#you don't need my approval nor anybody else's

[uncanny-tranny]

Two questions: First of all, do I as an enby count as trans? I don't think so, or do I?

Second question: I'm an amab enby. I often feel like I don't belong in queer spaces because I feel like I'm a predator and a danger, because I was raised and socialized as male. And the last thing I want to do is to make my fellow queer people feel uncomfortable because "a man" is in their space. How do I feel with this?

If you don't identify with your expected gender/sex either in part or in whole, then you can call yourself trans if you'd like. A trans person is anybody who's gender transcends expectations, in my opinion. You don't have to use the trans label, but just know that you aren't excluded - your interests align with us. Your dreams and hopes and experiences are shared amongst so many others. This community is not for just one type of trans person. It is for us all.

Can I be honest? As a trans man*, I relate with the last part of what you're saying, about feeling like a predator. So many spaces do feel unwelcoming in that aspect, but in my experience, it isn't because you are predatory. It's because people are holding onto strict gender essentialism which says that men and "men" are dangerous. Gender essentialism is just as toxic as sex essentialism, and it does suck that many people ascribe prescriptive definitions onto people. I've found that "male and female" socialization has stopped being terms which describes a particular experience and has become something which has no nuance, and which means that "trans people will always be [assumed biological sex]".

I think the best way around this is to put yourself and safety first. I used to be in spaces like the ones you said, and it made me even more paranoid. I went out if my way to be the direct opposite of "predatory" to the point where I let people deny my manhood. I know you aren't a man, and I hope it doesn't come across like I am saying you are. But I think you and I have similar feelings about this.

Please, I know you're in a tough spot emotionally, but I want you to know you're worthy of respect. If you want to be in trans and queer spaces, you should feel welcome. Enby people who were amab are not predatory. You lot are some of the bravest, most kind, most compassionate people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Others are not entitled to making you feel like shit simply because of who you are.

[shadowspirez]

The main problem with shipping Jeremy and the Squip is that their relationship is not equal. The Squip is an ai that controls Jeremys life, telling him how to act, what to say, and even making decisions for him. Jeremy has no real choice or say when the Squip is in control, and that makes the relationship unhealthy. In any good relationship, both people should have equal power, where they both respect each other and make their own choices. But with the Squip being in charge, it's all about control and manipulation, which isn't what love or a healthy relationship should look like. The Squip's character itself makes it a bad match for Jeremy. It isn't trying to help Jeremy become a better version of himself; instead, it's trying to change him to fit in and be "cool" by society's standards. That's not what a real partner should do. not force you to change to make you more popular. The Squip preys on Jeremy's insecurities, and shipping them together suggests that it's okay for one person in a relationship to control and manipulate the other, which is dangerous and unhealthy. Jeremy's whole character development is about learning to be himself and finding confidence without needing the Squip or anyone else's approval. By the end of the musical, he realizes that he doesn't need the Squip's control to be happy or liked. Shipping Jeremy with the Squip basically goes against this lesson because it keeps Jeremy tied to something that's holding him back. Instead of being free to grow as a person, he'd be stuck in a toxic situation, which isn't fair to his character or his development. When we ship characters, especially in ways that involve control manipulation, we risk romanticizing very abusive relationships. A healthy relationship should be based on trust, communication, and respect, but Jeremy and the Squip don't have any of that. By shipping them, it sends the wrong message, suggesting that it's okay to stay in a relationship where one person is being controlled, which is harmful, especially for younger fans who might look up to these characters.

talk about a fuckin wall of text, dude, jfc. i am. not sure why da hell you're trying to mansplain what a healthy relationship is to me, or how Jeremy/Squip is toxic, because my brother in squist i already know dis?

the point you miss is that both Jeremy and the Squip are characters, they are not real, they cannot actually harm or be harmed. neither i nor anybody else has to "be fair" to them because again, there's nothing to be fair to, they ain't real. you can like and or ship things/dynamics and also not actually want them in reality, that is part of the point of fiction: exploring interesting things in an environment where it doesn't actually result in harm.

like, my mans, my guy... i am in no way "sending a message" or "suggesting" that people stay in real unhealthy relationships. it is not my job or obligation to only ship the most wholesomest, healthiest of relationships just so that hypothetical "younger fans" don't get the wrong idea or whatever. (truly, nobody should be basing their ideas of an ideal relationship off of fiction, but i digress.)

the only message that i, mr. Shadow "Squip-kisser" Spirez, am sending, is that it's okay to unabashedly be yourself, to like things that others may find strange. do not file yourself down or fearfully hide parts of yourself away for the "comfort" of others, because for some it will never be good enough. because it's not wrong to just be yourself. because no one should have to walk on eggshells just to feel welcome in this damn fandom.

[snnynatural]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN!

Name: lumi!

Pronouns: she/her

Most Active Muses: sonny on this blog and on @snnydcys , @greatcstarcher is second , i do have other blogs that you can find here

RP Pet Peeves: oh god, to list a few...

plagiarism. whether it be a character or a plot idea, don't steal from anybody. people work hard on their characters and plots. i understand not many plots can be considered original, but everyone comes up with their own twists. stop stealing.

lack of respect for female characters both canon and oc. i can't say enough that female muses deserve to be seen. especially poc female muses.

white washing. as a poc person, i have dealt with a lot of racism both irl and on tumblr. it was to a point i took two years off of this hellsite. so do not change a poc character into a white one. we've been erased as it is. and if you struggle trying to match a character to its race, do not feel afraid to ask someone for help on it. there are also websites that show you an fc's ethnicity as well.

not knowing where the line is between mun and muse. they are two completely different things.

god modding. for the love of all that is chuck, do not control what anyone else's character does. we all control our own characters and that's how it should be. this also means doing something crazy that someone else may not approve of so if you want to do something, ask first.

demanding people read your rules, but you don't do the same. everyone has different rules for each of their blogs. respect goes both ways. so if they read your rules, please do the same. they are there for a reason.

force ship, simple as that

anon hate. seriously, that kind of negativity should never be welcomed nor encouraged. we all come here to escape as it is so just let everyone have fun writing.

lack of communication. we're all grown adults here. if there's a problem, just communicate.

trash talking someone's portrayal. realistically, we all interpret canon characters differently than others and that is okay. no one's version is right or wrong. no one is the "chanel/walmart" version. just don't rp with that portrayal if you don't want to.

rushing people to reply and shaming them when they don't reply fast enough. everyone has real lives and can't always get to it. or maybe they don't just have muse for it and need time away from it. now a simple nudge to let someone know they replied maybe weeks later just in case they missed it is fine. but if you're going to put pressure on people? stop.

using mental health as an excuse to be a shitty person. many people here suffer with different kinds of disorders and that is no one's fault. but that does not mean it's a pass to be a horrible person. you choose how to treat people around you. you choose whether or not to be a kind person.

i can go on and on, but we don't have time for that so here is the rest of the list on the top of my head for now: self victimizing, ignoring triggers, trying to control your rp partners, bullying, hovering, spreading lies about people, gate keeping, face chasing, racism, not understanding boundaries, not understanding that rping is a hobby and not a jobby, ect.

Experience/How Many Years: a long as time that for the earlier years... i shouldn't have JBESGKBKB

Fluff, Angst, or Smut: yes. i love both angst and fluff so much, but if for example i am doing too much angst, i would want a break for fluff so that way there is time for me to breathe. for smut, as long as i'm comfortable with you, i'll do it. but if i don't know you or have never written with you before, i most likely won't.

Plots or Memes: i love memes that inspire plotting. cause as much as i love plotting, sometimes i don't know what i actually want. unless a plot randomly hits me out of nowhere.

Long or Short Replies: depends on my brain. short replies are fun for crack and silly things, but longer threads for actually plots and things.

Time to Write: when my brain feels like it! i don't force myself to write if i don't want to.

Are You Like Your Muses: i would say i am in a way. more than i realized? more so her disney canon version. we both give are all to the people we love and care about, even if it means never putting ourselves first. being clumsy ekbrkg. we both get walked all over by people that we love. she's not afraid to be herself and stand up for herself, which i'm not afraid of being myself but i'm working on standing up for myself more.

tagged by @rebuiltmyself ( my bb <3 )

tagging : youuuuuuu

[tenobelisk]

Warning: these critical role opinions may be a little spicy if you think liking star wars and funko pops makes you nerdy. sorry, that was a jab. im just going to talk about critical role stuff for a bit to get it off my chest. spoilers for seasons one and two will follow.

so, i love the fact that sam will do characters that are not built to please anyone. in season 1, scanlan's storm-off was fantastic. he called them all out and i loved the timing of it. nobody gets to be comfortable for long, things are not perfect, im not the 'funny little guy' anymore. it's the most real shit to bring to the table each season in a different way, and i have no idea if anybody else feels this way about sam's characters but just bravo.

so, also, i really didn't like the policing of Nott's behaviour in season 2 vis-a-vis drinking and killing things, nor did i like veth at all. shrug. it got to the point where i felt nott was being curtailed and suppressed out of some real-life moral code bleeding into the game. veth seemed to be a normalisation and the death of nott. which seemed a mercy killing at that point. i dont like it when a character loses their fire even if its for Morally Good Reasons.

an aside: i loved how nott's husband accepted her goblinity. that couldve gone on for longer, i enjoyed matt's representation of the role and the dynamic between them. oh well. caterpillar, butterfly, etc.

the controlling of purse strings and behaviour checking going on also bothered me especially when it was followed by unchecked indulgence under 'approved' circumstances. do we all have to lean toward good and 'fix' whats wrong with us? what's with all the policing? maybe i've just been around too many controlling people and comfortable white middle class Game Enjoyers not to see it glaring brightly and wonder why anyone else isn't rattled by it. great, so you aren't bothered, doesn't mean its a good thing to soak in.

speaking of blurring cast and character boundaries, im still sad about orion in the beginning of season one, but i understand why it ended the way it did. i am okay with frantic unmanageable types in games like this, even if they make me uncomfortable sometimes. maybe it had to go that way for him to help himself in a less messy way than escape and misbehaviour.

of course i now know there were real-life incidents behind it that had rattled everybody. that definitely needed to end, but it was difficult to watch even though i've watched it twice now, minute-by-minute. but they're real people who react to problems imperfectly. that's 100% okay. just don't expect me not to file it away for later.

so after this many-years long roller coaster i'm reeeally trying to get into season three.. but the southern accents and smell the fart acting is making it real hard for my attention span. i've seen improv troupes kindof coast off of memes and crowd comfort and venue clout enough times to understand that its just nice to sit and be part of the show. the thing has a life of its own and enough work went into making it that way. the thing we are most familiar doing can sometimes become what we do to wind down, rather than what we do to power up. maybe that's what happened, or maybe it's just me. i am bummed it is not grabbing me as much as the past seasons but i will still drop in every now and then and give it a try.

