuo a thing?? theres nothing there! (heavy breathing) sorry if you like saisai i had to get it off my chest.

i think one other ship that i really do not like now for Actual Reasons is hanaima from knb. i used to be a Huge fan but as with a lot of things in this godforsaken fandom my enjoyment of it was really soured by people who just Did Not Get It. hanaima is the ship for people who want a ~Dark and Edgy~ dynamic in a highschool basketball manga. people who like it generally dont understand hanamiya and imayoshi as characters and the actual dynamic they have, they just want to write about abuse and poor little meow meow hanamiya and yandere sadist imayoshi and stuff like that. One! hanamiya is not scared of imayoshi he just hates him for being annoying and weird and not letting him do whatever he wants which is injure people and ruin their dreams! Two! imayoshi is kind of a freak but he is kind! whatever awful thing you think imayoshi did to hanamiya in middle school that explains why hanamiya doesnt want to do anything with him now is complete bullshit! its not about imayoshi being evil or an abuser or anything like that ITS ABOUT HANAMIYAS EGO! at most imayoshi is just annoying because messing w people hes fond of is his favorite past time!

ah well there are more things that people get wrong about their characters and dynamic but lets not increase my heart rate too much i wouldnt survive it. if i had to sum it up i think ships i do not like are either just offensively unfunny or like, the idea of the ship goes against established character so forcing it to happen makes them awfully ooc to the point of being near unrecognizable. like i know anything can happen in the mind of a fan but i like these characters for a reason, you know?! Erm well i dont know how to end this rant now so ill just say thank you for asking and sorry if its a boring read, just talking about myself and all ...!

[not-goldy]

i was the one who wrote the post about jk choosing/proritising his 97 liner friends over jimin. i guess i was harsh with my wording and i think it was caused because of the lack of jikook in a way (sounds stupid i know) we dont know how much time is left before all remaining four members enlist in the military (they would enlist this year itself, that much is clear) and there's a chance jimin would leave soon seeing most of his schedule is done (that we know of) and i was expecting a jikook live before the torturous two years we'll have to go through without them but i dont really see any chance of that happening now. jk also has music bank on jm's birthday and we know its a really tiring event and it can take a full day to get done with the whole thing, so chances of jk and jm interactions are again very slim.i think i just miss them and desperately wanted to see them. i know just because we dont see them doesn't mean they dont interact off cam but i wanted to see them on a live or tiktok or something. so seeing jungkook make tiktoks with that mingyu during both seven and 3d era just...ruffled my feathers in a way. also saw a lot of 'gyukookers' on my tl so yea that was annoying as well. i kinda assumed jm won't be in the live as it was a post-album announcement live, but still...

so yea, knowing that jungkook won't be much active on jm's b'day and not getting the oct 4th live as well kinda saddened me. does not excuse my behaviour but that's what happened.

Thanks for being real and for being honest.

I think you are human in every sense of the word so I can't be too hard on you or even hold you to it. We've all been there. I know exactly how painful and frustrating it can be. But I'm here for you okay?

I would be that person to bring you back to reality and keep you grounded when you drift, I will call you out if I have to and I will point out the errors of your ways and it would almost always be out of love- if I however sense you actually hate any of our captains I'll deep fry your titties, lace them with acid and spoon feed them to you🤧

You can dm me anytime with any grievances you have and I'll listen. Or just tag your asks with rants and I'll know how to respond without putting a target on your back.

I wish we have a jikook live too.

I wish they release the seven tiktok challenge they filmed on the boat.

I wish Jimin has a happy birthday and not feel unloved or cared for or that he matters to those that matters to him the most.

And I feel Jungkook had to keep repeating he'd be busy on the 13th so we don't make a huge deal out of it if we don't see him around that day.

Sometimes I know they feel they are in a three way relationship with us where we are the pets and children they didn't ask for but have living in their basement.

They don't just have to care for eachother they have to care not to bruise us too. It's a complex symbiotic parasocial relationship dynamic we have with them.

We care and sometimes they care that we care. But that's not fair to them.

We are the kids who keep complaining daddy forgot mommy's birthday. Daddy was seen with female in his car. Daddy came home late. Daddy forgot to take the trash out. Daddy yelled at mommy. Daddy didn't eat mommy's meal. She worked so hard to make him his dinner. Daddy doesn't love mommy. Daddy is a fuckboy. It's almost as if we want to date mommy ourselves and nothing daddy does pleases us.

If it were a horror movie we'd be the changeling they'd be running away from🥲

It is well with us. Love you okay?

[bum-scum]

Salty ask: 4,12,19,24

4. Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?

Yes, I do. While I will NOT mention it here, they're not really popular but its there. People are gonna ship your NoTP regardless if its problematic or not.

And honestly, im chilled; and there's no need to hate on someone for any shipping that you see is fucked.

12. Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn't? Why?

I dont think its unpopular, but I really do love The Battle City arc the most. Maybe its because there's lots going on and where the effort is put on the most.

19. What is the one thing you hate the most about your fandom?

I might ruffle some feathers here. And I'll be honest and not afraid to admit it...I can be a hypocrite.

Its fucking fiction! You DONT have to go out your way to chuck a hissy fit over your favourite character(s) on whatever evaluation anyone puts.

Everyone sees each character DIFFERENTLY and not many of them don't need to read deep into a character development history to get the point.(unless they ask). Don't go hating on anyone who wants to put their vision of their interpretation of a character on a crucifix.

Also the hate for one ship thats NOT even that harmful. Either im getting old or some people just go feral like they're on a rabies raid when they see it.

You can all educate or enlightened me on why "its soo bad or not compatible."

24. Would You recommend it to a friend? Why or why not?

I like anime that has history behind it, and a very good storyline. The animation quality doesn't matter, its the story that counts for me. And YUGIOH has that. History ( I wont spoil it, there fuckton of tumblr posts about it), a great storyline with great character development and also humour.

So yeah, want a great anime to start off with? Yugioh is great for it.

[moonguilt]

lol turns out chlowstix likes sheith. wow

tbh the only thing i could find to indicate this was one single retweet on a twitter post which was for art that didn’t even look like ship art. like, if u didn’t read the tag you’d probably think it was just broganes. i could see myself liking/rting cute art and failing to read the caption in full. not that i even really give two shits about ship discourse in 2020 anyway but still, i like to give people the benefit of the doubt

[elvencantation]

yin yang master liveblog

feat. @thursdayplaid​

what

blue

omg the magic is so pretty

also why is it always Chinese dramas will have someone, if they need blood, bite their finger?

also the gold spirit is very cute i like

i love a young countenance but an older soul

i also want them to take off their hats 😂

wait he ain’t dead he’s just sitting there?

or he’s dying i guess

Thursday

This movie is pretty throughout, aesthetic on point 

Sharp teeth?

We simp gold spirit

Too true, amazing combo XD 

He's dying

Please don't let me disturb your liveblogging. It brings be much joy

blue

oh hot demon boy!

love that he’s fighting with a fan

Thursday

Who will win? Uptight fighting bro vs gentle fan uncle

blue

gentle fan uncle is an amazing title

Thursday

@^_^@

blue

i love how he’s just like ‘bet u wouldnt stab a precious instrument’

Thursday

XD I love how playful he is during the whole fight too

blue

it’s adorable

dude rly loves his transportation talismans

WAIT I THOUGHT DEMON BOY HAD TATTOOS NOT CUTS

Thursday

He does. If it ain't broke, don't fix it I guess. And it's a good way to redirect violence without doing harm

Demon boy has had a Rough Time

blue

i wanna give him a hug

i don’t think he’d appreciate that but still 😂

Thursday

He's just sad and misses his girl friend

blue

why his reincarnated shufu look evil tho

Thursday

Who can say~~~

I love how Boya was just repeatedly defeated by Qingming and is like: you won't fight me because you're scared.

blue

what’s a himbo but not nice 😂

hey! they put my boys hat on crooked. rude.

Thursday

Give that boy a straight hat.

He's just such an Angy Boy

blue

he rly is 😂

ah i love the lady master she’s so pretty

Thursday

She's amazing and I love her.

blue

awww boya defended him

Thursday

He's so angry, but this fan man flirts with him

blue

ofc they all spying on each other 😂

Thursday

Saved by your opponent's gay discovery

blue

omg yes

Thursday

Spying required

blue

aw he looks nice with his hair down!

drink tea with him angy boy!

Thursday

He just wants you to chill out before you deviate. Sit and look at his amazing long hair. It'll be good for you

blue

HAHAHA

honey bug!!!! i love her!!!!!!!

Thursday

Also the ability for the fan man's actor to go from calm to worried to angry to calm again

Honey bug is good and important and I love her

blue

thank u for the recommendation yes

i love them

Thursday

The intrinsic eroticism of a man who's having his racist beliefs totally shaken by a hot guy who's hotter and smarter than him while holding a sword to his throat and looking like he wants to cry while saying cool lines.

They are such a great pair

blue

angy boy is angy like how dare fan man make him have feelings

Thursday

How very dare he make a good point about morals and ethics!

Also with that hair drinking tea in the morning

Angy boy with clenched teeth: I'm Not Yearning. I'm Just Like This When I See A Fan.

Angy boy with clenched fists: Complex Feelings? Disgusting.

blue

HAHAH OMG HES JUST HANGING OUT WITH A BUNCH OF LADIES LIKE HELLO YES ANGY BOY COME HAVE TEA WITH US ITS NOT WHAT U THINK

OMG THIS TIME ITS BOYS

ITS LIKE UR TRYING TO GIVE ANGY BOY AN ANEURISM

Thursday

Clenched fist intensifies

blue

I CANNOT

maybe he just wants to hang out with cute people

i get that

Thursday

He's just a friendly guy

blue

if i could summon pretty spirit friends to hang with me i so would

ok so maybe he’s not evil. but i’m still suspicious

NOW ANGY BOY IS HAIR DOWN WITHOUT HAT OMG YES

Thursday

I do get the vibe off him he's not the sort of guy who would put his spirit friends in sexual situations. But also I get the vibe he's a very lonely guy at his core and he enjoys the feeling of physical and emotional closeness.

blue

mood ™

Thursday

Let's be honest, the hat is a bit cute, but that hair though. Respect for the makeup department

blue

HAHAHAH

Thursday

Angy boy, you're just walking to being teased now. At this point its a hand written invitation with gold leaf.

blue

oh i love this moment with the water

it’s so intense

JUST DO IT ANGY BOY

U KNOW U CARE ABOUT HIM

“you’re too obedient” 😂

Thursday

The priest is in the range of gentle or teasing and hovers there. Seeing an actual intense situation is great

blue

ikr????

ah that is exactly what i love

that situation

Thursday

Me too! It's great when characters hover in a range and then swing over sharply

I really makes both extremes more dynamic

blue

HAVE SOME WINE WITH HIM DO IT

U KNOW U WANNA

Thursday

Go For It Angy Boy! He'll be gentle!

blue

😏

Thursday

XD I mean he will continue to ruffle his feathers, but for fun, not for mean

Also, I really love the depiction of a fox demon that isn't sexed up.

