#Sorry for not including the pizza Vy

[gwenbrightly]

It’s the Thought That Counts... Right???

Here’s a short oneshot I wrote inspired by a discussion we were having about post MoTO Garmadon trying to understand holiday traditions.

“Would you like to come in out of the cold… sir?” a tavern keeper called, sticking her head through the doorway of a nearby building. She was staring at him. People always stared at Garmadon, even when he had hidden his oni form under a cloak or other manner of disguise. It wasn’t like it was his fault he was so tall and bulky. Or that he had an extra set of appendages.

He muttered a quick,

“Thank you,” – that was the term used to express gratitude, right? – before following her into the tavern. He couldn’t help but relax as the warmth from the fireplace on the other side of the room washed over him. Music softly played a song about someone named Santa. Garmadon didn’t know who that was, but the villagers must have, because several of them were singing along.

He wandered to a far corner of the tavern and seated himself in a booth. Might as well get comfortable while he warmed himself. Garmadon allowed himself a moment to simply listen to the music and empty his brain of the confusing thoughts and questions about life that so often filled his days. It was nice to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the tavern.

“So, stranger, can I get you anything?” the tavern keeper, who’s name tag read Mauve, asked him after a few minutes.

“I’ll take the strongest black coffee you have,” Garmadon answered. He could have ordered tea, he supposed, but it was far more fun to spite his brother. Even if Wu wasn’t actually here to gasp dramatically at his sin.

“Would you like any creamer or sugar?”

Garmadon shook his head in the negative. Mauve scribbled something on her notepad and disappeared into what he assumed was the kitchen.

As he waited for her to return, Garmadon glanced about the tavern. Mauve certainly had an odd taste in decor. The walls were lined with strands of greenery and little red berries. There was a tree coated in glittery froufrou near the fireplace. Why anyone would put a tree indoors was beyond him. And why decorate said tree? What purpose could it possibly serve?

“Here’s your coffee, sir,” Mauve announced, pulling Garmadon from his thoughts. She set his drink down on the table, and next to it, an oddly shaped white and red striped object. He stared at it in confusion.

“What is this?” he wanted to know. Mauve had the audacity to laugh as she replied,

“Have you… never seen a candy cane before?”

For the first time in a long time, Garmadon had a sudden desire to stab something. With immense self restraint, he decided to focus on the issue that was least likely to get him arrested – the nature of this… cane made of candy.

“Candy cane?” he repeated, trying to hide his curiosity. Mauve smiled at him.

“Yes. It’s a peppermint flavored sugar made in the shape of a cane. Candy canes are a Christmas staple.”

Christmas. Garmadon vaguely remembered overhearing talk of the holiday in one of the other villages he’d passed through. It was another mystery of the universe he had yet to unravel.

“Ah.”

“Well, if you need anything else, I’ll be over working the counter.” Mauve said, nodding her head towards the bar, where several families sat doing… something. Garmadon waited until she was gone to unwrap the candy cane and give it a tentative lick. Too sweet, yet somehow bitter at the same time. He wasn’t impressed. Taking a swig of coffee to rid himself of the taste, he stared out the window at the snowflakes that lazily drifted on the winter breeze. Most humans would probably say the view was beautiful. As much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to see why they enjoyed the season so much.

15 minutes and an entire cup of coffee later, Garmadon meandered towards the bar. Staring out the window could only hold his attention for so long before he grew bored and now he was looking for something new to occupy him. Mauve glanced up from the papers she was folding.

“Ready for a refill?”

“Thank you, but no,” Garmadon told her, tossing a few coins on the counter as payment for his drink. The tavern keeper nodded thoughtfully.

“Would you like to join us in making Christmas cards, then?” she inquired motioning at the array of materials being used by several of the tavern’s patrons, “You don’t seem like the type, but I’m happy to get you the supplies if you’re interested.”

Garmadon eyed her skeptically.

“Tell me about these… Christmas cards.”

“You really don’t know much about Christmas, do you?” Mauve commented, more to herself than to him. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I…”

“That’s okay! We’ll teach you all about it!” offered the child sitting on the nearest stool, giving him a huge grin.

“You really don’t have to-” Garmadon began to protest. Mauve cut him off.

“Oh, no. Kelly is right. We’re teaching you how to make Christmas cards, and then you’re learning at least one Christmas carol.”

Garmadon groaned, but half-heartedly allowed himself to be taught the arts of card making. It wouldn’t be his best work, oh no, for he definitely wasn’t ready to admit that he maybe kind of cared about Lloyd – or for Lloyd to realize that he cared. But it was a start. After all, people kept telling him there was more to life than surviving.

 ______________________

Thunk! Thunk! Bang!

“We must have a visitor,” noted Lloyd just as a snowball hit him in the face. “Rude,” he complained. Kai sniggered, earning him a vicious glare from both his sister and the Green Ninja.

Bang! There was another knock on the gates.

“Perhaps we should call a truce and let whoever is out there in before they break the gates down,” Zane suggested before Lloyd could plan a counterattack. Cole nodded, dropping his own snowball as he spoke.