[silktherambler]

So I made this because the real reason I made this is because of my dad, cuz I think he knows that I smoke maybe either I smelled high or I must have maybe looked a little high in my eyes but I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he's going to say I don't want to vape pen and I don't want a weed grinder, and that's just so confusing to me because you don't smoke and you talk about how much you don't like weed so why would you want a pen and why would you want a grinder? If you're trying to say you've caught me and you can tell that I smoke then just say Adrianne, the last time you were here you smelled a little bit like weed and you looked a bit high, do you smoke? Why you just can't get to the point? Why do we have to beat around the bush and do all these subliminal messages of things so I know that you know what it is like and even if you do it like, I'm over the age of 21 now so this is a decision that I'm entirely choosing to make of my own volition so if you want to talk to me about it, you can

I don't see the point this stuff like let me speak in a cryptic way of telling her I don't want do you think but she knows that I know that she smokes, I don't care if you know that I smoke or not, I just didn't want you to know because I know you guys don't approve and I'm going to have to hear everybody else's mouth even more than I already do

In the beginning of things, my mother threatened to kick me out the house and almost dead, almost stripped me from school and made me come home, got into an argument with my godfather in the car, my aunt snitched on me and cries every moment but doesn't even pay attention to me as a family member like I just kind of want everybody to get out of my business a little bit and I'm saying that not because I want to act like I'm grown but it's because I was doing this already for at least three to four years without anybody knowing and I've been fine that's not the same I'm going to be fine tomorrow that's not even to say I'm going to be fine in the next 2 years but what it does mean is that I am taking care of myself and that the decisions that I'm making I'm being safe about it

I was just telling my mom I actually go to a store to get my weed I don't go on the street ever since I found the store I don't I don't go on the street to ask people like I didn't recently because I had the money to do so and I didn't have the means to go out but most times I either have somebody that I know like personally or I'm going to the store and it's not like a corner store it's a actual smoke shop

Mind you she was the one that was saying oh you can't just cop from here or there I'm like Mommy aren't you the same one saying that you want to make sure I'm safe? I'm showing you I'm literally telling you right now I practice safe methods in order for me to you know get whatever I need to get, so it's like I'm doing I feel like what is necessary and what would keep other people comfortable to a degree of like me being safe about it but what's going to make people really happy as me just not doing it and what they have to understand and I don't mean this even in the like a angry way what makes you happy can't always be prioritized by myself because my job in life is to make myself happy, it's to make sure that I am taking care of myself and that I have what I need. That, is the point of me doing things that I feel are necessary they have to be necessary to me I can't just change up me smoking just because everybody doesn't like it cuz I'm not here to do what everybody wants me to do nor to do what everybody likes or what's going to make them happy if this is a decision that I'm making then y'all can talk to me about it all y'all want but once I say that this is my decision, I would like it if people would learn how to leave me alone instead of changing my mind

And let's say that I am wrong and all my dad wants to do is talk to me about it even though I slightly doubt that because for the last couple years my dad has always s*** talked about people who smoke weed, if you just wants to talk to me about it you can just say I notice that you were high I want to talk about it with you, I don't know why we have to do this beating around the bush BS

[wyattjohnston]

practice makes perfect - jack hughes

series: we don’t have no time to waste

summary: what happens in Vegas… there really is no time to waste.

note: this is half a request (which i don't usually write so please don't send more), and half a birthday present for @hock-ee !! This is veritable proof that I can write whole fics in 24 hours.

word count: 2,750

warning: this contains pre-smut. not even really foreplay, but you've been warned. TZ46 appears in this because he’s buds with Jack, my personal opinions of him are not reflected.

“Jack, we’re going to be late,” Daisy whined, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the door.

“I know, I just need—” he stopped mid-sentence, putting all his weight into heading back towards his suitcase.

Daisy tried to plant her feet, but the heels she had on made the attempt futile, so she had to let herself be pulled back into the hotel room despite her urgency to leave.

She persisted, watching Jack rifle through his case one handed, “We still have to collect people on the way.”

“We need these, though,” Jack said, pulling a ring box from an inside zip.

Daisy’s giggle was higher than it had ever been, pure delight filling her, and she surged forward to kiss him. Leaving could wait just a little bit if it meant taking time to make out with her boyfriend.

They hadn’t even made it to the elevators before they were forcibly stopped by the Girouxes when Claude clamped his hand on Jack’s shoulder and ran his eyes over their outfits. Jack’s suit was nondescript enough that it would not have drawn any attention by itself, nor would it if Daisy had been wearing anything other than a white dress.

“Do you two know what you’re doing?” Claude asked, the strain in his voice making Daisy giggle again.

“Sure do,” Jack answered cheerily. “Do you want to come?”

Ryanne’s eyes widened and she was smiling, looking ready to drop everything until Claude started speaking again.

“I don’t want anything to do with this,” he said, exhausted and like he’d already had enough of the younger guys.

“Your loss,” Jack said, continuing to the elevator, Daisy by his side, and threw up his hand. “Peace!”

With the elevator doors closing in front of them, Daisy waved to the Girouxes who were still watching them. Ryanne and Gavin were waving back, Claude was yet to relax.

“He did not approve at all,” Daisy said, pushing herself into Jack’s side to bury her face into his neck.

“Do you care if he approves or not?”

“I don’t need anybody else’s approval.”

Jack kissed the top of her head, pulling her closer to his side and swaying them side to side as they waited for the elevator to take them to the lobby.

It was exactly the right time of day for everyone to be gathered in the lobby, players, staff and families all working out their dinner plans. It was exactly what they had been hoping for. Lots of hooting and hollering occurred when they were seen and it grew louder when the yelling caught the attention of others.

Their hands firmly entwined, Jack raised them above the head, a silent call to follow them.

They came across Frosty Scopetto as they were leaving the hotel and they wouldn’t have been able to avoid him if they’d wanted to, not with the crowd that was gathering behind them.

“Am I pretending I didn’t see this?” he asked, sounding even more exasperated than Claude.

“Nothing to see,” Jack said, his smile almost too big for his face.

“Fine. I don’t know anything.”

Getting everyone to the right place wasn’t of concern to Jack and Daisy. Jack said once, loudly, as they were climbing into a cab, that they were heading to The Little Vegas Chapel and that was it. The door shut behind him and they both turned their bodies to watch out the back window as everyone else frantically tried to get their own cab.

“This is so silly,” Daisy laughed, the giggles coming back to her. “How long do we let them think it’s real for?”

“Forever? It’d be real funny.”

Beyond their outfits and making the reservation, little to no effort had gone into planning the night. They’d chosen the cheapest indoor package, set a time and told the venue that they were just showing up on the day and whatever happened happened. They supposed that was more warning than lots of other couples in Vegas gave.

A dozen or so people showed up after them, lead by Trevor who immediately grabbed Jack by the lapels of his suit and started shaking him.

“Dude! Bro! You weren’t going to say anything at all? What if I hadn’t been in the lobby, bud? Don’t even invite your best bud to your fucking wedding?”

Daisy tugged on Jack’s hand, he shifted his attention to her which caused Trevor to as well.

“We should have told Ty,” Daisy said solemnly.

“Hi Daisy,” Trevor said, his mouth twitching upward even as he purposely did not react to her statement.

“Hi Trevor,” she replied innocently, batting her eye lashes.

“You look beautiful,” he told her sincerely. “This is kind of insane, right? You both know that?”

“It’s not real. It’s basically a commitment ceremony.”

“So we aren’t letting people think it’s real?” Jack asked, sounding genuinely disappointed that his ruse was being ruined.

“Not the people we care about. I don’t want the most important people in our lives to think we didn’t invite them to our wedding.”

“She has a point, dude. I was gonna be so mad at you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Daisy and Jack asked at the same time.”

“As if I wasn’t gonna be happy that you guys were getting hitched. This is insane but you’re my friends and the best couple I know. I was more surprised I hadn’t been told than I was about it actually happening.”

That was a surprise to Daisy. It was always in the back of her mind that she would marry Jack—there was no other alternative for her—but it had always felt so far off. Even as they were booking the chapel and discussing what their real wedding would look like it felt distant. To hear that Trevor would have accepted them eloping at 20 years old? Not what she expected.

Corralling everybody inside was easy enough because it wasn’t their job. Jack and Daisy didn’t bother walking down there aisle, instead choosing to just wander inside with everybody and be standing at the alter ready to go.

The ceremony was nauseatingly cheesy. With their total lack of preparation the chapel had gone ahead with the traditional ceremony. It was all far too serious for what was happening, and much too stuffy for a group of hockey players. Luckily they worked out the crowd quickly and went extra hard on the cheesiness on purpose just to make everybody laugh.

Daisy wasn’t sure she’d ever laughed so much; between the enthusiasm of the minister (who wasn’t Elvis and Daisy was regretting not paying that little bit extra) and the crowd participation going on, her cheeks were hurting.

Things turned serious, though, when Jack squeezed her hands to get her attention back after it had been stolen by the USNTDP boys causing a raucous. Daisy tilted her head, wary of Jack’s sudden change. Everyone else seemed to realise it to because a hush settled over the room.