Qingming is a trickster, a tease, a bit of a flirt, and enjoys the pleasures of life, but he isn't the stereotypical half naked sexpot fox demon that seem to pop up everywhere

blue

OH NO HE HAD TO KILL HIS SHUFU???

Thursday

The only person he had in the world but he didn't want him to suffer and be corrupted

blue

also I hate that my two associations with someone being turned into ash is firstly the avengers and secondly that stupid fucking scene in the last harry potter movie

god this movie is so beautiful and lovely

Thursday

That set is outstandingly gorgeous

Everything is so beautiful. I want to live in this world!

Sometimes I just see a kind and lonely character trying to live their best life and just vibe with them. Also the wigs on this movie 😭 So beautiful!

blue

DONT HURT MY GIRL

Thursday

Run girl! Move!

She's so smart and brave!

blue

oh the DRAMA

Thursday

The Drama is right, I love this movie!

blue

HE WILL SAVE U BOYA

Thursday

HE'S COMING FOR YOU FRIEND

blue

omg the drama of his hand slackening

Thursday

That slackening hand though...

blue

why it didn’t work until then tho???

Thursday

For the drama mostly XD

blue

HUGGGG

is she giving birth to the serpent? 🤢

Thursday

She is giving birth to the serpent

blue

hey it’s better to be possessed by the literal incarnation of evil in snake form than be dead am I right?

Thursday

I mean is we're making a choice...

blue

OMG IS IT FINALLY SPIRIT TIME?

thursday

It is ~spirit time~!

blue

HOT DEMON BOY IS BACK UPGRADED

SO PROUD

Thursday

He is back and he is Fancy!

They're looking good they're doing poses

blue

omg the painters face painting is so pretty

Thursday

I love the painter ;-; so noble

blue

the music when he summons spirits just makes me think of like pro wrestling intro music for some reason 😂

Thursday 

And now from the WWE, some hot chinese spirits

blue

oh no ice boy!

Thursday

Poor ice boy, he's just getting beat up

blue

don’t u dare touch my other demon boy

Thursday

He just signed up for this adventure and now a snake is beating him up

blue

OMG HE NOW HAS SOMEONE HE WOULD PROTECT WITH HIS LIFE DOESNT HE

Thursday

He Do!

blue

WAIT WHAT NO BOYA

Thursday

Boya is just having a rough time right now, he's a good good boy

blue

and now the painter???

Thursday

I almost cried about the painter and he was only there for like five minutes

blue

PLS DONT HURT MY DEMON BOY

Thursday

Demon Boy goes yeet

blue

oh my god the drama of the dripping blood i can’t

Thursday

This movie has so much drama It did

blue

not my demon boy 😭

FINALLY IT WORKED

wait shit spirit boya is super hot

THE BLACK WINGS?!????

the tattoos??? the hair?!?!!! the messy goth skirt??!

Thursday

Spirit Boya is Choice, I'm looking respectfully 👀

Goth spirit aesthetic is on point

blue

where the other guardians tho?

yes this is a very touching little last reunion but where my boya at

omg yes give him a glowing sword

the avenging angel look is 💯 on him

Thursday

The sword on fire look is Really Working For Him

blue

tell me boya’s spirit form has no influence on his actual body. no he said he trusted qingming to protect his body it’s ok

OMG YES I KNEW THE PROTECTION SPELL MOMENT WOULD BE BACK

Thursday

It's back and it's shiny!

blue

ok but u still have a hole in ur torso my dude

oh ok apparently that’s not a thing anymore but i can’t be mad cause boya’s outfit 😍

Thursday

I guess he used his cultivation or his demon powers or something IDK, It would have been nice to have two extra minutes of Boya being worried about him

Boya wears some excellent clothes

blue

love a good romantic flute moment 😭🥰

Thursday

I have to say Boya's like let me play you this song about promising to fall in love in the next life for fun and me time

blue

omg i thought he was gonna kiss the arrow

Thursday

I mean emotionally did he not kiss the arrow?

blue

omg i cant

Thursday

I know right? How many censors did they have to pay off

blue

WAIT IS MY GIRL OK????

Thursday

I Chose To Believe She's fine and is now living happily on a farm or something

yeah i do love being worried for each other

but i guess they didnt have enouhg time and they already had that moment at the beginning of the movie 😂

Thursday

Two people? Respecting, worrying, and caring about each other? 👍 There's never enough caring for each other!

blue 

exactly

Thursday

Also, this is one of the best examples of be careful how you word your spells that I've ever seen.

The old master was like care and protect her forever and his spirit guardian was just like: 👍👌💯

blue

heheh

yeahhh

AND U MADE ME EMOTIONAL AGAIN

[zuffer-weird-girl]

What if Kai's S/o (who has an angel quirk) flies into Hawks and they talk, just hanging out basically. But what if they both discover that their siblings but never knew about it until now (how they found out and everything is up to you)

*screams*

"Your wings are going to get dirty." He growled while deadpanning at you flying just a few feet away from him, white feathers seemed to shine at the sun light "And I am not the one cleaning it after." His glare intensified when you simply giggled.

"You always say that, but then later you insist on doing it." He scoffed while crossing his arms.

"Because simply you cant clean them right. Sinple as that."

"Sure" you rolled your eyes at him before taking a fly, so strong was the impact of th wind barely strong enough to send the end of his jacket flying over a bit as he stared up at the sky.

Always like this... he didn't even knew what has gotten into him to fall for someone with a quirk like yours, but he did. And he couldn't exactly complain it about it... especially at the flips and the way you subconsciously drew a heart on the sky while sending him a kiss.

Although... the only thing he caught some moments later was some vermillions feathers before he shouted your name to get out from there... only to be too late as the owner of the red wings bumped into you so hard that caused both of you to fall.

"Shit!" He cursed out loud while taking off his glove and slamming into the concrete to lift himself up in time to catch you ok his arms as the man steady himself on the air while adjusting his visor on.

"My bad!" He chuckled as Kai glared at the top 2 winged hero. Hawks.

Heroes... not only they carried the dicease he most despised it and vangloring them like some treasure given to humanity, they surely didn't gave a fuck about nothing besides themselfs and 'saving the world'.

You grumbled a bit as Kai took his attention and anger out of the young hero to look at you.

"You're alright?" He asked nonchantly bit the worry he had towards you was always showed on his eyes.

"Yeah yeah!" You waved at him as you took a step on the pillar he had made "Only a bump, nothing major."

"My bad kid." The winged hero finally caught your attention, and it be honest you were very surprised that Kai hadn't moved a muscle to touch the poor hero and erase his existence "Some bad guys on the center knocked me so hard that sent me flying over here."

"No problem." You answered while squezzing your boyfriend's hand "is not the first time since something or someone bumped into me while flying!"

"Oh I see." He mused with a smirk "Noted the wings there. Is unusual to see some wings quirk users around here, so that makes us what? Wing buddies?"

"That us the stupidest thing that I ever-"

"Wing buddies!" You flapped your own wings at that while your boyfriend glared at you "I like the sound of that!"

The blonde chuckled and gave you and Kai a little salute before waving as he made himself go back only a bit.

"Welp, see ya around little chickadee." While you snorted at the name Kai almost overhauled his remaining glove at that before he put both of you guys down.

"Wing buddies?" He asked in disgust as you shrugged.

"Never really found another person with a quirk similiar with mine so... is different."

Well, he could only be grateful it was only one encounter. That's about it.

~

He hated this, but he was deadass wrong.

The winged hero searched for you exactly when you guys were on your rare outside dates. And he lost count on how many times he wanted and almost killed the pro hero out of rage and... jealousy.

The more he talked the more his headache engraved.

The worst? Is that for some whatever reason it was, you talked with that sick bastard like you knew him for ages and not some weeks ago. And this was infuriating him.

That's why one of the reasons he made the outside dates more rare the usual...

He was reading some of his experiments until you entered his office with a bunch of papers and a worried face on your features.

"I can tell that something is bugging you. Spill it out." You looked at him with more worry before you sighed.

"Kai. You know that when I was little my father was arrested and I got separated from my family... right?" He nodded numbly as you shakily sighed and took a seat on his couch, his worry got the best of him and he went to sit just besides you.

"So?"

"I was looking through some... stuff. And it seems that Hawks was taken by some guys which trained him to be a hero..." his eyebrows furrowed at only hearing the mention of that filth name "There is much coincidences of me and and him... and I might have searched for his real name and..."

He arched one eyebrow as he took some newspapers about a guy being arrested by Endeavour ages ago...

"Hon... what is my name?" You asked and he furrowed his majestic eyebrows while looking at you.

"Takami (Y/n)..?" This moment you gave to him a paper where it was written one name and a picture of Hawks along with.

... Takami Keigo...

Gis eyes shot fully open at that while you stared back at him with fear and worry as he looked through the papers to see if it wasn't some fake news or what.

"So... you're related..?" He asked in almost disbelief while you rubbed the back of your head and your feathers ruffled at your anxiety.

"I-I think so... I had a brother before I was taken by the orphanage... they would never give me an answer about him or whatever.."

He looked at the papers once more before sighing and laying his head on the couch.

"Sorry dearest. But your brother is an annoying irresponsible sick. What did you even wanted me to do with this information?"

"I-I dunno... But Kai... he was forced to pass thorugh a heck of training in Hope's of the hero commission to transform him into a 'perfect spy or something'. Thsi only proves to us that-"

"Hero society is corrupted. Tell me something that I dont know already." He sighed with a hand on his face while you furrowed your eyebrows.

"Actually... is something about his job that might help you a bit...?"

He took his hand out of his face to gave you a questioning look before you gulped.

"The league of villains..."

Now. There was something he got interested with...

[hpfannons]

Oh la la! Thats a fine choice of specimen. Thank you. :) lol. I only ask about the jealousy thing because I remember that Dick said one time that they only get to see him 2 months a year or something... I probably meant the batfam side i guess... lol but its good most Harry’s friend are okay or just roll with it... maybe I should asked some batfam moments during their stay in order hq... I really love that scene where Harry was on Dick’s lap and and the rest are just with them... I kinda want a scene with the same feeling...if you dont mind. xD thank you very much! glad to hear ur answer about fudge and umbridge. thank you so much... im really immersed in this au... looking forward to part 7. >_< thanks and stay safe y’all.