“That’s probably wise.”

The others sighed, but refrained from continuing their snowball fight. Their companions were right and they were curious to see who had made the icy trek up the mountainside to the monastery. Lloyd shot Kai his best we’ll continue this later and made for the gates just as another knock sounded.

“Could you be any more impatient?” he muttered under his breath. Giving one of the gates a tug inward, he was greeted by the mailman, who was looking at his wristwatch in annoyance.

“About time,” the mailman said, brushing past Lloyd without saying hello.

“Hello, Mr. Mailman! Would you like to come inside for some hot cocoa?” Zane greeted brightly. The mailman shook his head vigorously.

“No, no. I have lots of other deliveries to make, what with it being the holidays and all. Not to mention, I’m not entirely convinced this package doesn’t contain a bomb, and I’d rather not stick around to find out,” he replied hurriedly. The ninja glanced at each other.

“Why?”  “Who’s it for?”

Cole and Jay asked at the same time.

“The package is addressed to the Green Ninja himself,” the mailman stated, shoving it at Lloyd with considerable delicacy, “if it is a bomb, please don’t bother filing a complaint with the Bureau of Mail Delivery and Package Sending. Remember. I’m just the messenger,” and with that, the mailman was gone.

“That was… odd,” commented Nya, raising an eyebrow. Lloyd hummed thoughtfully as he stared at the package the mailman had been so desperate to be rid of.

“It’s the mailman, sis. He’s always kinda kooky if you ask me,” Kai said, unconcerned. Silence fell as the group gathered around their brother to get a closer look at the package.

“It’s – it’s from my father…” Lloyd announced after a moment, completely shocked. No one knew quite how to respond to this news. The last time they’d seen Garmadon had been while Lloyd was still unconscious after the battle with the Oni. He hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye. And to be perfectly honest, no one was really sure they could trust the warlord not to continue his deceitful ways.

“Ah. Well, that explains the mention of a potential bomb threat, then,” Zane observed.

“Yeah…” Lloyd coughed awkwardly.

“So… are you gonna chuck it off the mountain and watch for a mushroom cloud? Or are you gonna open it and hope for the best?” Jay asked ever so tactfully. Lloyd thought for a moment before replying.

“Hhh… Kai, do me a favor and grab those tongs you keep in the forge. We’re gonna need em’.”

The master of fire was quick to follow Lloyd’s instructions and returned momentarily with a sturdy, and especially long, pair of tongs. Everyone took a step back as Lloyd set the package in a patch of snow away from anything important (his uncle would kill him if he accidentally set something on fire so close to Christmas). He gripped the tongs tightly and edged them carefully toward one end of the package.

“Here goes nothing,” Lloyd whisperer, snagging a flap of packaging and ripping it upwards. The seconds ticked by, but nothing exploded, beeped, or vibrated. He poked the package. Still, nothing. Curiosity getting the better of him, Lloyd pulled the rest of the dirty brown wrapping away from the contents of the package.

“Candy canes?” Lloyd couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Why on earth would Garmadon send him candy canes?

“There’s a card, too,” Nya said, plucking an envelope from the torn packaging. She passed it to Lloyd, who tentatively opened it.

“Dear Loyd,

The anoying villagers here tell me it is customarie to send cards to people you… people you’re related to. I don’t know why I’m alloweing them to dictate my life, but here:” Lloyd read aloud from the front of the folded piece of paper, struggling to make sense of the messy handwriting and questionable spelling. And, more so, struggling to understand what was happening. He had long ago lost any hope that he and Garmadon could ever go back to what they had once been. Had believed that their formerly loving relationship was permanently dead.

Biting his lip, Lloyd unfolded the envelope. The drawing inside was quite possibly the most hilariously insulting caricature of himself that Lloyd had ever seen. His initial shock at receiving a gift (?) from Garmadon was replaced with a squeak of laughter. He couldn’t help it; the image was simply too much for him to take.

“Are you okay, buddy?” Cole asked, concerned by Lloyd’s sudden change in demeanor.

“I-I don’t know,” Lloyd half laughed, half cried. He held out the card so the others could see.

“That’s sure… something else,” Nya commented.

“Yeah. I didn’t realize you had 4 arms, Lloyd,” Kai added, perhaps a bit too entertained by the interesting features Garmadon had given his brother. Nya viciously elbowed his side, but he shrugged unrepentantly. “What? It’s true.”

“Permission to laugh?” Jay asked. He was still ogling the image and Lloyd could tell he was only barely reigning himself in.

“I. Yeah, sure. Go ahead,” Lloyd relented, “I guess it is a pretty hilarious drawing.”

As Jay and Kai took full advantage of the invitation to let their true feelings show, Nya turned to Lloyd.

“Guess you won’t be forgetting this Christmas any time soon, huh?” she asked, a wry smile on her face. Lloyd laughed softly. Maybe this whole thing was a prank, maybe Garmadon had simply wanted to mess with him. But maybe, just maybe, his father was finally learning to care about someone other than himself. And that was a thought Lloyd could cling to on Christmas morning, when he felt the absence of those he had lost most keenly. A thought that gave him hope that perhaps someday, his family might possibly be complete again.

