#and to focus less on “is this the right thing/amount to be eating” and more on “am I going to feel full and satisfied”

[stop-stealing-my-username]

I'm bored and it's like 2AM so here's some mid/low effort food, mostly cause I hope it helps someone but also so I can have a list I can reference quickly when I don't know what to cook/get in a slump and can't put much effort into cooking

Broccoli and rice

- Cup of broccoli (or more, I like more)

- Butter (salted or unsalted or margarine, just some kind of oil, whatever you have lying around)

- Some kind of instant rice (I usually use minute rice for rushed meal prep so keep that in mind during the instructions)

- Curry powder

- Boullion cubes

- Optional; garlic powder, onion powder, and parmesan

1) Start making your rice (minute rice usually has a 1:1 ratio of water and rice)

Add curry powder (measure with your heart) and boullion cube to the hot water before the rice (for the cubes I use, one cube = about 2 cups of stock, so I cut them roughly into quarters to adjust when cooking only for myself)

Leave it alone. Seriously leave it alone until you are done cooking do not touch it you don't need to touch it.

2) Cut or rip apart your broccoli into bite sized chunks

3) Heat a pan over medium heat

Melt some butter (again, measure with your heart. Mostly because I genuinely did not and never have measured this; the important thing is making sure you have enough so nothing sticks)

Chuck in your broccoli

Cook until most of the broccoli is crispy and browned

Take off the heat (add garlic powder, onion powder, and parmesan here)

4) Chuck broccoli and rice onto a plate or into a bowl

*Asparagus is really good cooked like this too if you want to add it or sub out some of the broccoli

Tortilla Pizza

- Tortillas (Two large tortillas is what I usually have lying around and is a meal for me, this is surprisingly filling for what it is)

- Pizza sauce

- Grated cheese

- Optional; literally any other topping you have the time and energy to prepare

1) Set oven to 350°F

2) Spread sauce on tortillas; add cheese and any other toppings

3) Bake for about five minutes

*I'd put this on parchment paper and just bake directly on the rack of your oven; idk about you but I don't have a pan that comfortably fits two large tortillas

*Keep an eye on this while it bakes; you may need to go a little longer, but don't let the edges get too brown, tortillas burn easily

Meat and Cheese Board (Grownup lunchables/"Whatever I had in the fridge")

- Block or sliced cheese

- Fruit (Apples and grapes immediately come to mind)

- Jam/jelly/marmalade (World's your oyster; I like fig marmalade and dandelion jelly, they go well with apples and cheddar)

- Crackers

- Deli meat (Turkey/chicken breast slices my go to; even better if you have real turkey/chicken breast leftover from another meal)

- Crackers (Any kind; triscuits, saltines, melba toast, pretzel crackers, crusty bread, whatever)

- Optional; peanut butter, cream cheese

1) Measure ingredients with your heart; what can you/want to eat?

2) Cut fruit and cheese into bite sized pieces

3) Put any jam, jelly, marmalade, or other spreads/dips into bowls (or drop directly on your plate/cutting board for less cleanup)

4) Put everything either on a plate or the cutting board you used

*Yes this is a valid dinner, it does not matter that it's just a bunch of random shit thrown on a plate. It has fruit. It has protein. It has carbs. It has fats. It has things you like. It is both body nourishing and soul nourishing. It is a good dinner.

*Sub out or add things where you see fit. Peanut butter can become almond or soy butter, apples can become pears, add some vegetables, use any kind of cheese you want/have at home, if you have leftover meat from last night use that instead, don't use meat at all; this is my favourite "I don't know what to make" meal because you literally can't fuck it up and best case scenario you only have to wash a knife, a cutting board, and whatever utensils you used to scoop out any jam or peanut butter

Mason jar noodles

- 1L Mason jar

- Rice noodles (I use the ones that are already separated into single serves because I cannot for the life of me accurately measure how much rice noodle one person can eat

- Vegetables (frozen or fresh, whatever you have/can manage today. I like broccoli, baby corn, and peppers)

- Cooked chicken breast, shredded or cut into chunks

- 1 tbs low sodium soy sauce

- 1 tbs sriracha

- Chicken stock cubes

- Minced garlic (maybe like a teaspoon or two? I never measure this)

1) Cut vegetables into bite sized chunks and chuck them into the mason jar (if they're frozen and already bite sized just go ahead and chuck them into the jar. Measure with your heart, only you know how much vegetable you want)

2) Put sriracha, soy sauce, garlic, stock cube, and chicken into the jar and mix everything around. Rest rice noodles on top (as mentioned before, my stock cubes would make a lot more chicken broth than I need; I usually cut them in half but it usually ends up being a little too much)

3) Close up the jar, store in fridge until ready to eat. When it's food time, pour in enough hot water to cover the noodles (I eat straight out of the jar with chopsticks but it's a lot easier to pour them into a bowl if you can

*Bring your jar to room temperature before eating; I am begging you to not subject your glass jar to thermal shock and end up with glass in your hands

*Disclaimer that I heard this one from a dietician on YouTube (Nutrition By Kylie), and that this was intended to be meal prep and eaten at a later time, but nobody stops me from just chucking everything into a bowl and eating it then and there so nobody is going to stop you (maybe take some time on a good day/a day you aren't busy and prep a few of these ahead of time so that you can just pour boiling water into a jar and you have food ready to go on days you just can't cook for one reason or another)

Chicken Wraps

- Chicken strips (or nuggets, or chicken burgers, or leftover chicken breast; any chicken that you don't have to do much with, I just like crispy chicken so that's what I wrote)

- Tortillas

- Lettuce

- Sauce of choice (I like caesar or ranch)

- Shredded cheese

- Optional; bacon and tomato

1) Cook chicken strips according to directions (or cut/shred and reheat chicken breast)

2) Tear or cut lettuce into shreds (or just use the whole leaf, I don't bother cutting it half the time)

3) Put everything on a tortilla; roll it up

*Obviously not the end-all-be-all of chicken wrap possibilities, change whatever you want about it, this is just a reminder that you can do something ~different~ with and add to your chicken strips if you're getting sick of them

Yogurt (Hey, sometimes the simple stuff escapes us when we're overwhelmed)

- Cup of vanilla greek yogurt (or whatever you have lying around, my family just always has greek yogurt and it has a decent protein content)

- Berries (blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries don't need to be cut; strawberries don't *need* to be cut but I'd suggest it if they're a decent size)

- Granola (crush up a crunchy granola bar if you really want to)

- Optional; honey, dandelion jelly, some kind of jam, etc.

1) Put yogurt in a bowl

2) Sprinkle on granola

3) Throw berries and optional honey/dandelion jelly/jam on top

*I use enough granola to make a layer on top of my yogurt but I also love granola a little too much to be normal; one serving for most store bought granola is roughly 1/4 cup

*I cover about half of my bowl with fruit

*Home made granola is also 1000x better than store bought and if you have not made your own before please try it at least once

Ready Made Food

*Also a perfectly valid thing

*They aren't the best nutritionally but the important thing is that you are eating

*If all you can do today is put pizza pockets in the microwave or open a lunchable, you are still eating and that is good

*Focus on eating consistently first we can worry about nutrition later

*Do not feel bad over canned ravioli

[help-itrappedmyself]

Danny Punches a Clown Part 6

Masterpost

Danny, after many promises and assurances, lets Red Robin take him to the batcave. They travel by car, and as fancy as it was, Danny was almost scared to touch anything inside it. Red was a much better driver than his father though, so he just closed his eyes and focused on trying to keep his healing up.

The Batcave turned out to be an actual cave, underground, with actual bats in it. He was whisked to a medical area too quickly to see much of anything else besides some other vehicles and a giant computer set up. 

Someone was waiting in the medical space with a tray of tools and bandages ready next to the bed, Red introduced him as Agent A. They were quick to lie him down on a cot and set him up to a heart monitor and that had Red and the A frowning immediately.

“It’s a medical condition.” Danny blurted, and both pairs of eyes shot to him. “My heartrate is naturally very slow, temperature runs cold, pale skin, slow circulation so I can't have a lot of different medications." Not that any medications would really work, but better safe than sorry. Them not working would be suspicious, and Danny does not have the energy or focus for trying to keep straight any real explanations right now.  "It’s fine, I promise.”

Agent A nodded slowly. “Is there anything else we should know before we start treatment?”

“Just can't give me any medicines, I think that's the only relevant bit.”

“Alright, I will keep that in mind. Please lift your shirt so I can see the wound.”

Danny does, and they manage their expressions quite well on seeing it. Agent A goes immediately for creams and bandages.

“What burned you like that?” Red asked.

“Gun.” Danny was starting to slur. He did not want to sleep right now, with these people here.

“A gun? What kind of gun causes burns?”

“New blaster, parents made it special.”

“Your parents make guns?”

Danny shrugs, turning his head to look at Red instead of the far off ceiling of the cave. “My parents make lots of things. They're scientists, inventors." Danny waves his arm around vaguely. "The gun was new though, hadn’t been shot with that one before. The earlier versions were much less powerful.”

“Are you saying that your parents are the ones that shot you?” Red asked gently, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed. “It wasn’t just their gun that was used?”

Danny frowns. “Well yeah.”

Tim is very concerned at the tone he just used, like getting shot at by your parents was normal. “Do they shoot at you a lot?”

“Fair amount I suppose.” Red could see Danny thinking really hard about something. Dany’s head was really starting to hurt. His brain was fuzzy and he knew he should be concerned about something, but couldn’t figure out what. His parents shooting at him was nothing new, considering. “Like, they did it more than Vlad but I don’t see him as often, and they’ve done it longer than the GIW, but since the GIW has started they’ve been about equal I guess. I mean, sometimes all the defense systems in the house target me but that wasn’t technically intentional. Took forever for us to figure out how to get them to stop that.”

“Danny, when was the last time you slept?” Red asked gently.

Danny wasn’t sure if his blip earlier this morning counted. He didn’t think it lasted more than an hour, but the last time he slept before that was before his fight in Amity, escaping through the ghost zone and running around in this dimension.

“It’s been awhile.” Danny landed on. True enough for medical history he supposed.

“Right.” A finished the last of the bandages and tugged Danny’s shirt back down. “Well, why don’t you do that now, while we go and find you something to eat.”

“I’m too tired to fight food right now.”

Tim shared a look with Alfred before turning back to Danny. “Okay then. Maybe sleep first and then eat?”

“I will go start making something now that you’re all set up here Mister Danny.” Agent A states, walking past the medical curtains and shutting them behind him. Red pulled out a tablet and started tapping on it. He noticed Danny’s eyes on him after a moment.

“You going to sleep?”

“Strange place, strange people. Not sure that’s the best decision here.”

Red looked up from his tablet.

“You trusted me enough to come here. Trust me enough to sleep. I will make sure no one but me or A comes in before you’re ready.”

[turtlesandfrogs]

So, someone asked:

And truthfully, I have so much advice that it needs to be it's own post.

First off, let's set some background information: I have ADHD. I have really bad ADHD*, and that has an impact on executive functioning and thus the amount of work that can be accomplished during work time. HOWEVER! You do not have to have ADHD for this advice to be relevant for you. Often accommodations for one group end up working well for others, so just, like, keep that in mind, ok?

On ward!

Step 1: Have you met your mammalian needs? That is, have you had food (type of food matters, make sure you get some good protein, fats, carbs, and vegetables in you. You will not last long on coffee and a bag of candy), water, physical exercise, and ample sleep**? We are animals. We have to have these needs met, or we will not be functioning well. This is the ground work, the foundation of the ability to Do Stuff.

Addendum for those with executive functioning disorders (ADHD, ASD, probably others, I'm not an expert in mental disorders!): You need to make space in your life, EVERY DAY for things you enjoy. Do not limit them to "rewards" for after the task is done- you need things to be happy about in order maintain your mental well-being. Without happy-making things, you get depressed (well, a lot of us are co-morbid and need to keep an eye on that any way), and when you're depressed, you will not be functioning well. Depression literally robs you of energy. Doing things that make you happy is just as foundational as eating, drinking, and sleeping. Time with friends and loved ones, time with hyperfixations and special interests, hobbies, etc. You NEED them. They are prerequisite, not reward!