Glad you like my batfam! My best friend and I spent way too long going back and forth on people we could agree on for different characters (I think Tim and Alfred were the hardest… but it was years ago, so don’t quote me on that lol)

Sorry about the jealousy thing though, miscommunication on my part. I blame that for answering at 3 am on my phone XD

Yes, there is a lot of buried jealousy with the Batfam. Though surprisingly, most of it comes from Harry. That’s mostly because all these new family members come in while he’s at school, so it kind of feels like they’re all much more close knit with each other than with him because he’s not there for the large portion of the year.

They’re all happy to include him and catch him up with things he missed while he was at school… But there are some things you just have to be there in the moment for, because retelling the story just isn’t quite the same.

That’s not to say that the rest of the Batfam don’t have the same feelings as well, I think I’ve mentioned before that Tim and Harry especially are very close (actually best friends, on the same level as Harry and Ron) so Tim is definitely one of those people who feels Harry’s lost during the year the most.

Add on the fact it’s not really that easy to keep in touch with him while he’s at school, and it really is just hard on everyone.

As a side note, I fully believe the family would find some kind of way to make alterations to a communicator that will work at Hogwarts. Considering how many people who both use magic and have been involved with the Justice League in some way or the other, I find it hard to believe they haven’t found a work around for the whole magic screws with tech problem. At the very least, Harry would have a way to check his email from family, b/c making Headwig carry letters from Scotland to New Jersey and back is just cruel.

As far as the Batfam hanging out around 12 Grimmauld Place… They’re trying to be as non-confrontational as possible, even if there’s still some ruffled feathers from the first night. So the boys mostly go along with helping clean out the place under Molly’s orders - Jason was originally kind of prickly about it because he’s not a child (certainly not her child), so he found getting ordered around kind of insulting… Until his inner clean freak won out and yeah, this place does need a lot of work. Alfred has taught them all well, and it shows.

Tim mostly hauls himself up in the library when he can get away from clearing out pixies and de-gnoming the garden. He’s got like four notebooks full of information and Ron is a little shocked to find out Harry wasn’t kidding when he said Tim was worse than Percy and Hermione together when it came to information gathering.

Damian has less than stellar people skills at the best of times, and here he’s decided he doesn’t care very much for anybody over the age of seventeen (that’s not family anyway), so most of Dick’s time has been dedicated to keeping the youngest away from most of the Order. Not that he really blames him, Dick isn’t nearly as vocal about it as Damian, but he is also just completely done with all of them. He’s only playing nice because they’re here for Harry.

Bruce has also posted himself up in the library, reading everything he can get ahold of in regards to the history of the wizarding world trying to understand exactly what he’s son has gotten wrapped up in. Because lord knows nobody in this house is going to explain it to him… At this point he’s about one wrong comment away from telling them exactly where they can shove their ‘muggle’ excuses.

There was one notable evening though, when the boys as well as the Weasleys and Hermione were just hanging out in a parlor or sitting room or whatever it was supposed to be. Jason had been messing around with an old radio he found the other day and between him and Tim, they managed to get it working. The minute they recognized Britney Spears’s voice, there were four sets of eyes immediately on Dick who gave all of twenty seconds of resistance before he was up and dragging people along to dance with him. The impromptu party had ended up going on for hours, Tonks getting roped into the fun with them while Sirius and Remus smiled fondly from the doorway. Molly made a passing comment about bedtime, but didn’t argue back when that was quickly shot down by the other adults. Let the kids be kids while they could.

As far as soft moment’s for the Batfam… there are two that really come to mind, though they’re kind of sad though.

The first is really kind of short, but it’s after the battle of Hogwarts, and Harry’s come back from his final fight with Voldemort, and there’s just people everywhere in the great hall, but Harry knows exactly where he’s going. Bruce is standing to the side, watching while Jason’s getting patched up, and trying to keep an eye on his other kids as well. Everyone's a little banged up and bruised, but they’re all alive, and that’s the important part right now.

And then he sees Harry and there’s this almost tangible sense of relief because now all of his kids are present and accounted for, and Bruce feels like he can finally breathe again. And Harry just like collapses into Bruce who has to scramble a little bit to catch him, but then just stands there and holds him, because Harry is just completely exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. And all Bruce hears is “I want to go home Dad.”, and honest to god Batman almost starts crying in the middle of the great hall in front of everyone.

The other is after the Triwizard Tournament, and everything with Mad-Eye Crouch, when Harry’s in the hospital wing. Everyone’s standing around trying to figure out what the hell just happened, and Harry wakes up still kind of groggy from whatever Madam Pomfrey gave him to knock him out, and he ends up breaking down crying in front of everyone.

Dick doesn’t even hesitate, he’s on Harry before the first tear even really starts rolling and just tucks him into the crook of his neck and let’s him cry it out. Except Harry’s been traumatized and he’s like full-on sobbing, almost wailing, and that just stabs everyone straight through the heart. Tim’s next, doesn’t say anything, just sits down behind Harry and tucks himself up against his brother’s back. Damian and Jason join in as well, Damian sitting on Harry’s other side and just quietly putting his head on Harry’s shoulder; while Jason sit’s down a little farther away, reaching out to put a hand on the back of Harry’s neck. Bruce is standing on the other side of the bed, and just runs a hand through Harry’s hair while they let him get it out and calm down.

And once he’s down to hiccups and kind of stuttery breaths, Dumbledore says something about leaving him be, and if looks could kill… Jason’s still armed, and he almost, almost goes for the gun. Bruce head’s it off at the pass though, saying he’ll go with them to discuss things further and also inform the league about what’s happened, but the rest of the boys will be staying.

Madam Pomfry insists on dosing Harry again, and after some reassurances that his brother’s aren't going anywhere, they get him to drink the potion. That’s as far as they indulge the mediwitch though. Tim and Damian both try to settle down in the bed on either side of their brother, though after some jostling around and being unable to really fit two teenagers and a ten year old comfortably in a hospital cot; Dick and Jason move another bed over flush against Harry’s and Dick manages to coax Damian into it with him, as long as the younger is able to keep hold of Harry’s arm. Jason retakes the seat he’d pulled up to the bedside, kick’s his feet up on the cot and settles in to keep watch over the lot of them for the night. And that is exactly where and how Bruce finds them the next morning.

[mystic-kitten-writer]

honestly seeing the mentions about sokka makes me wonder how you feel about his and yue’s relationship. are they more “boy/girl next door” friends with a subtle tension that is NEVER discussed, or are they “brother/sister, we protect each other” friends that know they will never cross that boundary. i’ve been pondering this since I started Limerence, and wanted to know ur thoughts!

Ahhh, the great debate I have started 😂

It seems people are genuinely torn about this ship-

Anonymous said:

yue, sokka and zuko? souenko anyone? no? just me? okay

Anonymous said:

sokka x yue x zuko idc idc

Anonymous said:

*coughs in yue x zuko x sokka*

Anonymous said:

So maybe if you thirst after Sokka we could get some sokka yue zuko smut? 👀👀👀👀

Anonymous said:

i love the idea of sokka walking in on yue and zuko it would be pretty fun-

Anonymous said:

the idea of sokka and yue , or sokka + yue + zuko (or sokka + suki + yue now that i think about it, hmm...) has always really interested me but yes fact that they're siblings in this story obv turns me off. i cant place my finger on why i've liked the idea of it, maybe because of how possessive sokka is but 🤷🏼‍♀️ maybe in an alternate universe, i feel like the dynamic would work so well aghh i love it.

Anonymous said:

but they’re siblings 😳

Anonymous said:

To be honest i dont really ship Sokka and Yue because i feel like their relationship is strictly platonic and he calls her princess in a brotherly manner

Anonymous said:

first off, i mean absolutely no hate whatsoever but PLEASE don’t make Sokka and Yue a thing 😭he’s one of those over-protective brothers that can’t stand the thought of their little sisters doing anything with anyone, let alone have something with their own step-brother, imo it’d throw me off if that dynamic turned romantic suddenly, these are just my thoughts tho! people ship literally everyone and I’m all for it, just this would be weird to think about in Limerence but lmk what you think!!

Anonymous said:

Sokka and Yue can’t be a thing!!!! They’re practically siblings 😳

So here’s the tea.

When I was writing Limerence, I was debating on how to establish their relationship.

Did I want there to be a subtle tension (as you described, the boy/girl next door friends trope with a chemistry that’s completely ignored and NEVER discussed) or two people who met, and quickly fall into the sibling relationship? A sister and brother dynamic that was unexpected but worked in their favour?

I can say for sure, a love triangle or anything like that is out the window - so don’t hold your breath on that. I never wanted that for Limerence, never will. Hence the AUs of Limerence like Yuengko, Yuaang, Azue- None of these AUs would translate or affect the actual plot of Limerence, the story itself is done, and I’m not changing a single thing. 

But, this is what I always had in mind when I think of Sokka and Yue’s relationship (for canon Limerence).

Sokka and Yue met, Sokka thought Yue was cute.

He checked Yue out (Suki joining because she can spot a babe) and he loved seeing the rise he got out of her by calling her Princess. His attraction for her grew and recognized that while Yue gets flustered quickly, she isn’t afraid to dish some back. She’s a sweet cookie, but Yue can throw a hard punch when needs are.

But after spending so much time together, her living with him at the SWT, their pointless flirty banter (completely harmless flirting might I add) changed into just how they talk. The way they viewed each other developed and the teasing, flirty tone of Princess evolved into one of adoration.

Now, if I were to write a Sokka x Yue x Zuko smut, it would fall under a Limerence AU in that rather than the flirty banter changing into just how they talk (silly sibling banter), the flirty undertones stays. The tension from the day they met is still there.

Now, I’m a sucker for Zukka (I’ve been from the day ATLA aired because fuck, their energy is too chaotic). So, I would totally be down to write a lil’ something-something, like Zukaang involving into Yuengko, it would Zukka involving into Soueko...?

Now, I’m HELLA curious to know what you guys think, because yall accepted Yuengko/Yuaang in a heartbeat but Sokka really be ruffling feathers, I love it 😂

Nothing makes me happier knowing people ship Yue is other characters beside Zuko, because it just shows that Yue has some interesting relationships with characters beyond Zuko.

Oof, the tea is hot tonight.

[albapuella]

How to Lose a Lover in 10 Days or Less: A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Future Romantic Failure (Chapter Two)

AO3

Fandom: Homestuck

Summary: How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days AU Dave needs to win a bet; Karkat needs to write an article. Shenanigans ensue.