“If this didn’t make it obvious enough; I do want to spend the rest of my life with you, Daisy. This is all a big joke, a bit of fun or whatever, but I do want to marry you for real one day. So,” he inhaled deeply, dropping down to one knee, “will you marry me?”

The roar was loud—Trevor in particular could be heard over everybody else.

Daisy stared down at him, at the ring box open in front of her—the one she was sure held cheap but matching promise rings—frozen in place. She didn’t know if the room had fallen silent because of her delay or if the blood rushing to her head was deafening her.

His smile wavered, the certainty clearing from his expression. He asked, barely in a whisper, “have I fucked this up?”

The room filled with noise instantly, Daisy remembering where she was and her brain actually connected every dot.

“No! I mean, yes! I don’t—of course I’ll marry you. What the fuck, Jack?”

“Yes?”

“Yes! Oh my god!” Daisy exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him as best she could given that he was still kneeling.

Another thunderous applause erupted and it was accompanied by a wave of relief that Daisy was able to feel through Jack’s shoulders. She kissed him, despite the horrible angle, causing the applause and cheering to get even louder, and tried to push as much of an apology through it as she could.

He awkwardly made his way to his feet—Daisy was not about to let him go—so that he could put his hand under her thigh. He lifted her leg so that it was against his hip and tilted her backwards into a passionate kiss. It was a move well practiced, and yet it felt completely different to every other time. They were in a chapel, dressed to be getting married, and it felt like the real thing no matter how not-real it was.

Nobody else mattered, no matter how loud they were being, no matter how many phones were being held in the air. Just Jack and Daisy in a chapel, newly engaged.

And, as Jack and Daisy were wont to do, their kiss was getting progressively more and more heated, with Jack trying to pull her even closer by the leg over his hip despite the angle he’d created for them.

“Alright, I’ve been warned about you two. Break it up before you get us all arrested.”

Daisy was being pulled upright before she even realised it was them being spoken to. It was Steven Stamkos, his hand planted on Jack’s shoulder much like Claude’s earlier. He looked simultaneously amused and bemused.

“Who warned you?” Daisy asked.

Jack and Steven said at the same time, “PK.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “That makes sense. We’ll cool it. Thank you. Thank you for coming? And your wife? I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t actual NHL players to come along.”

“Actual NHL players?” Jack scoffed. “What am I?”

“My fiancé, apparently.”

“Apparently, yeah,” Jack sighed, almost wistfully, pulling her back in for a kiss. Steven slunk away. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I really thought that’s what you were expecting to happen.”

“I thought we were just giving everyone a funny story.”

“This is more fun, though.”

“Fun?! You’re so dead, dude!” Trevor shouted, wrapping his arms around both of them. He was immediately followed by what may well have been every USNTDP alumni who had made it to Vegas for the weekend.

Daisy buried her face into Jack, trying to protect herself from the energy they all exuded. She was certain that her feet left the ground during their jumping.

When she was finally free and they moved onto harassing Jack alone, Daisy pulled Brady from the pack.

“Did you FaceTime with Quinn the whole time?” Daisy asked, already knowing the answer.

“Quinn’s already sent the recording to Ellen.”

“You’re all a bunch of gossips.”

“You didn’t want this to be a secret.”

Daisy said, feigning innocence, “How could I ever have known that a bunch of hockey players can’t keep their mouths shut?”

Brady swept her into a hug. They knew each other solely through summers spent at the Hughes household but, as Daisy had learnt very early on, it didn’t take much for hockey players to start treating people as family.

Jack was returned to her looking even more disheveled than after their kiss, and Daisy couldn’t help but run her fingers through his hair.

“Can I have the ring? Please?”

“Yeah.” Jack scrambled to pull the ring box from his pocket. “I hope it’s what you want. I had Mon help me out but had to get Brie to actually come with me—”

“Mon? My Mon? From Plymouth?” Daisy asked rapidly, her hands covering the box and his hands, inadvertently holding them to her chest in excitement.

“I don’t know any other people named Mon.”

“I love you. So much.”

The ring did eventually make its way onto Daisy’s finger after another make out session that was interrupted by Brady telling them they should celebrate.

Celebrate they did, for a few hours, before they left without saying a word. After some photos at the chapel, and making the cab driver stop for a photo outside a neon Vegas sign that Daisy put up on Instagram—they made their way to Planet Hollywood because nobody wanted to be harassed by anyone running the All Star Weekend.

Many drinks had been pushed their way, subtly in the beginning and then far less so as time went on, but Jack and Daisy kept handing them off to anybody else near them. They had an unspoken agreement that they didn’t want to forget anything about the day.

Leaving was easy. They took one look at each other, glanced quickly around, and took off before anybody could stop them.

As was normal for Jack and Daisy, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they crossed the road; the Vegas Strip was one of the least judgmental places they’d been for it, too, with nobody really looking at them twice despite Jack’s hand being firmly on Daisy’s ass and Daisy’s basically being tucked underneath the waistband of his pants.

They rushed through the lobby to the elevator, because, for all the fuss they’d made on their way out, nobody was going to stop them from their plans. There was the terrifying moment when Daisy heard the Social Media manager calling Jack’s name, which she solved by repeatedly pressing the elevator’s up button and then doing the same for their floor button when they finally stepped inside.

Jack crowded her against the wall the second the door closed, Daisy’s leg hitching around his waist instinctively.

“Mrs Hughes,” he said, his breath brushing over her ear.

“Oh no,” Daisy gasped. “I don’t like that at all.”

Jack pulled back just enough to see her face and asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted my name?”

“Yeah, in the context of being Daisy Hughes,” she explained, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Mrs Hughes was my third-grade teacher, Jack. She was old. That’s not gonna turn me on.”

“You’re so difficult,” Jack chided, nipping her collarbone. She could feel his smile against her skin. “What if I called you wife. Mywife?”

“I’ll be your anything, hubby.”

Before Jack could surge forward to kiss her, the elevator doors opened. He moved so swiftly that Daisy lost balance for a second as she tried to keep up with him, and they were at their hotel room in record time.

Jack was removing his suit and kicking his shoes off simultaneously, and Daisy made quick work of her own shoes. She was reaching behind her for the zip when a pained noise left Jack’s mouth and he was in her space, his hands behind her to stop her.

“The sooner I’m naked the better,” Daisy teased, even as she brought her hands to his chest, unbuttoning his shoulder and pushing it open with her hands flat on his chest.

“I wanna watch.”

“You want a show, hubby?”

“I always want a show, wifey.”

He created some space between them and Daisy span around, her back to him. She began to swing her hips slowly, swaying from side to side, peaking back over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes when she saw Jack hopping around removing his pants without having stopped staring at her.

“What if I wanted a show?” she asked, her hands reaching back up to the zip on her dress.

“What if I’m too impatient for a show?”

“Jack, wha—” Her words were cut off by her own surprised squeal, Jack coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck repeatedly.

She wasn’t able to get used to it, though, because Jack was unzipping her Jack before she realised, his mouth moving to her spine, following the zip down her back. With every press of his lips, her back arched as every nerve ending in her body caught alight.

With her dress on the floor, Jack moved them to the bed with little effort by lifting her up bridal style. It was briefly romantic, before he smirked down at her and dropped her onto the bed—she would have been foolish to expect any different, so she just laughed delightedly.

“Practice makes perfect, hey, baby?”

Please consider leaving feedback - reblog and write in the tags or send an ask, I’m not fussed. I just want to know what you’re thinking!

[incorrect-encanto-quotes]

What the Madrigals Have Taught Me(from my most to least favorite)

Isabela: To never hide who I truly am for anybody, not to seek scraps of others' approval and try to fit their expectations, not to worry if I'll ever measure up, that there are many ways of expressing your own femininity that are all valid, that chlorokinesis is cool! 

Dolores: That true love will come eventually, that my hair is cute, that sometimes I don't need to tell everyone everything I hear because it could be detrimental, but other things might be urgent and I need to tell someone RIGHT AWAY! Also, if my cousin is engaged to a man that I love but she doesn't, sabotage that shit. 

Mirabel: To not feel like the black sheep, not everything is my fault, others might see the worst in me but that doesn't necessarily mean I did anything wrong, just because someone looks a certain way on the surface doesn't mean I should dismiss them as shallow and they deserve sympathy and to be listened to, too. That sometimes I will feel left out and like an outcast, but it's important to pick myself up again and maintain my sense of individuality and self-confidence. 

Camilo: That I'm truly blessed to have a sister instead of a brother. Be who I am and don't change myself for anybody, to develop a clear picture of my identity, that it's important to find myself, laugh once in a while, don't take everything too seriously, always ask for seconds. Also, theatre is cool. 

Luisa: Being strong isn't mutually exclusive to being feminine. Don't carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, it's okay to not always be capable of doing everything and to ask for help. Being the older sister means I'll often have more responsibilities and expectations placed upon me than my younger sister, but doesn't mean I have to be able to do everything. Take a chill pill and relax, don't let myself be consumed by stress. Everyone deserves a breather. 

Pepa: It's okay to express your emotions. It's also okay to be a hopeless romantic. Never be afraid to express yourself and speak your mind boldly. 

Julieta: Being soft, gentle, and kind, is not a bad thing, nor is it weakness. Also, being able to cook is a pleasurable gift and should be cherished and valued more than it currently is. There's also nothing wrong with being a housewife(I still want to work, but still.). 

Agustin: Fathers are supposed to support their daughters, and love them unconditionally! Even if she doesn't live up to familial expectations, that doesn't make her any lesser and she is fine exactly the way she is! 

Abuela: Trauma can do unspeakable things to a person. It's important to show them sympathy and let them heal. Still, that doesn't justify spreading your trauma to others. Things won't get better right away, but they will eventually, if you just put in enough effort. 