Step 2. Do physical activities daily. The more physical activity you do, the more you'll be able to do. Yes, there is a point at which it becomes too much, or a person tries to do too much too soon, but for the majority of modern humans in the US, increasing your physical activity will increase your energy levels and endurance. It also does good things for your brain (increased focus, increased learning ability, increased positive mood, etc). Find some activities that you enjoy- walking around the neighborhood and identifying plants and birds? SCA? Dancing? Stretching? Swimming? Biking? DDR? Pushups? Find something that you enjoy doing and can fit into your daily life. Also try to find things that strengthen muscles, maintain flexibility, and train balance.

Step 3. Reduce Cognitive load- and plan to do it before you start. The less you have to think about while you're working, the better. Thinking takes energy, and when you're working on a thing***, you want your energy to be going to that thing. Some things that may help:

Listening to music

Having a piece of paper where you write down any thoughts of things you need to do that aren't the thing you're doing right now.

Putting your phone on Do Not Disturb

Meditating first, so you can write down all those "AAAA! I need to do that!!!" thoughts on that paper mentioned earlier before you even try to work. I find that every time I try to meditate they all come bubbling up, so it's a great way to get them all written down first so they won't be distracting you while you're trying to work on your chosen task.

Set a timer, so that you're not thinking about how long it's been or if you need to stop and do something else.

Do some prep work before working to make the working easier. Like, are you cleaning out a doom room? Grab the garbage, recycling, and empty containers you need first. Are you writing a paper? Grab your snacks and hot beverages, and references, and have a plan for your break times before you sit down to write.

Step 4. Access what you need/want to do. Make a list. Look at the list. Do any of those things feel overwhelming? You need to address that:

can you break the tasks into smaller tasks?

do some of the tasks need preparatory work? Write that down on your list too

does a task have a hard part that is blocking you from progress? Can you do that first thing while you're at max energy? Can you break down that part into smaller parts? Can you get someone else to do it? Can you do it, and then schedule a break?

Step 5. Keep your 'Why' in mind. Why are you doing it? What is the core motivation, the driving force? Eg, "I'm cleaning my room because I feel better when my space is clear and organized, and it's a gift to my future self". Or maybe, "I'm writing this paper because (this topic interests me) or (because I want to get a good grade in this class and do well in school so that I can get a job that will support me in the future)". Some times it's not obvious at first why exactly you're doing a thing, but if you dig, there's probably a solid reason that is meaningful to you in there somewhere (even if it's just, like, avoiding late fees or something). If not, maybe don't do the thing?

Step 6. Take breaks. Breaks are legally mandated, at a minimum of 10 minutes every 2 hours where I am, but everywhere I've worked (except when I was a teacher) gave people 15 minutes every 2 hours. You know why? Because you get back from break with more energy. You also make less mistakes when you take regular rest breaks. You work more efficiently, and can work for longer if you take restful breaks. Just, like, don't do something that's taxing in the same way as the work you're doing. In other words, if you're writing, don't go read more things, get up and walk around the building instead. If you're doing physical labor, sit your tired bones down and consider looking at things that make you laugh or bring you joy.

Step 7. As you work, acknowledge to yourself your accomplishments, and celebrate them. The harder the thing is (or the harder it was to get started), the more important this is. You're training your brain to associate doing the work you want to do with good feelings. You are not that much more complex than a dog or pigeon. If you are mean to yourself, for example by thinking "dang, that was all? What's wrong with me that it took me 3 weeks/6 months/2 years to get started?" then you are effectively punishing yourself. Even a small tweak like "Dang, that's all? That's way easier than I thought it would be! Go me! I'm so glad that's over and I'm no longer suffering through procrastination!" makes a huge difference. Don't be mean to yourself.

Further suggestions:

8. If you have a hard time starting, use some ADHD strategies:

Tell yourself that you only have to work for 5 minutes (or 10, if that feels very doable), and then you can take a break. Set a timer, and at 5 minutes, check in with yourself. How are you doing? If you're doing good and want to keep going, do a quick stretching break, mentally praise yourself, and then get back to it. If not, stop, take a break and assess what you can do to make it better. Then get back to it.

Count down from 10 and start.

Bribe yourself: When I'm done, I'm going to take a hot bath. When I'm done, I'm going to go for a walk. When I'm done, I'm going to spend $300 dollars on houseplants. When I'm done, I'm going to ask for a hug. When I'm done, I'm going to play 6 hours of that new game. You know, what ever is reasonable and fits the scale of the project.

Get a body double/work buddy. They don't have to help you, they are just there, working on their own thing. For some reason this helps a lot of people.

Think about how much future-you will appreciate present-you for doing this task.

Take a second and write about the problem, why it's hard to start. Is there something else even more pressing that you need to take care of first? Have you not met all of your needs? Is there some element that you're avoiding thinking about for some reason? Can you address it?

9. Role play an effective person. Or a person that's good at the thing you want to do. Think of someone, ideally someone you know, who is good at the thing, and pretend you're them. Maybe someone you're slightly jealous of because of their ability to do the thing. What would they do? What would it look like? How would they feel internally while doing it? Just pretend you're them and look at the work through their eyes for a little bit.

10. Do you have sensory issues? Is your body comfortable? Are your clothes clean and nice feeling? Do you need to take a shower (or just wipe relevant bits with a wet washcloth)? Are the lights bright/dim enough? Is the air fresh or does it feel stuffy and stagnant? Are you hungry/sad/thirsty/tired/overwhelmed/etc? Can you address any of those factors?

11. Use usually negative personality traits. I'm not saying this is for everyone, but for some of us, it may be a useful tool when used cautiously. For example, I am a person who has a lot of anger. Obviously I have worked very hard to get better at managing my anger and reducing the sum total of hours I spend angry. HOWEVER, I am so good at cleaning when I'm furious. S,o maybe I pick a thing that I know will make me angry, and I think about it for a while, and then I have a lot more energy to clean the room.

12. Use positive personality traits. I also really enjoy making people happy. So sometimes if it's not enough to motivate me, I think about how happy whatever work will make someone else. That's probably the better, healthier option.

13. Are you trying to do too much? I want you to take an assessment of yourself and your energy and endurance levels. Think of what would use up 100% of your energy and endurance for the day. Got it? Ok, good. Now, don't let yourself go over 80%. At the max. Reduce your task list and responsibilities until you can comfortably get everything done with 60 to 80% of your energy and endurance. Why? Because if you're running at 100% all of the time, what happens when you can't? Because if you're running at 100% all the time, you will burn out. Because if you're running at 100% all of the time, if a small disaster happens, so much will collapse because you won't be able to do it all.

Because you're a human, and you deserve leisure time and rest and relaxation. Because you're a human, and you NEED leisure time and rest and relaxation.

14. Being mean, harsh, disapproving, and demanding of yourself is counter productive and WILL NOT work in the long term. Being kind, creating chances for you to learn new things, being grateful to your past-self, and giving yourself the things you need to be happy and healthy will.

* enough that the physiatrist commented on it, but I was home schooled until I went to college, and thus had no idea what ADHD was or that I had it until year two of my masters degree in teaching. I didn't get formally diagnosed until 29.

**ample sleep, here defined as allotting enough time to sleep that you wake up before your alarm clock on a regular basis. Not like, once a week you sleep in for however many hours in an attempt to make up for the rest of the week. No, I mean allotting enough time EVERY NIGHT that you wake up before your alarm 90% of the time. It doesn't count if you're waking up because of anxiety or pain. I would hope that you're addressing those as much as you possibly can.

*** please nobody think that when I say "working" that I mean jobs/working for other people. When I say "working" I mean literally any activity that you don't find yourself doing automatically and without thought. I love plants- taking care of them is still work. I love food- making it is still work. I love sharing information- compiling it in a format that is intelligible to others is still work.

[glowettee]

Hi Mindy! I’m a college student and I’m struggling to go to bed at a decent hour (think 3 am bedtimes every day) because of the amount of homework I have. Do you have any tips for time management so I can figure out how to get my homework done all during the day so I’m not losing sleep? (Any app recommendations or suggestions on how to schedule my day would be greatly appreciated). Thank you so much! I love your blog and I love seeing your posts🩷

how to get your life together & actually sleep: time management tips for college✨

hi love! 💌 first off, thank you so much for your sweet words. they genuinely made me smile. i’m so proud of you for wanting to improve your time management and prioritize your sleep (honestly, sleep is like the ultimate self-care, and you deserve it). i know college can feel like a whirlwind of assignments, deadlines, and just… life. staying up until 3 am is no joke, and it’s amazing that you’re ready to make a change. let’s make your routine feel a little more manageable and a lot more magical.

☁️ romanticize your productivity: first thing’s first: mindset. instead of viewing homework as this scary, endless task that eats up your nights, try to romanticize it. create a cozy study ritual. light a candle, make a cute study playlist (ex: lo-fi mixed with soft acoustics), and set up your space in a way that makes you actually want to sit down and work. i know it sounds silly, but giving your study sessions a soft, aesthetic vibe can make them feel less like a chore and more like a peaceful little routine. i have a lot of posts talking about this

🌙 break down your workload: sometimes it’s not about how much work you have but how it’s organized. take a few minutes in the morning or the night before to make a list of what you actually need to accomplish. break it down into small, bite-sized tasks. for example, instead of “study for chem exam,” write down “review chapter 4 notes,” “do practice problems,” and “make flashcards for key concepts.” checking off small tasks feels way more rewarding than staring at a big, vague to-do.

💡 create a time-blocking ritual: i’m obsessed with time-blocking because it feels like giving each task its own little home. instead of doing everything all at once (which is just chaos), dedicate specific chunks of time to each task. for instance:

🌼 9-10 am: review lecture notes

✨ 10-11:30 am: work on that essay (no distractions)

🍓 11:30-12: take a break, stretch, grab a snack

💻 12-1: group project research set timers to keep yourself accountable. i use the “focus keeper” app for 25-minute work sessions with 5-minute breaks. it’s surprisingly motivating!

📅 the magic of reverse scheduling: if you know you want to be in bed by, say, 11 pm, plan your day backwards from there. schedule your evening wind-down routine (like skincare, a little journaling, and tea) and work your way back through the hours, assigning tasks in reverse. this way, you’re prioritizing sleep as non-negotiable and shaping your day to respect that.

✨ my fave apps for dreamy productivity:

notion: perfect for creating aesthetic, organized to-do lists, study schedules, and even journaling about your progress.

flora: turns studying into a game by planting a virtual tree while you focus. if you leave the app, the tree dies (no pressure, right?).

toggl: tracks your time so you can see how long tasks actually take. it’s eye-opening to realize you might be spending way more time scrolling than studying.

clockify: like a little personal assistant that tracks your study sessions and breaks. it’s simple and kind of addicting to see how productive you’ve been.

habitica: makes productivity feel like an RPG game. complete with character upgrades when you check things off. honestly, it’s too cute to resist.

💖 mindy’s personal tips:

📝 batch similar tasks: do all your note-taking at once, then all your problem-solving. your brain doesn’t have to keep switching gears.

🎯 use the “two-minute rule”: if something takes less than two minutes, do it right away (like replying to emails or organizing your notes).

🕰️ the 1-3-5 rule: pick one big task, three medium tasks, and five small ones to accomplish each day. it keeps your to-do list from being overwhelming.

✨ romanticize rest too: treat your sleep as sacred. create a pre-bed routine that you actually look forward to, like reading a few pages of a lighthearted book or doing a little night yoga.

🌸 don't forget how important 'no' is: sometimes, we overcommit because we’re too nice to say no. it’s okay to protect your time! practice polite ways to decline extra responsibilities when you know they’ll eat into your sleep. like, “i’d love to help, but i have to focus on my assignments tonight. let’s plan something for the weekend!”

🌙 gentle evening wind-down: your body needs time to transition from productivity mode to sleep mode. about an hour before bed, turn off your screens, dim the lights, and switch to calming activities. i like using the “calm” app for guided meditations that feel like little bedtime stories.