Tags: Humanstuck, alternate universe - no sburb session, POV switches galore, implied/referenced child abuse Author’s note: This story is the result of a jam session I did with aceAdoxography on the davekat thirst federation discord server. This one's a little out of my usual wheelhouse, but I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. New chapters every Saturday/Sunday. Didn’t bother with the formatting this time: You want the fancy formatting, go to AO3 :D

Day 1:

Despite his slacker appearance (and life-style, to be honest), Dave was always punctual. He'd even made an effort to look the part of a guy going on a date with another guy: jeans with only a few holes at the knees, his favorite record shirt, and a red hoodie—all freshly cleaned. So freshly cleaned that the sweater was still very slightly damp. Well, whatever, it'd be fine. They were having dinner first, and that meant he'd have plenty of time for the thing to dry out before they went to the movies where the main thrust of Dave's doki-doki plan would commence.

Karkat arrived a few minutes later. He wasn't dressed to the nines, but it was at least to the sevens. It occurred to Dave, as he watched him approach, that he hadn't known how tall Karkat was. The answer was slightly shorter than Dave but with a more solid build. Stocky. Or maybe that was just the black sweater he was wearing. Then again, his legs looked pretty solid in the black pants he was wearing, too. Either way, he looked good.

Dave gave him an appreciative whistle which made Karkat's eyes narrow. Not the reaction he'd wanted. “Looking good, Karkat,” he said quickly, hoping to smooth over any feathers he might have inadvertently ruffled. “I'm digging the whole sexy college professor thing you've got going.”

“Uh, thanks,” Karkat said with evident disbelief. “You, uh, you look good, too.” He straightened up. “You said we were doing dinner first.”

“Yep.” Dave held out his arm. “I’m taking you to my favorite place. A lot of people think it’s wack, but I’m buying, so if you really don’t like it, at least it didn’t cost you anything.” When his date didn't immediately take his offered arm, he shook it invitingly. “It's not too far from here.”

Karkat looked from Dave's arm to Dave, suspicious. Then he sighed and laid his hand on Dave's arm, his hold tighter than Dave had expected it to be considering his earlier hesitation. “Okay. Fine. Sounds great. Let's go.”

---

The first thing Karkat noticed when he took Dave's arm was that his sleeve was damp. Then he noticed the feeling of the arm beneath his fingers. Despite looking thin enough to break, there was some muscle here. As they walked to what was apparently Dave’s favorite restaurant, Dave just kept talking. If Karkat had been offered a thousand dollars, he doubted he could have remembered any specific details of the inanity he'd been subjected to. A nervous talker. He'd have to put that down in his notes.

Dinner went much the same. Dave talked at him while Karkat sat there trying to eat his food (overpriced, faux Italian—of all the places Dave could have chosen, he'd picked a fucking Olive Garden? That was going in his notes, too.). In all honesty, Karkat tried not to pay too much attention to what was being said. First, he'd already determined that most of what came out of this man's mouth was completely meaningless nonsense, and second, if he actually listened to any of it, he'd be hard pressed not to respond to the idiocy. While Dave had no evident compunction about swearing, Karkat wanted to get through at least this first date without screaming.

All right, so that was an exaggeration. Some of what Dave said was actually pretty funny. In a hopelessly awkward sort of way. Karkat hated that Dave's clumsy compliments were making him blush. Clearly, the man had brain damage... which also explained the rapping that Dave kept doing (completely unprovoked!). By the time dinner was over, Karkat was only too grateful that their next destination meant that Dave would have to stop talking.

---

Since Dave had picked the restaurant, Karkat had picked the movie. Some romantic comedy chick flick Dave couldn't be bothered to remember the title of. Still, it gave him an opportunity to sit right tight next to Karkat and eat his weight in popped, buttery goodness, so he really couldn't complain.

“What’s the deal with that dude?” Dave whispered. “I thought he was already tight with that other chick. What gives? Is he cheating on her?”

Karkat made a noise like a cat being stepped on but softer. “Dave,” he whispered back, his tone full of the same sing-songy patient impatience that Rose would use when she thought Dave was being particularly dim, “if you were paying attention, you'd already know that that 'dude' is that 'other chick's' cousin. They are probably not romantically involved. I know you're from Texas, but that's not how it works above the Mason Dixon line.” Then he ducked his head and took a long drink from his soda. “Sorry. Just-just watch the movie and be quiet.”

Dave blinked. He'd been starting to think Karkat wasn't going to open up at all. At least, he'd had fuck all to say during dinner. Even if it had been an incest joke at his expense, it still was nice to hear Karkat say something. Something that wasn't just non-committal noises or unenthusiastic agreements. He leaned against Karkat's shoulder to whisper, “It's not true, you know. About Texas. We don't fuck our cousins; I mean, we do, but not first cousins. We're strictly second cousins only. It's a rule. Of course, none of my second cousins are as hot as you, so I'd be willing to make an exception. Just this once.”

This earned him a light elbowing to the gut and a low growl, but Karkat didn't push him off.

By the end of the movie, Dave had gotten five more elbows to the gut, three startled bursts of laughter, two creative insults (quickly joined by muttered apologies), and one “Will you please just let me watch this movie?” Over all, Dave felt like he'd succeeded in charming the hell out of this motherfucker, thank you very much.

They'd walked out into the open air, a nice breeze whisking away the smell of popcorn and sweat from the movie theater. “I had a lot of fun, Karkat. Thanks for coming on this date with me. Do you think we could do this again sometime?”

Karkat blinked at him, a clear look of surprise on his face. “Oh, uh, sure.” He shook his head. “I mean, yes, I'd love to go on another date with you.”

Dave's heart leapt. “Awesome. You can hit me up on Pesterchum. Or I can hit you up. How about I hit you up?”

“Fine, that's... that's fine.” Karkat's smile seemed uneven. “I'll be looking forward to it.”

Although Dave was tempted to try for a kiss, he didn't think he ought to press his luck so far on the first date. Karkat had loosened up some while they'd been in the theater, but out here under the streetlight, he looked nervous again. The last thing Dave wanted to do was chase him away. “Okay then. I guess I'll see you later?”

A slow nod. “Yeah, later.” Karkat was stilted and contained again. Restricted, like a hermit crab stuck in a shell that was too tight. It wouldn't do. It wouldn't do at all. Dave had caught a few glimpses of the real Karkat tonight, and the sight made him hungry to see more.

Dave watched him walk away, admiring the view with a new goal in mind: he was going to get Karkat Vantas out of his shell if it was the last thing he did. Getting to rub him in Rose’s face at her wedding was only going to be a bonus.

---

* Never shuts up. Not even during movies. Especially during movies. Attention span of a gnat. From Texas. Doesn't know how to use a dryer. Finds me attractive. Probable brain damage. Funny. Charming. Obnoxious. Never takes off sunglasses. Olive Garden.

Karkat sighed and set down his pen. He'd tried his best to be as cordial as he knew how to be, and he still hadn't managed to last for the entire four hours without insulting his date. Multiple times. Oh well. At least Dave was apparently brain damaged enough to find rudeness terribly amusing (if the way he'd kept bugging Karkat during the movie had been any indication).

He'd been surprised when Dave had actually asked if they could go on another date. Karkat knew he hadn't made the best impression, and yet Dave wanted to spend more time with him? He looked over his notes, trying to ignore the surge of happiness that filled him at the thought. It didn't mean anything: Dave was clearly an idiot, and after a few more days, Karkat was going to start on the offensive. Whatever meager promise there would have been in this fledgling romance, it was still doomed from the start: like all of Karkat's relationships.

Day 2:

It was all Dave could do to wait until the next day to pester Karkat. He didn't want to come off as too eager, after all. Didn't want to put Karkat off. But Dave was only so strong.

TG: so i was thinking TG: if youre not busy TG: we could go to the park this afternoon TG: watch the grifters and maybe get robbed TG: or you could come to my place and hang TG: is it too soon to do that? TG: asking for a friend TG: this is dave by the way TG: i dont know how many people youre talking to TG: not that its any of my business TG: i wouldnt want you up in my grill asking me who im talking to CG: IT IS SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON SUNDAY. TG: yea and youre up anyway CG: BECAUSE YOU WOKE ME UP. WITH YOUR TEXTS. THAT YOU SENT JUST NOW. TG: oh shit sorry CG: IT'S FINE. I NEEDED TO GET UP ANYWAY. CG: YOU WANT TO HANG OUT WITH ME? WHY?

Dave frowned down at his phone. Was Karkat fishing for compliments or was he being serious?

TG: because its fun to hang out with you TG: thats how this works right? TG: i thought we could watch another movie TG: at my place TG: or your place i guess if that works better for you TG: ive got popcorn if that sweetens the deal at all CG: YES. BECAUSE THE WAY TO MY HEART IS MICROWAVED POPCORN. TG: fucking called it CG: … CG: FINE. I'LL MEET YOU AT THE PARK AT 2:30PM. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? TG: perfect ill meet you by the giant yo CG: YOU MEAN THE OY/YO. TG: tomatoes tomotoes karkat

Dave watched the little “CG is typing” message run for almost a minute, feeling his nervousness grow. What had he said that required a novel length response? He managed to reign in the impulse to apologize preemptively, but it was a struggle.

CG: OKAY. WHATEVER. I'LL MEET YOU THERE.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Fine, good then. Nothing was wrong.

TG: im looking forward to it TG: its not hard to intuit TG: when we come out to debut TG: sit by the yo then well go round TG: downtown get the lowdown TG: before we get busy in the hissie TG: partake of the fizzie cause we got a duty TG: to watch the fuck out of this movie CG: RIGHT. SEE YOU THEN. BYE.

Dave shrugged. He couldn't expect Karkat to really appreciate his off the cuff rhymes so soon after waking up, he supposed. Maybe they'd land better later. Flat reception or not, the important thing was he'd gotten Karkat to agree to come to his apartment. He looked around, frowning. Maybe he should clean up a little.

---

Jesus Fucking Christ. Karkat tossed his phone on the bedside table with a groan. It had been all that he could do not to curse out Dave like there would never be a tomorrow. Considering the fact that he was currently planning to go to the apartment of a practical stranger, that much might just be true for him. He lay in bed a little longer, out of spite mostly—he could never get back to sleep after being woken up—, before getting out from under the covers. First things first: notes.

* Inconsiderate asshole. Horrible rapper. Calls the OY/YO “the YO”. Doesn't know the right way to express “tomatoes, tomahtos”. Wants to spend time with me. Insane. We have that much in common.

Thanks to Dave's wake-up call, Karkat had plenty of time to eat a hearty breakfast and start his article.

“How to Lose a Lover in 10 Days or Less: A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Future Romantic Failure” BY KARKAT VANTAS

Since you have decided to read this article, I will assume that you are looking to learn the art of ruining your relationships without the mess of all that trial and error. Maybe you enjoy breaking hearts. Maybe you are the kind of masochist who enjoys getting their heart broken but is at a loss as to how to properly sabotage your relationship yourself. If you can manage to follow these simple steps, you will be well on your way to the same bitter loneliness that usually only the most unlucky in love get the privilege to experience. 