Felix: Always be supportive of and stand behind the one you love, don't invalidate their feelings, and make them feel like they're somebody you can trust. 

Antonio: Communication is key, I guess. Also, it's important to be empathetic to those who aren't given enough recognition and appreciation. When everyone else makes them feel worthless, unneeded and unloved, be that one person who reaches out to them and says, "I need you." And they'll do the same for you! 

Bruno: Similar to Mirabel above. Also, sometimes you feel left out and like you don't belong with the rest of your family, but deep down inside they really do love you and want you to be okay. And there's always somebody looking out for you. 

-----

SO TRUE PERSON WHO SUBMITTED THIS!

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - No Time Like the Past

While I wouldn’t call this the worst episode of the series, there are several others I dislike more, I would call this the most ill conceived story in the show. 

All the other bad episodes have potential but are let down by poor presentation, boring predictability, or sloppy planning. This one however, is fundamentally flawed in it’s very basic premise and so ranks in the bottom of most fans lists. Even people who are far more forgiving of season three and than I am, and are hardcore New Dream stans, still dislike this episode. That’s how bad it is. 

Summary: Rapunzel discovers Old Lady Crowley tossing out Cassandra's things. She is upset and demands that they be left alone. She then has Lance and Eugene help her save all of Cassandra's mementos and personal belongings, but she becomes saddened when Eugene reminds her that Cassandra turned her back on "her". Rapunzel takes a box of her things along with, unknowingly, a mysterious hourglass. As she examines it, she accidentally drops and smashes it and she and Pascal find themselves sent back into the past. They run into a teenage Eugene and Lance who keep calling Rapunzel "Sideburns". Rapunzel realizes that she and Pascal have inhabited the bodies of the Stabbington Brothers and decide to recruit the young thieves in getting the hourglass from the castle back.

Fun Fact! That Dummy is Rapunzel’s Doing 

Minor nitpick here, but Cass had nothing to do with putting Eugene’s face on her sparring dummy. Rapunzel voluntarily did that back in Under Raps. Cas never requested it nor even expressed any joy over receiving said ‘gift’. 

Basically the show is attributing one of Rapunzel’s mistakes/flaws to Cassandra in order to introduce a very nonsensical plot point later. So I need ya’ll to keep that in mind as we go along.  

Lets Talk About the Episode’s Ordering 

We don't have production codes for season three like we did for the previous two seasons. So we can’t know for sure what order everything was originally planned in, but I would argue that this episode should have came before Return of the King. 

For starters this is a “bottle” episode; it takes place mostly in the past and the only present day characters who show up are Eugene, Raps, Lance, and Crowely. As such you could potentially slot this episode in anywhere before Cassandra’s Revenge. You can’t really do that with most of the other episodes so it could have been easily moved around when airing. 

Therefore, I would argue that it should have been the first episode after Rapunzel’s Return for three key reasons. 

It would have given Edmund time to travel to Corona and give Raps time to start up big building projects like fixing Old Corona. In fact she’s already approving building plans for the capitol city at the start of the episode. Which could even explain why she took so long getting to the castle repairs if she was taking care of the stuff that the Saporians messed up else where.  

Rapunzel’s stance over wanting to keep Cassandra’s things makes more sense early on, both in universe and in a meta context. Raps would still have hope if Cass has only been gone for a month or two instead what would now be four or five months down the line. It also makes sense that Crowely wouldn’t wait around for that long. And from a meta standpoint, the audience would still be oblivious to what the heck Cass was up to and could theoretically side with Raps better; or at least empathize with her view point more, even while disagreeing with her. 

Events in this episode better explains Eugene’s decisions in Return of the King and gives the audience more context for certain stuff.  

So Why Is There a Random Magical Time Traveling Hourglass in the Storage Vault?

Slowly but surely the series has abandoned all pretense that there’s any logical world building in the show. Magical things just appear randomly now without any explanation whatsoever. Worse than that, things like the hourglass and map to the cursed tomb are treated as if they were always there, unlike the magical beings that they happened to run into in past seasons. 

The problem with this is a lack of consistency. You can’t have sceptics like Eugene and Varian if magic is so common and wide spread that anyone can run into it at anytime. Not to mention it diminishes the specialness and importance of the sundrop and moonstone if powerful magical items can be so easily found and stirred, undermining important plot points and the tension surrounding them. 

But most frustrating of all, is that this could have been easily fixed by just stating on screen at some point that magic attracts other magic. Meaning it’s only Rapunzel herself who routinely runs into these things and not just everybody and anybody. 

None of This Stuff Holds Any Meaning

Show don’t tell!

At several points through out season three, both Raps and Cass morn over Cassandra’s left behind things. They tell us constantly that these objects hold significant meaning to them, but I, the viewer, have no damn clue as to why. 

We were never shown on screen what was so special about these things other than the fact that it was junk Cass collected. There’s no story attacked to these assortment of objects nor any previous indication that Cassandra valued them beyond their usefulness. As such, any scenes involving her stuff fall emotionally flat. 

Eugene is the One in the Right Here. 

Eugene’s right. 

Any well adjust and mature adult will tell you he’s right. 

If someone doesn’t want a relationship with you, than that’s it. There is nothing you can do but to move on. It sucks, but its life. To ignore that is to ignore someone else’s boundaries and personal autonomy; while also devaluing yourself and you’re own needs. 

In a competent show this would be a set up for Rapunzel to learn something about letting go and taking care of oneself emotionally. 

But this isn’t a competent show. 

But Lobster is for Poor Folk

Food history time!

Lobster, and shellfish in general, have been considered low class food for centuries. Especially around costal areas like Corona. It’s easy to attain, cheap, and not regulated like hunting was in much of Europe. In America, specifically, lobster was fed to prisoners and there’s historical accounts of riots being started over it.  

Heck, less than forty years ago, no one lived on the coast but poor people. That’s why there’s historical communities of black people living on the southeastern islands in the US and why my father grew up in the swamps of Alabama during the 50s and 60s. 

The gentrification of coastal property and seafood, like lobster, is a very recent phenomenon in human history, starting in the late 70s early 80s with the booming tourism industry and increasing globalization.   

So while I understand that the joke here is meant to be reflective of our current understanding of lobster being a status symbol, in universe, it’s the equivalent of Eugene getting excited for chicken nuggets instead of his usual bowl of cereal because the story takes place before the 20th century.  

This means that these kids are so poor that fucking mcdonald’s fast food would be considered a rare treat compared to the slop they usually eat. Yet again what is meant to be a lighthearted joke turns suddenly dark when you stop to think about it for all of two seconds all because the writers are so flippant about their world and characters. 

This Wasn’t Planned Out, So the Timeline Doesn’t Add Up Anymore and Resources are Wasted

Remember the flashback in The Return of Strongbow?

Now I need you to remember that season three is two years later from season one and the movie. Eight years ago then, would be ten years ago now. 

The Eugene and Lance in the bottom picture is suppose to be roughly the same age as the Eugene and Lance in the top picture; give or take a few months. 

I know teenage boys can grow fast, but not that fast. 

Eugene at 16 looks the same as he does at 26. All because the writers were too lazy to preplan things out ahead of time. 

We should have seen the teen models with recasted voices back during that first flashback if they were going to tell this story later. Or the previous plot point should have been less than eight years ago. 

In fact the first flashback no longer makes any sense being so many years ago given Eugene’s engagement and recent breakup with Stalyan, and the later reveal that he was working for the Baron during the original movie. 

Sloppy planning like this not only makes for a confusing timeline but it also wastes limited resources. I like the new models, I like the actors cast for these younger roles, and I do like the concept of seeing more of Eugene’s past. But going through all of that trouble and money for what amounts to one throw away episode is mismanagement of the budget and work schedule.  

Baby Varian Is the Episode’s Only Saving Grace 

I know people are divided on the deign here. Some love it and some hate it, but that’s a personal taste thing. The actual scene itself is golden either way, because it’s such a funny eater egg. Fans on both sides made memes out of this for days. It’s legendary. 

Personally I’m more in the ‘love it’ camp, though I can see the issues people have with the design. My main defense of it is more the fact that we got kid designs for the other OCs in the show and it’s only fair Varian got one as well. The fact that he’s in smaller versions of the S1 clothes doesn’t bother me anymore than when Lance ran around for two seasons in the same outfit, including when he was a kid. 

So if I like it, then why am I talking about it a salt review? 

Cause the most memorable part of an episode shouldn’t be a throw away gag! 

People bring up baby Varian way more than they do about anything else in the episode, and no it’s not just because the character popular. It’s because most would like to forget what comes after this scene. 

Where is Quirin, by the Way?

Why is your six year old son running around the big city unsupervised?

This wouldn’t get talk about as much it wasn’t for the fact that Quirin being neglectful in season one was a motivating factor in his conflict with Varian. A conflict that was suppose to be resolved back in Rapunzel’s Return but we the audience have yet to visually see any difference in behavior since then.  

Quirin’s absence here in the past highlights his absence in the present day and reminds the audience aware that we’ve not been given a satisfying conclusion to one of the most important arcs in the series.  

Lets Talk About Wasted Potential 

Like I said, I like the idea of exploring Eugene’s past. But we should have gotten that back in season two when it was more relevant. Part of why this episode fails is because Eugene has reached the end of his original character development. He’s now on an identity crisis arc which has nothing to do with this episode.  

But you know who still hasn’t finished developing? Rapunzel. 

Rapunzel has lots to still learn and viewing her past through outside eyes could have turned this story into something really special. Especially with the ‘inhabiting another body’ plot point. 

You have no end of options here, 

Have Raps inhabit Cassandra’s body for a day and gain insight into what motivates her. It could have been either before or after they met, both offers up possibilities. 

Have Raps inhabit Eugene’s body and experience what he had to deal with growing up and come to see his point of view. (This could have also worked with the Sabbingtons set up had the writers not been stupid.) 

And my personal favorite, send her back to right after Queen for a Day and have her stuck in either Varian’s or Ruddiger’s bodies. Force her to see what she did to him and have her acknowledge she was wrong. 