[honeybammie]

downpour › hwang hyunjin

↳ in which your timing with hyunjin is never quite right ↳ angst ↳ sentence prompt: “do you love her?” ↳ part two - raindrops › lee felix 

I was Hyunjin’s first kiss. I should’ve been his only kiss, but he doesn’t know that, and telling him so would ruin twelve years of friendship. We were fifteen years old playing video games in his basement, and he asked if I ever kissed anyone. I told him no, and he confessed that he hadn’t, either, but all our friends already had. Han, Seungmin, and Felix were six months younger than him, and they were already ahead. So we did what we obligatorily had to and kissed each other, which was a little too cold and dry but fine as far as first kisses were concerned. We dated afterwards for a month, but we never hung out other than with friends and only kissed a couple more times. In all honesty, I didn’t like Hyunjin. He had been my friend since elementary school, and I was perpetually in love with older men—meaning Chan and Woojin, who were eighteen at the time, and in my eyes, they were dreamy and sophisticated, even if they smelled too much like boy and didn’t yet know how to dress. So I broke up with Hyunjin, the two of us agreeing we merely dated out of a nonexistent necessity and high school pressure, and we returned to being friends. We still hung out with all of the guys, and after a while the fact that we were ever together faded out of existence. 

Until it reappeared. 

Hyunjin changed drastically in three years. At eighteen, he had kissed many girls. On bleachers at school soccer games. At bus stops while waiting to ride into the city. In cafes to take care of the coffee that had collected on a girl’s top lip. He dated a few, but they lasted no longer than I did. We didn’t hang out one-on-one anymore, but our group of ten hung out at least once a week, usually a Friday or Saturday night spent at Felix’s house, where Hyunjin would fall asleep with his head in my lap every time.

I changed, too, in that I was no longer perpetually in love with older men, but head-over-heels in love with Hyunjin.

I don’t know how many times he fell asleep with his head on my lap before I realized, but eventually, the feeling in my chest was as undeniable and uncontrollable as the weather, and every time he kissed a new girl, it downpoured, my envy coming in sheets of rain and jagged bolts of lightning, but he only heard the pitter-patter of rain on windows, and slept soundly while I brushed my fingers through his hair.

Felix lived only a couple houses down from me, so I usually arrived first and helped him pull all the blankets from his closets and all the bags of chips from his cabinets to set out in the basement living room. This time, his parents gave us money for pizza, as they did every-so-often.

“How many should I order? Five?” he asked while dialing the number. I sat at the dinner table, popping chips and salsa in my mouth.

“We usually order four.”

“Yeah, but that barely lasts the ten of us, and we have an extra guest tonight.”

My eyebrows furrowed. Extra guest? “What’re you talking about?”

“Just a second.” He raised the phone to his ear, rattling off five different types of pizza while I drummed my nails on the table. There had only ever been ten of us.

When the call ended, Felix focused on me again. “What’s up? Oh—our extra. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it. Hyunjin is bringing his girlfriend.”

I stopped chewing, a myriad of alarms sounding in my head, but out loud I laughed. “You’re joking.”

“I’m…not.” Felix squinted at me. “Why?”

“He’s never been with a girl longer than a month. You’re going to start letting him bring all his flings into the nights dedicated to our group of friends hanging out?” 

I leaned back in my chair, baffled. “Minho has a girlfriend, too, and she’s never done that.”

“Hyunjin’s been with her for four months,” Felix corrected me. My mouth dropped, and he widened his eyes in realization. “He hasn’t told you?”

I shook my head. “None of you did. Four months?”

“He didn’t tell me until a few weeks ago, saying neither of them have ever been good at relationships, so they didn’t tell anyone for a while, but he said he really likes her. I was the first one he told, but I assumed he spread the news to everyone by now.”

“To everyone except me, I’m sure.” I might not have spoken to him one-on-one anymore, but if he was telling everyone else, didn’t I deserve to know? Had I misinterpreted something?

“I’m sure there’s an explanation.” Felix rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder, but his eyes gave away his doubt. “Just wait until you meet her, okay? I’m sure she’s lovely, and if Hyunjin is happy, we should be happy for him.”

I faked a smile, but on the inside lightning cracked, and soon came the rain.  

Minho, Jisung, Seungmin, and Jeongin arrived next, carpooling in Minho’s vehicle, followed by Chan and Changbin, and then Woojin. Hyunjin and Kim Mina—Felix told me her name—entered last, and all eyes turned to them as he helped her shed the winter coat off her shoulders. 

He squeezed her hand before approaching while she hid partway behind him, timid and a whole head shorter, but adorable no less. She fixed her bangs repetitively, and her large eyes shone under the kitchen lights. One look, and I didn’t even have to wonder what he saw in her.

“Everyone,” Hyunjin announced over the chattering voices of our friends. He was beaming, his skin aglow, and everyone fell silent. “I wanted you to meet Mina.”

“Mina!” I exclaimed before anyone else had the chance. “We’ve heard so much about you!”