🌱 become a morning person (yes, it’s possible)

one trick that really works is having something to look forward to. think of a tiny, indulgent ritual that you save just for mornings. maybe it’s a frothy matcha latte with vanilla syrup, journaling in a pretty notebook, or listening to your favorite podcast while you stretch. the key is to make mornings feel like a gift to yourself rather than just the start of a grind.

set your alarm to a song that makes you feel good!! something soft and happy. bonus points if it’s different from your usual playlist because it’ll feel special. place your phone across the room so you have to physically get up to turn it off. i also love using the “alarmy” app because it makes you solve a simple puzzle before it stops ringing (annoying, but effective).

once you’re up, avoid falling back into bed by making your bed immediately. it’s like telling your brain, “we’re up now. no going back.” then, try a quick, gentle morning stretch to wake your body up without feeling rushed. mornings can actually feel soft and peaceful if you give yourself permission to take it slow.

as for getting enough sleep the night before. make it non-negotiable. treat your bedtime like an important meeting you can’t cancel. remind yourself that a well-rested mind works way better than a sleep-deprived one. it’s all about romanticizing rest as part of your productivity rather than seeing it as wasted time.

give it a week, and see how you feel. even a small shift, like waking up 30 minutes earlier, can make your day feel more spacious and less chaotic. being a morning person is just about creating tiny habits that make mornings feel like a calm beginning rather than a rushed scramble.

🌸 micro productivity okay, let’s be real... sometimes the idea of sitting down for a three-hour study session feels completely overwhelming. that’s where micro productivity comes in. instead of blocking out huge chunks of time, break your tasks into mini-sprints that fit into the small gaps of your day.

for example, while waiting for your coffee to brew, you could make a quick list of your priorities for the day. during your commute or while you’re eating lunch, review your flashcards or skim your notes. those little moments add up, and suddenly your workload doesn’t feel as intense because you’ve been chipping away at it throughout the day.

one of my favorite apps for this is “quizlet.” you can make digital flashcards and quickly review them whenever you have a spare moment. or use “ankidroid” for spaced repetition. it’s great for subjects that require lots of memorization.

another trick? the “two-minute rule.” if a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately rather than adding it to your to-do list. this helps clear out small, annoying tasks that tend to pile up (like replying to emails or organizing your desktop).

i also love the idea of micro journaling. sometimes, when you’re overwhelmed, writing down just one thought or feeling can give your brain the clarity it craves. it doesn’t have to be a full journal entry, just a few words that capture your mood or intention.

don’t underestimate the function of small wins. every tiny task you complete builds momentum and makes the bigger assignments feel more doable. it’s like telling yourself, “i’m already being productive today. let’s keep that energy going.”

the goal is to make productivity feel more like a series of little achievements rather than one massive to-do list. micro productivity helps you stay on top of things without burning out, and it feels way more manageable when your schedule is packed.

💫 stay motivated when your energy is low we’ve all been there. those days when your brain feels like it’s wrapped in a fog, and the idea of tackling your to-do list feels impossible. it’s okay to have low-energy days, but let’s find a way to work with them instead of against them.

first, check in with yourself. is your low energy from lack of sleep, stress, or just general burnout? sometimes just identifying the reason helps you figure out what kind of self-care you need. if you’re physically tired, maybe your focus should be on rest or low-effort tasks. if it’s more mental fatigue, try switching up your study space or doing something creative to break the monotony.

use the idea of “productive rest.” sometimes, resting doesn’t mean doing nothing. it can be as simple as switching tasks to something lighter, like organizing your notes or doing some gentle stretching while listening to a podcast related to your coursework. this way, you’re still moving forward, just at a gentler pace.

set up a reward system to motivate yourself. for example, after 20 minutes of studying, give yourself a 5-minute break to scroll through pinterest or listen to a song you love. use apps like “forest” to stay focused during your work session and then celebrate with a cute coffee break when your tree grows.

also, be kind to yourself. it’s okay if you’re not operating at 100% all the time. instead of pushing yourself to be overly productive, prioritize what actually needs to get done. sometimes, just getting one important task out of the way is enough for the day, and that’s completely valid.

remember, your energy levels fluctuate, and that’s perfectly normal. don’t pressure yourself to be endlessly productive. balance is key. the goal is sustainable productivity, not burning out from trying to do everything at once. listen to your body, adjust your pace, and know that it’s okay to take breaks when you need them.

💫 final thoughts: it’s all about balance, being productive during the day is great, but you’re human. you can’t be on 24/7. give yourself grace when things don’t go perfectly. the goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress. prioritize rest as much as you prioritize getting things done, and your mind (and grades) will thank you.

xoxo mindy

[beelanddiavolosimp-blog]

I don't think the brothers would be able to adjust quickly to a girl MC

So lets put them to the test with my MC 😈

The brothers & my mc

Lucifer

At first he felt like he could handle really anything and so what is some puny little girl going to cause? Oh boy is he wrong. He absolutely hates when she is upset at him because she will respond to everything with a snarky attitude or unreadable tone. Her sarcasm always makes him seethe as well (kinda in a horny way too...). She will point out the most out of pocket things even around diavolo. "Hm your hands are so feminine Lucifer but not too feminine just the right amount for a good choke" right. Infront. Of diavolo. He also never realized how horny he was until he was around a female almost everyday. My MC when comfortably home does not wear a bra or panties (because it's good to not wear them all the time) and he cannot focus. How can you blame him? He hasn't seen a human female in forever. Now her on her period is something he never gets used to. She usually is suddenly all over him and shyly following him around to admire him because her post period is making her extremely horny for him. he doesn't mind this part though. He does however hate when she is on her period because she will become even more sassy and defensive. She will eat almost all the fruit they own and be overly clingy to him but he usually does enjoy her...when she's quiet.

Mammon

He thinks he is the only one who can be a rollercoaster to deal with. He doesn't like when my MC is mad because her tone is so cold and annoyed and he will think she finds him so annoying as well as his brothers. He purposely wants the house colder than usual because of my MC not wearing any bra under her clothes. Even if it's a black bagg shirt he will still stare. He doesn't enjoy the scolding but it's sweeter than Lucifers so. He is not prepared for her mouth she never thinks about what she is saying until it's said. She also is a fucking horn dog and he sometimes even gets scared of just her gaze. Her sarcasm he always takes too literally and pouts about. He does enjoy her babying him more out of all his brothers. He actually got used to her periods first before all the brothers. He loves being all lovey and being with her pre period. During he just brings her whatever she asks and praises her knowing she gets even more insecure during this time. He doesn't take her short fuse to heart around this time because she usually ends up crying about how good he is to her after.

Levi

He. Is. SCARED👏🏼 He never thought he would come in such close contact with a female let alone a human one. He is very fidgety around her which leads to her constantly rubbing his back or arm in an attempt to calm him. (It doesn't but he's happy) Whenever they game together he always loses more than usual because he's staring at her chest that he knows is bare under that shirt he is actually more horny around her than she is him because she gets way too into the game. She is a pervert though don't underestimate her. She purposely teases him the most because she knows she doesn't need much confidence to do so. One look of horny towards him and he's bright red. She enjoys toying with him and believe it or not he is one of the first brothers she is willing to fuck. He enjoys her sarcasm on others but not himself because he gets either flustered or irritated it always ends either way. He has never felt like a train was ran through him until he dealt with her pre period to where he was basically a slab of meat and she was a tiger. During her period he usually gives her a lot of heating pads to use and lets her basically take over his bed since it was cold according to her. He enjoys cuddling her every night though.

Satan

He at first could care less. It's just a girl human. He however was immediately attached when she said she absolutely adores cats and has her own at home in her own dimension. She constantly sends him cat related things because she has many. She does likes books but never has enough time to read them over enough. She however loves his sweaters she used them as dresses since he is bigger than her. He gets more blushy around her because she is way too trusting of him and she often does the no bra or panties with just his sweater forgetting shorts. She also has a short temper so when they both get mad at something they are basically radiating wrath. She often can calm him quicker than others just as he can her. He actually acts first before her during her horny pre period time since he not in an odd way can smell her and her pheromones that make him just say fuck it and go at it. During he usually has his hand resting against her stomach since he was warmer than her and let her listen to music or scroll through her phone as he reads something like a married couple. He just brushes past her sarcasm and still takes care of her as she nags him again like a married couple.

Asmos

He was so excited! Finally someone who will openly indulge in his interests with him! They spend a lot of time together and spend a lot of money together too. She often times opens up more about her insecurities to him because he would never use them against her. He always dresses her perfectly as well he finds her his own little doll of sorts. He doesn't care for the no bras or panties because he knows the benefits of not wearing them but he does warn her around his brothers about their sinful minds (like he's one to talk) he loves her sarcasm it's always playful with them back and forth unless he pushes too much physical touch then it's more aggressive. He immediately is there during her period with heating pads a bunch of fruit and chocolate and comfy pajamas and blankets. He will however basically be the messenger boy on when she will start becoming a horny demon to his brothers.

Beel

He found her cute but didn't see her as much of a threat. He was always eyeing her down when she wouldn't be wearing a bra or panties because she usually is wearing his shirt the most since he is the biggest out of his brothers. She is more shy around him because she likes him like a lot and doesn't want her insecurities too obvious in front of him. So she often is hidden behind him or next to him so he can't view her too much. She does small things that make his heart swell like bake him some sweets to which she loves doing or gently hold his hand or nuzzle into it. When she gets more comfortable she is basically attached to him. Lucifer once had to drag beel and her out to breakfast because she wouldn't let go of beel because he was so warm. He doesn't understand her sarcasm most of the time just sees it as her normal attitude he luckily is rarely on the receiving end of her sarcasm. She tried to avoid him during her period because she felt so gross but he literally almost broke down her door because he hated hearing her in pain. He now holds her close in a hug and rest his big hands on her stomach helping aide her cramps. Her pre period horny time is actually his favorite part because let's just say a little blood never stopped him so this time sways into when she is on her period as well.

Belphie

Ofc he at first was skeptical and untrusting. He is actually the first one she gets more physical with because she LOVES pissing him off or flustering him. He is actually easily flustered with her because she will literally trample him with her body. She always is hugging him or his side since he's cold to which she loves the cold. She actually was an amazing person to sleep or nap with since she runs on the warmer end he often forgot his pillow and just hugged her. He loved using this advantage against his brother always hugging her to which she allowed. She usually is in his jacket with shorts of course nothing under and he finds it hard sometimes to sleep knowing this fact he eventually grows more used to it but still stares and makes comments. They love throwing their sarcasm towards each other so much so whenever they begin to be sarcastic towards each other it's almost like their form of flirting. He literally tries to hide from her during her pre period time since he cannot keep up with her horny ass for long without falling asleep (she still uses him *consensually*) but during her period she actually is very quiet around him because he makes her feel like sleeping all the time and no he's not using his powers for this.

[notbecauseofvictories]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/magazine/scotus-transgender-care-tennessee-skrmetti.html

because of this will the supreme Court overturn Obergefell v. Hodges? and if you responded and bring up that old post from 2016 I'm aware about that but that was more about Trump and presidents being the ones overturning the decision and even with that point you brought up that even if he appointed a judge who lean towards anti-lgbt, that's still wouldn't happen even though I feel recently the supreme Court majority seems to be behind Trump fully on certain things.

If you've read that far back in my blog---which, wow, that is some real commitment there, pal---then you know that for a case to be brought before any court, it must be justiciable. There must be a legal injury to the plaintiff, one within the authority of the court to resolve. Additionally, the case has to make it through the lower courts, then be appealed to the Supreme Court, and the Court must make the decision to hear it in full rather than denying certiorari. Therefore, the Supreme Court can't simply issue a statement to the effect of: "whoopsie! actually, we made a mistake with Obergefell, never mind that whole gay marriage thing." There is a process to follow, and it can take years, even decades, to undo Supreme Court rulings.

That said.....could it happen? Yes.

If you've read that 2016 post linked above, you know that I reference Roe v. Wade with a truly laughable amount of confidence, given that it was overturned in 2022 with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The Alliance Defending Freedom is active and vile, one of the major actors behind the Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling as well as Dobbs. I would be entirely unsurprised if they have a gameplan for Obergefell; if there isn't a working group within the ADF right now discussing how to weaken, restrict, or overturn it, I will eat my hat. (I checked the wikipedia page for US v. Skrmetti, just to see if they were listed---they weren't, but that doesn't mean they weren't present, invested, helping draft the original anti-trans legislation or fund the litigation.)

