ok so i've been wanting to do this rant for ages but i cant record atm so if you read this props to you- also i didnt want scratch cat as the costume so here's the image i'm thinking of making my pfp (i drew it) so a lot of people don't really have much class these days in dating, and i feel like thats an issue. i just do. the little old southern lady that crawled inside my brain told me to tell you younguns some advice i've learned over the years that can really save you a lot of pressure in proving yourself and your worth to your date/your date's family. these are primarily tips for first dates, but should probably be used in regular/comfortable dating too. number one: if asking someone out on a date, let there be at least two days between the time you're asking and the actual going out. i cannot stress enough how rude, disrespectful, and downright sus it is to ask some out on the very day or day before the occasion. the other person needs time to prepare and process this, and if you ask them impromptu, it almost looks like you were dared to do this and you're getting it out of the way. i get asking someone out for coffee or something small and unofficial after meeting with them for a short bit, but a real date should be treated with class. number two: if you're picking someone up from a building or something, never ever ever EVER honk the horn. if you have any sort of sense whatsoever, you will go up to them/the door and introduce yourself. their family might be in their, and just imagine sitting in your living room all dolled up, then hearing your date rudely honk at you. like what the heck?! you put a lot of effort into looking stylish, then get that lowlife alternative to "i'm here"? hell no. number three: be prepared to stick around for as long as possible. you might be having a short, sweet date, where you go get a bite to eat, but sometimes its a whooooole lot different. lots of people that are very close with their families will typically inform whoever they're closest with of their dates and future events, and at some point or other you'll probably hook up with someone that'll acquaint you with whoever is with them at that moment before going out, just to see if you'll be nice. i beg you to be nice if you like your date at all. number four: DO NOT PITY DATE. going out with someone just because of a dare, or because they dont usually have anyone romantically interested with them, is NEVER a good idea. there's a huge difference between pity dates and pity hangouts, and you should always go for pity hangouts. spend time with someone instead of giving them false hope. if you actually start to like them and consider going on a date, thats fine, but never date just to date. number five: ditching someone rudely is not ok, but finding a polite way is always acceptable. if you're genuinely not enjoying a boring or awkward date, its normal to think "uuuuuugh... i need to get out of here...." but you need to do it subtly. if its not too obvious you want to leave, then don't make it obvious. you can text a friend and ask them to call you with an urgent emergency, and you two can figure out together how to leave. faking an emergency is fine under the right circumstances, which are usually easy to figure out the appropriate actions for. number six: please try not to leave if one of you have already eaten food that has to be paid for and you're not planning on taking the rest. its extremely trashy to waste money on something that isn't going to be eaten. thats all my brain could muster atm, i'm numb rn- yea anyway- bye bye :D ((disclaimer: these may not work for everybody, and i don't mean to go against anyone who doesn't date with the eXACT class that is suggested in these tips.)) ((double disclaimer: i am not encouraging anyone to date. these are simply tips for if you were to date.))