Sitting across the table, Felix turned around to shake his head at me, but no one else suspected a thing, chiming in with their agreements while Mina blushed crimson.

But Hyunjin knew, too. For a moment, his expression faltered, but this was not the time or place for him to make up to me, so he returned to his previous task, which included introducing each of us individually. 

When Hyunjin reached me, Mina pitched in and said my name first. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “He talks about you often,” she said with a laugh.

“Does he?” I mused. “I’d love to hear about it sometime. All good things, I hope.”

This time, Felix kicked me under the table. I wasn’t even being noticeably sarcastic, and Mina continued to smile unaffected, so I kicked him back. 

Soon after, we carried our get together from the kitchen to the basement living room, where everyone huddled under blankets for movies and talking too loudly over top of the movies. Mina was the primary star of the night, given that she was our first new guest in ever. She was a few months older than Hyunjin, which everyone teased him for, and she studied nursing in school, which was supposedly a lot of work but she knew it’d pay off one day. Hyunjin stared at her all the while, the rest of us barely in his worldview, and jealousy pumped thick and poisoned blood through my system. How I wanted to dislike Mina, but she checked off every box I could think of. She even had a kitten, who she excitedly shared pictures of. And she adopted it from a kill-shelter. Even better. 

But why hadn’t Hyunjin told me? All the others clearly knew, whereas I was the one person left in the dark. We saw each other every week and he fell asleep on me all the time. Did that not count for anything in his book of friends? 

“I’m going to make myself a bag of popcorn,” I announced after I found myself staring at them for an eternity too long in the middle of a movie. Maybe in two minutes, I could fall out of love with Hyunjin, and my envy would clear itself from my bloodstream. 

“Wait, I want some, too.”

I was halfway up the steps, and I clenched my teeth when Hyunjin’s voice called after me. He shuffled to his feet while I continued my ascent, pretending I hadn’t heard him. 

He watched me wordlessly while I scoured Felix’s cabinet until I found a box, and he shut the door to the basement so he could explain without anyone hearing. 

“Look, I’m sorry,” he started. “I know this is bad.”

“No shit,” I scoffed. He looked at the floor. “You told all of them. Felix knew for weeks, and I assume the others found out soon after, but I had to learn from Felix twenty minutes before you got here. I must’ve misinterpreted something over the years because I thought you were one of my best friends since we were six, but—”

“Can I please explain? Please?” he interjected, pleading with big brown eyes and I turned away from him to put the bag of popcorn into the microwave. “I didn’t know how to tell you. With the other guys, it was easy, but you were the first girl I ever kissed or dated or fell in love with, and it took me almost three years to get over my best friend, so I didn’t know how to approach the fact that I had.”

I clutched Felix’s countertop to make up for the wind knocked out of my lungs, and my back remained to him. “Say that again,” I muttered. “Three years? When we broke up—when we were fifteen, I should mention—I said I didn’t see you that way, and you agreed.”

“What else was I supposed to do?” he asked. “Ruin our friendship? Say that I had the biggest crush on you? Even through the rest of high school, I waited every day for you to change your mind. I tried to kiss other girls and go on dates with other girls, but it never worked. I started falling asleep on your lap two years ago just so you’d play with my hair or give me attention, which is ridiculous, but it’s true. I just kept waiting for you to magically fall in love with me one day.”

I let go of the counter to face him. This was his magical day. I had fallen in love with him months ago under the impression he hadn’t felt the same way in years, and now we could fix years of miscommunication and longing and—

“But you never did,” he continued, and my imagination crumbled into dust. “And I’m sorry for doing this now. It’s probably awkward, but I just didn’t know how to address the fact that I had a new girlfriend when I spent so much time vying for you.”

“And you’re happy?” I asked. “With Mina?”

He nodded, trying to suppress a stupid smile. The conversation didn’t allow for it. “Yeah, I am.” 

“Do you love her?”

He paused, and if he said no I told myself I’d tell him the truth. If he didn’t love her, maybe he was still in love with me, and I’d come clean. In two seconds I made an infinite number of promises to the universe of the things I’d do if he just said no. 

But he smiled. This time there was no suppression, only complete acceptance and euphoria to a fact he knew in his mind long before he said it out loud. “I do.”

The microwave sounded. If it hadn’t, I don’t know what I’d say to him that I’d regret moments later, but I reached into the microwave to pull out the searing hot bag, and I poured its contents into a bowl. 

“Here,” I said, holding the bowl out to him. “Thanks for telling me.”

He smiled, completely oblivious. There is nothing quite as sweet as being naïve and in love. Who was I to ruin that for him? “Thank you for understanding.”

He disappeared down the stairs, and I threw another bag in the microwave before slumping to the floor against Felix’s oven, covering my mouth with both hands to cover my shock. Two minutes to fall out of love with Hyunjin, but he took years, and I thought myself no better off, destined to play the same waiting game. 

By the time I registered the sound of footsteps coming for me, I didn’t have time to move, only lift my head to see Felix pushing open the door and pausing mid-step once he saw me on the floor. From there, he approached with caution as not to startle me, tiptoeing his way over and sitting next to me. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“I love him.” 