We do know what the Supreme Court is set to hear before the session adjourns. (This tracker from the nytimes is helpful, if you want a quick summary.) It includes some staggering issues---birthright citizenship, racial gerrymandering, whether religious students can 'opt out' of class discussion with LGBTQ+ themes; plus the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare is back on the docket again. We won't know until the next session whether the court wants to reconsider Obergefell, if they'll have adequate, justiciable grounds to do so at that point.

Maybe if you're lucky, they'll focus on mifepristone and prohibiting inter-state travel for the purposes of abortion. Or hey, they can always stick with birthright citizenship, give themselves even more teeth---build on the Bush-era rulings about torturing non-citizens in extrajudicial prisons. Chevron is already dead so they're free to fuck up the administrative agencies, but I hear the limited powers of the presidency are just a bummer, maybe think about expanding those....

Look, when I made those posts nine years ago, it took me a little less than a week to recant---I described myself as "singing ‘cockeyed optimist’ wearing rose-colored glasses" when that wasn't what the moment demanded. That kind of Pollyanna energy is still not helpful. Nevertheless, I can't avoid a certain pang of sadness in reading Elie Mystal's article on the ruling, realizing that he's shifted register. He talks about the case as joining the anti-canon of Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson with full awareness that he may not see its reversal. Mr. Scott did not live to see the Civil War, let alone the 14th amendment granting him and his Black contemporaries the citizenship they sought. It took 60 years to get to Brown v. Board of Education and the acknowledgement that separate can never be equal. It took 20+ years for the government to apologize for Korematsu and the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII---the Supreme Court itself only recognized its error in 2018. And these are the headliner cases; never mind that court rulings often function as death by a thousand papercuts, giving the justices plausible deniability should they ever be confronted with the misery they rubber-stamped.

So could it happen with same-sex marriage? Well.

[flowercrowngods]

a tiny insanely soft & gentle marvey post-migraine

It’s almost seven when the bedroom doors open again and a drowsy-looking Harvey emerges, somehow managing to look both insanely comfy and absolutely wrung out. Mike puts away the file he’s been working on and closes his laptop after saving the document, then turns to lean against the back of the couch, all of his attention on Harvey.

“Hey you,” he says, quiet and mindful of the splitting headache that might still bother his sleepy-looking boyfriend.

Harvey only grumbles in reply and shuffles over to him with a surprising amount of dignity for someone who had to knock himself out with a cocktail of pills to battle a sudden, inconvenient migraine. On his day off, no less.

Mike quickly holds out his hand, gently guiding Harvey around the couch and then pulling him down and into a hug. Harvey goes willingly, not protesting in the slightest — quite the opposite, actually, if the way he’s cuddling into Mike and wrapping his arms around him is anything to go by.

“Hi,” Mike says again, his voice no louder than a whisper as he settles into a more comfortable position to properly hold his tired, cuddly man. “How’s your head?”

“Better,” Harvey mumbles into his neck, growing heavier by the minute as he settles more and more of his weight against Mike. “Think I slept through the worst of it.”

“Good,” Mike murmurs, moving his head to kiss Harvey’s temple — not the side where the migraine was, he knows better than that. “That’s good.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Mike smiles despite himself. It’s rare that he gets to see Harvey like this, to hold him like this, all vulnerable and drowsy and trusting. No walls in sight, no jabs or barbs or quips prepared. Just Harvey, on the other end of a migraine, looking for comfort.

And Mike, smitten and enamoured and willing to give him anything he wants, anything he needs, and everything in between.

“There’s stir fry on the stove,” Mike murmurs after a while, his lips trailing featherlight up and down the side of Harvey’s face. “If you can eat.”

Harvey sighs against him, and Mike can’t quite read it but he’s sure it must mean that no, Harvey can’t eat, and that yes, the barely-there smell is still too much, but thank you for trying and being mindful.

But that’s not at all what the sigh means, because Harvey lifts his head and raises his hands to cradle Mike’s face. He holds him gently, blinking him into focus, and Mike’s breath catches at the adoration he finds staring back at him.

“Angel,” Harvey says, and Mike melts a little. He does every time Harvey calls him that. “I’m very much in love with you right now.”

A smile breaks out that Mike can’t contain, and he laughs quietly. “Because of the stir fry?”

“Well, have you had your stir fry?” Harvey throws back, his voice delightfully deep and rumbly from the five hour nap he’s had to take. The hands cradling Mike’s face move into his hair to scratch and his scalp and comb through his hair. They’re magical. Miracle workers. Mike hums.

What were they talking about?

“I think I wanna marry you.”

Oh. Oh wow.

“Yeah?” Mike asks when he finds his voice, though it’s barely more than a whisper. Awed. Revering. Absolutely, irrevocably, irrefutably gone for this man.

“Yeah,” Harvey whispers back, welcoming Mike to rest their foreheads together. He doesn’t stop combing through his hair and massaging his scalp.

It’s not a proposal, it’s not even a question, it’s just Harvey thinking out loud because he can. Still it’s the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to him. It makes him feel giddy and loved and seen and loved, and he knows it’s not technically a proposal, but—

“I think I wanna marry you, too.”

And now it’s Harvey’s turn to lose his breath, to catch it and release it against Mike’s cheek.

“Yeah?” Smart-ass.

“Yeah.”

I want this, this right here. Taking care of you. Sitting with you. Holding you. And I want you to know that I want this forever.

Carefully, mindful of the spikes and flares of pain that might come back any second, Mike manoeuvres them until he’s lying on the couch with Harvey on top of him. They kiss until the headache comes back, and then Harvey just buries his face in Mike’s neck. One hand still playing with Mike’s hair. It’s endearing. Mike’s heart wants to burst.

“I love you,” he whispers. “Harvey Specter-Ross.”

[dark-lord-of-awesomeness]

Be Prepared, I got two, maybe three different Princess Stan mer ideas floating around in my brain palace :)

Stan sighed as the wind died down, The sails of the ship drooping.

Again.

All the other sailors groaned and moaned around him. The ship, which was supposed to have reached their destination two days ago, was starting to feel like a prison with the amount of glares, mutters, and overall awfulness. The storm that had pushed them off course had also landed in what everyone around him called 'cursed waters', adding to the tension and grim mood.

Stan was already over it. This whole trip had been a last minute decision to get some extra coinage and away from some less than happy customers. As long as they reached land at some point, he was happy.

Which is, of course, when a giant red tentacle emerged from the water and everything went terrible.

Stan and half the sailors gaped at it, watching as it curled up the side of the ship and started curling around the deck. The other half screamed and started either scrambling around in terror or pulling swords. This wasn't a navy vessel, just a dingy cargo ship that didn't have anything worth stealing, and therefore nothing worth guarding.

And now it was being attacked by the Kraken that Stan had assumed was a tale tail for sailors to spook each other and to earn bards coins at the bar. Another tentacle joined the first, sliding past Stan with yellow suction cups as large as his torso and thicker than the mast. It moved over the side and joined the first in wrapping around the deck, and Stan finally found the energy to do something just as the ship jolted and started raising out of the sea.

Stumbling away from the edge, Stan stared in horror as more and more tentacles rose out of the sea around them, holding the ship with enough strength to make the whole thing creak and groan under the pressure. Some sailors had already started swinging swords down on the ones wrapped around the ship, leaving nothing but scratches that made it twitch and squeeze harder.

Everyone screamed as the ship tilted, men falling overboard and sliding across the deck as the prow started going up, and the Kraken rose out of the water.

Its body was red, each tentacle covered in yellow suckers that gripped the ship and tilted it back and forth, sliding the men and anything not tied down around, including Stan.

He yelled as he slammed into one of the tentacles, its slimy skin sticking to his clothes as he sunk into it. A moment later he screamed again when it tilted the ship towards it, sending everything to the port side. Stan grunted as his stomach hit the railing, several men slamming around him a few tumbling into the ocean below. He could see a few clutching crates and barrels as the sea churned and the Kraken's many arms sent waves crashing into them.

Then he looked up into its giant eye as it held the ship closer, giant pupil flicking along as it examined what it was holding. Like a child with a new toy, or a cat playing with its food.

His breath froze as he felt its gaze land on him and the group of sailors packed in around him. The captain was yelling something, and someone else was yelling on the otherside of the ship, but all he could focus on was the eye, and the way it seemed to grin back at him.

Oh god. It was going to eat them.

The ship groaned from the strain, and he felt his heart pound in his ears, drowning out the shouts and terror around him. This was it. It was finally over. Ten years on the road, trying to earn the right to go home, and it ended here.

Well, Stan wasn't going to let it get him. If he had to choose between the maw of a beast and the sea below him, the answer was clear.

The ship tilted the other direction, the press of bodies easing as everything started sliding back the other direction. Not Stan though, He gripped the railing, pulled himself to his feet, then dived over it.

Better to take his chances there, where he could grab a crate and hopefully float back to shore.

The Kraken let loose an ear splitting cry, and Stan screamed as it suddenly moved. Instead of hitting the water and increasing his chance of survival, he slammed into its slimy, squishy head and rolled down the side. Before he could push off and continue down into the water, a giant tentacle slammed into him, pushing the air out of him and squishing him further into the things brain. The mucus covered his face, and he flailed and tried to wipe it out of his eyes. Something grabbed his leg while he flailed, and he screamed again as the Kraken lifted him into the air to dangle in front of its eye.

It let out another screech, making him wince and cover his ears, then turned him back and forth, bringing more tentacles up to prod at his face and hair, the tips of them already the size of his head and the tentacle wrapped around his leg moving down his body to wrap around his torso. Stan tried to pry it off with his hands, but all it did was wrap around those too, until all he had free was his head and his feet, thankfully now right side up.

He wheezed as it squeezed him, life flashing before his eyes, before it brought him closer and held him next to its eye. It waved one of its tentacles in front of his face, and then he watched as it put the ship down, then started lifting the sailors and lost cargo back onto it.

"What the-urk!" Stan yelled as it finished up haphazardly shoving everything back onto the ship, then moved. In an instant it was back under the water, the ship getting smaller and smaller as it swam, holding him up in the air above it and the end of its tentacle prodding at his head.

"Hey!" He yelled, kicking his feet and wiggling the best he could, "Whats happening! HEY!"

The Kraken, being underwater a mile below him and therefore hearing nothing, kept swimming along, until the ship wasn't even a spec on the horizon and Stan's face was starting to get hot from the sun. His struggles faded as his energy left, the tentacle not moving an inch and covering him in slime. It got worse when it started going down, bringing him with it until his feet were brushing the water, soaking his shoes and making him squirm from the god awful wet sock feeling.

Then it just-stopped. The only reason Stan could tell was because of how the wind stopped whipping him in the face, as the waves went on endlessly in every direction. He had no idea what was going on.

"I have no idea whats going on." Stan yelled into the sky, then screamed as the tentacle pulled him down, until he was in the water up to his head. He wiggled desperately, then flailed when it let go and he was forced to swim to keep himself up. Any relief or terror was swept away by terror when something grabbed his leg. A quick tug and a glance was enough to see the tip of its tentacle, holding on just enough for him to know it was there, disappearing down into the depths below him along with the rest of the Kraken.

He swam and sputtered in the waves, any attempt at putting distance between him and it foiled by the grip on his leg that he realized was a chain, holding him in place. It lasted for only a few minutes, before he was screaming again as the Kraken rocketed back up, tentacles, bursting up around him while the one holding his leg jerked up with them, dangling him back in the air in front of its giant eye.

It wiggled all its arms, water cascading down it and Stan, then quickly grabbed his chest with a another one and flipped him back over. Stan groaned from the treatment, clothes itchy and sticking to him from an awful combination of sea water and Kraken mucus. He dragged a hand up to wipe it out of his eyes, then yelled when it got snatched, and something cold was clamped onto him.

Stan yelled (again, and his throat was starting hurt from the salt water and all the yelling) as he was blinded by a flash of light, his skin got tinglier from a non mucus or salt water related reason, and then wheezed as he suddenly couldn't breath.

The Kraken in front of him seemed to wiggle, but might have been his vision going in and out of focus as his lungs continued to burn from lack of oxygen. He gasped, free arm gripping the tentacle holding his chest, then watched as the water below him got closer and closer.