The first step is the victim. For the purposes of this article, I picked one that is particularly obnoxious and brain dead. You may have different qualities you are looking for in a potential short-term partner. Ultimately, the most important thing to consider when you plan to lose a guy (or gal or enby) is that you make certain they are one you do not mind losing. That way you can start the process without any regrets.

The second step is the hook. Laugh at their dumb jokes; accept their stupid compliments; ignore their mangling of the English language (in my case, his horrible rapping); and generally be as agreeable as you can manage. A severe lack of intelligence in your short-term partner can be a boon here, though you will find most people are not immune to flattery. You need to make certain that you have your short-term partner well and truly interested in you before you attempt to lose them. If you try to lose them too soon, you will miss out on the full relationship ruining experience.

A little too informal, maybe, but a fine start. Depending on how well this afternoon went (assuming he wasn't murdered and stuffed in a closet), maybe Karkat would be able to start on step three. He was able to stomp down his nascent guilt with ease. After all, Dave wouldn't have been interested in him after the novelty wore off anyway.

---

The afternoon was a little warmer than the evening had been, but Dave still wore his hoodie. It felt lucky, and it was still clean. More the latter than the former, but the point stood! He sat down on the bench next to the giant yellow YO installation and waited. While it was tempting to shoot a message to Karkat, he decided against it. He’d be seeing him in less than ten minutes, and he didn’t want him to think he was clingy. Which he wasn’t. Totally not. Dave Strider had never clung his whole life. Ask anyone. Except Jade. Don’t ask her. 

He noticed his leg was bouncing and put a stop to that noise. He was a cool operator. He had this thing on lock. The date yesterday had gone good, right? Karkat wouldn’t have agreed to see him again if he’d had a terrible time. He pushed back his hood and ran a hand through his hair. Nothing to worry about. He’d have a date for Rose’s wedding and continue sorting out the mystery that was Karkat Vantas.

Dave heard the crunch of gravel and looked over to see Karkat approaching. Another sweater combo, but gray this time. The guy had a style he preferred, clearly. It was fine: he looked great. He stood and closed the distance between them. “Hey, Karkat.”

“Hey,” Karkat returned, frowning. Of course, that seemed to be his default expression. “I brought a movie to watch,” he said gruffly. 

Although Dave had been hoping he’d be able to pick the movie this time, he wasn’t too cut up about it. It might be a little early in the relationship to bring out The Room anyway. He wouldn’t know. “Sounds great. My place isn’t too far from here.” He held his arm out. “Shall we?”

Again, Karkat regarded his arm with suspicion. “Why do you do this?”

“Do what?”

Karkat opened his mouth before seeming to think better of whatever he’d planned to say. “Never mind.” He took Dave’s arm. “Let’s get going.”

As they walked to his apartment, Dave tried to keep the conversation flowing, but Karkat’s subdued responses quickly killed his enthusiasm. “I feel like I’m talking too much,” he said finally. 

Karkat mumbled something which sounded suspiciously like “You think?” before he shook his head. “No, of course not. I’m just a little too tired to, uh, participate, that’s all.”

Dave winced at the reminder of his first faux pas of the day. “No problem, dude. I got us covered. I got words for days.”

“Months even,” Karkat added before ducking his head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have--”

Nudging Karkat’s side, Dave laughed. “Nah, man it’s true. I’ve got words for fucking years.”

Karkat smiled slightly. “Decades.”

“Centuries.”

“Eons”

“Until the next motherfucking epoch, I’ve got words, Karkat. So many words. All the words even.”

Karkat snorted, covering his face with his free hand. “Damn it, Dave. Stop making yourself likeable.”

“I think that’s the point of this whole thing,” Dave pointed out reasonably. “Dating, I mean. It’s not like the old days where your dad and my dad decide if you’re worth enough chickens to trade me for, you know. These days I get to decide for myself how many chickens I want to be traded for.” He gave Karkat a mock critical eye. “How about it, Karkat? How many chickens could I get for you?”

“I don’t know,” Karkat said, his mock serious tone almost too close to a serious tone for Dave’s comfort. “Let me look in my pocket.” He made a show of staring down at the pocket containing his free hand before sliding the hand out and flipping Dave the bird. “Is this enough for you?”

Dave laughed. “I’m sorry, Karkat. You must have at least five chickens to ride this ride.” He felt his face flush but pushed onward. “I guess you’ll have to settle for a movie, and maybe some pizza.”

Karkat was grinning, and Dave decided right then and there that he wanted to keep seeing it. “Maybe next time.” As though to intentionally spite him, Karkat frowned again. “Are we almost there?”

“Yeah, man, just a little further.” As they continued their journey to his apartment, Dave felt himself frown. What was Karkat’s deal? He was a lot more fun when he let himself be himself. Dave didn’t like meanness for meanness sake, but he enjoyed a good joke. For some reason, Karkat seemed to think he shouldn’t joke around? Why? His frown deepened. Karkat also apologized a lot. And he was so often deferential even when it was obvious he had OPINIONS he wasn’t sharing. The pieces were adding up to a disturbing picture. 

Maybe after he was done hanging out with Karkat today, he should hit up Rose. She’d know what to do.

---

Karkat’s expectations for Dave’s apartment had been fairly low, and he’d been pleasantly surprised. While not as meticulous as his own apartment, there at least weren’t empty food containers on every surface or dirty clothes everywhere. There was an overall shabbiness though: the feeling that the occupant didn’t care overly much about the apartment’s upkeep. The futon in front of the television was ancient and threadbare as were the carpets. The posters hung on the walls were dusty and faded, and there was a sort of mildewy smell. Still, as previously mentioned it was clean (more or less), and there were no obvious signs of a hidden murder dungeon (not that there would be if there were one, naturally). 

“Nice place,” he said for politeness’ sake. 

Dave beamed like a little boy who’d gotten just what he’d wanted for Christmas. “Thanks. It’s not much, but it keeps the rain off.” He gestured towards the futon. “Make yourself at home. Do you want anything to drink? I’ve got apple juice. And water from the tap, I guess. I could go pick up some beer if you want to go that route, or--”

Karkat held up his hand, hoping to stem the tide of suggestions. “Water’s fine, thank you.”

“You’ve got it,” Dave said before tilting his head and making twin awkward gestures with both hands involving his pointer fingers. “I’ll be back in a flash.”

It wasn’t until after he’d disappeared into, presumably, the kitchen that Karkat realized he’d been making finger guns. What a dork. Not that Karkat was any more suave, but he liked to think he was at least less childish. He tried to supplant the rush of fondness he felt by recalling just how pissed he’d been with this manchild this morning. It was not one hundred percent successful.

Dave returned with two glasses: water for Karkat, and apple juice for himself. “Take a seat,” he insisted as he set the glasses on the coffee table (sans coasters). “It won’t bite.”

Gingerly, Karkat took a seat on the ancient futon. The padding was so thin, he could feel the bars beneath. It was going to take a while to become unbearable, and he hoped this hang out? date? didn’t last long enough for that to happen. Just as he’d been about to reach for the water, suddenly uncertain whether he actually ought to drink anything Dave gave him, Dave flopped down onto the futon beside him like a sack of gangly flour. “Dave!”

“S’up?” Dave asked, grinning. 

“Don’t ‘s’up’ me--,” Karkat managed to stop himself from calling Dave an asshole, but only just. “Just don’t ‘s’up’ me. Speak like a normal person.” He realized he was making a mistake as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “Sorry, I--”

“Dude,” Dave said, his grin dropping away, “Karkat, you don’t have to apologise for every kind of mean thing you say. I’m a big boy: I can take it.” 

Karkat supposed he shouldn’t be surprised: he’d never been good at pretending to be a good person. If he could have managed that feat for any length of time, he wouldn’t be in this position. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as dryly as he could. 

“I’m serious.” Dave sat up and turned to face Karkat head on, and Karkat saw his own annoyed expression mirrored in the black lenses. “I haven’t known you very long, and maybe I shouldn’t say anything, but--”

“You’re right,” Karkat interrupted, feeling his tenuous hold on his temper slipping. “You shouldn’t say anything.” After taking a moment to make sure he wasn’t going to say anything he didn’t mean to, he spoke again. “Let’s just watch the movie and eat some microwaved popcorn. Does that sound like something we could do? Or would you like to keep pretending you have some deep insights into my character as though we’ve known each other longer than three days?”

Dave raised his hands, and Karkat realized he’d sounded far more aggressive than the situation warranted. At this rate, he wouldn’t even get a chance to lose this asshole! Nice job, Vantas: stellar work. “No, you’re right. I’ll step off.” Dave said softly. He got off of the futon with far more grace than he’d flopped onto it with. “You just put the movie in, and I’ll, uh, I’ll make the popcorn.”

Karkat watched him go before putting his head in his hands. Well, fuck. As though this whole situation hadn’t been awkward before. He should just leave. Just leave, forget about his stupid article, and stop dragging this stupidly likeable idiot down with him. He should. 

He stayed where he was. 

---

Dave took maybe longer than he absolutely needed to to prepare the popcorn. As much as he liked to consider himself a smooth operator, he could tell when he’d made a mistake, and he wanted to give the guy in the other room a chance to cool down. What made it made it worse was that Karkat had been right to get mad at him: Dave barely knew him. In his place, Dave would probably be pissed, too. 

Even so, Dave didn’t think he was wrong about the conclusions he’d come to. It was obvious that Karkat was, for whatever reason, putting on a show for Dave’s sake. Honestly, it was kind of creepy. If he understood why Karkat felt the need to do that, he’d feel better about it.

But it wasn’t his business. Not yet. Maybe you had to reach a certain level on the boyfriend echeladder before that kind of thing was something you talked about. It would probably help if they were actually boyfriends and not just newly dating, too. There seemed to be at least one obvious solution to that problem.

Dave could be patient. After all, he still had eleven days or so to get Karkat to at least like him enough to be his plus one at Rose’s wedding. It wasn’t all he wanted anymore, but it'd be enough to start with. As Rose had so often told him, start with small goals. 

He poured an obscene amount of butter over the popcorn in the bowl and headed out to the living room. Karkat was bent over, fiddling with the DVD player, and when he looked up at Dave, his mouth was curved somewhat upwards. “What movie do you have for us?”

Karkat stood. “Coming to America.” He made his way back to the futon and sat down as though worried he might fall through if he sat down too quickly. “It’s more comedy than romantic, so I thought you might enjoy it more.”

That sounded vaguely familiar. “Okay.” Dave joined him on the futon, taking care not to startle him this time. “Let’s get this party started.”

---

Karkat had hoped bringing a comedy would hold Dave’s attention enough to keep him from talking through the whole thing. He’d been mistaken. Yes, a lot of what Dave said was funny, but it just never fucking stopped. Finally, Karkat couldn’t take it anymore.