I hoped admitting the words aloud might make them untrue, like I might laugh at the idea of ever being with Hyunjin again, but I only cried harder into my hands. Felix wrapped his arms around my shoulders so I could lean into him and further disguise myself from the remainder of the world. Maybe the storm couldn’t find me if I hid myself away as such.

He didn’t say a word, letting me spend as long as I needed with my forehead pressed into his t-shirt and rubbing circles on my back, but I only had so much time before the others would come upstairs wondering what happened to the two of us. 

“He loves her,” I muttered when I found my voice again, engraining the fact into my head. It was true. I had to accept that there was no alternative. 

I loved Hyunjin, and he had loved me, but I fell in love too late and he fell in love too early to do anything about it, and only one of us knew both sides.

Outside, it began to pour.

a/n: i hadn’t written angst in a while,,,this was the result 

[tragicbooks]

Thousands will be in D.C. to stand with women. Here's how to stand with them from home.

Join the movement.

<br>

The Women's March on Washington is an opportunity for Americans to stand up against the expected affront to civil rights under the next president. Hundreds of thousands of marchers — women from all walks of life (including a handful of A-list celebrities) and men (yes, men are welcome and encouraged to attend!) — are expected in the nation's capital on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after Donald Trump is inaugurated as 45th president of the United States.

Given that President-elect Trump has "insulted, demonized, and threatened" so many groups — including people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and survivors of sexual assault — the goal of the march is to send a bold message to him: We are standing together.

Anti-Trump demonstrators in Chicago in November 2016. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

Getting to Washington, D.C., on inauguration weekend, however, takes time and money that many of us cannot afford. That's OK, though — there are still several ways you can join the movement, regardless of where you are in the country (or world, for that matter).

Here are 25 ways to show your support for the Women's March on Washington, even if you can't be there in person:

1. Join a smaller, local march near you.

There are 616 (and counting) sister marches around the world demonstrating in smaller — but still powerful — capacities. If distance is your biggest barrier, maybe there's a more local solution to your problem.

2. Make a poster and stick it in your front yard for the day.

Or, you know, until 2020.

Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images.

3. Know someone who's driving to D.C.? Help them get there by chipping in some gas money.

In most parts of the country, gas prices aren't quite as obscenely high as they once were — thanks, Obama! — but still, fuel is expensive. If you wish you could attend but can't, help another marcher out. $10 (literally) goes a long way.

4. Invite friends over to watch coverage of the march together, and set a goal to help girls and women in 2017.

A goal could be to routinely help out at a women's shelter, volunteer as a clinic escort, or become a Big Sister. There will be many causes that need that kind of extra attention and dedication under the Trump administration.

And on that note...

5. Donate to organizations that will be more vital than ever under a Trump administration.

Contribute to an organization or two you care about — be it Planned Parenthood (the national group or local chapters), Emily's List (which helps get more women elected to office), the NAACP, the National Network of Abortion Funds, Black Girls Code, the ACLU, National Women's Law Center, NARAL, Girls Write Now, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Purple Purse, or others. Every dollar helps.

6.  Wear a "Nasty Woman" shirt, and share a pic on social media.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images.

Make your own — or buy one — and help that infamous-turned-glorious 2016 debate moment live on forever.

7. Go on strike for all (or part of) the day.

Women Strike is encouraging folks to lay low on Jan. 20-21 as an act of protest against the incoming administration and Congress, both of which are aiming to enact policies that disproportionately harm women — like stripping health care and reproductive rights and dismissing paid maternity leave and child care.

8. Make just the right playlist, and blast it on repeat. All. Day. Long.

Songs may or may not include "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," "I Am Woman," "You Don't Own Me," "Respect," "Rebel Girl," and an assortment of Beyoncé's greatest hits.

Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images.

9. Carve out a half-hour of your day to follow, subscribe to, and learn about women who were inspired to throw their hats into the political ring for the first time after the election.

Not only have women of color made historic gains in the Senate this year, but the rise of Trumpism appears to have inspired a surge in women vying for political office.

People like Chelsea Wilson, a member of the Cherokee Nation who lives in Oklahoma; Brianna Wu, an advocate against online harassment who was at the heart of 2014's GamerGate; and Wendy Carrillo, a Los Angeles woman whose parents brought her from El Salvador illegally as a child, are among the more than 4,500 women who've expressed grassroots interest in getting their names on the ballot in the coming years. Let's make sure they don't go unnoticed.

Speaking of the ballot box...

10. Set up an alert on your calendar to remind you when midterm elections are coming up.

Presidential campaigns feel like years-long sagas with plot twists galore — those elections are hard to miss. Midterms, however, seem to slip under the radar for most Americans, even though the results are just as consequential. Really, 2018 is just around the corner.

11. Call D.C. pizza joints or bakeries — ideally, the day before the march — and have them send a couple pizzas or a few dozen donuts to demonstrators.

Democracy can be a tiring activity, after all, and marchers will appreciate the fuel-up.

