#I feel like i wasted money on this binder because it doesn't help

[tacobellebandit]

Coming out because wanting people to address me in a different way, but watch out. If they continue to not do that it'll hurt more than if they just don't know

[nyanbary]

Things I Think Are True about the Ratgrinders from the Bad Kids Backstories, bc lets face it, they're mirrors of each other:

jy spoilers, obviously. under the cut bc its decently long

Lucy Frostblade: Siblings, brothers. Feels like a middle child and not the eldest, but her having brothers is important to me. Whole family is religious. They all worship Ruvina. Solidly middle class. While the Frostblades used to be royalty/noble, they aren't anymore. And they don't act like it. Sapphic. Need I say more? Actually, I'm thinking Biromantic and the Ace-Spectrum, instead of being a full-blown lesbian, but still. She was always considered prodigious in her Clerical studies and her interpretation of their religion. Extremely empathatic. Finds herself wanting to help everyone.

Ivy Embra: Family is from Fallinel, like Fabian's mom is. But they're not as well off as the Seacasters are, nor as important as the Lomeneldas. They did get their money through dubious means and are new money Parents didn't really show their affection around the house and are almost never seen together. Though, they are both alive, as opposed to Fabian's parents. Ivy's mom has a lover that lives in the garage /j. Actually it's the pool house and he's no where near as pathetic as Gilear, but still The only children raised by their parents right now. There are jokes of Bill having countless of bastard children running around and I think Ivy's dad has a second family. Was semi-forced to go down the archery path of her mother. Ivy's mom was a pageant girlie and really good at archery (her like, special skill) and that's why Ivy chose that as a fighter. Has complicated feelings about her parents and doesn't see herself able to rely on them other than monetarily.

Oisin Hakinvar: Rich. Stupid rich. Old money rich. Has siblings, more than Adaine. Had to attend a bunch of events for his family, even though he was the "black sheep" for wizardry Originally born in the Red Waste and moved to Solace bc of parents

terrible relationship with his siblings. always pitted against each other and can never really live up to them, because he chose wizardry instead of sorcery. didn't have many friends until aguefort. mostly bc of being a standoffish dragonborn, even as a child, but still. kinda friendless until aguefort.

Ruben Hopclap: Divorced parents. lives w/ dad. he's practically never around tho. Mom remarried/is about to remarry & has another, much younger kid. has complicated feelings about this kid unlike Fig, but it happened when he was younger braces kids. both fig and ruben. fig has her younger imo. fairly popular in middle school. never in the same circles, but both were well liked, friendly people. fig just went through her alt phase two year earlier

Mary-Ann Skuttle: artificer parents grew up near little branch actually, closer to where a bunch of other kobolds lived. didn't have many friends, but honestly, didn't care unlike gorgug parents were confused about her wanting to be a barbarian, until they realized she was really good at it and were immensely supportive extremely sex-positive parents. the Skuttles have their own sex binder. when the thistlesprings met the skuttles, they compared notes

Kipperlily Copperkettle: Both need therapy /j. different reasons obviously, but both need it. both had halfling babysitters that went to aguefort. riz's was just the one that got kidnapped :/ instantly knew she wanted to be a rogue. there was nothing else for her to be. prefers Rogue stuff to romance. tho i dont see her on the aro/ace spectrum like Riz. she just doesn't need the distraction

Buddy Dawn: Helioic. Easy enough Has siblings. probably too many bc he's so mormon coded grew up in the church and always knew of his destiny, even if kristen's was more important travelled often on mission trips prefers not living with his parents, even if he feels more guilty for saying that. he lives w/ bobby in order to engross himself into clericdom and it gives him freedom. queer.

[uncanny-tranny]

wondering if you or your followers have any binder recs for running/working out? for context i run long distance for team stuff, and have been using underworks for a while

(situated in the US, since not everything is and wanted to make that clear. unfortunately, wearing a bra is not an option for me.)