He grabbed the remote and paused the movie. Then he very deliberately set the remote back down. “I want you to listen to me, Dave. Are you listening?”

Dave looked confused, but he nodded. “Yeah, I’m listening. Do you have something you want to tell me? I’m all ears. Lay it on me.”

God, he couldn’t even listen without rambling! “Would it kill you to shut up?” He saw Dave’s eyebrows peek over the tops of his glasses. A part of him told him to reconsider his current course of action, but naturally, Karkat could never abide by a piece of good advice. “Would it literally cause you to drop dead if you couldn’t expel your idiocy out of your mouth like a goddamned septic pipe full of half-formed metaphors and bullshit? Would your head explode? Can we try that experiment and see what happens?” Karkat felt his fingernails biting into his palms and realized he’d clenched his fists. “What do you say, Dave? Wait, I’ve changed my mind: don’t say anything. Let me bask in the gentle ethereal glow of silence for a moment. Can you do that for me, Dave? Can you let me bask? Will the endless flow of words finally cease?”

‘No’ was clearly the answer to that question since Dave was already opening his mouth. Then, to Karkat’s utter shock, he shut it again. His expression wasn’t ever easy to read with those douche shades he insisted on wearing all the time, but now it was completely closed off. Even the eyebrows had lowered back to their original position.

Silence stretched between them. 

Karkat felt sick to his stomach. Shit. Shit. He really just couldn’t do it, could he? Couldn’t pretend even for a few hours that he was a normal person. Well, so much for this experiment. Time to write off this little adventure. Was it worth even trying to apologise? Before he could decide, Dave made the decision for him. 

He was clapping. “Damn, just got owned,” he said, a wide grin splitting his face. “You owned me, Karkat. You should feel proud. Not everyone gets own this,” he gestured to himself. “I just hope you know what you’re getting into: I’m barely house trained.”

For an embarrassingly high number of seconds, all Karkat could do was blink. “You’re not mad?”

“Fuck no,” Dave said, still grinning. “I’m a big kid now. I’ve graduated from diapers all the way to pull ups. It takes more than a finely crafted, well-deserved take down to take me down.” The grin softened. “This is what I was trying to say before: I want to date you, not some weird super agreeable version of you. If you want to tell me off for talking too much, fucking go for it. You’ve got a way with insults--it’s a gift. Frankly, I’m insulted you’ve been keeping it to yourself.”

“There’s more where that comes from, asshole,” Karkat said before he could stop himself. To his amazement, Dave still seemed more amused than anything. A strange mixture of anger and fondness welled up inside him. “Stop grinning at me, and watch the fucking movie.” He picked up the remote and hesitated. “You don’t have to be silent,” he said, still feeling a little guilty over his earlier outburst, “just maybe less talking?”

Dave made a big show of running a zipper over his lips. Then he immediately ruined it by saying, “Scouts honor, Karkat. My word is bond. You can cash that shit at the bank.”

Karkat tried to picture Dave as a boy scout and failed. “Right.” He pressed play and the movie resumed. Of course, Dave still talked during the movie, but the sheer volume of words had slowed to a moderate stream rather than the full-bore blasting Karkat had been subjected to earlier. As he sat there on the futon, occasionally answering Dave’s stupid comments with barbs of his own, he felt warm in a way that was only nominally connected to the temperature of the arm he was leaning against. He felt… content.

---

Overall, Operation Hang Out had been a big success. It had been rocky in places, but again, overall, Dave felt like he’d hit his major mission objectives. A movie was watched, pizza was consumed, and Karkat finally, finally, did something other than apologise every time a hint of the person he’d met at the cafe had come through. He didn’t necessarily want to keep pissing Karkat off, but that bitch fit he’d thrown had been epic. 

Karkat wasn’t the kind of guy Dave had expected to find himself interested in. At least, he’d never thought he’d have a grumpy asshole kink. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed the more quiet parts of Karkat’s visit, too. It had felt nice to sit on the futon with someone leaning against his shoulder. Dave wasn’t a sap, no, not a suave guy like him, but he couldn’t deny he’d like to do it again some time. 

He considered texting Rose as he’d planned to earlier before deciding not to. After all, he’d managed the first crisis all on his own, and she might consider it cheating if he got her help. No, for now at least, this bird was flying solo.

---

* Clean apartment. Finger guns. Puts too much butter on popcorn. Also talks during movies outside theater setting. Likes getting insulted. Kink?  Wants to date the “real” me. Delusional. Comfortable arm. Had a nice time. Had acceptable time. Clothes in his shower??? 

[nitr0glycer1ne]

Ducktober/Duckvember Day 12 - Fanfic scene

Hi! Temporarily skipping Day 11 because I feel more like writing than drawing atm, and I'm drawing a comic for Day 11 (so far I've drawn 1 page out of 3 woo) I interpreted the prompt literally, as you'll see :) I hope you'll enjoy! It was inspired by one of my favorite moments from "Friendship Hates Magic!" 

------

Darkwing was tied on the torture chamber's table, metallic restrains making sure the slightest movement was impossible. No matter how hard the vigilante tried to break free, the restrains wouldn't budge, the cold metal digging further and further into his feathers.

"Hahaha, Darkwing Duck!" an evil voice boomed in the room. Darkwing tried to see where it was coming from, but the room was plunged in darkness, and he could only faintly make out a silhouette. "End of the line!" The mysterious person made his way towards our hero, who gasped in surprise. He had thought his worst enemy was dead, but had apparently been wrong, for Evil Darkwing Duck was now standing in front of him. "Evil Darkwing Duck!" Darkwing Duck spat, not losing his cool even though he was in such a dire situation. "I should have known it was you. This case had your foul smell all over it!" "Ohoho, then it looks like I outsmarted you, dear brother!" "You're no relative of mine!" "Hahaha, why won't you admit the truth, my dear twin?" Darkwing Duck struggled once more against his bonds, the brave hero fighting against the immovable restraints with all his might. Meanwhile, Evil Darkwing Duck grabbed a chainsaw. It seemed that everything was lost, but then! "Stop right there, villain!" Someone jumped through the window, facing Evil Darkwing Duck. He was wearing a bomber jacket and an aviator helmet, and was also proudly wearing a Darkwing Duck pin on his scarf- it was none other than Darkwing's very own sidekick, Launchpad McQuack!

"Interesting way to introduce this character." Mrs Beakley approved with a nod. "A dynamic entrance usually makes for a memorable first scene."

Launchpad smiled with a childlike glee, delighted to see how much the housekeeper seemed to enjoy his Darkwing Duck fanfiction. He hadn't shown it to anyone else; he did have an account on a popular fanfiction website, but Launchpad mainly used the site to read other people's stories and had only posted a few one-shots there, none involving his self-insert. He knew self-inserts were generally frowned upon, so he kept this particular fic to himself, simply enjoying how happy it made him to work on it. Mrs Beakley didn't seem to be disturbed by said self-insert, though, which was a good thing. He had only given her his private Darkwing Duck fanfiction because he had been swept by the moment, by how joyous he had been to finally be able to find someone in real life who was as much into the masked vigilante as he was, that Launchpad hadn't really thought about it when he had handed her the thick notebook that meant so much to him.

Besides, he had no idea about Bentina's stance on shipping, and didn't want to introduce her to his more romantic stories before knowing if she liked Quackervolt - Launchpad was pretty open-minded when it came to shipping, but he didn't know if that was the housekeeper's case.

"Soooo... you like it?" the large duck grinned when Mrs Beakley delicately turned another page. "If I like it? Oh, Launchpad, I adore it!" Bentina returned his smile, her eyes leaving the notebook to find her new friend's. "You really have a knack for writing. It's too bad the show's over, I'm sure you could have submitted that script to them!" "Oh gee, that means a lot!"

Scrooge's driver blushed, nervously rubbing the back of his head. Darkwing Duck was everything to him; it had been a constant in his life, something that had always managed to lift his spirits when he was feeling down. Which was why if someone as cultivated and stern as Bentina Beakley deemed his work worthy enough to be turned into an actual episode, it made Launchpad's chest puff with pride.

"Is that all there is?" Mrs Beakley asked, sounding disappointed, when she reached the last page covered in the pilot's messy handwriting. "Or is the rest in another notebook?" "Nope, it's all there. I uh, I have lots of other ideas but I just haven't had time lately to put them on paper, what with all the adventurin' Mr McD had us doing. Not that it's a bad thing!" Launchpad was quick to correct himself. "Oh, don't worry, I see what you mean." Bentina nodded in understanding, carefully putting the notebook on the coffee table near the couch. "But if you do get around to writing a sequel, or perhaps several sequels, make sure to lend them to me!"

Mrs Beakley concluded by wrapping her arm around Launchpad's shoulders in an affectionate gesture, one the pilot was eager to return, almost throwing himself at the housekeeper. He loved physical contact, whether it be ruffling Dewey's feathers or holding Webby's hand when she invited him to tea parties in her room, or even hugging Louie that one time he had found him crying in the kitchen after a nightmare. It was just in Launchpad's nature to enjoy feeling the presence of people he liked, to convey how much he appreciated them by the slightest brush of a feather against a feather.

He was especially happy to be hugging Bentina now: unlike him, she was seldom seen giving physical gestures of affection, except to her beloved grand-daughter. Of course, Mrs Beakley had a heart of gold and was fiercely protective of the McDuck Manor's inhabitants; but she had vastly different ways to show her affection. It was embedded in the way she made sure Donald's room was always ready if the sailor was to suddenly want to sleep closer to his nephews, it was etched in the comfortable silence she offered Scrooge when his rants about mundane issues slowly turned into far more personal confidences. It was something delicate, woven into her attitude and acts so smoothly that you barely noticed it, the polar opposite of Launchpad's loud and bright shows of affection.

When Launchpad offered her a tight hug, Mrs Beakley couldn't help but smile; even though Scrooge's driver sometimes annoyed her or made a mess in a room she'd just cleaned, she couldn't stay mad at him for long. Launchpad never did anything maliciously - he was always true to himself, and honest in every sense of the word. The only thing she regretted was to not have taken the time to know him better before today, although she promised herself to spend more time with the pilot from now on.

“You know what, Launchpad?” the older duck asked, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes when her colleague finally let go. “We should film this. Right now.” “Really?!” the pilot exclaimed giddily. “Oh, this is gonna be awesome! Wait right here, let me get my DW costume and my camera!” “You have a costume?” the housekeeper inquired, curious. “Oh, yeah, wait- there it is!” Launchpad proudly exclaimed, taking a hat, a mask and a cape out of his closet. “Haven’t made the suit yet, but that’s already good!” “Did you sew this?” Bentina asked, getting up to see the costume up close. It was definitely handmade, but it was crafted expertly, and the seams were almost invisible. She couldn’t help but be surprised: she had seen the pilot be very clumsy, she had seen him crash planes and cars and even a lawnmower once, so she couldn’t have imagined Launchpad was that good at something that required patience and precision like sewing. “Sure did.” Launchpad beamed, flattered by the way the housekeeper admired his work. “They don’t do adult sizes, so I had to. You wanna try it on?” “Really? May I?” “Of course, I’m sure you’ll be an awesome Darkwing! And I’ll be a great Launchpad! Come on, lady, let’s get dangerous!”