Photo via iStock.

12. Call your representatives to let them know you're part of the movement against Trump's attacks on civil rights.

I know you've heard this one a million times. But really, calling your reps can — and actually does — work. (Pro tip: Flooding their phone lines sends a much more powerful message than an email or letter.)

It's arrived! Download Call the Halls: Contacting Your Representative the Smart Way >> https://t.co/xxhzsMX3mM

— Emily Ellsworth (@editoremilye) November 23, 2016

13. Connect two or more people you know who want to go to the march but don't want to go alone.

You may have friends from different circles who'd go to the march if they had another person to share travel expenses and driving time with. Post a Facebook status asking if this is the case with any of your friends, and be the facilitator if anyone responds.

14. If you know someone who's going to the march, create a sign for them to carry on your behalf.

That's what artist Narya Marcille is doing. She can't make it to D.C. on Jan. 21, but her aunts and sister will be carrying this rad poster for her.

Illustration courtesy of Narya Marcille.

Marcille's design has become wildly popular online. You can buy the digital download for prints, shirts, and more on her Etsy page. Even cooler: 50% of profits are being donated to Planned Parenthood and Running Start, Marcille says.

Even if you don't have the money to buy Marcille's design, however...

15. Change your Facebook profile pic in support of the march.

In a post on Facebook, Marcille wrote that anyone can use the illustration for their Facebook profile picture in an act of solidarity with the movement. If you're extra inspired, you can even design your own artwork to use (or take a pic of the yard sign you made or the "Nasty Woman" shirt you're rocking, and use that photo instead).

16. Set aside some time to read and subscribe to digital and print publications that give a voice to women from all walks of life.

Publications like Autostraddle, Clutch, Gloria Steinem's Ms. Magazine — and even ones that have pivoted toward issues-based content more recently, like Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan — can only run if people are reading and subscribing.

Photo b Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

17. Sponsor someone else to march through NARAL.

NARAL, a political group aimed at protecting abortion rights, will let you chip in to help someone else attend the Women's March. $40 pays for one college student's ride to D.C., but if that's too steep, $15 will provide three signs for marchers.

18. Share your own story about sexism and discrimination you've encountered in your life.

Use Jan. 21 as a reason to open up to friends and family online about how you've experienced discrimination or abuse and why the march matters on a personal level. If posting it on Facebook is scary — which is totally understandable — maybe tell just one other person you trust. The more people speak up, the better.

If you do decide to open up on social media, though...

19. Use the #WomensMarch and #WhyIMarch hashtag on Facebook and Twitter.

I march for my family, my friends, and my future students. I march for those I know and those who I will meet. HBU? #whyIMarch #WomensMarch

— Baylee Fee (@bayls_ofhay) January 3, 2017

Sometimes hashtags get a bad rap for being a sorry excuse for real activism. But hashtags really can unite communities in solidarity — especially when they're used to amplify the voices of minorities, immigrants, women, those who are LGBTQ, and so on.

20. Sign up to become a See Jane advocate for the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

As Meryl Streep reminded us at the Golden Globes, Hollywood has a responsibility to fight Trumpism. You can help them do it by signing up to be a See Jane advocate for the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, a group aimed at ending gender bias and discrimination in the entertainment industry. The soon-to-be-launched advocate program encourages supporters to build awareness and expand the institute's mission — because media representation makes an impact off-screen, too.

21. Like and share this incredible video of Rep. Luis Gutierrez explaining why he's going to the march and standing up to Trump.

Why I Will Not Be At Inauguration And Will Be Marching With Women

My speech this morning on the Floor of the House about why I will not be at the inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 20 but will be marching with women at the Women's March on Jan. 21. "We all heard the tape when Donald Trump was bragging – bragging! – about grabbing women by their private parts without their consent. It is something I can never un-hear. Bragging to that guy on TV that he would grab women below the belt as a way of hitting on them. Sorry. That is never OK. It is never just locker room talk. It is offensive and, if he ever actually did it, it is criminal...." The text of my speech: http://bit.ly/2jqSpJ6 More info on the Women's March: http://ift.tt/2hVUmNp

Posted by Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez on Tuesday, January 10, 2017

22. Buy a Women's March on Washington shirt.

All proceeds go toward the planning and production costs associated with the march itself.

23. If you live in the D.C. area and have a spare bedroom, open it to a frugal marcher.

If your home is in or around the capital and you use a vetted vacation rental website (like Airbnb), consider offering a space for marchers to rest their heads. Accommodation costs in D.C. will be sky-high that weekend — give them a price cut instead of a price surge.

24. Know someone who's anxious about a Trump presidency? Call them up to chat.

Photo via iStock.

This election has been a lot to process for many of us — especially among those in groups that have been targeted by Trump, members of his administration, and his supporters. Call up a friend you know who's worried, and use the march as a talking point to reassure them you'll be a supportive ally when things get tough.

25. Watch and share photos and videos from the march on Facebook, and help break the "filter bubble" that too often divides us.

There should be live video feeds from the march from outlets on Facebook. Make sure to engage and share — especially if you're someone who usually doesn't speak out politically.