I've heard ForThem is pretty good depending on your needs, plus there is Spectrum Outfitters (apparently they ship to USians now). These are around the ~$50USD range, which can be inaccessible, but from what I've seen, they tend to be higher-quality and much more breathable. There is also Shapeshifters, but those are wildly expensive because they are custom-made, and frankly, I think they'd be most appropriate in a situation where you aren't expected to be athletic.

I've also heard that GC2B has dropped off in quality, but the last binder I purchased from them was in mid-2020 or so, and I haven't really purchased any other binders from anybody else.

Also, please, as tempting as it is, don't buy those cheap-o binders off Amazon. You'll end up wasting your money for something you won't feel comfortable in sitting down, much less strenuous activity.

I'd also advise you to bind with a binder a size larger than your true size. I bound with a GC2B binder my size during this past marching season, and while I didn't feel in danger, I felt uncomfortable (especially because it was 90°F, my uniform was all black, and I was marching two miles). I think I would have been much more comfortable with a slightly larger binder, so I'd definitely encourage you to consider.

I'd encourage you to look for people who have a similar size to you (mostly because binders bind differently on somebody based on chest size, body build, and many other factors. One size doesn't fit all for different people, so it's helpful to find somebody like you who is reviewing certain brands).

[yourlocalshinguji]

hi! can you do nagito and byakuya (separately) with a transmasc reader who is/was being bullied? (like comfort?) :D

Byakuya and Nagito with a bullied transmasc S/O

Even though I'm trans myself, I wasn't quite sure about what transmasc exactly meant at first so I had to look it up. I used male pronouns and words to refer to the reader, I hope that's okay. (I hope I didn't fuck up somehow).

Trigger warning for mentioned (verbal) bullying.

The reader uses he/him pronouns.

—Mod Korekiyo.

—Even though it doesn't seem like it, Byakuya does actually care if something were to happen to a beloved one. He doesn't openly show it, but he does care.

—If you told him you were trans after dating him for a while, he didn't make a big deal about it. He just asked what your name was and never misgendered you again, not a single time.

—"Ah, so that was it. All right then, tell me your name."

—He has more than enough money to buy you all the clothes that make you feel comfortable, a binder and even pay for a surgery if that's what you wish. Sometimes he doesn't even ask, you just see him coming home with a bunch of new clothes and casually says "This? This is all for you."

—Feel grateful because he'd never do such a thing for someone else.

—Usually, it's enough for him to correct anyone who used your wrong pronouns or name: he makes himself sound as serious as posible, warning them not to do it again. Enough to intimidate anyone and always works.

—But when he actually saw other people making fun of you, with no intentions at all to stop and misgendering you on purpose, he felt a sudden rage that took him way too much effort to control. He stepped in, grabbing one of them by the collar of their jacket and asked them to repeat themselves if they had the guts.

—Of course, thu didn't say anything, too scared to open their mouth again. If looks could kill, your boyfriend's eyes would've slaughtered them all right there.

—"I don't want to see any of you getting close to him ever again, you hear me? You're just worthless trash that don't deserve to breathe the same air as us. And as such, now go run away and act like the coward clowns you are before I change I mind."

—"Pathetic human waste, treating my boyfriend like that... I hope they take their last breath soon" he says once they are gone, and then looks at you. "Hey. Don't listen to whatever those brats say, okay? It isn't worth it. You don't deserve to be bothered by such idiots."

—Byakuya decided to spend some time with you in an attempt to make you feel better as much as he could. He asked you if they had physically hurted you and checked you just in case, if they had stolen something from you and if it was the first time. He needed to know everything.

—If that had been happening for a while, he got even more angry than before. How didn't he realize sooner? He felt useless, but instead of focusing on himself, he looked you in the eyes. "I won't allow them to touch you or say a word to you ever again, okay? I promise, no, I swear for the name of my family."

—He wasn't quite sure of where to go to spend time to make you feel better, so he left that choice to you. Wherever you want to go and whatever you want to do, he nods just before firmly taking your hand and go.

—He buys lots of things he knows you'll like and will even take you to eat something in your favorite restaurant or home if you prefer so.