He had just enough time to regret ever getting on that ship, before he was dragged under the waves-

-Then he had plenty of time to regret it, as he quickly realized he was still breathing, despite the surface of the water getting farther and farther. The sea seemed brighter than it should, the water clear and moving in and out of his lungs as easy as air. He looked around in confusion, before a flash of gold caught his attention, and he looked down to see the giant fish tail where his legs had been a second ago.

"What the fuck." Stan rasped, watching it drag behind him as the Kraken pulled him further and further under the sea.

His mind whirled with a thousand possibilities, all of which boiled down to 'this thing liked the taste of human fish meat, and with his extra long tail he had even more of it'. He redoubled his efforts to get free from the arm still around his chest and the one around his arm, but all it did was hold on tighter, tentacle wrapping around him until only the tip of his tail was sticking out with his head and other arm.

The light from above got further and further away, taking his hope of living through this with it.

It was going to eat him. His whole life, gone in an instant in the maw of a sea monster with a taste for human fish flesh. He was never going to see Ford, or his ma, or Shermie, or, or- well, actually that was everyone he cared about, but the thought of never seeing them quickened his heart and made him struggle even harder.

The water leaking from his face disappeared as soon as it appeared, leaving nothing but his gasping breathes and shattered dreams.

(And then Stan gets shoved into the middle of Kraken!Ford's ship graveyard/treasure hoard on his fanciest ship and gets way too many Kraken snuggles, covering him in mucus. Poor Scuba Fiddleford finds him in underwater tears, convinced the thing clutching him is just waiting to eat him and unable to swim because he was not a mermaid an hour ago. Rumors spread of a mermaid princess that got snatched when she tried to mingle with humans.)

[lucydixon]

Can we do Rory culkin characters with a reader who doesn’t eat enough? :o

Rory Culkin Masterlist 𐴱 Main Masterlist 𐴱 Taglist 𐴱 Reading List 𐴱 Pinned Post 𐴱 Moodboard side-Blog A/N: Of course we can, love! I'm gonna throw a TW here for disordered eating. I'm not gonna get into why the reader isn't eating enough, just that they aren't, and they're brushing it off. There won't be any body image talk.

Euronymous - Lords of Chaos It would probably take a few days at least for Euro to notice that you weren't eating enough. It's not that he isn't paying attention to you deliberately. He just seems to me like a very messy eater who struggles to maintain any kind of focus on anything but what he's eating. When he does notice, he'll probably get a little insistent and aggressive about making you eat, unable to understand why you won't. Euro is the most likely to try and force-feed you if he gets really worried. If that doesn't work, he'll default to annoyance and snap at you.

Ollie Sway - The Song of Sway Lake Ollie would very quickly notice that you were eating less or not enough. He would start offering to make you your favourite meals, and would stock up on all your favourite snacks in hopes that you'll take the gentle prompting when he presses a candy bar into your palm. If you don't, Ollie would be persistent, but careful. He'd keep such a close eye on you, trying to figure out exactly what it is you will and won't eat. Is it just certain foods? Or maybe at certain times, you just don't seem to be hungry?

Clyde - Electrick Children I think that Clyde would be a little freaked out and insanely worried. His whole thing is needing to feel like he's taking care of you, and if you're not getting enough to eat, that must mean he's doing something wrong, right? He would get on his hands and knees and beg you to eat something for him, eyes full of guilt and concern.

Charlie Walker - Scream 4 Charlie is super observant and could tell you exactly how many pieces of cereal he'd watched you eat for breakfast, and would immediately say something if it was less than a satisfactory amount. If you tried to argue, he'd call you out.

I think he'd try to guilt-trip you into eating more. Lots of 'please doll? Do it for me?' and 'you're makin' me sad, baby. You see what you're doin' to me? I need you to eat something.'

Danny Cooper This man is so obsessed with and into you that he pays attention to everything. The second you start acting off, he's trying to fix it. He'd do anything to make sure you were okay. Danny seems to me like the type to negotiate. He'll offer trades in exchange for bites of your dinner. He'd cater to your every desire if it meant you'd take care of yourself.

Jack Thurlow - Jack Goes Home I think that Jack's initial reaction would be to think that you're just being a brat, and he might take on a 'fine then, starve' attitude until he realizes that you're not trying to get anything out of this and even seem embarassed when he brings it up in an annoyed growl after watching you poke at your dinner for the third night in a row. Only then would he start to worry. This would be one of his softer moments, where he laces your fingers together and talks to you in a soft voice, trying to get to the bottom of things.

Mike - 5 lbs of Pressure Mikey can be a little clueless, so I think it would take him a while to notice, especially if you're eating at least a little. He'd ask about it, then push if you didn't want to talk. He'd get super worried and hover around you whenever he's home. He will literally spoon-feed you if that's what it takes to get you to eat. He'd keep you perched in his lap at the dinner table and mutter words of encouragement into your hair.

Gabriel - Gabriel (2014) If anyone is not going to let it go, it's gonna be Gabe. He'll ask you relentlessly what's wrong, why you aren't eating? He'd be questioning whether it was the texture or the taste, whether you were feeling sick, or if he'd made it wrong, even if all he'd done was pour takeout into a bowl. He understands having an aversion to certain foods, but he needs you to eat because that's what people are supposed to do. I could see him getting really worked up about it, to the point where you feel like you need to eat something, or else you'll start negatively impacting his health and well-being.

Possum - Welcome to Willits This man would fail to notice for quite some time if you weren't eating enough. He doesn't think about when and what he's eating. Just does it when he feels like it, and that's that.

I think that if/when he does notice, he'd try to get you super stoned to try and trigger the munchies, and if that didn't work, he'd try to see if a change of scenery helps and would take you somewhere new, hoping that the long hike makes you hungry enough to cave.

Dividers made by @saradika-graphics

[mindfulstudyquest]

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆

organization: i know it's the most trivial advice in the world, but i swear it works. before doing anything, i take my planner and review everything i have to do, i divide the study by subject, amount of things to study and review spaces for exams. realistically, you can't expect to do it all in one day, but a good plan could almost allow you to sleep at night!

a clean workspace: i can't fucking concentrate if there's a mess aroud me, i get distracted easily, even by dust, so before i start studying i always deep-clean my desk. i know that not everyone can afford a personal and quiet place to study in their houses, so try to find yourself a small angle where you can really focus.

go to study in a library / café: i didn't believe it at first, but it's actually useful. if you have the opportunity to go to a library or a café after school ( or near your house ) do so. being surrounded by people who are studying like you really helps to focus, you'll be less inclined to get distracted and procastinate. i would feel uncomfortable using my phone in a library with other people who are doing their work while i'm sitting there scrolling on tumblr.

breaks: ik ik, not very blair waldrof, hermione granger, spencer hastings, rory gilmore of me, isn't it? but is it worth it. sometimes i end up having really bad headaches from studying and, even if i keep studying, the quality of my work decreases significantly. breaks are fundamental. i would not recommend using social networks for your beak, because they litteraly drain your attention, rather do your skincare, prepare yourself a snack ( eating is important! it's what makes you focus ), read 10 pages of your book, dance a little bit in your room, do stretching, go outside and buy some mint chewingum, something like that.

EAT!: girls, boys and theys, we know. i honestly think that almost every person that craves academic validation ends up developing a sort of eating disorder. it's not even the food, is the fact that you are too busy studying that you forget to eat, ignoring stomach cramps, or the fact that you didn't get that answer right and now you don't feel like you deserve the lunch. i understand bc i AM like this, like you. but think about it: you need to do it in order to survive ( but this is secondary to the grades, right? ) and to keep your brain active. you can't walk around with blurred vision because you haven't eaten or drunk for fourteen continuous hours. i swear that eating like a normal human being helps you to keep going.

sleep: same thing as eating, but with our terrible sleeping schedules. i know that school is toxic so we end up finishing our homeworks at 2 am everyday ( if we're lucky ) but when you have the chance, take a nap and recover.

repeat things as if you were explaining them to someone: this is litterally the fastest way ever to learn fundamental concepts when you're studying. imagine that you're talking to a friend that doesn't know anything about the subject that you're studying and try to explain the topic to them. finding simple words for a difficult topic will help you understand it thoroughly, on this basis you can then build an articulated and more academic speech. repeat things out loud, doesn't matter if you look crazy, you already are <3

check and organize your notes the same day: i never have time to take proper notes in class, so i review them as soon as possible, with the lesson still fresh in mind. it really helps me understand the subject and makes the further study much easier.

watch youtube videos: youtube is my favourite class. sometimes teachers are dumber than students and you, who don't have a degree in that subject and are tackling a topic for the first time, don't understand a damn thing. ofc not!! sometimes professors are terrible at explaining stuff, but fazal from pakistan isn't. i passed my physics class with a 10/10 thanks to an indian guy on youtube. documentaries and yt videos are a simple and nice way to understand better topics and do insights for extra credits.

delete social media: i'm gonna do another post specifically for this.

"STUDY!" wallpaper: last but not least, the dumbest yet the smartest advice, set as lockscreen a white / black / whatever background with a big fat "STUDY!" written on it. everytime you're about to pick up your phone and procastinate the wallpaper will scold you.

hope this was useful or at least fun to read byee

[audhd-space]

Hi. Do you have any tips on how to be productive and how to stick to a routine? I create routines but can barely stick to them, and it's stressful trying to stay on top of schoolwork and other extracurricular activities. Thanks!

Hello, been away to focus on my health.

I’ll try to keep it simple: so a lot of the times people with ADHD fail to stick to routine or have difficulty forming habits is mostly due to our object impermanence.

So taking account object impermanence when forming a routine means :

1. Creating ADHD friendly space at home.

• some people with ADHD have struggles with teeth cleaning / brushing teeth, so what you can do is place it near your bed

• some people with ADHD have problems with misplacing items, so what you need is not to be more vigilant, BUT YOU NEED VISUAL CUES, and place the items where it is EASY TO SEE AND REACH. If putting it in the middle of hallway is easy for you to take it every morning (even if it is odd place), then that’s the routine that works for you!

• same as eating, if you have problems forgetting to eat, having a few snacks/ready to eat food placed in front of you will reduce the amount of energy/spoon you need to take in order to get food.

• some adjustment I made to make my home ADHD-friendly is to have a lot of label stickers (at door, at switches, at kitchen). I also switched to transparent container so my items can be seen and easily found.

2. Your body already has its own routine, you just need to tune in and listen to it.

• What is automatic for you? Observe your one week and track the pattern. What is the best task you have ever completed and why is it so engaging? This is not going to be straightforward, but it shouldn’t be because everyone is different and unique.

• If you have ever felt guilty for playing games while eating, then that’s also how your ADHD brain trying to keep you engaged and focus doing your routine (eating).

• same as if you need to do your homework while watching a documentary or listening to podcast, sometimes adding more distractions can help people with ADHD concentrate better.

• if your body relies and thrives on novelty, then you have to find ways to keep improvising your daily tasks. Don’t feel bad for not being able to stick to routine, you probably thrive more from sticking to your routine from variety of places or working with different people.

3. Always gamify your task and keep it fun.

• this is how I try to keep daily tasks and routine less daunting.

• it sounds weird but do your routine/daily task with the craziest approach you have right now.

• just like in games, it works better if you have a buddy or enemy you need to squash in order to tackle the tasks!

Most important lesson, for me with ADHD, is ACCEPTING THAT I HAVE AN EVER CHANGING ROUTINE.

It is part of how I move, it is part of how I get things done.

[vampiriccreature]

Dmc 3 Dantes design is AMAZING in a storytelling aspect but does NOT work outside of dmc3 AND I’M SICK OF SEEING IT USED IN CROSSOVER MEDIAS !!!!!!

Long ass yap under cut

Dante has always been one for over the top outfits and designs. In the dmc1 novel one of the first sentences is talking about how Dante is flamboyant. At the end of dmc3 we see he has his dmc1 outfit on with all the layers and vest and everything. NOT shirtless.

At the start of dmc3 bro was getting out of the shower, like you hear the water and the shower faucet. You see the water droplets and steam coming off of Dante. And when he answers the phone he says the shop isn’t open yet. Dude was having a lazy day.

Dante did not have time to put on a shirt, he wasn’t planning on going out anywhere or doing anything, he was just eating pizza and chilling. I see SO MANY people (including cannon media like the dmc3 manga) just assume he regularly does not wear a shirt…. like he does! he just didn’t have time to put one on before Arkhams bitchass showed up with his demons.

Don’t even get me started on those pants…. light brown has never been a part of Dante’s color scheme so light brown pants definitely seem weird right? Also he had no belt despite clearly needing one.

Like look at this render, you can see how far his hip is from his pants. He probably just threw on some old pair without thinking about it. And with no belt too, every other version of Dante has at LEAST one belt. So seeing Dante in light brown pants, alone with no belt is definitely strange.

Yet it WORKS SO WELL for the overall design in 3. Reducing the amount of black in his color scheme to better focus on the red and establish him as a much lighter character compared to Vergil ties in perfectly with the dark reflection trope Vergil and Dante play into.

The most iconic thing about Dantes design has always been that red coat. No argument there. So taking away the rest of Dantes more extravagant parts of his design to better focus on the coat is perfect especially for dmc3. Another thing that ties back into the dark reflection trope of Dantes and Vergil is that cutting down on Dantes design makes Vergil and Dantes personalities reflect in their designs so much more. Vergil is very well kept, with a much more complicated outfit and slicked back hair. So Dante being the opposite of that with a lack of shirt, pants that don’t match, no belt, etc. (while still being flamboyant with that red coat) shows their differences in maturity.

You look at this guy and you KNOW he put so much time and effort into his look. He exudes elegance and effort. Meanwhile Dante’s just thrown on a coat and called it a day.

My point is. This design is great for the storytelling aspect of dmc3 as well as the symbolism and metaphors in dmc3. However, we know Dante doesn’t usually dress like this. He wears shirts. So I get personally annoyed when I see Dante portrayed as that one dude who never wears a shirt. I head cannon that around the shop when he has nothing planned he won’t wear a shirt (saves money on the water bill cuz less laundry) but if he plans to go out or have the shop open or whatever, he’s putting on the full fit. Shirt, belt, coat, and plenty of other accessories.

Also here’s the second paragraph from the dmc1 novel cuz I just love how he’s described not only as flamboyant but also adorned with a lot of jewelry:

[sitkowski]

when it's time ( noah sebastian x nick folio )

pairing: noah sebastian x nick folio

cw: 18+ MDNI ⚠️  a massive amount of fluff and holiday related cliches. new boyfriends, first time, making out, hand jobs, anal sex, marking/biting, praise kink.

word count: 4.1k

author's note: happy valentine's day pals! bless everyone who gave a hand in this one, they know who they are. title comes from the green day song. divider by @saradika-graphics 🩵

⇉ masterpost || taglist signups || read on ao3

Nick finds the box of candy hearts in his bunk. There’s nothing special about it, just one of those little pink cartons they have out in every grocery, convenience store and gas station around this time of year. The colorful candies rattle around in the box noisily as he picks it up and eyes it almost suspiciously. It takes a few minutes to click that this is the first time ever he’s had a significant other on Valentine’s Day. He’s been used to Noah leaving him little presents for a while even before they began dating; an obscene enamel pin for his leather jacket, a hat he found at a truck stop in some no name town between shows. But somehow, this little box of candy means something else entirely.

This thing with him and Noah is so new, he can count on one hand the number of dates they went on before the tour began, and they haven’t exactly had the time to put much focus into their new relationship with the album doing so well and getting more shows booked. They were in a freaking bus now instead of their van, and it felt like it had come out of nowhere that they were on the rise that they were on going from the van to hotels to the bus. Nick felt secure with Noah, but he still saw the box of candy at some sort of sign. Instead of going to him and asking him about it, Nick goes to the person who knows Noah best.

“What does this mean?” he asks Nicholas, holding out the box to him.

“It’s candy, Folio. You eat it.”

Nick squints at him, contemplating chucking the box at his head. He’s only got so much time before Noah and Jolly are back from the interview they were doing. “No, I know that, genius. But Noah left them for me.”

“Oh,” Nicholas nods almost solemnly. “Well you see, when a boy likes another boy very much—”

His words are cut off when a candy heart hits him square in the forehead. 

Nick reminds himself that it was Nicholas who set him and Noah up in the first place, and he’s just being difficult because it’s his right as Noah’s best friend. That’s the only thing that keeps him from throwing another. He waits almost patiently while Nicholas stares at him in mock offense before he grabs the candy from where it had landed on his shirt and pops it into his mouth.

“Look, we’re gonna be at a hotel that night. Take him out, or get something to eat and watch some movies. He’s not gonna be expecting some big thing.”

As far as advice goes, it’s exactly what Nick needs to hear but he’s still not entirely convinced. “He won’t think that’s boring?”

“Believe me, all he’s going to care about is that he’s with you.” Nicholas laughs at him, not unkindly. “You’ll be fine.”

It takes everything Nick has to just nod and believe him. Things have been perfect with Noah, and he’s sure that he won’t need to do something big or elaborate when they haven’t even made this exclusive yet and he isn’t even sure if Noah actually likes the holiday beyond leaving him a little treat that cost him less than five bucks. And honestly all that really matters is that they’ll have a day off that he can spend with Noah. He can’t stop thinking about how well the two of them fit together. The holiday is irrelevant to whether or not they—Noah and Nick, Nick and Noah—work as a couple.

When Noah finds him later, he’s sprawled out on the back lounge sofa, watching reruns of Man vs. Food. Noah’s nose wrinkles as he watches the guy shovel half a pizza into his mouth just to win a t-shirt, before he finally turns his attention to Nick. He’s still got the candies, absently eating them as he watches the show. Some of them taste gross, but he still eats them because Noah gave them to him.

Nick doesn’t ask about the interview, just moves the box out of Noah’s way and sits up long enough to pull him down on the couch with him, until he fits himself into the space between Nick’s body and the sofa cushions. Nick twists around so that they’re face to face.

“Hi,” he says softly.

Noah gives him an amused look. “Hi yourself. Are you comfy now?”

“Yep,” Nick fishes around in the box and pulls out one of the green hearts, holding it up for him to read. It says kiss me on it in bright pink letters. “Hm, good advice.”

The first thing Nick ever heard from Noah when they met was his laugh, and he’s pretty sure he fell in love with him even if he didn’t know it at the time. Noah lets out one of those delighted laughs now, taking the candy from between Nick’s fingers before leaning over and kissing him like it suggested. It’s impossible to avoid the pleased noise that escapes him as Noah’s fingers gently curl around his jaw; Nick will never ever get tired of this. The taste of the candy still lingers on Noah’s tongue as it brushes against his and Nick reaches up to push Noah’s hair behind his ears, only for it to fall right back into both of their faces.

He slots a knee between Noah’s legs, if only to get closer to him. He’s content to just lay here and trade kisses until his lips are tingling and Noah’s practically half asleep in his arms. He thinks he feels the bus start to move, but he doesn’t want to disturb this moment if he doesn’t have to.

“Thank you. For the candy.” Nick says finally.

Noah hums and taps his fingers against the side of Nick’s face. “You’re welcome, baby.”

The endearment lights up something in Nick’s chest and he nudges his nose against Noah’s cheek before pressing a kiss there. He brings the candy box back up from where it’s been crushed between them, and pulls out another heart. This one is purple, with the writing a little faded. The imprinted words are still visible enough.

“What’s it say?” Noah asks.

Turning it around, Nick lets him read it. He watches the way Noah’s eyes crinkle when he smiles widely. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Nick pops the heart that says I love you into his mouth.

Noah likes waking up with Nick. He’s been doing it for years since they started touring, before they even thought of getting together. When they’d slept in the van, or crashed in someone’s basement after a show. They can’t really sleep beside one another in the bunks, no matter their height difference it just doesn’t work out comfortably. But when he wakes up alone, he’s confused and a little disappointed for a few seconds. He sees all of Nick’s stuff still tossed on the second bed with his and when he sits up, he finds the note stuck to the lamp shade that Nick had left. Relief settles in him when he realizes that he’s only gone to get breakfast.

When he hears the thudding knock against their door, he crawls out of bed. Nick’s on the other side and Noah blinks at him when he realizes that he’s loaded down with not only a tray of coffees for them, but food bags and a few plastic bags from the Walgreens down the road from the hotel. Nick leans up to drop a kiss on his cheek as he walks in, sitting everything down on the table by the window.

“I see you got more than breakfast,” Noah observes.

Nick pulls a coffee from the tray and hands it to him. It does something to Noah every time he notices little things like Nick having memorized his coffee preferences. The first hit of caffeine burns his tongue a little, and he looms over Nick’s shoulder as he starts to pull food out of bags.

“What else did you get?” he asks, eying the stuff from the drugstore. “If I had known you were gonna go on a shopping spree I’d have gotten up to go with you.”

Nick’s cheeks are pink when he picks up one of the bags and holds it out to Noah. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Whatever is in the bag is soft, and Noah drops back down on the bed to start going through it with excitement. He pulls out a variety of plush animals, each holding a little heart or having a saying on them. There’s an otter that says U R Otter This World, and a puppy with a bone that says I Woof You. Noah holds up a stuffed lamb with a t-shirt that says I Love Ewe, and he realizes he can’t stop smiling.

“I didn’t know which one you’d like, so I bought them all.” Nick mumbles.

“You are too fucking cute,” Noah sits aside his coffee and tugs on Nick’s hand, pulling him down onto his lap and kissing him softly. “Thank you. I love them all.”

Nick looks proud of himself and he tucks Noah’s hair behind his ears, bumping his forehead against his.

“There might be some other stuff in one of the bags for later.”

“Later, huh?” Noah grins and Nick’s face gets even more flushed. “You got plans up your sleeve for me, Nick Folio?”

“I…I meant candy, you perv,” Nick says but Noah knows that’s not entirely true. “C’mon, let’s eat breakfast before it gets cold.”

He squirms his way out of Noah’s lap and pulls him over to the table. Noah would tease him more, but the food smells good and he lets himself be distracted. He’s also completely enamored with Nick getting him breakfast and cute little gifts for the holiday. It’s not lost on him that he’s Nick’s first boyfriend. He likes that about him, and maybe there is a tiny part of him that is selfishly happy to be the first and hopefully the last.

“What do you say to getting a shower and doing some sightseeing?” Noah asks after they’ve finished eating.

“I’d like that,” Nick says and Noah gets up from the table. He holds out a hand and Nick gives him a look. “Oh, we’re showering together. That’s environmentally friendly.”

Laughing, Noah tugs on his hand, “Yeah that’s exactly what I was thinking about, water conservation.”

As soon as they’re in the bathroom, Nick strips out of his shirt and reaches into the shower stall to turn on the water. The bathroom fills with steam quickly and Noah tugs off his own shirt. He feels Nick’s eyes on him as they take off the rest of their clothes. He plants a hand in the middle of Noah’s chest, guiding him backwards until they’re both stepping into the stall. He can’t take his eyes off of him as he tips his head back under the spray. Nick’s watching him too, and the corner of his mouth tilts up as he runs his hands through his hair.

“Well? Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna come closer? I thought we were sharing water.”

Noah doesn’t hesitate to fit himself into his space, putting his hands on Nick’s hips to turn him around so that he’s the one beneath the water now. Nick presses a kiss to the underside of Noah’s chin before grabbing his shampoo. They take turns beneath the water, not getting too distracted at first. But once they’re both rinsed off, Noah can’t help himself.

“Can I touch you?” he asks softly, pulling Nick close.

Nick answers him with a quick nod, before wrapping a hand around his wrist and guiding it down until Noah’s fingers close around him. His cock twitches in his grasp and Nick grins with a soft exhale. Noah moves his hand slowly, every sound escaping him shooting straight to his gut. He dips his head down and kisses his neck as he jerks him off, slow and easy.

"Fuck, this is so good," Noah murmurs with his lips against Nick's skin. He runs his hand up the length of Nick’s cock. "This is already so good."

“Noah,” Nick sighs out his name, hands coming up to grab onto the sides of his face and pull his mouth to his. His hips rock into Noah’s hand, the water falling around them starting to cool. Noah backs him up against the glass door and Nick whines against his mouth. “Please—”

“Okay, I’ve got you,” Noah promises, stroking him faster. Nick’s eyes clench shut and he knocks his head back against the door. “You’re so good, baby. So good for me. Just let me take care of you.” 