And those are just the most obvious choices, there’s other more out of left field things you can do that would still work with good writing. Like exploring Lady Caine’s past, inhabiting Arianna’s body and learning how to be a real queen, get dumped into actual young Gothel and lay out clues to the future Zhan Tiri plot, or possess one of the Brotherhood and experience the final days of the Dark Kingdom; the list just goes on and on and on. 

But I Thought You Didn’t Put Kids in Jail Frederic?

Remember that Raps and Pascal are possessing the Stabbingtons who are still teenagers here. They can’t be much older than Varian. 

This means that Varian isn’t some special case. Teens have received harsh and deadly punishments in the past for non-violent crimes like theft. 

Also teens are called kids still by the majority of the cast. They’re aren’t considered adults with the same rights as someone in say their twenties, yet they can be punished the same as an adult would. Which is horrendous in any time period. 

So in conclusion, Frederic is a fucking liar! 

Tangled the Series can’t decide if it’s in the far past or a reflection of the modern day. As such it winds up supporting the worst of both worlds. Barbaric practices like hanging for minor crimes and prison slave labor are treated as the norm and never called out for the horrific things that they are; treated as a joke even, but we’re suppose to accept that this world also somehow views adolescence through the lens of late 20th century sensibilities even as it forces minors to go through such atrocities. 

Like what are you trying to say show? What is your message on the transition of adolescence to adulthood regarding rights and responsibilities? And don’t tell me ‘it’s not that deep’ because this is suppose to be a coming of age show! That’s the entire premise of the series! 

So How Old Are Stan and Pete Again?

I was always under the impression that Pete was a newbie guard, closer to Cass and Eugene’s age than say Cap or Frederic. That’s why he screws up so much because he’s inexperienced, why he seemed to be the closest thing to a equal colleague Cass had in the guard when she was also just starting out, and why I assumed those braided girls from the movie were his sisters. 

I mean there was nothing on screen previously that would necessarily contradict this reveal, it just doesn’t feel right, that’s all. I guess he could be like 20 here and be 30 in the show. That would make him only a few years older than Eugene, but still doesn’t explain why he’s so useless a decade later. 

I’m fine with Stan being here though. I always thought of him being the older of the two. In fact I headcannon Willow as his mysterious wife that he talked about back in Monty’s episode during season one. (She’s Stan and Pete’s beard, and they’re totally in a open poly relationship. That’s why they’re allowed to stay in the royal guard despite being so incompetent cause they’re technically Ferderic’s in-laws and Rapunzel’s uncles. Just no one ever talks about it cause it’s a minor sandal for a princess to marry lower class and Willow’s hardly ever there.) 

And Why Does Xavier Have All Those Plot McGuffins? 

I know we’ll never get an answer, but at this point Xavier’s exposition fairy powers border upon ridiculousness. It’s just lazy and a waste of character. 

So How Does Time Travel Work In This?

There are three types of time travel stories in fiction. 

First is the ‘Changeable Past, Changeable Future’. You see this in Back to the Future. What you do in the past will change the future, i.e. your present. You may or may not remember that you did it, but be warned you could change things too much and break stuff. Like erasing yourself from existence, or ruining your love life ect. The only way to fix it is to go back in time again and change stuff again. But beware of paradoxes or you may destroy the universe altogether.  

The second is the ‘Alternate Timeline’, where changing things creates new realties and it’s a matter of finding the right reality again. The tv show Sliders is a great example of this. Each new timeline is a different dimension. What you do in one won’t effect your original point of origin, only that particular world. The challenge if often getting home again because the probable diverging timelines are infinite and the changes of getting back are a zillion to one. 

Third is the ‘Closed Time Loop’. No matter what you do nothing will change. The future is inevitable and whatever you do in the past was always meant to happen anyways. Gargoyles handles this really well. You can also have ‘fix points’ where certain important things are set in stone but small things can be changed like in several Doctor Who episodes. Braking a fix point breaks the universe once again, while paradoxes are often the solution rather than the threat. 

So which type of time travel is Tangled dealing with here? 

Scenes like the conversation regarding Pete’s and Stan’s mustache or the ones involving Eugene working on his smolder suggest a closed time loop. Yet the ending to this episode reveals a changed future. Further still the grandfather paradox revolving around the hourglass would make you think an alternate timeline yet, we’ve no indication that anything else changed other then Eugene’s opinions on Cass, and Raps shows no concern about getting back to her original point in time indicating that it actually isn’t another dimension.... so what is it then? 

You don’t have to have a tightly plotted time travel story to have an entertaining piece of media. Endgame is riddled with plot holes and contradicts itself constantly, but what it lacks in coherent plot it makes for with fun characters, emotional story beats, and good pacing that manages to balance the action with the drama while hiding the cracks just enough that you don’t lose immersion. 

Tangled however fails at even this because it gets the character beats so fundamentally wrong.  Like you may dislike where the characters ended up in Endgame, but can’t say that those developments didn’t match the characters’ previous storylines and logical trajectory. Tony finally becomes the selfless hero by committing the ultimate sacrifice, Steve learns self care as a mirror to Tony’s arc as they were always parallels to each other, Bruce learns to accept himself, Thor processes his grief and lets go of the role he was assigned at birth but never truly fit into, and Nat becomes the leader she was destined to be rather than the sidekick.  

What happens to the characters in this episode however makes no sense. 

This is Another Missed Opportunity to Explore Eugene’s Past

The other problem behind the episode is that we don’t actually learn anything new. If you’re going to promise a story focusing on Eugene’s past then I expect to actually glean some new insights. 

We still don’t know why he’s working with Baron or how he fell in/fell out with him, what his relationship with Stalyan is like, how he became so cynical; not just the general basics, like the orphanage, but that point in his life where decided that survival meant giving up his morals and ethics; where did he first learn his better ethics that he originally suppressed (cause it sure as heck wasn’t Rapunzel), and when did he and Lance become separated? 

This are questions that series decides to raise by making allusions to them and building conflicts off of them but never wants to explain the details of where they originated from. It’s super frustrating and wholly unnecessary.  If you didn’t think the story of Eugene’s past worth telling then why did up repeatedly bring it up Chris? 

Why Are You Surprised by This Rapunzel?

Rapunzel you know Eugene’s past. You know what he used to be like. You were literally there in the movie and saw him being an ass before this. You didn’t start to like him until he dropped his guard down in the flooded cave back when you both where about to die. 

You fell in love with him when he showed you his real self and he fell in love with you when you proved that you were accepting of that. You earned each others’ trust. This here; angrily yelling at him and judging him, when you’re already hiding who you really are from him both literally and figuratively, is a breaking of that trust. 

Who the fuck are you any more, Rapunzel? 

Cause you’re not the same character from the movie. You’re not even the same character from season one. But whoever hell you are now, it’s not an improvement I can tell ya that. 

So How Did The Hourglass Go From the Treasury to the Basement Storage, and How Would Raps Know It Was There At This Point and Time?

I’m guessing the implication here is that Crowley put Cass’s stuff in the vault, but like why the fuck would she do that? We’re not talking about a family attic here, but the royal safe. The most heavily guarded room in the castle with the kingdom’s most priceless treasures and antiques. Nothing Cass owned was that valuable.  

Rapunzel Is Full of Shit

Oh let me count the numerous ways in which this whole lecture is stupid. 

Rapunzel left Varian behind. Rapunzel left Varian behind multiple times, including that time he was thrown in jail. She was not a good friend, and no, this is not a case of her learning from her past because not once has she ever admitted that she was wrong to do that. So this scene just makes Raps look like a hypocrite. 

Eugene does not need to relrean a lesson on being a better a person. He did that during the movie and has progressed beyond that point. This ‘lesson’ is a waste of time and a misuse of the characters.

This reframes Rapunzel as being in the right during her argument with older Eugene at the beginning of the episode, even though she’s not. In fact this is such a counterintuitive plot point that it boggles the mind. Who structures a narrative this way? Why so blatantly point out how the main character is wrong if not to have her learn something? Why frame the story to make the person who’s personal conflict isn’t even the episode’s focus, into the one who needs to learn something? Especially if that something is already a lesson that they’ve learned on screen beforehand.

And why, oh good heavens why, would you teach children such a toxic message? Like on the surface it sounds like something you’d hear in a children's show, but the context of it is justifying harmful behavior where you selfishly ignore other people’s wishes and boundaries just to satisfy you’re own personal desires.  

And finally, Eugene and Lance do not work as a parallel to Raps and Cass. Cassandra is an adult who left of own free will. Lance is a teenager who was arrested due to Rapunzel’s own actions. Eugene isn’t the one who is responsible here, its Rapunzel. Who also left them both behind in her carelessness. Secondly, Eugene’s decisions are spurned by years of trauma and a healthy fear of dying, while Rapunzel’s is wrapped up in her own need to always be right and to keep her immature and fanciful outlook of the world intact. As harsh as it seems, what Eugene did was based off a predetermine agreement and presumably Lance would have acted the same way or been pressured to act the same way by Eugene. In short, Eugene’s cynical world view as a teen is not the source of his disagreement with Rapunzel but an adult perspective back by common sense and a respect of others choices. It makes no sense for present day Eugene to ‘learn’ anything from this misadventure that he didn’t already know and for Rapunzel to not learn anything that would actually tie the parallel together. 

Locking Another Teen Inside a Jail Cell With Another Adult as a Joke, Does Not Erase the Inappropriateness of Varian’s Story

The episode tries to add another joke about Shorty sneaking into the prison without the guard knowing, but that still doesn’t excuse the fact someone had to have tossed Lance in there with him on purpose. Otherwise Lance wouldn’t have assumed Shorty was a fellow prisoner if he or the guard that locked him up saw Shorty sneak in before then. 