—If you, however, ask to just go home and cuddle, he blushes for a few seconds, surprised. That was the last thing he was expecting.

—It's his boyfriend's wish so he doesn't refuse. He's kind of stiff at first but will relax a bit more as time passes. He might even start playing with your hair if it helps you feel more calm.

—Constantly checks how you're feeling and makes sure you've got everything you need.

—Not pretty good at comforting words, but he does try since it's for you.

—"Hey... I love you, got it? I'll never let something like that happen to you again. You're safe with me."

—Nagito loves and adores everything about you and he will always let you know. Expect a lot of compliments and praises in your relationship.

—He's also very supportive. The moment you come out as trans to him, he's surprised you trusted someone like him enough and thanks you for telling him and being so brave.

—He doesn't forgive himself if he ever misgenders you by accident and it takes him a lot to stop apologizing. After a few times, he does get your pronouns correctly and situations like that never happen again between you two.

—He couldn't believe his ears when he heard some... hurting comments towards you for the first time. He really couldn't process that information: how could anyone treat someone as perfect as you like that?

—"I'm... sorry for you to have to listen to what someone as worthless as me has to say, but for your own sake... I hope you didn't mean those words."

—That didn't scare them enough to back off, and instead they decided to challenge Komaeda. They didn't stop.

—That's where Nagito's limit was. His voice tone suddenly changed, and a look at his eyes was enough to tell he wasn't going to tolerate that anymore.

—"I said stop" he slowly spoke, without any doubt or fear in his voice. "I know I just remarked how worthless I am, but... I never expected to meet someone who doesn't even deserve to be called trash. You're way below that. Now, get going with whatever you waste of pace were doing before I actually lose my nerve. Got it?"

—"Oh, and before that... Don't you think my boyfriend deserves an apology, at least? You weren't certainly being nice to him, weren't you?"

—That was probably the first time he actually looked at someone as if they were worse than him, the first time he was disappointed and mad in a way he couldn't describe.

—"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, my hope..."

—He will praise you even more than usual, making sure to contradict everything they had said to you. He can't stand seeing the only hope he has in his life feeling such despair because of some stupid scum.

—He also feels like it was all his fault, his bad luck, so he apologizes as well for not being there for you before.

—"Let's put a smile on that face of yours, shall we? I won't allow you to believe anything they said."

—Lots and lots of cuddles when you guys are finally alone. He's hesitant as first since he thinks he doesn't deserve to hold or being held by someone as perfect as you, but finally does it as long as it makes you feel better.

—Since that day, he tries to be by your side more often. Not like a stalker or something similar. He just wants to be able to protect your hope at all cost if they decided to bother you again.

—He wasn't going to let that happen no matter what. And it certainly didn't. You never saw them again.

[heyletsbeorganised]

Organisation and Planning

Have a planner or some area where you can write your plans for the day so you can easily see when you have a class or event.

Update your planner/ calendar every day

Have weekly to do lists. I taped mine in each week of my planner so i can see all tasks and events in the one glance.

Clean your desk or work space every night or after a session, this way it’s so much easier to get started the next day.

Have a post it note near you to jot down important things you remember for you to do later that way you don’t get sidetracked. 

Get out any power cords, pens, food etc. that you need for a study sesh before you start.

Stick on your wall a list of upcoming assignments or class work due dates and tick of as you do them, or post it note them and remove when done.

Break down tasks on lists so it seems more achievable. 

Always make a plan before starting an assignment, maybe a mind map of what needs to be done and where you’ll get what info. I love doing this for essays.

Make sure you know what things you need to do before each class whether its reading or printing slides, come prepared.

Keep all notes for a subject together whether in a folder or digitally, this will help in exam season and don’t leave papers in your bag to be forgotten about.

Empty your bag everyday and put handouts or information in its appropriate place.

Studying

Pomodoro! Most people i know do the 30 mins study 5 min break but this has always been too short of time for me to accomplish something with too little of a break so i tend to do 45 or 60 minutes with a 10 minute break which is pretty much the same time it just works better for me.