--------

Dont hesitate to hmu on twitter @sarahnitr0 !

The sub plot with Launchpad and Beakley becoming friends was so good!! They're really good, they contrast each other and can learn a lot from the other. And seeing Mrs Beakley loving LP's script and be so excited to film his self insert fic was amazing so I wanted to do something with that :D Also it was my first time writing Beakley, I love her so I hope I did her justice :v

Side note LP is the kind of guy to leave lengthy reviews on every fic he likes lets all agree here (Also he ships himself with DW obviously >w<)

[becbecandherlife]

The tree stays up until Epiphany...

I'd like to think my celebrating continues in my heart even after Epiphany. I, too hold to the tradition of keeping my tree up. I would like to say that I keep my tree up out of deep loyalty to my Messiah but the honest truth is I like having my tree up. It's pretty.

Clearly, My heart needs a LOT of work. I really struggled this Christmas more than ever with participating in all the outward signs of celebrating that have nothing to do with honoring the birth of our Saviour. Yes, I bought less gifts, went to a few less festivities but it wasn't enough. If I am true to myself, and trust me, God already knows my depraved heart and mind, I know that I need to rid my life of every entanglement that interferes with true worship.

This will ruffle feathers to say but I'm so convicted about getting caught up in the holiday hullabaloo and allowing the traditions to overtake the worship of Christ. Everytime I see the saying about the reason for the season I want to puke. Why? Because I know I will stand before God and give account for every time I worshipped the festivities of Christmas celebration and not The Messiah. If the thought of standing before God doesn't instill fear and nausea in you, you might not understand what actually happened to Christ after he died on the cross and went to Hell because of every single one of us and our sins...

Eyebrows are raising, I know, but think about how many times you gazed at a tree all decorated and lit up and were mesmerized. Think we don't worship the festivities and decorations? Just suggest to someone to celebrate Christmas next year without a lightly flocked, meticulously appointed angel-topped tree full of ornaments and lights, fudge and cookies, boxes and ribbons and bows, eggnog and roast beast, rides to gaze at the locals' gaudy light displays, ugly sweater parties and lists, lots of lists. For presents. Lots of presents, for everybody. Suggest skipping the Christmas hullabaloo and they'll think you've lost your everlovin' mind. Christmas without boxes and boughs, humbug.

We Christians talk a good talk but when it comes to challenging tradition, the way things have always been done, family traditions, church traditions, people are hardpressed to be willing to set it all aside and just be present with The Lord.

I'm so guilty. I'm going to have to do better. I know sanctification is a process but I'm troubled not only for myself but for the church who is just as guilty. Insert footage of Linus reciting The Christmas story out of Luke and the Who's in Whoville hand in hand humming with joy. They get it.

Many Christmases ago, when my kids were young, I had an Epiphany myself. As the last present was opened I remembered Christmases as a child, in plenty and want. But what I remember most was that same feeling after opening up the last box and thinking "Is that all?" Or that sadness that sets in usually hits late afternoon on Christmas day when you know Christmas is over. And you feel disappointed. I remember my brother and I talking about how much we hate for Christmas to be over. Dread it every year. Back to s hool.Back to reality.

Truth is all the presents in the world would never be enough to take that empty feeling away because our deepest longing is really for a Saviour. Not for more presents or a longer holiday. On Christmas day God is reminding us that what we really need is Him. And only Him.

Sometimes I wonder if we don't purposely fill our lives with all the Holiday Hullabaloo to avoid the very thing we profess to celebrate...The Messiah. Because when we fully focus on Him we have no choice but see our own retched hearts and our sin is exposed. And when that happens, the only response is repentance and recompense. Change. We've got to Change our evil ways, baby. It's not enough to avoid holiday traditions, or to just decide to not allow trees or Santa, that's where the legalism sets in. It's futile. The change is in the heart.

I used to tell my students as we painted Christmas trees in art class that the trees point straight to Heaven. Ugh. I dont know if it's possible to have traditions and true worship at the same time. I don't even know if I rid my life of all the hullabalo if the result would be a more Christlike me. But I do know that next Christmas I want to do better, be better, love more, worship more and give my heart more to my Lord. I need to start today...

I'll take my tree down tomorrow.

[russellthornton]

How to Stop Being Taken for Granted in a Relationship: 15 Strong Ways

Enough is enough you’re thinking, but you don’t know what to do. Here is how to stop being taken for granted in a relationship.

Sometimes we must overlook our feelings of being taken for granted and put our partner’s needs first. It is a part of compromising. But learning how to stop being taken for granted in a relationship plays a big part once you realize that you’re the one one doing all the giving.

I am sure at some point or another, we all feel taken for granted in a relationship. Maybe our partner doesn’t thank us for what we do around the house or how we support them. As much as it sucks, it is normal for it to happen time and again. Maybe your partner has a super busy month at work or something is going on with their family.

But, once it gets to be the norm and being taken for granted in a relationship is starting to feel more like being ignored or unappreciated, you need to shut that down. But, how? [Read: 12 big, yet subtle signs you are being taken for granted]

Why are you being taken for granted in a relationship?

Before confronting your partner about your feelings of being taken for granted in a relationship, look inside yourself. What is it that you need from them in order to feel like everything you do is being appreciated? What do you need them to do?

Are they never saying thank you? Do they need to do more for you? Do they just need to acknowledge what you do for them? Are they acting like they expect you to be supportive and help them rather than appreciating it?

Figuring this out before talking to your partner will help you be more clear. It will prevent an angry fight and be a more open and honest discussion about your needs and what they can do to make you happy. [Read: How to know what to do if you are unhappy in a relationship]

Maybe you need to speak up more and ask for what you want. Maybe your partner is not as intuitive to your needs as you are theirs. What can you do to help them understand you?

You cannot place all the blame on them. They are not causing you to feel this way. They probably don’t even realize it. So put any resentment aside and see where you both can give and help each other feel appreciated. [Read: 16 clear signs you’re in a narcissistic relationship]

How to stop being taken for granted in a relationship

Now that you have had time to distinguish between what you can do and what your partner can do to stop you from feeling like you’re being taken for granted, you can put it into action.

#1 Speak up. I am not blaming you for being taken for granted. I have been in this position too. It sucks. You give so much of yourself with nothing in return, barely even a thank you. But, as someone who used to be a people pleaser, I went out of my way for others and let them take me for granted.

Whether they realized I felt that way or not, I never said anything. So speak up. Next time they ask you to do something, say that last time you felt like they didn’t appreciate it. Next time you do something they should make a point to make sure you feel appreciated. [Read: The real truth behind what makes a normal relationship tick]

#2 Don’t take them for granted. Sometimes we solely focus on how we feel and not how our partner feels. They may feel like you don’t appreciate them or that you take them for granted. So make sure you thank them and know you appreciate them. They may see that behavior and return it unto you.

#3 Look at your behavior. Are you going out of your way without being asked? Are you quick to say yes to anything they ask? Do you ask them to do things for you? Sure, they could be more vocal about their appreciation, but you could say no sometimes. I don’t like to say you are giving too much, but you just might be able to hold back a little. [Read: How self respect affects you and all your relationships]

#4 Say you’re welcome. If they aren’t getting it, next time you do something for them and they don’t say thank you, say you’re welcome.

Whether that be making dinner, taking out the trash, driving their parents to the airport or supporting them through grad school, when you say you’re welcome, it opens their eyes to the fact that they haven’t verbally thanked you.

#5 Put yourself first. It is nice to put your partner first sometimes, but also care for yourself. If you want to know how to stop being taken for granted in a relationship, do what you need first. Next time they ask something of you, don’t do it immediately. Take care of what you need and then get to it.

#6 Focus on your needs. Without even realizing it, we worry about our partners. I used to keep my ex’s schedule and double check that he was doing everything and if he needed anything from me. He didn’t ask me to do it, but I was on top of it.

I did not need to do that. He was a grown man and could handle it himself. But I put that extra effort in and felt overwhelmed. Instead of following my mistakes, do what you need. Focus on your work, your hobbies, and your friends. You can reach out and check in, but don’t make that your priority. [Read: How to pull back in a relationship when you’re giving too much]

#7 Say no. You do not need to say yes to everything. I know it can feel mean or selfish. But you are allowed to say no, I am sure they say no to you sometimes.

If you are overwhelmed with your own stuff, you do not have to go out of your way for them. If you start saying no to their requests, they may rethink their behavior.

#8 Give them a limit. Sure, maybe there are some things you are totally fine doing like picking up your partner’s dry cleaning or walking their dog. But, I will bet there are some things you hate doing. Yes, compromise is important, but don’t do it all.

Let them know your limit. Say you are happy to have lunch with their mom or go to their work events, but just aren’t willing to go to the ballet or boxing matches. Without making a limit, there isn’t one. [Read: How to say no, stop pleasing people and feel awesome instead]

#9 Don’t let them override your plans. This is something I did as a teenager. If I had a boyfriend I would cancel any and all plans when he texted. I would put him before friends, family, and homework. That is not cool.

If you have plans, don’t cancel them for your partner, especially not last minute. Sure, you might not see them for a few days otherwise, but prioritize other parts of your life too. It might sound juvenile, but when you show them you have other plans, they will get that they are not the center of your life, you are. [Read: The signs your partner is truly supportive of your goals]

#10 Wait for them to ask. Don’t beat them to the punch. You may be able to anticipate their needs and wants and think it is faster for you just to take care of it.

Instead, let them come to you. Let them ask. When they go out of their way to ask you to do something, they acknowledge they need you rather than expecting you do to something.

#11 Let go of the fear. Many people who want to stop being taken for granted are, well, being taken for granted. And we tend to be people pleasers and afraid of confrontation. We fear that if we ruffle feathers by sharing how we feel, it will start a fight.

But, if you truly want to know how to stop being taken for granted in a relationship, you need to let go of that fear and face how you are feeling. If you can’t communicate with your partner, how will you face bigger problems that may arise? [Read: 16 reasons why you’re always being taken for granted]

#12 Appreciate time alone. This is a big one. We often go out of our way to get time with our partner. We don’t always enjoy alone time. We do things for them so they reward us with attention or praise.

Instead, make the most of the time alone. You do not need to spend your free time with your partner or doing things for them. Watch the show they hate. Have a movie marathon. Order the take out they think smells like a farm. Do things you can’t do with them.