He pulls Nick’s full bottom lip between his teeth, nipping him just so and Nick groans, coming all over his hand. The water washes everything away and Noah leans back in to kiss him senseless. He pulls away, panting for air as Nick gets a hand between them, getting his hand on Noah’s cock. Unlike Noah, he doesn’t try to draw it out, fist moving fast enough that Noah’s knees nearly buckle. It shouldn’t surprise him how fast he’s able to find a rhythm, even like this.

“Do you want more?” Nick asks, still a little breathless. “I could—”

Noah cuts him off, shaking his head. He isn’t going to expect that from him when he’s never done something like this before. “No, this is perfect, just like this.”

“Okay,” he says lightly, even as he runs his thumb over the head of Noah’s cock, hard and steady. “You are gonna let me suck you off one day though, right?”

Noah lets out a disbelieving moan, his head falling forward to Nick’s shoulder. His answering laugh tickles Noah’s ear, and he turns his head to sink his teeth into Nick’s neck in retaliation. This only makes him stroke his cock faster, and Noah wonders what kind of publicity they’d get if he slipped and broke something in the shower while getting a handjob from his boyfriend slash bandmate on Valentine’s Day.

He’s already so close, just from this and from getting Nick off first. Noah brings one of his hands down, over Nick’s, guiding him. Nick tips his head back against the glass again, using his free hand to tug on Noah’s hair until he gets the message and kisses him. Every noise that Noah makes, he swallows down. 

“Are you gonna come for me, honey?” Nick asks.

Noah doesn’t answer with words, he simply comes, just like that.

Nick hasn’t been able to stop staring at Noah. They’ve been out wandering the town for a few hours, and it’s probably pretty shady of him that all Nick can think about is getting him back to their hotel room later. Every time he lets himself think about it, he can hear the sounds Noah was making in the shower, and Nick cannot turn his brain off. If Noah notices how twitchy he is, he doesn’t say anything. They’re sitting together in a quiet park, and when Noah catches him looking this time, he lifts their joined hands together and presses a kiss to Nick’s knuckles.

Nick fucking swoons.

Before he can say anything, an older woman approaches them. “Flower for your valentine?”

She’s got a basket of vibrant red roses hooked over one arm, and Nick gives Noah a little smile before reaching for his wallet. “How about two?”

He probably pays too much for two roses, but she hands them both one with a smile before heading off. Nick likes the way Noah lifts it to his nose and smells it. He laughs that laugh that Nick fell in love with.

“What’s that look for?”

Nick looks from his face to the roses again. “I just love you.”

“I love you too, Nicky,” Noah leans in and presses a quick kiss to his lips. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

They leave the park and go get lunch before they finally make their way back to the hotel. Nick can’t help but think of the things he’s got tucked among the candies in his shopping bags. And maybe he waits until Noah’s a little distracted before he starts lighting the little candles that he bought, placing them around the room. He’s hyper aware when he’s finally being watched.

Noah’s mouth twists. “You know my history with candles right?”

“You won’t be touching the candles, you’ll be touching me.”

“In my defense, I wasn’t touching the candle then either—”

Nick grabs Noah by his shirt and kisses him until he stops talking. He manages to put out a hand and find the light switch, leaving the room lit only by the candles. Gently, he shoves Noah down until he’s sitting on the end of the bed.

“You’re gonna fuck me in this bed,” he declares. “We’ll order some room service for dinner, watch some trash tv and maybe you can fuck me again in the morning before bus call. If that works for you.”

Noah’s mouth opens and then closes, and he draws in a deep breath before trying again. “Yeah, that works for me.”

Nick nods and tries to step back but Noah latches onto his hips and yanks, until he falls into his chest and they both fall back onto the mattress. Nick squirms impatiently but lets Noah kiss him, until they’re both out of air and then they start pulling at each other’s clothes.

“Have you ever done this before?” Nick asks as Noah’s leaning back to tug off his jeans.

“Once or twice. It’s been a while though,” Noah looks up at him, raking at hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes. “This might sound incredibly cliche, but it’s different with you, Nick.”

“I believe you.”

They manage to get out of the rest of their clothes in a comfortable silence and Nick watches as Noah backs away long enough to grab the bottle of lube from the bag. He didn’t think to get condoms, but he trusts Noah enough to be okay with that. When Noah turns back around to look at him, Nick can see the love in his eyes and it makes it hard to breathe.

Crawling back over him, Noah brushes his fingers over Nick’s cheek and rocks forward so that their cocks slide along each other. It draws a gasp from Nick and when his lips fall open a bit, Noah leans in to kiss him. He presses him further into the mattress and distracts him with kisses again, hips rolling into his every now and then. He cups a hand under Nick’s jaw, tipping his head back so he can drag his mouth down his throat, sucking bruises here and there as he goes.

“I’ve gotta get you ready, baby,” Noah murmurs into his skin, and Nick nods rapidly. “Just relax for me.”

 It takes him more than a few minutes to actually relax, but Noah’s so patient with him that it almost brings tears to his eyes. He lets Noah ease his legs apart and he only twitches a little when he hears the snap of the lube bottle cap. The first brush of fingers against his hole makes Nick jolt, but Noah strokes his free hand over his thigh, whispering calming words to him as he slowly presses first one finger into him, and then a second when he starts to relax more.

When he curls his fingers against Nick’s prostate, Nick reaches down and grabs at the sheets, arching up into it. “Another,” he begs and Noah does what he asks without question, adding a third.

Nick’s pretty sure he could come like this, and Noah would probably let him. But that’s not what he wants. He thinks about begging, about promising him that he’s ready for more, but he knows that Noah won’t give him what he wants until he’s sure.

“You gonna tell me what you want again?” Noah asks, slowing his fingers down.

Nick makes a desperate noise, back arching off the bed. “I wanna come on your cock.”

If he’d been looking at Noah, he would have seen the slack jawed expression that came across his face hearing those words, but he’d closed his eyes up until the moment that he pulled his fingers out and crawled back up Nick’s body, kissing him hard.

“Turn over for me,” Noah says, and Nick blinks up at him. “On your side.”

Nick moves how he wants him to, his breath coming out in harsh pants as he looks back over his shoulder and watches Noah slick up his cock. He spoons up behind Nick, pressing his face into his shoulder. One of his hands reaches down to push Nick's knee up and over, and he lets out a surprised moan because he didn't think it could be like this, the way Noah's opening him up now, nudging into him slowly. He can feel himself shaking and he fights the urge to grind back against him. Noah clamps his arm over him to keep him still as he pushes all of the way in.

"Hang on baby, stay still for me," he mutters against the side of Nick's face.

"Noah," he gasps, reaching up to grab onto the arm wrapped around him.

"I know, I know. I've got you."

Noah holds him close and rocks into him, slow and deep. His face presses into Nick's neck again, his hand sliding up to hold onto the underside of his jaw, pulling him back into his shoulder. A whine stutters out of Nick and he reaches down to wrap his hand around his own cock. It isn't easy but he manages to match the slow movements of Noah's cock moving inside of him.

It's not lost on him that they're not fucking, they’re making love.

"More, Noah," Nick begs, and he hears Noah choke on a breath behind him.

"Okay," he murmurs and that's all the warning he really gets.

Noah pushes at Nick's hip, changing the angle, and he drapes himself over him, hips snapping into his as he fucks him hard and deep. Nick squeezes his eyes shut, a moan forced out of him on every thrust. The tension in his stomach pulls tight like a string and then snaps, and he comes all over his fist. Noah fucks him through it, pushing him over onto his stomach. Nick moves pliantly, unable to do much more than grasp the sheets between his fingers and press his face into the bend of his arm as Noah's thrusts turn desperate and unsteady.

"Can I come inside you?"

Nick hadn't even thought about it, but he finds himself begging Noah to do so. He feels Noah press into him and go still, a jagged whine escaping him as he does exactly what Nick tells him he can. Nick can feel it and he reaches back to grab onto Noah’s hip, holding him there until he stops coming.

After, Noah presses kisses along the back of Nick’s shoulder, keeping a hand on Nick’s hip as he gently pulls out. Nick can’t help but squirm a little, but then he feels Noah’s weight settle into his back and he twists around as much as he can to kiss him.

“We should shower,” He makes a negative noise against Noah’s mouth at his suggestion, wanting nothing more than to keep him close. Noah laughs, and Nick melts. “Come on Nicky, I’m pretty sure there’s still room service and trash tv in this plan of yours.”

He relents, letting Noah pull him from the bed and towards the bathroom.

Noah wakes up with Nick pressed into his back, making him the little spoon. He squints at the time, trying to do the mental math of how long they have until bus call. It’s still a few hours away, and he remembers Nick telling him something the night before about having his way with him before they leave the hotel. His eyes catch on the two roses in a glass of water on the nightstand, and he can’t help but smile before he turns over in Nick’s arms. They can sleep a little longer.

Of course, they nearly miss bus call. They’re the last ones across the parking lot and they shove their stuff into the bay before making their way up the steps. As soon as their friends see them, they’re met with wolf whistles and catcalls. It doesn’t help that Nick’s got a spectacular set of hickeys above the collar of his hoodie and Noah’s shirt is on inside out. He’s also got the stuffed animals from Nick tucked beneath the strap of his carry on against his chest.

“I see you took my advice.” Nicholas says as Nick goes past, knocking fists with him.

Nick looks back over his shoulder, giving Noah a smile. “Something like that.”

⇉ taglist

@ladyveronikawrites @circle-with-me @deathblacksmoke @dominuslunae

@rumoured-whispers @cookiesupplier @kinseysucks @collapsedglasshouses

@thatchickwiththecamera @th4t-em0-k1d @blackveilomens @illmakeyousaywow

@malice-ov-mercy @itsjustforce @darksigns-exe @baddestomens

@collidewiththesavannah @sorrowsofsilence @fadingangelwisp

@kait16xo @wonh0z

if you ’d like to be added to the taglist, you can find the form at the top of this fic! thanks for reading/reblogging 🩷

[3lliesan]

"Move."

Time.

Yuu didn't have much time.

They realized this after the Dwaf's Mines, the running, the fight, and the trip back from Crowley's office. Ever since that black ink sunk beneath their skin, there was no way to stop it from slowly killing them even faster unless they somehow found a way to release it.

Even before all of that, Yuu knew that their 'heart' was weak. Not having as much strength as when 'she' lived.

Yuu was almost fine with just being invisible. A passing wind, that a few would notice, and forget just as quickly when they're gone. That would leave less pain and bitter tastes...

...

But...

That feeling.

The running with a purpose to achieve something.

The trust in each of their hearts to continue living.

Going against the odds even if things seemed hopeless.

The victory.

A glimpse of any color will do. Just as it did back then.

drip. drip. drip

ba-dump. ba-dump.

There were drums in Yuu's ears right now. No. Heartbeats. Everyone was doing their best to keep themselves alive and find ways to do damage to the Blot creature behind the bloody red queen, and a close friend of one of the people involved.

[Doodle Suit] can only hold out for so long, about half the people fighting were only first-year students, and that incompetent excuse of a headmage was probably too busy to hurry up and get reinforcements to arrive.

Though, most importantly..

"...fuck--!"

Yuu was currently having a problem of their own right now.

Riddle's spear pierced their arm, pinning it to the ground.

And it took a lot of effort for them not to scream.

It stung more than any ordinary arrow. Like a parasite, it was eating away at their limb. Flesh dying black the more time passes. The ones that noticed wanted to help, shouting out in concern, but unable to do much since they needed to focus on fighting for their lives, with Yuu, the one leading the whole thing down.

Is this really it? This was how I'm going to die? What can I even do if Trey uses his unique magic? I doubt it'd lessen enough damage for anything to be done. Am I going to see the fight til' the end at least..?

Sounds went back and forth like a broken record. Yuu tried to block out the entire world with the sound of their heartbeat.

bam. bam. bam. bam.

bam. bam. bam. bam..

Is there really nothing that can be done? Come on, think! Anything!

---

"There's ghosts in the mines?!"

"You've got to be kidding-"

---

"What, you a chicken or something?"

"Who are you calling a chicken, huh?!"

"idiots- do you want to live through this or not?!"

---

"Here's the plan..."

---

"I don't know how we're still alive! Hah- haha!"

"... Bahaha-"

---

--

-

"Oi, Yuu- or should I call you prefect now~?"

"Say that again and I'll show you a demonstration with the word, defenestration." Yuu retorted without hesitation. It was still too early in the morning, they hadn't had coffee in two days, and being addressed formally never failed to weird them out.

"...You look like a pretty guy, but you're freaking scary, you know that?" Now what is that supposed to mean?

Ace sighed, making himself right at home on the previously dusty sofa. "Anyway, as I was saying. I've been wanting to ask this for a while."

"What's up with that sword? You've been keeping that thing with you since the entrance ceremony, and it's not even in good condition."

Ah, right. You've been bringing that broken blade around in its sheath. Now that both Ace and Deuce know that it's only half a sword, that makes it seem even stranger.

"What, is it a family relic? Ya trying to look cool or something?"

"That's.. uh..."

... Well, it's not like Yuu could say anything about it being the one thing tied to their past or something. The atmosphere would turn weird.

---

.

.

.

Yuu's eyes locked right at the unsheathed red blade, in its usual purplish glow during battle. Ever since Yuu figured out how to convert blot to magic power in small amounts, they thought that they'd never need to use the same weapon again from the previous world.

tick. tock.

They pushed their body up with their left arm the best they could, ignoring the pain from the other side.

tick. tock.

Their vision getting blurry, crawled with any remaining strength they had.

drip. drip.

There was no time to have any fantasies of an miracle to appear, nor was there any time to drown in the despair of the current reality.

. . .

. . .

The muscles were begging to stop. The fight was still ongoing. Sounds of running, dodging, clashing, and casting was heard.

There were also an air of anxiety, tense, unnerving feeling in the air.

Along with fatigue.

...

Oh, right.

I'm tired.

Taking a small nap should be fine, right?-

No, I would definitely pass out, or worse..

Give up.. then what would all that be for..?

Why am I... even trying...

----+----

"W-We did it?"

There was a moment of silence as the three tried to process what had just happened.. If the dead monster on the ground was an indication of anything.

"We won..."

"Hooray!"

"We did it!!!"

...

what is it?

Was it because we won? We survived it together? Was it the thrill?

As Yuu started having strange thoughts, they stared at their friends for a while, broken weapons loosely held, still dazed... but not from the same thing as the two boys, too happy to notice how uncharacteristic it was.

Yuu couldn't pinpoint it in a few simple words to brush it off as something cliche. No matter how many literary works they could find to somehow find a way to describe it, it wouldn't feel right...

And for the first time. Yuu wasn't sure if they wanted to figure it out whether it was a good or bad thing.

...

'I want more of it.'

----+----

"...Damnit!"

Reaching out to the purplish hue, so close yet so far, nameless continued ignoring the pitch black crawling up their skin.

drip. drip.

"Just a little... more..!"

Crawling up the neck, pulse dimming bit by bit, soon syncing with the booming of the chest.

drip. drip.

"Move."

A glimpse was all that was needed. Even if You became one with the abyss. A single strand of color in a monochrome plane was enough.

So.

Drip. Tap.

"Move, damnit!"

As soon as Yuu clenched the weapon...

-BOOM!

"...Eh? The attacks..."

"They're all dissolving and gathering towards one place...?!"

So I may or may have not decided to dump any ideas here as practice until I get back on ao3 since something is better than nothing... haha- Yea, this is brain vomit. Please do the same whenever you read what I make THANK YOU! :DDDD

(P.S: Could you tell that this is one of the few times I'm describing atmosphere and feelings? It's so complicated. And I'm going cry :'D)

@twisted-drawritings @karmicpunishment @mellosdrawings

[eleanorgrootch]

Can you tell us more about your operator and drifter?

Yes of course!!! <3

I'm sorry for the lack of art here, I unfortunately don't have much time to make my descriptions look cute but oh well.

My Operator's name is Gin (Or Ginny by only a select few people). Her personality is fairly cold and hardened since she still runs on the anger she felt after the accident on the Zariman. She also maintains the mindset of a soldier she and the other Tenno children were subjected to after being rescued. Unlike my Drifter, she still remembers a lot of details of their life before the accident, but refuses to return to how she was before. Instead, she holds a focus to move forward with her new life, adapting herself into a more capable and powerful Tenno as the game goes on.

She isn't without any growth, though, or friends! I played a lot of the initial quests with a close friend of mine so now I see Gin going on most of her adventures with a fellow Tenno named F.L.O.R.A who helps her to accept her anger, but also to see the joy in small things again. She would never admit it out loud, but Ginny feels less lonely when F.L.O.R.A is around.

Although she doesn't see The Lotus as her mother, nor does she want to, she holds a high amount of respect for her. In fact, she begins to admire her after the events of The New War when The Lotus chose for herself who she wished to be despite her background and past. As she grows older, I can see Gin becoming an almost ethereal being, similar to her.

My Drifter, Imogen, on the other hand wants nothing more than to return to her life before Duviri. Not on the Zariman, not in space among a never ending void, but on the old colony where her family used to live. She wants to return to a home. Her time lost on Duviri left her with many holes in her memory, so there are things she can no longer remember - her mother's voice, her father's face, the silly things she and her brother used to argue about. It made her almost desperate once she put herself in the middle of The New War, as though she were trying to fight for her right to simply exist again.

Ironically enough, though, she's more understanding of her emotions compared to Gin. And once she wakes up from her apathetic state after Duviri, she tries to allow herself to simply feel whenever she can. This so far has given her a stupidly dark sense of humor and a worrisome curiosity for things around her ("I wonder what this does!" type of mindset)

I suppose in a way, Imogen is the more "human" one of the two travelers.

Some more fun tidbits about them!

Imogen loves plants. She has a greenhouse going on in her backroom where she learned to grow vegetables (and slowly grew out of her habit of eating cubed food) She helps the Hex distribute these to the civvies in Hollvania and Arthur uses them to cook as well.

Imogen also plays the Shawzin and sings sometimes. She used to perform for others on the Zariman and liked feeling that she helped spark some joy for that simple thing. It makes her happy to know she can still do it for everyone in 1999. I headcanon her voice to be similar in accent and song to Lucy Gray Baird.

Ginny doesn't play or sing anymore, but she will still occasionally listen to the music that F.L.O.R.A plays for them on the somachord.

Gin like puzzle games. She actually is very fond of a lot of games in general but she prefers the ones that make her brain work more like Komi. However, Imogen brought back a Tammpet once from 1999 and although she initially thought it was a stupid toy, she now brings it with her everywhere.

They both wear glasses. Their vision isn't terrible enough where they need it often - they're both far sighted - but they used to wear them all the time while doing school work on the Zariman. Imogen wears them more now in 1999 (thank you dinosaur monitors) compared to Gin.

Imogen prefers firearms (her Barbie - Babie? Barie? - glocks) while Ginny prefers blades.

[is-this-fascism]

have you been doomscrolling? feeling awful about it? do you feel out of control? does it seem your autonomy has been swallowed by the ever present beast that is the internet?

we live in the most overwhelmingly stimulating age of humanity ever seen, and it's only getting worse. our brains are sponges, soaking up whatever we smear them across, and it seems more and more difficult to find a clean surface to rest on. i'm no expert or professional, but ive been born and raised into the internet, and i'd like to hand out some wisdom regarding this.

the main issue: brain poison

since the brain absorbs whatever it's exposed to, media consumption is unsurprisingly going to effect it. the type of media, the amount of media, and the frequency of the media all play a factor.

it's not the internet itself that's bad here. it's the media on the internet, and the platforms designed to suck in our attention and keep it there until we're rotting inside our skulls.

we're never going to escape the internet. it's just a fact of life now, and a tool that can be used for wonderful things. so how do we learn to live with the internet and take advantage of its potential?

treat it like a dietary balance

staying aware of what goes in your brain is just as important as being aware of what you're eating. if you eat carelessly, don't listen to how your body feels after you eat certain things, and ignore any sickness that might result from rotten food, you're going to have a bad time and wreck your guts. the same goes for the brain.

you want to have a good mix of various types of media in the right amounts, or approximately so. if things are feeling bland, maybe diversify. if things are feeling stupid, try something more intellectual. if it's feeling too much, cut back on all of it

the following are three things you can do to maintain a sense of control and awareness over your media diet. this isnt a step by step and is in no particular order, theyre just ideas to carry forward in general any time it could be helpful.

1. digest

this is the process of thinking about and remembering what youve done throughout your time on the internet. it could apply to any period of time. so you might think, 'man, i've done nothing but watch tiktok all day.' or 'i've been scrolling twitter a lot more this past week.'

i feel like most people already do this to some extent, but it manifests as a fleeting sense of anxiety or shame that doesn't lead anywhere. analyze that feeling, and ask if it's really true or helpful.

ask if your media consumption is making you feel less focused, distracted, putting you into a brain fog, making you fall asleep when you don't want to, making you irritable and angry, drawing you into arguments, keeping you awake at night, or upsetting/disrupting you in any way.

digestion also means appreciating the good stuff and recognizing the good feelings you get too. so also ask if it's enriching you, helping you learn something new, giving you a new perspective, exposing you to something beautiful, passing the time, relaxing you, honing your focus, or generally lifting your mood.

2. cut

cut certain types of content from your life once you've decided they're not good for your media diet. block people. move on. tell youtube to stop reccomending that channel. block them. unfollow people. unfollow tags. block the tags. blacklist things. do it. forget the awful things that make your brain hurty. click the block button. uninstall the app. you know you want to

consider removing yourself entirely from websites that are designed to be attention predators. if you consistently feel like youre 'stuck' on a site and cant leave, it's probably best to just delete your account and get out of there. tiktok is NOTORIOUS for this.

i also tend to keep my following or subscribed count low. keeping the stream of content short forces me to find other things to do with my time. this goes hand in hand with things like turning off infinite scroll. it provides an 'end point' where the repetitive action of scrolling down stops bearing fruit, breaking the doomscrolling cycle. the internet is almost an infinite place, and its up to you to build walls around yourself so you arent lost in it forever.

its also important to get off the internet in general sometimes. i know this is obvious, but literally touch grass on occasion. doing anything with your physical body away from the screen will be more enriching than sitting there scrolling for hours. whether it's just a 5 minute walk around your house to stretch your legs or a 6 hour hike every weekend, part of cutting media will mean replacing it with real life. looking at some plants, doing a pushup, or working on a knitting project can be like rinsing your brain sponge under some cold, clean water.

3. curate

the flip side of cutting is curating. you'll want to be looking for media that makes you happy and feels productive or meaningful in some way. anything that not only doesnt make you feel like you wasted your time, but specifically makes you feel like you spent your time well, is a green flag.

keep in mind entertainment just for entertainment's sake is good for you too. you don't have to be watching university lectures and tutorials and stuff all day. finding high quality entertainment, such as personalities you enjoy, good production values, and inventive ideas can be really difficult. find the people who dont make you feel like a cocomelon baby and stick with them. from there you should be able to find similar content.

what's good for your soul is going to depend very much on you as an individual. this is also going to be an ongoing process as not only you but the internet both change and evolve. the important thing about this step is that you Make Decisions about what to consume. even bad decisions! it's all part of the process, and it's all about reclaiming your autonomy.

4. eat your junk food

this isn't a military drill or an exact science. i'm just a guy on tumblr with an intimate connection to his own brain and a LOT of time on the internet. that's my only credential. sometimes i want to turn that brain off and just mindlessly consume without putting any thought into what dirty dishwater is soaking into my sponge. sometimes adhd brain wants me to watch a shitty B movie in recap form so i dont have to commit to a full movie. sometimes i get stuck in the youtube shorts for like 3 hours.

that's fine. the most important part of any kind of self care is that a little bit is better than nothing. even just being aware that youre consuming something bad for you and knowing you arent ready to stop just yet is better than nothing.

thats it!!

now you should be prepared to take back some control over your media consumption. be gentle with yourself and take your time. eventually this stuff will become second nature, and you'll be effortlessly digesting, curating, and cutting media like it's just part of your personality. remember YOU have control over what the internet thinks you want to see. dont let it force feed you nasty slop anymore. let it be a reflection of your mind, not the other way around.

and good luck!