If you can express why the march matters to you on a personal level, these issues become more human and less about blue America vs. red America. And the more Likes, comments, and shares we garner, the more we break down the filter bubbles that divide us.

Inauguration Day will bring a stress-filled, anxiety-ridden morning for many of us. If you need that day to unplug, please do.

Because starting on the 21st — and just about every day for the next four years — we'll need you to keep fighting the good fight by our side.

Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for MoveOn.org Political Action.

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[socialviralnews]

Thousands will be in D.C. to stand with women. Here's how to stand with them from home.

Join the movement.

<br>

The Women's March on Washington is an opportunity for Americans to stand up against the expected affront to civil rights under the next president. Hundreds of thousands of marchers — women from all walks of life (including a handful of A-list celebrities) and men (yes, men are welcome and encouraged to attend!) — are expected in the nation's capital on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after Donald Trump is inaugurated as 45th president of the United States.

Given that President-elect Trump has "insulted, demonized, and threatened" so many groups — including people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and survivors of sexual assault — the goal of the march is to send a bold message to him: We are standing together.

Anti-Trump demonstrators in Chicago in November 2016. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

Getting to Washington, D.C., on inauguration weekend, however, takes time and money that many of us cannot afford. That's OK, though — there are still several ways you can join the movement, regardless of where you are in the country (or world, for that matter).

Here are 25 ways to show your support for the Women's March on Washington, even if you can't be there in person:

1. Join a smaller, local march near you.

There are 616 (and counting) sister marches around the world demonstrating in smaller — but still powerful — capacities. If distance is your biggest barrier, maybe there's a more local solution to your problem.

2. Make a poster and stick it in your front yard for the day.

Or, you know, until 2020.

Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images.

3. Know someone who's driving to D.C.? Help them get there by chipping in some gas money.

In most parts of the country, gas prices aren't quite as obscenely high as they once were — thanks, Obama! — but still, fuel is expensive. If you wish you could attend but can't, help another marcher out. $10 (literally) goes a long way.

4. Invite friends over to watch coverage of the march together, and set a goal to help girls and women in 2017.

A goal could be to routinely help out at a women's shelter, volunteer as a clinic escort, or become a Big Sister. There will be many causes that need that kind of extra attention and dedication under the Trump administration.

And on that note...

5. Donate to organizations that will be more vital than ever under a Trump administration.

Contribute to an organization or two you care about — be it Planned Parenthood (the national group or local chapters), Emily's List (which helps get more women elected to office), the NAACP, the National Network of Abortion Funds, Black Girls Code, the ACLU, National Women's Law Center, NARAL, Girls Write Now, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Purple Purse, or others. Every dollar helps.

6.  Wear a "Nasty Woman" shirt, and share a pic on social media.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images.

Make your own — or buy one — and help that infamous-turned-glorious 2016 debate moment live on forever.

7. Go on strike for all (or part of) the day.

Women Strike is encouraging folks to lay low on Jan. 20-21 as an act of protest against the incoming administration and Congress, both of which are aiming to enact policies that disproportionately harm women — like stripping health care and reproductive rights and dismissing paid maternity leave and child care.

8. Make just the right playlist, and blast it on repeat. All. Day. Long.

Songs may or may not include "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," "I Am Woman," "You Don't Own Me," "Respect," "Rebel Girl," and an assortment of Beyoncé's greatest hits.

Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images.

9. Carve out a half-hour of your day to follow, subscribe to, and learn about women who were inspired to throw their hats into the political ring for the first time after the election.

Not only have women of color made historic gains in the Senate this year, but the rise of Trumpism appears to have inspired a surge in women vying for political office.

People like Chelsea Wilson, a member of the Cherokee Nation who lives in Oklahoma; Brianna Wu, an advocate against online harassment who was at the heart of 2014's GamerGate; and Wendy Carrillo, a Los Angeles woman whose parents brought her from El Salvador illegally as a child, are among the more than 4,500 women who've expressed grassroots interest in getting their names on the ballot in the coming years. Let's make sure they don't go unnoticed.

Speaking of the ballot box...

10. Set up an alert on your calendar to remind you when midterm elections are coming up.

Presidential campaigns feel like years-long sagas with plot twists galore — those elections are hard to miss. Midterms, however, seem to slip under the radar for most Americans, even though the results are just as consequential. Really, 2018 is just around the corner.

11. Call D.C. pizza joints or bakeries — ideally, the day before the march — and have them send a couple pizzas or a few dozen donuts to demonstrators.

Democracy can be a tiring activity, after all, and marchers will appreciate the fuel-up.

Photo via iStock.

12. Call your representatives to let them know you're part of the movement against Trump's attacks on civil rights.

I know you've heard this one a million times. But really, calling your reps can — and actually does — work. (Pro tip: Flooding their phone lines sends a much more powerful message than an email or letter.)