Furthermore Lance’s nonchalant response suggests this is not an out of the ordinary occurrence. Nor do any of the other guard comment upon the irregularly of teens being jailed with an adult. Now add in the fact that the show fails to clarify that previous ‘cellmate’ line from Rapunzel’s Return and now gives us more confirmation that Varian was underfed and malnourished for a year with that gruel joke and you have a horrifying picture. 

Shorty might be non-threating, but that doesn’t mean Andrew, a known attempted murderer and manipulator, is too. Nor any other adult who previously was housed with a teen before then. This is still very much not okay and no amount of ‘jokes’ will suddenly make it right.  

Raps, Who is an Adult, Just Physically Threatened Two Teenaged Boys and It’s Played as a Joke.... 

How many times do I have to say it? Humor does not fix bad writing. I’m not laughing when a heroine at age 20, threatens a couple of kids for merely annoying her. Especially when said heroine has a history of abusing children; because let me repeat once again, neglect is abuse!

This is a Lie

No you wont. 

Rapunzel never tells Eugene what happens on screen. I suspect that if she ever did, they would no longer be together, because what she wound up doing here was a violation of trust and boundaries in the worst possible way.  

And This is Now a Time Paradox 

A Grandfather Paradox to be specific. How can Rapunzel be here in the past to break the hourglass if the hourglass that sent her here is broken? 

In a competent series this would be the point of a future conflict and not the actual resolution. It’s not a closed time loop because of the paradox and the changes we’ll see in the future. 

So either she’s in an alternate timeline/dimension and just doesn’t gives a shit; leaving the real Eugene, Lance, Cass, ect. to go on without her; or she’s just broke the universe and everything is slowly unraveling around her; galaxies are dying as she whines about being dumped, people in the future are being eased from existence, and God is cursing her name for ruining his creation, all the while she carries on oblivious to the destruction in her wake, as usual. 

That’s it. Those are you’re only two options now. Is everyone from here on a fake copy or is Rapunzel the damned destroyer of worlds? You decide. 

So This Confirms That the Stabbingtons are Indeed “Family”

Another reason why I place this before Return of the King; it explains why Eugene considers the Stabbingtons ‘family’. Though if it was Rapunzel he actually bonded with and not the real Sideburns, then how much of his feelings are real and how much of them were fabricated by her? How much agency did this episode steal from him?

So What Exactly Did We All Change?

Well the dummy no longer has Eugene’s face, but Cass’s painting of the three of them still has him ripped out of the photo, soo... Keeping in mind that Raps painted the dummy anyways and considering that Moonandra tries to kill him later on; I’m going to guess that Cass’s feelings weren’t actually altered. If anything their relationship might actually be worse now, cause Cassandra keeps acting like she’s never had friends and Eugene has taken up Rapunzel’s blind devotion. 

All that development in season one is just, poof, gone. Also it’s quite possible that the first movie as well has now it has been erased from existence as Eugene got his needed character development eight years too early. How the hell that’s suppose to work, I don’t know. 

Outside of the that we get no confirmation how anybody else was effected, even though a more brainwashed Eugene running around would undoubtedly have caused a butterfly effect. Don’t expect that to be explored anytime soon. 

Though, it would explain why he’s suddenly such a doormat in season three, if this was the second episode as theorized. 

No! This is the Wrong Lesson!!!

Let me explain narrative promises. 

Everyone, on some basic fundamental level, understands how stories work. We hear them recounted to us over and over again from the day we're born to the day we die. It’s integral to how we communicate as human beings. Everyone knows innately how to tell a story even if that person couldn’t tell you how stories or structured or what certain literary terms mean, but they do it every day just through speaking. And while most audiences can’t always pin point what upsets them about a story they can for sure notice when things are off and not satisfying to experience. 

Now that doesn’t mean that everyone can write an awarding winning novel, that study of a craft isn’t important, nor that every amateurish critique thrown at any given media is valid. But it does mean that people have come to expect certain storytelling practices and can pick up on narrative cues. We’ve familiarized ourselves with the language of film, novels, comics, ect, into order to comprehend what’s going on. 

Rules of writing are just following that established language so that the audience can keep up. You can break these rules, sure, but unless you know what you’re doing and have a good narrative reason to do so, then you can easily lose you’re audience. And if you’re making money off said audience that’s something you want to avoid. 

A narrative promise is a cue; a set up that lets the audience know that ‘hey this is important, pay attention to this cause it’ll come back into play later’. Now that the audience has been alerted to the plot point they expect fulfillment of the promise. If you break that promise, either through poor set up, lack of follow through, or by breaking an established convention of writing for no other reason then because you just wanted to, your audience is going to walk away unsatisfied. 

The argument at the beginning of the episode was a narrative promise. It was a cue that set up the interpersonal conflict of the main character. For add context, I know that this is a coming of age story. Convention would dictate that the protagonist would resolve this conflict by learning they were wrong. 

That’s not what happened here. 

Convention was subverted. It wasn’t the protagonist who grew and change, it was the person they were in conflict with who did. And it wasn’t subverted because of any greater narrative reason, or future pay off, or even as effort to be shallowly ‘clever’; it was subverted because the author just didn’t want to hold the main character accountable for anything. Because said character has now become his avatar for his wish fulfillment fantasy and having the main character admit fault would be to admit fault in ones own self. Rapunzel doesn’t feel like Rapunzel this season because she’s just Chris in a wig. 

The episode broke a narrative promise to the audience; both within the episode and in the greater premise of the story, because of ego. 

I don’t claim this episode is bad just because of personal taste nor because I find it morally repulsive (even though both those things are true), I call it bad because it exhibits bad writing. Plain and simple. 

Way To Undermine The Entire Point of the Original Movie, Show

Speaking of breaking narrative promises.... 

TTS is suppose to be a squeal to the original movie. It’s even in the title of the show; both of them. In one fell swoop, the series has managed to sabotage it’s very reason for existing, as it erases Eugene’s motivation and the inciting incident that kick started the film. 

 Way to fucking go. 

To further twist the knife, it diminishes the duel protagonist of said film in order to prop up a series original character, who isn't even present in the episode itself. 

I don’t mind Cassandra’s existence. I don’t even mind her being the new deuteragonist and one of the main villains; even though she wouldn’t have been my first pick to fulfill those roles given her lack of set up. But I do fucking mind it if she upstages other characters and/or derails their character arcs in the process. 

This is the Death of New Dream 

I was still in denial when this episode first aired. I honestly believed that this and The Return of the King was build up to a third “betrayal” where Eugene finally became fed up with Rapunzel’s bullshit and joined forces with Zhan Tiri. I thought the end of the series would have Rapunzel apologize to everyone she did wrong, Varian, Cass, and Eugene, in order to break ZT’s hold on them, and that true love’s kiss would reunite the sundrop and the moonstone and that would just tie everything together into a neat little bow and give us a truly daring character study of a Disney hero. 

Oh dear merciful heavens, was I ever wrong.  

How did we go from season one’s challenging and mature storyline, complete with Disney’s first real anti-villian, to this?! 

What the hell happened!? 

Rapunzel not only disrespects Eugene’s opinions, violates his privacy and trust as she manipulates him as a teen, and then brainwashes him to think like her (even if accidentally), but doesn’t even have good grace to tell him. She instead has the audacity to look all happy and self congratulatory because she got want she wanted. She, and the show at large, doesn’t care what evil thing she does to get the desired outcome Rapunzel wants. 

Rapunzel in this show is a spoiled brat. And the image of her and her now lobotomized boyfriend staring dead eyed at a picture of the creator’s previous waifu OC with plastic smiles on their faces, sums up this series perfectly. 

Conclusion 

This isn’t even the worst episode of the series guys. I don’t know if it would even make it onto a bottom five list. That’s how much crap I have to wade through when it comes to this show. This is however the most damaging episode to the franchise as a whole. 

Not even the most hardcore of New Dream fans want to acknowledge the existence of that final scene, and Rapunzel stans won’t defend her beyond, ’well she didn’t mean too, it’s the writing that’s bad.’ Yeah, the writing is bad, that’s why the character can’t and shouldn’t be defended, not here and not in other badly written episodes where she also does bad things and never makes up for it. 

Anyways I’m finally caught up to where I left off, before the move, though sadly I don't think I’ll get this series done by the end of the month like I had originally hoped. But if you would like to help out I have a ko-fi you can drop a tip into if ya want. 

https://ko-fi.com/rachelbethhines

[deafchild2000]

AU H2O Friendship: Charlotte and Bella

(I don't want any crap about this alone. Free Speech can be practiced but no hate!)

If I had to think of a friendship from H2O that I'd like to have seen, it would be between Charlotte Watsford and Bella Hartley.

(Yes, I am aware that for this to happen, Charlotte had to have stuck around and still be a mermaid for Bella to approach her, but this is an AU of itself!)

So why? Excellent question because at first, one would think they would be as opposite as Rikki and Emma were. But at second glance, if you dig deeper (and deploy better writing and character development), their friendship makes a lot of sense.

For starters, the two would have been their own separate group from the girls, power-wise:

Charlotte has the main 3: Freezing, Boiling and Manipulating/Creating water from an already existing source. Or in layman's terms, Charlotte can manipulate water in its 3 states of matter -Heat being Gas and Solid being Ice.

Bella's powers aren't in a matter of states, but thickness. Realistically, Bella has Viscosity Manipulation:

"The resistance of fluids to a change shape, influencing spraying, injection molding, and surface coating. In everyday terms (and for fluids only), viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction", thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity. Put simply, the less viscous the fluid is, the greater its ease of movement (fluidity). The user could make water thicker, making it harder for sea-life to survive or have honey pour out like water by making it thinner. " (from Superpower Wiki)

Therefore, Bella's powers allow her to make any liquid thick in anyway - thick enough to an ooz-like substance, hard enough to walk on, or causing it to explode (or attack).