#13 Break out of your routine. Do you always bring your partner lunch at work or do the shopping or cleaning? They may just be used to it as your routine. And saying thank you does not even cross their mind.

I know you would like them to read your mind and offer to take these errands off your hands, but that won’t happen. Instead, tell them you are taking a vacation from housework this week. Once they get a taste of what you normally do without them noticing, they should stop taking you for granted. [Read: 15 ways to spot selfish people and stop them from hurting you]

#14 Talk about it. If you do all of these but do not sit down and have a conversation about how you’re feeling, nothing will be resolved. You still put all this effort into them to changing their behavior. You may not even need to do all of this if you are straight forward and just tell them how you are feeling.

Do not accuse them of being dense or not seeing your feelings, instead softly let them know that you feel like you do a lot for them and they overlook your efforts. They should apologize and ask what they can do to make you feel seen. Then, discuss it. How easy is that? 

#15 Appreciate yourself. We cannot have our self worth dependent on praise or appreciation from our partner. Of course, it is always nice to be seen and have them be grateful for you, but if you know your worth, you may not need so much praise for your good deeds. [Read: How to draw your happiness from within]

What if you are still being taken for granted in a relationship?

If after all of this, you still feel like you are being taken for granted in a relationship, do a deep dive. Are you asking for too much? Are you expecting more than is really feasible?

If not, you may have a partner that is selfish. You may have a partner that actually doesn’t appreciate you and does take you for granted. If you talked to them and their behavior hasn’t changed, they probably don’t want to.

Sometimes they may even do better for a while, but end up falling back into their pattern of acting like everything you do for them is just what is expected.

If you get to this point, it may be time to say goodbye. Even giving an ultimatum will only help temporarily. So, if this relationship makes you feel less than or not good enough or unappreciated you deserve better even if that means being single and focusing on you.

[Read: 20 sure signs your relationship is oh-so-over already]

Learn how to stop being taken for granted in a relationship and do not look back. It may seem difficult at first, but you’ll realize just how strong and in control you feel when people stop walking all over you. You deserve better.

The post How to Stop Being Taken for Granted in a Relationship: 15 Strong Ways is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.

[sarahburness]

Honesty Is a Gift, So We Don’t Have to Hide Our True Feelings

“Never apologize for showing feelings. When you do so, you apologize for the truth.” ~Benjamin Disraeli

I’ll never forget my progress report from third grade: “Jennifer shows disappointment when she’s not called on.”

This must have been a bad thing, because my mother sat me down to talk about it. Apparently when I raised my hand and wasn’t called on, I frowned. I was to work on that, to try to stay neutral, to not show I was upset.

I also clearly remember the day my dad came over to my mom’s house to tell me his father, my grandfather, had passed away. I was twelve, and I started crying. My father told me to stop crying, because it was going to make him cry.

Once again, I felt as if I was being scolded for having feelings and showing them.

Years later, when I was very stressed out at a high-pressure job, I was crying in my own private office. The CEO of the tiny company walked by and then came in to talk to me for a few minutes, then left.

The next time I had a performance review, I was told, in not so many words, that crying was not allowed. If I had emotions to express, I should go outside and walk around the building until I felt better.

All of these incidents made me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I shouldn’t show my emotions of disappointment or sadness. I shouldn’t allow myself to feel stressed out, especially if it meant shedding tears.

These experiences seemed to be the world showing me that it was my job to stay still and quiet, and that I should smile even when I didn’t want to, and that I should prevent my messy emotions from ever impacting anyone else.

The trouble was, and is, that I have a terrible time hiding my emotions. I’m an emotional person, and if I’m sad or overcome with emotion, I cry. If I’m disappointed, I frown. If I’m happy, I smile or laugh.

Still, I’ve gotten good at trying to moderate my emotions, especially in social or work situations, in order to present myself a certain way. A way that does not allow me to be my true self.

Luckily, though, something happened that made me realize trying to mask my emotions was ultimately taking me out of alignment and out of touch with everything I’m here to learn and experience.

One day, I heard the author and spiritual teacher Martha Beck talking about her “integrity cleanse,” and something clicked in me.

She said that a couple of years ago she started attempting to live in complete integrity—always telling the truth (in a kind way, of course)—and that it has changed her life in profound ways. She said for her, even if the expression on her face doesn’t match up with how she’s feeling in her body, she’s out of integrity.

Boom! That’s exactly what I needed to hear.

I finally realized that showing and expressing my emotions was actually a good thing, probably one of the most important parts of my healing journey and time on this planet.

Instead of walking through this life pretending I’m okay when really I’m heartbroken, or acting like I’m not offended by a racist joke, or smiling when someone says something that makes upset, I need to honor and express my feelings.

I’m going to tell you a secret, though: It’s freaking hard. As much as I say I don’t want to hide my true feelings, in many ways it’s a habit.

Who wants to upset their parent or spouse? Who wants to ruffle feathers at work? Who wants to walk away from a boring conversation and worry about being perceived as rude?

The thing is, any time we’re hiding our emotions or pretending we do or don’t feel something in order to protect ourselves or someone else, we’re lying. We’re lying to ourselves, we’re lying to the other person.

And lying? It’s bad for the body, mind, and spirit. It breaks you down and stresses you out. It causes rifts and gaps in your family and with your friends.

Here are some things you might want to keep in mind if you decide to allow your true feelings to show no matter who you’re with or what the circumstance:

Sometimes you’re going to upset people. The thing is, if you always tell the truth, some people are simply not going to like it.

There are some people in your world who likely want you to stay small, or to stay emotionless. If you are going to start expressing what you feel, know that some people will end up exiting your life.

You’re not going to be immediately good at this right away, and it’s going to take time to feel comfortable expressing yourself in every situation. I am so, so not there yet. I still find myself smiling politely when really I want to run away or answering a question in a way that doesn’t feel true to me.

Yet, in many other ways I’ve created beautiful relationships where I don’t have to say “I’m fine” when they ask me how my day is going. I can tell them the real, scary feelings I’m having.

I believe the best way to approach this is notice and acknowledge to yourself when you’re denying your emotions, even if you’re not ready to say it out loud. At least you’re telling the truth to yourself, and that’s an incredibly important first step.

This is going to be very scary. If you’ve been hiding your real self and real emotions for a long time, or if you hide them from a large number of people, this is probably going to be the most frightening thing you ever do.

Take it slowly. Practice not smiling at that coworker who always insists you smile. Tell him or her “No thanks, not right now.”

Allow yourself to cry in front of a friend, even if you’re normally too embarrassed to do something like that.

Let yourself express anger to someone who says something offensive or dishonors you in some way. You can do it.

If you have kids, start teaching them to express their true emotions as early as possible, as it will make their own emotional lives much easier.

My daughter is three, and though I sometimes catch myself trying to distract her from negative feelings, she responds so beautifully to me sitting down at her eye level and acknowledging her angry or sad feelings.

I believe it’s a gift to allow others to feel what they feel, and that it creates honest, open humans.

Ask for help in being absolutely true to yourself. Ask a friend or your partner to support you in your journey. If it’s in line with your belief system, ask a higher power for help in being open and honest with your feelings.

Set the intention each morning that you wish to honor your own feelings, emotions, and truth, but that you also wish to do so in the kindest, most loving manner possible.

You can do this. You deserve to do this, and the people you interact with deserve to know you in your truest form.

This is not easy, but it does get easier, and I believe it’s the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and each other, even if my third grade teacher would disagree.

About Jen Picicci

Jen Picicci is an artist and writer. She creates inspiring artwork for healers and those on a healing journey, and when she's not busy with a paintbrush, she can be found wrangling a toddler, petting a cat, or hugging a tree. To learn more about her and get free uplifting art for your mobile devices, visit www.jenpicicci.com.

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from Tiny Buddha https://tinybuddha.com/blog/honesty-gift-dont-hide-feelings/

[becbecandherlife]

I'd like to think my celebrating continues in my heart even after Epiphany. I too hold to the tradition of keeping my tree up. I would like to say that I keep my tree up out of deep loyalty to my Messiah but the honest truth is I like having my tree up. It's pretty. My heart needs a LOT of work. I really struggled this Christmas more than ever with the outward signs of celebrating that have nothing to do with honoring the birth of our Saviour. Yes, I bought less gifts, went to a few less festivities but it wasn't enough. If I am true to myself, and trust me, God already knows my depraved heart and mind, I know that I need to rid my life of every entanglement that interferes with true worship. This will ruffle feathers to say but I'm so convicted about getting caught up in the hullabaloo and allowing the traditions to overtake the worship of Christ. Everytime I see the saying about the reason for the season I want to puke. Why? Because I know I will stand before God and give account for every time I worshipped the festivities of Christmas celebration and not The Messiah. If the thought of standing before God doesn't instill fear and nausea, you might not understand what actually happened to Christ after he died on the cross and went to Hell because of every single one of us and our sins...Eyebrows are raising , I know but think about how many times you gazed at a tree all decorated and lit up and were mesmerized. Think we don't worship the festivities and decorations? Just suggest to someone to celebrate Christmas next year without fudge and cookies, boxes and ribbons and bows, trees and roast beast and ugly sweater parties. We Christians talk a good talk but when it comes to challenging tradition, the way things have always been done, family traditions, people are hardpressed to be willing to set it all aside and just be present with The Lord. I'm so guilty. I'm going to have to do better. I know sanctification is a process but I'm troubled not only for myself but for the church who is just as guilty. Insert footage of Linus reciting The Christmas story out of Luke and the Who's in Whoville humming with joy because they get it.

Many Christmases ago, when my kids were young, I had an Epiphany myself. As the last present was opened I remembered Christmases as a child, before my dad left us there were lots of gifts, afterward mama did the best she could, with help from family and the church. But what I remember most was that same feeling after opening up the last box and thinking "Is that all?" All the presents in the world would never be enough because our deepest longing is really for a Saviour. Sometimes I wonder if we don't purposely fill our lives with all the Holiday Hullabaloo to avoid the very thing we profess to celebrate...The Messiah. Because when we fully focus on Him we have no choice but see our own retched hearts and our sin is exposed. And when that happens, the only response is repentance and recompense. Change. Change our evil ways, baby. It's not enough to avoid holiday traditions, or to just decide to not allow trees or Santa, that's where the legalism sets in. It's futile. The change is in the heart.

I used to tell my students as we painted Christmas trees in art class that the trees point straight to Heaven. I dont know if it's possible to have traditions and true worship at the same time. I don't even know if I rid my life of all the hullabalo if the result would be a more Christlike me. But I do know that next Christmas I want to do better, be better, love more, worship more and give my heart more to my Lord. I need to start today... I'll take my tree down tomorrow.