It's arrived! Download Call the Halls: Contacting Your Representative the Smart Way >> https://t.co/xxhzsMX3mM

— Emily Ellsworth (@editoremilye) November 23, 2016

13. Connect two or more people you know who want to go to the march but don't want to go alone.

You may have friends from different circles who'd go to the march if they had another person to share travel expenses and driving time with. Post a Facebook status asking if this is the case with any of your friends, and be the facilitator if anyone responds.

14. If you know someone who's going to the march, create a sign for them to carry on your behalf.

That's what artist Narya Marcille is doing. She can't make it to D.C. on Jan. 21, but her aunts and sister will be carrying this rad poster for her.

Illustration courtesy of Narya Marcille.

Marcille's design has become wildly popular online. You can buy the digital download for prints, shirts, and more on her Etsy page. Even cooler: 50% of profits are being donated to Planned Parenthood and Running Start, Marcille says.

Even if you don't have the money to buy Marcille's design, however...

15. Change your Facebook profile pic in support of the march.

In a post on Facebook, Marcille wrote that anyone can use the illustration for their Facebook profile picture in an act of solidarity with the movement. If you're extra inspired, you can even design your own artwork to use (or take a pic of the yard sign you made or the "Nasty Woman" shirt you're rocking, and use that photo instead).

16. Set aside some time to read and subscribe to digital and print publications that give a voice to women from all walks of life.

Publications like Autostraddle, Clutch, Gloria Steinem's Ms. Magazine — and even ones that have pivoted toward issues-based content more recently, like Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan — can only run if people are reading and subscribing.

Photo b Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

17. Sponsor someone else to march through NARAL.

NARAL, a political group aimed at protecting abortion rights, will let you chip in to help someone else attend the Women's March. $40 pays for one college student's ride to D.C., but if that's too steep, $15 will provide three signs for marchers.

18. Share your own story about sexism and discrimination you've encountered in your life.

Use Jan. 21 as a reason to open up to friends and family online about how you've experienced discrimination or abuse and why the march matters on a personal level. If posting it on Facebook is scary — which is totally understandable — maybe tell just one other person you trust. The more people speak up, the better.

If you do decide to open up on social media, though...

19. Use the #WomensMarch and #WhyIMarch hashtag on Facebook and Twitter.

I march for my family, my friends, and my future students. I march for those I know and those who I will meet. HBU? #whyIMarch #WomensMarch

— Baylee Fee (@bayls_ofhay) January 3, 2017

Sometimes hashtags get a bad rap for being a sorry excuse for real activism. But hashtags really can unite communities in solidarity — especially when they're used to amplify the voices of minorities, immigrants, women, those who are LGBTQ, and so on.

20. Sign up to become a See Jane advocate for the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

As Meryl Streep reminded us at the Golden Globes, Hollywood has a responsibility to fight Trumpism. You can help them do it by signing up to be a See Jane advocate for the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, a group aimed at ending gender bias and discrimination in the entertainment industry. The soon-to-be-launched advocate program encourages supporters to build awareness and expand the institute's mission — because media representation makes an impact off-screen, too.

21. Like and share this incredible video of Rep. Luis Gutierrez explaining why he's going to the march and standing up to Trump.

Why I Will Not Be At Inauguration And Will Be Marching With Women

My speech this morning on the Floor of the House about why I will not be at the inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 20 but will be marching with women at the Women's March on Jan. 21. "We all heard the tape when Donald Trump was bragging – bragging! – about grabbing women by their private parts without their consent. It is something I can never un-hear. Bragging to that guy on TV that he would grab women below the belt as a way of hitting on them. Sorry. That is never OK. It is never just locker room talk. It is offensive and, if he ever actually did it, it is criminal...." The text of my speech: http://bit.ly/2jqSpJ6 More info on the Women's March: http://ift.tt/2hVUmNp

Posted by Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez on Tuesday, January 10, 2017

22. Buy a Women's March on Washington shirt.

All proceeds go toward the planning and production costs associated with the march itself.

23. If you live in the D.C. area and have a spare bedroom, open it to a frugal marcher.

If your home is in or around the capital and you use a vetted vacation rental website (like Airbnb), consider offering a space for marchers to rest their heads. Accommodation costs in D.C. will be sky-high that weekend — give them a price cut instead of a price surge.

24. Know someone who's anxious about a Trump presidency? Call them up to chat.

Photo via iStock.

This election has been a lot to process for many of us — especially among those in groups that have been targeted by Trump, members of his administration, and his supporters. Call up a friend you know who's worried, and use the march as a talking point to reassure them you'll be a supportive ally when things get tough.

25. Watch and share photos and videos from the march on Facebook, and help break the "filter bubble" that too often divides us.

There should be live video feeds from the march from outlets on Facebook. Make sure to engage and share — especially if you're someone who usually doesn't speak out politically.

If you can express why the march matters to you on a personal level, these issues become more human and less about blue America vs. red America. And the more Likes, comments, and shares we garner, the more we break down the filter bubbles that divide us.

Inauguration Day will bring a stress-filled, anxiety-ridden morning for many of us. If you need that day to unplug, please do.

Because starting on the 21st — and just about every day for the next four years — we'll need you to keep fighting the good fight by our side.

Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for MoveOn.org Political Action.

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