So, in the best phrasing, both girls have their own sets of powers. And surprisingly, could use them in combinations if they wanted to: constructing paths while avoiding getting wet, creating attacks, creating items from molding and hardening, diversions and escapes to avoid exposure.... Basically, more than we ever saw on the show. And because their powers are so alike and different, it would avoid jealousy between them (especially on Charlotte's part, since she wouldn't feel like she had to compete).

Next, the friendship itself. What would it be like? Bella is mostly seen and notedly described as Bubbly, Caring and Attractive, but with her Status, she's doesn't let anyone get to close to her. In canon, it was Cleo and Rikki's - reckless - use of their powers that caught her attention, leading one to think she thought she was alone. Charlotte is Honest, Humorous (in her own way), and Strong-Willed. However, she is prone to Jealousy and Insensitivity, especially when feeling threatened or stressed.

As canon, we obviously saw Charlotte's worst traits at best and her best traits at worst (bad writing!) and Bella doesn't really stand up much for herself nor let it be known (debatable passive). So as friends, here's how I'd imagine it going down: (For Charlotte) Bella would be able to reach out to Charlotte in her worst moods and calm her down, encourages her to look closely at her actions and the consequences, inspire her immerse herself in her art, implore her to take in to regard of other people's feelings and accept that things won't always go her way/(For Bella) Charlotte would teach her to not be such a Pushover, to raise her voice, to take risks with relationships but call out when said relationships don't seem fair, provide honest opinions where others would rather flatter her, and tell her it's okay to be a little selfish in her life. But the main they both have in common (beside being the "4th" mermaid) is that, regardless of how it came to be, both girls know what it's like to be the outsider and will go out of their way to reassure each other that they're not alone anymore.

Lastly, they would become best friends because, unlike their Mako Mermaid counterparts, the Main Mermaid Trio would never have let them in.

(Y'all gonna think I'm bashing, but on this blog, I'll never be anything BUT honest regarding this!)

Take away the love triangles, legacies, durations and all that, let's tell the truth: Charlotte would have never been welcomed into the group. Not only were they waaayyy too closed off with anybody else aside their group (include boyfriends and exclude families), they had these two rigid yet nostalgic old people where were stuck in the glory days, back when they were young and happier, but disregarded why their group basically broke up (I mean, c'mon! They never even had families! They were still old geezers in the end!). "Only 3 Mermaids" statement only ended up being proven true because the girls (together and on their own) couldn't see past the idea that it didn't need to be "just three", choosing to follow the Past Gen's terrible examples . Max himself was in the wrong too for low-key encouraging Lewis that Cleo would always be the one for him - Basically my logic: If they are meant to last, let it happen on its own. Don't interfere! - and for leading Charlotte to gain and lose her tail, only indulging her because she was Gracie's granddaughter and inadvertly helping her loss only when her bad side became more apparent. Yes, she may be a lot like Gracie , but she has her flaws too. Basically, Season 2 was a mess of misinterpretations, past nalstogia, constant hypocrisy! Charlotte may have been in the wrong, but everyone else constituted to her downfall. Plus, Charlotte was realistic and straightforward on how she felt, having no problem of acting on it (like a certain fiery mermaid y'all like to praise....). Cleo, Rikki (and later Emma) were long ready to dismiss her before they even gave her approval or a chance. A chance they'd never give her, even as a legacy.

(If you by a feel I'm using the same arguments, sorry. As said before, I can't even talk about the second season without ranting!)

Moving forward, lets talk about Bella. For thise who believe they would have let Bella in, even if Emma hadn't left, bless your optimistic hearts. I might have said the same thing, but if the experience with Charlotte was still fresh in the mind, powers and lovers aside, the Ireland-made mermaid was better off if she kept walking when she first appeared. Let's play on the Comet still heading to earth: From 3x01, Bella would try to acknowledge the girls after the guy harassed her, they'd dismiss her. She'd try again at the bar named after Rikki, where they'd do it again until the Water Tentacle takes said mermaid away. Bella still stays to introduce herself, they'd thank her but dismiss her. 3 times would be enough for Bella to believe they'd want to be left alone. Why? Because the girls choose to only stick in 3s and Charlotte is still a fresh wound for them. Lewis might try to get them to befriend her, but they never listen to him anyways unless needed. Bella keeps her distance, the girls are stuck realizing a comet would destroy the world (and regarding the crystals, never wear them.) When comes time, either Emma or Cleo might realize Bella could help, but dismiss it as they'd thing 3 of them are enough to stop it. But Emma's powers can't hold hold the Tower of Light and the world does end. Why? Because they chose to be stuck in their ways and ignore the signs that Bella was meant to be with them for a reason. Yeah, this is all speculation on MY own take of how it would have went, that's beside the point. While it's nice to think Bella would have got a chance, in actuality, the only reason her spot was made was to secure the "Only 3" rule in Emma absence and you can't really deny it. Season 3 was an AU of its own where Bella's introduction all depended on timing and inconvenience on the Rikki and Cleo's part.

That being said, between the two mermaids, the H2O Trio would have never batted an eye at them, not unless they had too. And because of this, Charlotte and Bella would feel it was better to form their own group since they literally would have no one else to accept them.

All together, friendship between Charlotte Watsford and Bella Hartley is one friendship that I would have love to have seen and recognize as it's a friendship formed from loneliness and differences that set them apart from everyone else yet their do very personalities compliment each other and would bring out the best in them. Between their very different sets of powers, traits, interaction with the girls, they just might actually be what the other needed.

[sweet-xoxo-thatcares]

Be A Nice Human

I know why my Grandma kept all those pictures of her and her abusive ex, Kevin. They still stayed friends for many years after they squashed it out and got over what happened after they broke up. He would still come by every so often (even though he was a drunkard and he also cheated on her too) she knew she could never really cut him out of her life. But she learned to love him from a distance, and they stayed friends after. He would come by to help fix her car, built a counter for her in her kitchen when she bought a new house, and brought her weed to smoke to help relieve her pain.

Its crazy, but love is so damn hard to get rid of. Its like a child. And you can't throw away something as pure of an emotion as love is.

Im finally accepting that its ok to not go back to them and still appreciate what I learned from them. I dont need to hurt anyone anymore because of all the pain I was from dealing with them during, before, and after each especially traumatizing breakup.

I can still find love who is right for me to choose. Trans or not. I cant give up just because of one person. My mtb person will come and we'll sing to each other at our wedding party. Imma wait for the right person, before I open up my heart to them next time.

I'll be patient in love, accepting and giving, and learn how to let go properly without trying to burn a cord so quickly just because there's a soul tie I want to stop thinking about immediately after breaking up with them, and not wanting to be jealous anymore.

However, I was right. Jay and Ayunna both did mentally and emotionally scar me and they took advantage of my kindness and love towards them. So there's still a thin line between love and hate that they still need to remember. You cant treat anybody any kind of way, call them out their name, disrespect them, leave, abandon them for revealing their emotions, and then just come back when you say so. Humans don't interact like that and shouldn't try to control somebody's mind, heart, feelings, or attention from somebody else just because you still want to play them for sex later.....and this person actually wanted something you didn't with them.....love and commitment.

They both looked at me and made fun of me like Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer. I was so different to them, that I got teased, mocked, and made fun of a lot by both Jay and Ayunna individually. But what happened, happened and I learned my lesson about ghosters and abusers, and how to be more careful with crazy people.

Especially to be even more caring and patient and sensitive to my needs and not to just go along with what somebody wants me to do to please them. I can't take back the harsh negative words I chose to say, but things happen for a reason. And I am hurting again. Because I was feeling regretful about leaving, but I don't wanna be somebody's #2 choice replacement, nor do I deserve lack of respect just because I am classified a woman. There was some sexist crap Jay and Ayunna would follow just because I was more feminine than them, doesn't mean I shouldn't be allowed to be dominant. I am Dom. Most definitely. And I choose who I am too. Im allowed to call myself Dom. I can be harsh and cruel just like they were. But now they hate me for being this way towards them, because i knew where their soft spots were, but i honor and respect people's feelings 1st to never hit their vulnerable insecurities until they fuck with my own on purpose, full shot on, and multiple repeated actions that weren't corrected on their behalf.

Jay acts like a subby brat, but switched to Dom whenever they wanted to make me submit. Im glad I got my power back though. Knowing that you can call your own title without their approval really made me feel better about standing my ground. I didn't need to be called a sub, just cause they wanted me to weaken myself down to a more pleasing, controllable level. Cause I am smarter and stronger than them, it just took them too long to figure that out, that I do have a dominant, fair, but yet firm standard of belief systems. I do have morals I tend to stand by. And watching Ayunna get hurt by them too, pissed me the fuck off.

Cause how could you repeatedly choose her over me, then go as far to ask to flirt or sleep with more women than you already had right in front of you? If you couldn't make sure us 2 was already taken care of and pleased with this relationship...why tf could you be so greedy and so rude and cruel to think that it would be ok to ask for more girls to flirt with you, when we were already giving you the attention you asked for?

You made us 2 feel like we weren't good enough to satisfy you, when truth is no one can until you learn how to do it yourself and love yourself, respect yourself better and stop calling yourself an asshole and treating your body, your face, and your heart like shit just because you're a miserable little fuck. Just because you have an attitude doesn't mean me, Ayunna, and whoever new you decide to replace my presence with....isn't gonna tolerate it.

That's why I left too. But there's multiple reasons. I'm choosing the positive choice to love you from afar and to find me another transman, nonbinary, tranfemale to love who isn't going to reject me, use me, or hurt me the way you did.

Because people are individuals, doesn't mean all trans people are alike and not all think its ok to hurt other women sadistically or for their own game play for "enter-painment". Yes, I said it.

Good Day.

-Darth Vader, Out.