ASMR! i know this sounds cringe or cliche but asmr can be super relaxing and provides that white noise that we like without listening to music which may prove distracting. I suggest the Harry potter common room ones they are beautiful.

Attitude. This is so important because if you go into studying pessimistically you will end up annoyed, go in with the mindset of getting a lot done and reaching your goals.

A pretty work space is a used work space, well at least for me. When my walls are covered with artwork and my desk is neat i feel most motivated, cleaning your desk is a small task that might inspire you to get working. 

Candles, see above. 

Watch YouTube videos on the subject you're studying, for visual and auditory learners this is especially helpful. 

Make summaries after your notes, mainly focusing on explicit points in the syllabus.

Make sure your summaries are done as you complete the course work so you are prepared for exam season.

A few weeks before exams make a list of all you want to get done before then and start working!

If you have your textbook on your device get a program that will read the text to you, save your eyes and this is normally a quicker way to digest material.

Find the study space that works for you, e.g. home, the library etc. 

As much as i love it, coffee makes you peak and come down so if you can water and good snacks can be better for sustained energy.

DO PRACTICE QUESTIONS! For some reason i thought it was okay to think about a practice question and then just look at the answer? No, this did not work, you need to actually see what you know and write a response. 

When possible work under exam conditions, it's going to be stressful to be put under those circumstances but you need to actually get used to working that way.

Set a time and write down all you know about a small topic on a page, what you miss is what you need to go over.

Most textbooks are a base resource that can help you if you don’t understand a concept but there shouldn't be too many notes to gather that you shouldn't have already gotten in class, this is obviously different for each class but for me this has been the case. Don't waste good revision time relearning what you know.

Highlighting allows us to tune out of the actual reading so avoid when possible and take notes as you go if you need to as this makes you focus more.

Flashcards are fun to make and they are proven to work, just make sure if you make question cards you don’t cheat when using them and look at the answers. 

Making your notes is pretty but time consuming, don’t feel pressured to have that aesthetic all the time, the work is more important.

Find online quizzes on the topics you are studying. Many people have done your course before and already put in the hard yards, take advantage of this.

As above there are many resources for topics online, find these before you start a new section to be extra prepared. 

Rereading notes before bed makes sure it stays in your head as your brain will be processing it overnight or some science but it does work.

When studying put your phone in another room to relieve the urge to check it all the time.

Stationery 

Have a good trusty pen. Mine is the uniball signo. We have a friendship, it’s good.

I've learned recently you don’t need 100 coloured pens and the entire fine-liner collection because i only like a few colours and often don’t have enough time to use a brush pen, markers, highlighters and pens all in the one page of notes.

Don’t feel pressured to have pretty equipment, functional equipment is 100 times more important

Small dot or grid notebooks to do summaries in or mind maps really has helped me feel motivated because they do look really pretty and gets me focused in exam times.

There is a movement towards digitising notes but i think it is still good to have a binder for handouts and articles etc.

Only take to college/school/university the essentials and save your back.

Keep a few bad ballpoints in your bag to save giving friends your nice pens and never getting them back.

Don’t buy stationery that doesn't work, yes the New York post its i got were beautiful, did they stick at all, no. This clutters your work space and steals your money.

Personal Care

Don’t feel guilty for taking breaks, realistically know your limits and think of it as refuelling.

Try to eat healthy not for weight or looking good but because your body will hate you when you are always giving it takeaway and then asking it to do 14 hour study sessions.

When struggling to focus of a morning, get up and have a shower. This will wake you up and get you feeling motivated.

Have a support person. Mine is my boyfriend and is the person i can just let out all the stress onto, have a cry and then get back to work. You just need to let it out sometimes.

A more relaxed study method is to group up with friends and test each other, create little games etc.

Make sure you still socialise and go to events during crazy stressful periods because you need an outlet and a break.

write out your goals for a term, semester, class or year and refer back to them when you get your results, this will make sure you are judging yourself by your own standards and not compared to anyone else’s.

Reach out for help or advice, whether that’s to friends or people on tumblr or your professors, if you are struggling its ok to get a hand.