[topicprinter]

Hey there /r/entrepreneur! I’m reading 52 business books in 52 weeks, and this week’s book was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Here are my biggest takeaways -- 391 pages packed down into a 240 second read.I'm giving away $1,000 tomorrow at 5:30 P.T., and you're eligible if you read this summary. All you have to do is comment on this Instagram post to enter. THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE by Stephen R. Covey The Paradigm ShiftThe understanding of "success" has undergone a radical change in the 20th Century, and no one saw it happen. Yet, this shift changed how we view the very idea of success, and how it is attained. The shift happened in the 1920s, and Covey noticed it while studying over 200 years of success literature.Prior to the 1920s, people thought success was attained through a sound character, and strong personal integrity that would carry you far. It was focused on developing the deep and inner qualities that make for innovative, hardworking people that attract success and wealth. Following the Roaring 20s, the process of attaining success shifted to something much less deep. Now, people thought success was attained by developing one's personality, public image, and attitude.The post-1920s model isn't wrong, but it skips a step. Covey draws upon the ancient Hermetic principle of "As above, so below. As within, so without." First we need to develop our inner-self, and then what follows is the outer self.Covey believes that the world is based on our own perceptions. One man's trash is another's treasure, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In order to change a given situation, we must first change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must first change our perceptions. As above, so below. As within, so without.People always look for shortcuts to success. Shortcuts don't exist. "The way we see the problem is the problem," Covey writes. We must change our paradigm, we're burning the candle from the wrong end. We must better ourselves deeply within if we want to see everlasting change without.The Road Map to FortunesCovey has identified 3 stages to developing our inner-selves that will affect the outer-world in the greatest way possible:Self-Mastery and Independence: Habits 1, 2, and 3Collaboration and Interdependence: Habits 4, 5, and 6Eternal Improvement: Habit 7Here it is, personal development broken down. Step by step. It matters not what age we live in, nor the condition of the markets. For these are the timeless principles of inner development which will never change. Practice on habit at a time until it becomes second nature. Then, move onto the next. As you alter your inner-self, you'll notice your outer-world also change.Self Mastery and IndependenceHabit 1: Be ProactiveYou're the captain of your ship, the master of your soul. Act like it!Accept 100% responsibility for your lifeReactive people view the world as happening to them. Being reactive is a self-fulfilling prophecy, believing you can't affect the world is a great way to let things happen to you.Proactive people see themselves changing the world around them. This is also a self-fulfilling prophecy, only this time to result is empowerment and success.Proactive people accept complete responsibility... or response-ability! This is the ability to decide how to respond to a set of stimuli, and hold yourself accountable for it.The Circle of Influence is everything we can influence, while the Circle of Concern is everything that affect us. The Circle of Influence lies within the Circle of Concern (like a bullseye). Proactive people expand their Circle of Influence until it covers the entire Circle of Concern, while reactive people contract their Circle of Influence.The single way to increase your Circle of Influence is to accept more responsibility and take more action.Proactive people focus on their expanding Circle of Influence, while reactive people focus only on their Circle of Concern (shrinking their Circle of Influence).Practice it Now: As you go through your days, replace reactive language with proactive language. Change your words, change your thoughts, and you'll change your understanding. Instead of "he's annoys the hell out of me," think "I control my emotions, and I won't let his attitude control me." Put proactivity into practice. Take the initiative on a project, start the conversation, start turning the wheels yourself instead of waiting for someone else to do it (even if it's not your job!). Make the decision to do this often until it becomes a habit.Habit 2: Begin with the End in MindUse your vision and imagination to decide what you want to come, and use your conscious to decide how you'll get you there.Know why you're doing something, deeply, and ensure your busyness is making possible your grand vision for life. Don't waste major time on minor things.In everything you do, start with the end in mind. That way you can be sure you're moving in the right direction.Don't climb a ladder that's leaning on the wrong wall.Starting with the end in mind allows you to live your own life, instead of anybody else's.Starting with the end in mind starts with setting and achieving goals.Are you working towards your goals, or someone else's?Ask yourself, what's my center? Centers are home-bases of perception and guidance. They're giant nodes in our mind that tell us what to think in exchange for approval, comfort, security, and validation. Everyone has a center. They dictate our understanding of situations, our thoughts, our aspirations and actions.Some centers include friends, family, Church, enemies, pleasure, money, spouse, or possessions.For example, one may find security in knowing others think well of him. He will do what he must in order for others to think about him positively. Another may find security in family-acceptance, and is therefore constrained to follow family models and spend time fulfilling family expectations.Having a center - whatever it may be - is not optimal because we cannot control it, yet we must always depend on it. Having a center is accepting to be a reactive person, since we must always react to the changing standards of our center. Plus, it forces us to live a life that's not our own, but of the center.The solution is to build your own center, and base it on our own principles.We must decide what core principles we believe in, and then make them our center.If we are principally-centered, we can know what wall to climb. Only with faith in our own center, built just for us, can we start with the end in mind.Practice it Now: Identify your current center. Ask yourself why you're doing what you're doing, and keep digging until you find your source of security and fulfillment. Understand you will never be fully fulfilled satisfying a center that is not based on your own principles. Even if it lines up with your own principles, it can change and force you to change with it. If you base your center on your own principles, you'll never have to fear for comfort and security is always attainable. In every goal and activity your pursue, ask yourself the ends you're working towards and make sure it aligns with your new principle center. If not, adjust. Do this until every second you spend on this Earth is working towards your own center, and your own goals -- not anybody else's.Habit 3: Put First Things FirstPrioritize your day-to-day actions based on what's most important, not what's most urgent.Habit 2 is about knowing what you want and setting goals to achieve them. Habit 3 is about executing these goals in a moment-by-moment basis.In order to stay on track with our goals, we need to have the willpower to do things we don't want to do, when we don't want to do it. We need to act according to our new Principle Center as opposed to our momentary whims and desires."The challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves."All activities can be put into a matrix and measured by two factors: urgency and importance....ImportantNon-ImportantUrgentResolving client disputePointless MeetingsNon-UrgentCreating new revenue streamWatching TVWe should focus our time doing important, non-urgent things. This will prevent spending all of our time putting out fires, and will prevent fires in the first place."The key is not to prioritize what's on our schedule, but to schedule our priorities."Maintain a primary focus on relationships and results, and a secondary focus on time."Think effectiveness with people and efficiency with things."Practice it Now: Start your morning by listing your to-do list in the above matrix. Focus on important tasks, and sometime non-urgent over urgent tasks. Reorder your to-do list in this way and stick to it.Collaboration and InterdependenceHabit 4: Think Win-WinBe win-win, or no deal. In every interaction seek to make deals that benefit both parties. If that's not possible, stick by your integrity and drop the deal entirely.In order to make win-win deals, you must maintain an abundance mentality.Share your success, share the credit. There's enough abundance for everyone in this world.Life is not a zero-sum game.Practice it Now: How can you put together win-win deals for your customers, coworkers, friends or spouse? Look at your interactions and relationships. Are they win-win?Habit 5: Seek first to Understand, then to be UnderstoodDon't prescribe a solution before understanding the problem; don't listen to reply.If you fully understand someone, you can fine-tune your approach with nuances to make for a well-received message.In order to best serve your customers, first understand them. Know everything about their lives, know their birthdays, know their styles and personas.Understanding is essential in creating win-win solutions."Seeking to understand requires consideration; seeking to be understood requires courage."The greatest way to be understood is to present your idea in the right context using the greatest amount of understanding.Practice it Now: When engaged in conversation, listen attentively. Forget about what you're going to say next. Watch body language, detect tone, and understand their diction. In doing so, your reply will come naturally. Moreover, it'll be fine-tuned to exactly their situation and personality. The speaker will appreciate your thoughtful pause before your reply, and your words will carry more weight.Habit 6: SynergizeSynergy is made when 1 + 1 = 3 or more.In order to create synergy, you must fully understand and create win-win solutions (habits 4 & 5).Synergy requires a creative environment of trust and safety to grow, where people can shamelessly brainstorm and build off of each other's ideas.The true power of synergy comes from valuing people's differences (in skillsets or perspective) and combining those differences with your skills and values to create something radically new."The key to valuing differences is to realize that all people see the world, not as it is, but as they are."Practice it now: When collaborating with others, try to understand your differences. Work not to butt heads over the right solution, but see if you can combine viewpoints to make for a creative third alternative to "he's right and I'm wrong," or "I'm right and he's wrong." They must think that way for a reason. Why? Combine both why's for a powerful answer.## Eternal ImprovementHabit 7: Sharpen the SawWe must regularly devote time to renewing, reviewing, upgrading, and improving ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually and socially.Take the time to sharpen the saw, and to enhance your greatest asset: you!Each of our 4 dimensions (physical, mental, social, spiritual) should be exercised, reviewed and improved regularly.Physical: exercise your body in ways that will enhance its capacities to work, play, and enjoy. That means eating well, exercising, and getting sufficient rest and relaxation.Mental: exercise the mind in order to increase its capacities and usefulness, as well as ensure its endurance. Examples of this include reading good literature, keeping a journal, and avoid mental junk food (useless television or YouTube browsing)Spiritual: provide leadership to your life and reinforce your commitment to your values and principles. Practice daily meditation, get in touch with nature, immerse yourself in art, and practice your faithSocial: maintain, nourish, and develop meaningful relationships. Seek to deeply understand other people, make contributions to projects that affect people in meaningful ways, and seek to help others with their own success through your abundance mentality"Not a day goes by that we can’t at least serve one other human being by making deposits of unconditional love."As you renew yourself, be a positive role model, friend, and coach for others.Practice it Now: Schedule time for sharpening the saw, and stick to it. Track your performance in every facet -- physical, mental, spiritual and social -- and aim to improve each time you revisit the activity. Encourage others around you to renew themselves.  There it is! The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. I recommend you pin these habits on your wall. Each day review your progress in each habit. You can start with one method at a time, and make a calendar you can 'x' out each day to ensure it's been practiced. Slowly but surely, you'll build all 7 habits for a highly effect life.Did you enjoy the read? We're giving away $20,000 over the next 12 months to those who read along with us. Join us at /r/ThePaineCollective or @JamesCharlesPaine. Otherwise, I'll see you next Sunday with a recap of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. $20,000 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading List