#i am procrastinating on my final paper help me

[woolying]

i meant to post this last week before the first in-game comic came out but i forgot oops.... anyywayyy i am sooooo obsessed with teruko plays among us so im posting my initial predictions based on canon/what i think would be funny (girl who likes mongy monday and drdt a bit too much and is trying to be normal about it) also i explain the roles for people who may not know them!

i might update these each week as more info comes out in the comic

(under the cut bc its long / drdt spoilers)

DAVID

jester (neutral role, has to get voted out to win) - i think its kinda self explanatory as to why lol (i hope teruko shoots him <3)

i would say imitator (crew, in meetings can select a dead crewmate with certain roles and take it for one round) and he uses it on xander if (probably when) he dies, to sorta match what he does in canon, but i didnt put down any imitable roles for xander... but i guess he still could be anyway if im wrong about xander's role

ACE

morphling (imposter, can disguise as other people) - bc blackened, and he imitated eden in the note?? idk

either that or swooper (imposter, can temporarily turn invisible) - bc hes sneaky like that

veteran (crewmate, kills anyone who interacts with them) - the scared of other people role

XANDER

executioner on teruko (neutral, has to get teru voted out to win) is my fav guess i think

maybe vigilante (crew, can guess imposter roles in meetings to kill them, if they guess wrong they die) - just bc it suits him?? idk

one of the imposter roles idk - bc attempted murderer, maybe teruko shoots him?

^^ i wrote these before episode 3 came out and we have since seen xander doing a task so this is a no (tbh i dont think executioner does tasks either?? i forget if its a toggle or not)

CHARLES

amnesiac (neutral, basically no role but if they find a dead body they can steal their role and be it for the rest of the game) - haha get it because he forgot...anyways

investigator (crew, sees footprints when people walk around), tracker (crew, can place arrows onto people to see their location), or spy (crew, can see exactly who is where on admin table) - investigative roles that don't involve dead bodies

^^ another update post episode 3: charles on admin table!!??? (but notes say he always does that what a loser)

WHIT

swapper (crew, can swap votes onto someone else in a meeting) or transporter (crew, can teleport two people to trade places during the round) just bc i think he'd have fun with it lmao, both can be very chaotic/annoying roles or rlly good/helpful depending on how the person uses them (he uses them to be annoying)

mystic (crew, gets notified whenever someone dies) - just vibes tbh

EDEN

engineer (crew, can vent and fix sabotages remotely) - a support role suits her i think

i kinda got nothing really oops??? we'll see i guess

MIN

undertaker maybe?? (imposter, can drag dead bodies) - bc blackened, altering the crime scene🔥🔥🔥

tbh a more suiting imposter role might be traitor (a random crewmate who becomes imposter if both die early) but idk how this group would manage to kill the imposters that quickly... either that or amnesiac picking up an imposter role based on the fact that She Didn't Want This

altruist (crew, gets to sacrifice their life to revive a dead participant) - min voice i just wanted to save you!! i can imagine teruko dying in the middle of nowhere and min bringing her back

J

vigilante or jailor (crew, can tag people to be jailed during the round and choose whether to execute them during the meeting) - i think shes pretty involved in trials so a meeting crew role makes sense? though j gives off such bad guesser vibes lol may she rest in peace

tracker - partially vibes, but also i think it would be funny if she got a role that can be kinda boring in some circumstances bc she'd be so mad about it

AREI

guardian angel on eden (neutral, wins if eden wins) - Arei "I guess this time I can be the person you rely on" Nageishi

jailor maybe - it reminds me of her in mins trial with the pen idk vibes

tbh im not rlly sure if the blackeneds will end up being imposters?? bc it almost feels too obvious but maybe the simplest answer is the right one yknow? also since min was added off a poll i was kinda doubting, but i feel like nico/levi could also be imposters if they were chosen instead? but idk who else would be if not the blackeneds bc at that point its just random so i cant really guess

these could be all totally completely wrong honestly im just having fun thinking about it! i cannot wait to see more YAYYY YIPPPEEEE

[axarmae]

Almost finals week for me... wish me luck

[leviraaaaaa]

“Levi!”

You barge through the door, all dramatic, gasping and panting, purposely exaggerating to get his attention. But not to your surprise, he didn’t even bother looking up.

“I suppose no one ever taught you, but there’s a concept called knocking.” He said, his eyes fully focused on the papers. His hand moving across it as he wrote. “It’s quite easy really, you raise your hand and—”

“Levi!” You cut him off, slamming the door behind you loudly. “Levi, my beloved, my savior in dark times, I am in need of your help.”

“Slamming the door isn’t very polite either. Your manners get worse everyday.”

You waved him off, shushing him. You made way across the room, where a couch sat not far from the desk he was sitting on, and flopped down face first. “Levi.” Your voice came out muffled.

“Ah yes, making yourself home I see.” He sighs.

“Levi, I need your help. Real bad.”

“No.”

“What–” You look up, raising your face from the cushions, offended. “You didn’t even–”

“No.” He repeated, eyes not leaving his work for even a second. “Please, get off my couch. Cleaning it is tiresome.”

“Levi.” You whined, impatient at his aloofness. “Levi, he’s going to kill me.”

“I’ll buy you a good coffin.”

“This isn’t funny.” You huffed. “I’m dead. Like literally. Absolutely. This is where it all ends.”

“I’d rather you not die on my couch.”

“Fuck your couch.” You flipped yourself, so you splayed on your back now. You tilted your head, staring at him. “Help me out. Please?”

Levi finally turns to look at you, unable to ignore you any longer. He frowned. “What?” He asked warily. “What did you do this time?”

“Promise me you’ll help me first.” You said.

“No.” He immediately rejects you. “What did you do? Did you get into a fight with an MP again?”

You shook your head.

“Blew up something in Hange’s lab?” He guessed.

“No. But I’d really rather it was Hange mad at me though.”

He looked at you confused, “Who did you piss off then? “

You grimaced. He was quick to conclude.

“Ah.” He realizes. “Erwin.”

A nod from you answers him.

“What did you do?”

“Ask me what I didn’t do.”

“What didn’t you do?”

“Work.” You sat up. “In my defense, it was a shit load of work. And I hate paperwork. And I kept procrastinating. And now it’s due by tomorrow and I didn’t remember until two minutes ago when Erwin shot a glare at me. And now I—”

“I’m not helping you.”

“Why not?” You demanded.

“It’s your fault. Don’t drag me into this shit.” He grumbles, scowling. “And you promised last time, you wouldn’t do this anymore. I’m not doing your work for you. I have enough on my plate.”

“Okay first of all, I’m not lazy. I was busy–”

“Ogling Garrison captains.”

“They’re pretty. And no, not the point, shut up.” You protested. “I was busy. And I didn’t come here so you could do it for me. I came here so you could go and talk to Erwin.”

Levi frowned, “Talk to him about what?”

“Tell him to give me one more day. Swear I’d work my ass off.”

“You said that last time too.” He pointed it out. “How angry is Erwin?”

You made a face. “Bad.”

“How bad?”

“He keeps glaring at me everytime I meet him. It’s the ‘if you don’t get it done this time, you’re gonna get in so much shit’ glare. It’s creeping me out.”

Levi scoffs, shaking his head. “Only you." He said. "Only you can possibly manage piss fucking Erwin off. The guy's a fucking monk, nothing affects him.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “If I had to guess, I’d say this isn’t the first time asking for an extension.”

“Err…” You ducked your face. “It was kinda supposed to be done 2 weeks ago.”

“2 weeks?” Levo looked at you incredulously. “No wonder he’s pissed. And you’re asking for more time?”

“One more day. Just one more day. Please Levi, he’ll listen to you.”

Levi stares at your pleading expression for a few seconds with narrowed eyes, considering. Thinking. Then he seemed to have made up his mind.

“No.”

“Wha—” You jerk upright. You really thought you’d convinced him.

“No. I’m not getting you out of the grave this time. Specially since you dug it yourself.” He returns his attention back to his work. “Good luck to you, but leave now. And learn a damn lesson.”

You stared at him, gaping. “Wow," You blinked you’re an asshole.”

“Congratulations for realizing that.”

You exhaled. Easy words won’t work, you knew. So, here comes plan A. Acting.

You pouted.

“Don’t look at me like that. I said what I said.”

You fluttered your lashes, all wide shiny eyes, about to cry.

“Get out before I start throwing shit at you.”

“Levi.” Plan B. Bribing.

“No.”

“Leeviii.”

“No.”

“Levi, aren’t you the sweetest, most dearest, my absolute favorite and delightful and super awesome with extra sugar on top bestiest best friend? Don’t be like that, c’mon.”

“Still no. And we’re not friends.”

“‘I’ll make you pie?” You offered.

“You can’t cook to save your life. No.”

"I'll give you hugs."

"I will slap you."

“Levi.” Plan C. Threatening.

He glares back at you.

"You do realize you could've used this time getting the report started instead of trying to convince me and actually might've manage to get it done?”

“I’ll read poetry to you.” You threatened.

Levi looks up, finally there’s a hint of alarm on his face. “No, you won’t.”

“I’ll make sure all your food touch.”

“Get out.”

“I’ll disorganize your bookshelf and fill it with those titan x scout love novels.”

He raised his middle finger at you.

“I will start telling you about all my exes.”

He cringed visibly.

Finally, you gave up. Dragging yourself off the couch, you slowly, pathetically, miserably made your way to the door. You knew that the odds were very low that Levi would actually help you this time, because he was right. You needed to learn a lesson. And it was your fault.

“Oi.”

Your hand was on the doorknob. “What?” You turned to look at him grumpily.

Levi was pinching the bridge of his nose, knitting his eyebrows together, irritated and annoyed. Like he was about to do something he regretted.

He let out a long exhale.

“Bring it here. I’ll help you.”

“What?” You asked, disbelief dripping from your tone. Were you dreaming?

“I’ll help you out. Just this time.” He grunts. “Don’t expect it again. And I’ll only guide you, you’re doing the most of it.”

Music to your ears.

“Really?”

“Go before I change my mind.” He huffed.

You broke into a wide grin, beaming up at him. “No wonder I love you.”

“The feeling is not mutual.”

“You’re the best,”

“Shut up.”

“The best. The most darling, the loveliest, the coolest, the–”

“10 seconds. I’m giving you 10 seconds.”

“Oh–” Your eyes widened. You learnt the hard way Levi usually means his time limits. “Okay, okay, wait here, wait. I’ll be right back. Just–”

And you were out the door,

“Fucking idiot.” He groaned to himself, as you yet again, slammed the door.

He wish he knew why he kept doing this to himself.

[pidglette]

TIT RAINBOW GLOW NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿🌈

so now that dan and phil have shared the photo they took of the rainbow glow project in auckland, nz here

let me share how it looked and the planning!!!

this is the kiri te kanawa theatre and my layout for all the different sections and different colours (not pictured is the balcony section which was pink)

it took a lot of planning and maths which i did instead of studying for my end of year exams because i love to procrastinate and start massive projects to avoid other projects!!

this was taken the day of terrible influence nz, this is almost 2,000 squares of crepe paper!!! all cut and measured by yours truly 🤭

and then recounted and bagged by my lovely assistant ella 🩷

then it was finally time to hand them out before the show started. i hand help from the lovely people in the auckland nz phannies discord server help me plan and hand these pieces of crepe paper out which i am so so so thankful for bc one girl vs an entire theatre is ROUGH

and then finally, they took their final bows, and according to this photo - the final product looked a bit shit HAHAHAHAH

in person i do remember turning around and looking around and the colours seemed to pop a bit more but this photo really just makes it look as if we’re all holding up our torch lights

dan and phil seemed to really be thankful and thought it was cute although obviously it was very much a bit shit :3

again a big big BIG thank you to everyone in the nz phannies discord server - i could not have done this without you beautiful people

some beautiful people:

@pissterdaniel

@shitwheresfoxy

@peter-must-die

@boardgamedanny

@spanielt0wel

@savemehannibal

@einsteinfrizz

thank you dan and phil! much love from aotearoa, new zealand ❤️🧡💚💙💜🩷

[thatdehydratedmedic]

How I wish I had studied during my A levels

I want to start by saying this is NOT a guide. If anything, It comes closest to being a disorganized rant. Its basically what I would tell myself if I could go back in time. I wrote down that I’d also slap my past self. But my better judgement suggests that I should be kinder to myself. I’d give her a hug. She did the best with what she had when she finally tried, and I applaud and thank her for that. She was so brave and so, so, kind. I truly appreciate her effort. If not for her strength I would not be here today. Here’s a kiss to her forehead. I celebrate the immense trust she had in God and her love for me. My love, past self, you were so strong, I love you. You feel more and more distant from me every day, and yet you burn bright, scarlet red. You truly were a teenager full of rage.

1. Past papers

Past papers are the BEST resource for scoring good marks at A-Level. They provide a great insight into the question types as well as prepares you to answer questions in the way that examiners expect you to answer for them to give you a good grade. Doing past papers will help familiarize yourself with patterns and will make you less likely to suffer from exam anxiety later on. Regretfully, I barely did any past papers, especially at A2 level. For each subject I did, I can count on one hand the number of papers I've done. I did do quite a few Dhivehi HSC papers. (SSC papers also help for Dhivehi HSC btw)

2. YouTube videos

YouTube videos are great if you're looking to improve your understanding of a specific concept. This is especially helpful fur biology and math. Personally, I did not use YouTube at all for chemistry, however, I am inclined to believe that many would find it helpful and really urge everyone to make good use of it. When I was cramming for my A2 exams and had only about 2 weeks left I realized the sheer amount of content I had missed as I had skipped so many classes. I do wish I had at least started watching YouTube videos to catch up on the syllabus a bit earlier.

3. Skimming through textbooks

I do not have much to say regarding textbooks except that when I thought it would be useful, it wasn’t – and when I thought it would not be useful, it was. I assume that’s just my misassumption. I most likely some of you will be more perceptive of when you should reach out for it. However, I did find that at times when I had missed many classes it certainly did help to go through the textbook after attempting a past paper to no avail. I mostly suggest just reading through the contents, learning outcomes and processes, as I found that reading the processes did indeed help grasp them better, such as the Kreb’s cycle and all the neuron and muscle processes. (I forgot them all, can you tell? Let this be a reminder to you to NOT procrastinate, get off TikTok and Genshin impact and start grinding)

4. Anki Cards

If you’re an aspiring medical student like me, I’m sure you would’ve heard of Anki cards already. If not, Anki is basically a flashcard app, like Quizlet but better. I would get into the details but everyone always says the same thing and I do not want to sound like a broken record. You should look it up and when you do, you’ll see what I mean. Regardless, I found Anki especially helpful for Biology and Islam. These 2 subjects are memorization heavy, and although people do say you should not use Anki to learn but should use it for recall, I digress. Use it however you want, and besides – I was way beyond saving at this point. When I was cramming for Islam just 3 days in advance, Anki was the way to go. Took 2 days to make the cards and memorized them all on the last day. Don’t do that though. Halfway through and I’ve forgotten what the title was. What I would’ve done differently. How silly. I would’ve made cards early and actually used the cards as I should have. But if you’re like me and procrastinate like a little bitch, don’t fret. You’ve still got this.

5. Paying attention in class and not being late

I’m not going to pretend I regret missing math class. Maybe a little because I ended up failing (getting a B) but not enough to make me cry. (Lies.) But anyways, for a class that was 45 minutes long, I showed up 30 minutes late. Math was always first for the entire year. And for a night owl like me, this meant that there was nothing you could do to make me get to school on time. I am a changed person. I promise I go to work on time no matter what now. But back then I only had 2 things in mind. Have fun and get rest. That was not a good mindset. I was spaced out the entire class. I do regret this. Everyday, every week, every month, for 2 years, I paid almost 0 attention in class. On the rare occasions which I did, I learnt so much, unless I was scrambling to understand because I hadn’t paid attention on earlier days. For the lessons which days I did the classwork and participated during lessons, I found that I had an easier time understanding them later on. Genuinely, if anyone reads this, I’m sure you’re laughing at this paragraph because who even states such an obvious thing right? Well, back at you, my friend. Sometimes we do need the obvious to be stated in bold and highlighted in yellow.

6. More religious – focus on what matters (SKIP THIS IF YOU’RE NOT MUSLIM!!)

As you can already tell, I was a very irresponsible little bitch during my A levels. Too With 0 discipline, I was not as religious as I wish I had been. Albeit I did pray Tahajjud almost daily, I was very lost in the worldly life. I was not focused on my Akhira at all. This led me to living very freely and without regret. However, the numerous distractions couldn’t put a will to live inside me. Although I had been outwardly very happy and outgoing, it was a depressing time. Only a few levels above rock bottom, but that’s a story for another day. I did reconnect with Allah close to A levels. Not because I wanted good grades but because I had gone too far away. In the end, my closeness with Allah helped me to regain my motivation to study, and was the driving force to start cramming, even in the little time I had. If I could go back in time, I would recite Quran for an hour every day, and do my dhikr in addition to Tahajjud.

7. Wearing less makeup

As you might have already guessed, I was a pretty shallow person during that time and made sure to have a full face of makeup every day. This is not to say that you become a shallow person if you wear a full face of makeup every day. It is only my personal experience that when I wear makeup, it’s usually for shallow reasons. I would spend hours every day getting ready even after waking up late. In essence, my priorities were all jumbled up. It’s not that I would wear less makeup, but I would not place such high importance for my looks, especially over my studies. Studies would come first, looking good will come after. Besides, who cares if I’m pretty if I fail my finals? As a young girl, I cared too much.

8. Quality over quantity in friendships and leave the romantic pursuits for later

As someone who had been bullied almost my whole life, I was thrilled to finally learn how to get along. I made many friends during A levels. This new found sense of belonging did not translate well in my academics. I was distracted. I prioritized my friends more than my studies. I became more confident in my romantic pursuits as well. In the end, I lost sight of what mattered the most and ruined my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change my life. I failed my parents and my family. I failed myself.

9. Believe in myself

I used to loath myself terribly. I guess to an extent I still do. This is entirely my own fault I suppose, and it wouldn’t matter if it did not affect anyone else. Unfortunately, my lack of self esteem has disappointed my family and teachers. Everyone except me believes in me. This is not a blessing but a curse. Because this has only led to me disappointing them all. At the end of the day, I am despised for being lazy. I avoided attending classes, self-studying, doing any form of practice or revision for months because I was terrified of failure. Insecurity turned to self-sabotage. The humiliation I failed in the end was greater than what I would have if I had been honest with myself to begin with. I will admit, a lot of these issues came from the fact that my teachers and parents called me a gifted child. Without offering any guidance or support, this so-called ‘love’ suffocated me. I was afraid of not meeting their expectations. They couldn’t possibly know I was not the brightest child ever if I never tried. Their comments always seemed to swing between two opposites. Sometimes it was, “It’s okay. You’re doing so well and you’re barely trying.” And when they would decide to no longer look at me through their eyes of mercy they’d say, “You’re arrogant. You’ll never make it. You think you can do it but we know with that little effort you can’t.” How ignorant. I believed I would never make it, regardless of whatever effort I made. To this day I do not know what life would be like if I had worked hard with confidence. Do me a favor, dear, reader, and let me know. The alternative is turning out like me, btw.

10. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

I’ve never been to a psychiatrist, but I can confidently say I have mental issues. I assume its depression but what would I know, I’m no psychiatrist. I am always tired, dehydrated, sleep deprived and starving. Oftentimes I shiver and I am constantly cold. I shake with anxiety in the face of people. Nothing seems worth spending my time on. I never exercise, I am always in bed, rotting. That is until I go to work. Have I mentioned I work at a hospital? Although I work shift duties, this work has given me a sense of routine. I enjoy speaking to patients. Even on my worst days, I find that helping people gives me a sense of accomplishment and goal. I lose track of time. I am so engrossed I don’t even realize when the day passes by. That said, I believe a healthy life style would greatly benefit anyone. Get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat well, rest and move. My caffeine-addicted-back-broken-ass with no sense of day or night anymore won’t. But you definitely should. I won’t, obviously, but if you do it will only be for your own good.

As I've already mentioned, this is not a guide in any way, and is not meant to be used as such. This is merely myself reflections and what I wish I had done differently. These are my flaws I wish to change going forward. That said, it would make me happy if this ended up helping someone out, somehow.

[storiesforallfandoms]

triple date ~ steve harrington;stranger things

part one   part two   part three   part four   part five

word count: 3262

request?: no

description: when her sister suggests a group night out to the movies, she struggles to keep up their secret

pairing: steve harrington x female!wheeler!reader

warnings: swearing, mentions of the deaths in the movie sleepaway camp

masterlist (one, two, three)

"Do you have any plans tonight?” Nancy asked the minute she reached my locker.

“Hello to you too, dear sister,” I responded. “You know I don’t have any plans tonight because I am indeed a loser with two friends, one of which is you.”

“Shut up,” she laughed, lightly shoving my shoulder. “A group of us are getting together to go to the movies tonight. You’re coming with us.”

I gave Nancy a look before closing my locker and nodding my head for her to follow me. She fell into step beside me as I asked her, “Who is us exactly?”

“Me, Barb, Jonathan, and Steve.”

I nearly stopped in the middle of the hall, but made myself keep walking. I tried not to let my face give anything away, but internally I was definitely panicking over the idea of hanging out with both Steve and Nancy.

“You can invite Holly if you want,” Nancy added. “I understand if you don’t want to hang out with just my friends.”

“I like Barb,” I said. I decided not to comment on my feelings towards Steve. “What movie are you guys seeing?”

“Some horror movie that Jonathan wants to see. Sleepaway Camp, I think it’s called. I told him I’d only go if we had other people with us because I’m not a horror movie person.”

I gave Nancy a look. “You passed up on the opportunity to be alone with Jonathan during a horror movie?”

She playfully nudged me. “It’s not like that. It...it was a friendly invitation anyways.”

“Does Jonathan know that?” I laughed as Nancy glared at me. “Seriously, Nance, what’s up with you and Jonathan? Have you put a label on whatever is happening, or even tried to?”

She looked like she was contemplating answering, but quickly changed her mind and said, “Do you want to come or not?”

I playfully rolled my eyes. “Yes, I’ll go. I’ll ask Holly if she wants to come with.”

Nancy smiled. Before the conversation could go any further, the warning bell rang. She said her goodbyes and hurried off down the hall towards her class. Once she was gone, I let out a sigh I hadn’t realized I was holding and turned into my classroom. Holly was sat in her usual seat next to mine as I plopped myself down in my seat and turned to her.

“Please tell me you’re free tonight,” I said.

“I have a paper due for Mr. Murphy’s English class,” Holly responded. “But I’m more than happy to procrastinate that. Why?”

“I just told Nancy I’d go to the movies with her tonight, but Steve is also going and I’m gonna need someone there to keep me from word vomiting to Nancy.”

Holly gave me a look. “You’re going to have to tell her eventually. She’s not going to be mad at yo when she’s clearly head over heels for Jonathan Byers.”

“I’ll tell her soon,” I told her, although I wasn’t sure if even I believed that. “It’s coming up on mine and Steve’s first month together. I just want to make sure this is serious first.”

It was yet another excuse that I was using to justify my fear of admitting my relationship with Steve to Nancy. I appreciated Holly trying to reassure me that Nancy would’ve be upset, but I wasn’t sure I fully believed that. I couldn’t imagine a scenario where Nancy wouldn’t be upset over this secret relationship.

“Please will you come?” I begged. “I’ll buy your popcorn.”

She thought for a moment before saying, “My popcorn and my snacks. It’s what I deserve for being forced to fifth wheel on this date.”

“You’re not fifth wheeling. Barb is going, too.”

Holly froze at the mention of Barb’s name. I could see the dozens of thoughts going through her head in that moment. I couldn’t help but smirk to myself as I settled into my desk.

The final bell rang just as Carol scurried into the classroom. She glared at Holly and I as she passed us. I glanced over at Holly, who rolled her eyes.

Tommy and Steve had gotten a month’s worth of after school detention following their lunchtime fight, as well as Tommy getting an additional grounding from his parents the entire time, which meant that for a month Carol wasn’t able to see Tommy outside of schooltime. Carol blamed me for the fight and Tommy’s subsequent punishment, which heightened the negative interactions we had already been having.

It definitely was not making my school experience any better, but I had bigger fish to fry than Carol’s petty drama.

~~~~~~

That night, I was sat in the back of Barb’s car as she drove me and Nancy to the theater. The two of them were talking about something, but I couldn’t focus on anything they were saying. My legs were bobbing anxiously as my mind raced thinking about meeting up with Steve at the theater. I wished Holly had come with us, but she insisted on driving herself.

“Hey (Y/N), are you okay?”

I looked up to see Barb looking at me through her rearview mirror.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. “A little nervous for the movie, I guess.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be that scary,” Barb said.

“That’s because horror movies don’t scare you,” Nancy pointed out. “You love them.”

“Holly loves horror movies, too,” I said, hoping it sounded as subtle as I wanted to.

I definitely noticed the look on Barb’s face and felt a slight swell of pride in my chest.

I trailed behind my sister and her friend as we approached the movie theater. I could see familiar figures waiting as we got closer. Holly was in the middle of saying something when Jonathan noticed us and waved. Steve turned to face us and I felt my heart skip a beat. His eyes landed on me and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Hey guys,” Jonathan said. “We already got the tickets just so the movie wouldn’t sell out before you got here. We were thinking three of us go save the seats while the others get the snacks.”

“That works for me,” Nancy said, and we all agreed to the plan.

We decided that Holly, Barb, and Nancy would save the seats while Steve, Jonathan, and I got the snacks. Jonathan was stood at the counter ordering when Steve slipped a hand into my back pocket and leaned in close to my ear.

“Do you want to share a bag of popcorn?” he whispered.

It was such an innocent and mundane thing, but it still sent a shiver running down my spine.

“S-sure,” I replied. Steve smiled and gave my butt a squeeze before removing his hand from my back pocket. “But I still have to get snacks for Holly. I kind of bribed her to come out tonight.”

Steve chuckled and snuck in a quick kiss before Jonathan turned around.

When we finally got the snacks and arrived at the theater playing our movie, we found the three girls sat near the back of the theater. Holly was sat at the end next to Barb, with Nancy on the other side of Barb, and three empty seats beside Nancy. Jonathan seemed hesitant to sit next to her, glancing once at Steve while he contemplated it, but I nudged him forward to silently encourage him to do so.

That led the last two seats to be for me and Steve.

I passed Holly her snacks and moved past the group to get to our seats. Steve sat next to Jonathan, leaving me the furthest away from Nancy. I wasn’t sure if that would make it easier or harder to hide our secret from her.

The lights went out and the movie started. It seemed very campy - pun definitely intended - so I wasn’t sure what to expect horror wise. I was starting to agree with Barb on the fact that the movie wasn’t going to be scary until one of the first almost kills; the creepy cook getting a pot of boiling hot water dumped on him, causing him to break out into painful looking hives and blisters. I gasped at how disgusting his skin looked as the character’s screams filled the theater. Steve looked over at me and put an arm around my shoulder.

“Don’t be scared,” he whispered. “Honestly, that guys deserved it. He’s a fucking creep.”

“I’m not scared, I’m disgusted,” I responded. “That looked brutal.”

It wasn’t until a few scenes later, where the body of the first actual victim appeared on screen and I hid myself against Steve’s chest that I realized how close we had gotten. I snuck a glance towards the other four, fearing that Steve and I had been caught, only to find that each couple was having their own moment together. Nancy was similarly cuddled up to Jonathan, her head on his shoulder as she peaked up at the screen, while Barb and Holly had started sharing a bag of popcorn and were almost laughing at the movie.

Steve ran a hand through my hair soothingly. It hadn’t realized how tense my body had become (from the movie or from the fear of getting caught I wasn’t sure), but his actions helped to calm me down. I settled against him, deciding not to worry about who would see us and to instead enjoy this moment with Steve before it was gone.

If I had to rate the movie on a scale from 1-10 in the scary department, I probably would’ve given it a solid 7.5. It wasn’t too scary, but the kills were interesting, and the twist ending left me with my jaw on the floor. I was still trying to regain my thoughts as the lights went back up and everyone else started to move away.

“(Y/N), you gotta let go of my arm,” Steve said.

At some point before the movie ended, Steve had moved his arm from around my shoulder to more discreetly holding my hand while I was deep into the movie. I guess I had also started gripping onto his arm at some point because I hadn’t noticed until he pointed it out.

I mumbled a shy, “Sorry”, and dislodged myself from him.

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” he teased. “I’ll send you the medical bills.”

I smiled at him, but I couldn’t help but notice that everyone had stood and was looking at us, waiting. I stood from my seat and followed the group from the theater, a little sad that my time with Steve was quickly coming to an end.

Barb and Holly announced they had to go to the bathroom, which Nancy and Steve also agreed to, so I was left to stand with Jonathan while we waited. I hadn’t had many conversations with Jonathan. I thought he was nice enough guy, and his brother was one of Mike’s closest friends. We just didn’t run in the same circles or anything. Although, that was the same with me and Steve, and look where that had gotten us.

Since I was alone with Jonathan, I decided to finally get his side of the story about him and Nancy.

“So,” I started, drawing his attention to me, “Jonathan Byers, what are your intentions with my sister?”

He started to laugh, but I could hear the awkwardness behind his laugh. A blush started creeping up his neck, which told me all I needed to know before he even spoke.

“I...um...I don’t know,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re just...friends?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Is that a question or a statement?”

“I don’t know,” he repeated. “I...I really like her, though. And I think she likes me, too.”

“I know she likes you.”

His face brightened at this. “She does?”

I nodded. “Trust me, I’ve seen her face when she brings you up. It’s like you’re the most amazing thing on the planet to her. She really likes you, and I think, if you were to ask her out in a romantic way, she’d say yes in a heartbeat.”

Jonathan looked down at the ground, a wide smile on his face. I think it would be an understatement to say he loved my sister. There was a connection between them that couldn’t be denied. They both just had to grow a pair and acknowledge it.

Before anything else could be said, Nancy approached the two of us. She looked over at Jonathan’s smiling face and mirrored his expression. I glanced over at Jonathan to make sure he was seeing what I was seeing.

“What are you two talking about?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Jonathan and I said at the same time.

She looked suspicious, but didn’t push the subject matter. “Barb and Holly are still in the bathroom. They’re too busy talking about the movie and how not scary they think it is.”

“I wonder what it’s like to not be afraid of anything,” I said. “Maybe they can teach us that.”

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a little afraid of a movie that’s supposed to scare you,” Steve said as he approached us. “Besides, your little gasps whenever something scary happened were hilarious.”

I sent him a playful glare, but he returned it with a wink behind Nancy’s back and immediately melted away my facade.

When Holly and Barb finally joined us, we made our way towards the exit. Everyone was excitedly talking about the movie now, exchanging our own thoughts and opinions on it. I was about to follow Barb and Nancy to where Barb had parked her car when Holly reached out and grabbed my arm to stop me.

“Hey, I’ll bring you home,” she said. “I need some help with - uh - school stuff.”

I raised an eyebrow at her strange tone of voice, but decided to go along with it. I told Nancy I’d see her back at home and watched as she followed Barb towards Barb’s car.

“What school stuff do you want to talk about?” I asked Holly.

“Nothing, actually,” she responded. “But Steve asked me if I could come up with some sort of excuse to say that you’d be coming with me so that he could be the one to drive you home.”

I looked over at Steve who was still talking Jonathan. He glanced over at me and smiled for a split second, a smile just for me, before turning his attention back to the oldest Byers boy. Butterflies filled my stomach, which I didn’t think could be possible after the two of us dating for nearly a month, but he was constantly surprising me. He made every day with him feel like the first all over again.

When Jonathan finally left, I said goodbye to Holly and followed Steve to his car. As we walked across the parking lot, he slid his hand into him and interlaced our fingers. I looked over at him and, for a lack of a better word, internally swooned over how beautiful he was; the way the moon was lighting up his face, his hair bouncing perfectly with every step he took, the way his hand felt like his hand fit in mine like perfect puzzle pieces connecting together. It still couldn’t believe that I was lucky enough to call him mine.

“If you take a picture it’ll last longer,” he teased as we reached his car.

“Don’t tempt me, Harrington,” I teased back. He chuckled and opened the car door for me. “Ever the gentleman.”

“Always,” he said.

As he started up his car and pulled out of the Starcourt Mall parking lot, I wished he didn’t have to take me home. I would go anywhere with him right now if it meant just getting to have this time together to be an actual couple and not to hide our relationship from everyone.

"Are you worried about what people will say when they find out we’re dating?” I asked.

Steve looked over at me. “What? No, of course not. Why would I be?”

The answer to that question felt obvious. I looked over to see if Steve was joking, but I could see the serious look etched on his face. “Because you’re the big popular guy, and I’m the nerdy math girl. Aren’t you worried how that will, like, effect your social standing.”

Steve scoffed. “Like I give a shit about that. There’s nothing to popularity, (Y/N). Everyone seems to wish for it, but the only time it’s ever a good thing is if you’re a jackass like Tommy and Carol, or that new Billy kid. The type of person who likes to make others feel small and who likes to boss around people they think are lesser than. It’s not something I’m striving to keep.”

He had a point. Up until I actually got to know Steve, I would’ve been convinced that he thrived on the popularity. He was at the very top of the Hawkins High School food chain, the number one in high school popularity. But, ever since getting to know him, I’ve come to realize that wasn’t him at all and, like he said, popularity was nothing.

“Are you worried about what people will say?” he asked me.

I shook my head almost immediately. “I’m only worried about what Nancy will say.”

“I understand that, but you can’t keep this a secret from her forever.”

I sighed. “I know. Everyone keeps reminding me.”

He reached over and took my hand in his as I realized we had pulled up to my house. I looked up at him again and he smiled while giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t want to push you into telling her if you’re not ready. But whenever you do want to tell her, I’ll be there with you if you want.”

I smiled and leaned over to kiss him. He cupped my cheek in one hand, pulling me back to him as I tried to pull away from the kiss. I giggled at the gesture and eventually managed to free myself from him after another few kisses.

“I’ll see you later,” he said.

“See you later,” I responded.

I was reluctant to get out of the car, but I managed to pull myself away from the magnetizing charm that was Steve Harrington. I walked up to the front door, paused before opening it to turn back and wave at Steve, before I finally walked into my house. My entire body felt light and fuzzy as I started up the stairs.

“Hey (Y/N).”

I jumped and turned to see Mike standing at the bottom of the steps.

“What are you doing, you weirdo?” I asked.

“I was just getting a snack before going back to my campaign,” he explained. “Heard a car pull up and decided to see who it was.”

“It’s just me,” I said. “So you can go back to your fantasy game without the worry of a crazed burglar trying to break in or whatever.”

I turned to start up the stairs again, but Mike cut me off by saying, “But it wasn’t just you. It was also Steve Harrington.”

I froze and slowly turned back to him. “He drove me home from the movie. Nancy came home with Barb.”

“Yeah, but Nancy didn’t kiss Barb when Barb brought her home.”

And just like that, my euphoric feeling came crashing down around me.

Me? Making Barb WLW with my own OC? Yes, yes I am.

Taglist!: @itjustkindahappenedreally​ @ladyfallonavenger​ @sleepylunarwolf​ @pandoraneverland​ @kindablackenedsuperhero @callsignwidow @palmtreesx3 @phantomxoxo​ @bdalas​

If you want to be tagged, let me know!​

[brilla-brilla-estrellita]

Crafting Wings

I finally remembered today that tumblr is a blog, and that in addition to whatever fandom nonsense I reblog, I can also post bloggy things on it. Obvious, right?

I am making a set of dragon wings for an event coming up in mid-June. They are of course inspired by Simon Snow and will be red dragon wings (though the pattern I bought from them is technically for a wyvern). I'm hoping that posting progress updates here will help me stick to it and actually get it done in time. I'm breaking it down into teeny tiny easy peasy steps and only looking at the very next step to try to keep the overwhelm and executive dysfunction at bay. This is likely to lead me down a path of "If I'd thought about it earlier, I could have..." But you know what? I always end up there anyway.

So first, I spent a long long long long long (long long long...) time trying to decide how to make these wings. I really wanted articulated wings, bonus if I could move them without obviously pushing or pulling or something. But looking at how people had made that happen was overwhelming. They require so much time and skill and I am prone to procrastination and crying and quitting when I mess up. I finally settled on this DIY Mechanical Wing kit by Chimera Wings. That would give me the frame for the wings, but they also have a sewing pattern (with printed AND video instructions) to make the covers for them!

This is what the contents of the kit looked like when I got it:

And this is the completed build! I almost didn't post this because I don't like the way I look, but you know what? Fuck that. I built something cool (using very simple, easy-to-follow instructions, sure) and I don't want to have to find a better fancier more flattering way to film that, so. I'm getting over it.

You can tell that I kinda struggle with the wing on my right side. I clearly need to stretch my arms out before wearing these. Truly. I tried it after I stretched and it's no big deal. Or maybe I'll add some sort of pulley after all. (HAH. Like I'll have time for that.)

Otherwise, the kit and wings are fantastic. It was so easy to put together and they feel very cool to wear. I should probably go write them a review...

I didn't actually takes pics of the next step, but I printed out the pattern on regular 8.5x11 paper and taped it together. It... was not very well done, but I'm hoping I got it close enough to not have messed up the pattern dimensions. After taping and then cutting out the completed pattern, I could move on to working with actual fabric!

I'm making a mock-up out of old sheets first because I have never once done any sewing project successfully the first time. I decided to mock-up only one wing instead of both, so this will surely be my downfall when I move onto the real deal.

The next two pictures are the front and back pieces for a single wing. I decided to cut them separately instead of at the same time by folding the fabric in half because every time I do more than one layer at a time, at least one of the layers comes out real fucked up. I blame being a lefty in a right-handed world. Scissors are of the devil.

The next step was to make buttonholes that are actually strap holes. I have a little baby basic machine, and it has some limitations. I discovered one of these limitations during my buttonhole test runs. As you can see, the machine-provided "buttonhole" stitches are just... lacking. I messed with a screw that controls the length of these stitches, but for some reason it can only be used to balance out the stitch lengths, not make them overall longer or shorter. I have no control for generally change stitch length. I only have the options presented to me on my stitch chooser knob. Alas, I have less than optimal buttonholes.

Pictured above: (Left) One very sad buttonhole test. (Right) A second buttonhole test in which one side is almost respectable and the other should be ashamed to call itself a buttonhole stitch.

Finally, I gave up and balanced the stitch lengths and just went with it. When I do the real deal, I will likely go use my friend's much fancier machine. For the mock-up, this is sufficient. The next three pictures show, with increasing zoom and blurriness, the completed buttonholes.

I am intentionally using very bright, contrasting thread so that when I inevitably fuck up, I can hopefully see the point of fuck up more clearly so as to rectify it on my next attempt.

And that brings us up to speed! Next Step: Pin the pieces together. That's it. That's the whole step. How many days will it take to overcome executive dysfunction and do it? Only time will tell.

As long as I can remember to update regularly, future posts should be quite short.

[doesnot-really-exist]

My scrapbook

The pic is unrelated to the ramblings ahead

I'm having my thesis trial next week and a pre-trial presentation today. Once I'm done with those, I'll be able to create all the fan content I want!! 😖 AT LONG LAST

I can't wait, I want this all to end already! I miss my friends too :(

just a little bit more for my paper... I might have to pull some all-nighters. All the procrastinating was not without consequence...

Btw I started playing aknk on my final semester. This whole blog is the result of me procrastinating. Yes even the low-effort fanart & doodles.. really sorry. The Nac one doesn't even have proper lineart in it smh.. and the smol Lamli is missing shadings entirely. Although even if I put in more effort, it wouldn't change much. I need more practice.

I can't help but waste my time daydreaming and watching animation tutorial too 😥 my 18Trip brainrot is so severe... It might cure my Aknk brainrot (who am I kidding 😂)

i totally didn't just make an aknk animatic yesterday

[lesbianrobin]

howdy em, any advice for focusing on studies instead of my hobbies? I love my fandom blurbs so much but sometimes it’s to my downfall xp

babes i appreciate your high opinion of me but i am SO not the bitch to ask. i'm literally terrible at time management and focusing on boring shit FKVJDJD but here's some stuff that sorta works for me. sorta.

incorporate your interests into your schoolwork whenever possible. obviously this is gonna be a task of varying difficulty depending on the assignment and what you're studying, but if you Can write your paper about stranger things or create a fun visual project in photoshop to display your data or whatever, you're gonna be more motivated to work.

sorta on that note you know that thing where you read a fanfic and it's like so incredibly obvious that the author works in a specific field or has expertise with a specific thing? you could be that author. if you can't incorporate your interests into your work, try incorporating your work into your interests! idk about you but i definitely have more fun and feel more motivated when i'm researching for a fic than i do when i'm just doing a random assigned reading. as you study, you might keep a list in the back of your mind of ways that this could potentially benefit a future fic or whatever to keep you engaged.

i personally once made a stranger things gifset to explain the history of color in film to procrastinate studying for my film history final and guess what! i was actually just studying for my film history final! in a weird ass nerd way!!

be flexible with your studies. i typically write at least 50% of any given assignment on my phone, because i'll get ideas at random moments or seize small pieces of downtime throughout the day to get work done. it can be helpful to designate certain times and spaces for schoolwork, but in my own personal experience, sometimes that can make the whole thing feel much more intimidating, and i won't get any more work done than i would have while typing on my phone in bed. i also find that restricting schoolwork to a specific time/place makes me view it as more of an obligation, when the truth is that i love what i study! i love to learn! so, i try to treat my studies as a hobby whenever possible. my fic and paper writing processes are nearly identical, and i think that helps in easing some of the pressure and dread that might accompany the thought of Writing A Paper.

this one is boring but just. reward yourself when you do focus on your studies! when i used to pull late nights in undergrad to get my work done on time, i would often take a trip to sonic when i was around halfway through with my work, for both a brain reset and a little reward. the first time i did it, i just didn't have any food for dinner in my apartment, but it quickly became a ritual that made me look forward to getting work done.

study in public when possible. this one sounds so stupid but literally the power of knowing that anybody around you in the starbucks or library or whatever could see you on tumblr/ao3/etc is NOT to be underestimated! i am a very insecure and self conscious person and i use this to my advantage. would you rather that cool-looking girl at the table next to you see you thoughtfully annotating marx or scrolling aimlessly through ao3? think about it.

ok that's like most of it i guess! but in all honestly i am still figuring it out myself. i think the key is just to keep on trying. it takes time to figure out what works for you and what doesn't, and there are gonna be times when you screw up and make a poor choice that backfires. instead of thinking about how much you suck, or writing it off entirely, look at these instances as opportunities to learn and consider how you might set yourself up to make better choices in the future.

anyway i'll get off my high horse and shut up now LMAO thank you for like thinking i am smart enough to come to with such a question. good luck!

[latte-studies-sometimes]

Hello Latte ! :) I am currently a student in ICSE and will be switching to IB next year. But the problem is I'm quiet literally unaware of most things about this curriculum. I know about TOK , EE and CAS and other general stuff. I was curious as to how the exams are conducted and how are they graded. I am having trouble understanding how my marks will get converted into points 1 to 7. Could you help me out ?

Hello! So the exams are still out of a lot of marks. Teachers are supposed to show you criteria to get a desired grade for each subject. The grades (1 to 7) depends on the percentage. Say for example, a test is out of 25 marks. If you get over a certain percentage ex: 55%, then you get a 5. (I'm using an example from some of my business tests)

Getting a 5 is easy if you put in a regular amount of work, but getting a 6 and a 7 is pretty hard and only gets harder since you have the entire syllabus to cover. Especially if you have subjects which give you essay questions on the test, because then a 7 depends on the quality of your essay.

I'm not sure if you know about the Internal Assessments so I'll just mention them here. IAs do contribute to the overall grade in the subject (most IAs are 20% of the final grade). My only advice for those is: don't procrastinate on those, get it done on time. Each subject also has at least 2 papers, sometimes 3 papers. Languages will have 4 (Reading, writing, speaking, listening). These papers also contribute a certain percentage to your final IB score.

As for how the exams are conducted, I think that depends on how your school decides to conduct it. But it will be rigid. A lot of people in my school focused on their DP year 1 exams because those are the grades many people apply to uni with (they're only the predicted grades, not the final).

Good luck for the IB and good on you that you did your research! It's the world's toughest high school programme for a reason :')

[eliteprepsat]

Why aren’t Americans saving enough for retirement? Economics, of course, plays a factor; the twenty-first century has seen a rise in income inequality and sharp spikes in the cost of living throughout many of the nation’s major cities.

But in 2009, scientists at UCLA completed a study [PDF] that determined there may also be a neurological basis for this growing trend. Led by psychologist Hal Herschfield, the research group scanned the brains of study participants while asking them questions about (1) their Current Self, (2) their Future Self, (3) a Current Other, and (4) a Future Other.

The team found that the participants’ brain activity when answering questions about their Future Self was more consistent with their brain activity while considering a Current Other rather than their Current Self.

“Put in practical terms,” explains Becky Kane, editor at Doist, “when thinking of yourself in a month or a year or a decade, your brain registers that person in ways similar to how it would register Taylor Swift or the mailman or the lady driving the car in the next lane over.”

In short: It’s not you. It’s your brain.

Chances are you have experienced the disastrous consequences of this bad neurological deal. Cramming for a test. Pulling an all-nighter for a paper. Hastily, stressfully preparing for a project. Not to mention that when we procrastinate, we often feel stressed while we aren’t doing the work we’re supposed to be doing.

Anyway you cut it, procrastination is a killer. It hampers our ability to achieve our goals, heaps stress onto our Future Self, and it usually doesn’t provide the instant gratification to our Present Self that it seems to guarantee.

So, how do you battle this beast if it’s part of your neurological wiring?

1. Recognize That Your Future Self and Present Self Are the Same Person

Easier said than done, I know.

This seems especially difficult when you’re young. Many young people hold onto an unconscious conviction that they will be smarter, more efficient, and better prepared tomorrow than they are today. Tomorrow’s self, we think, is better, stronger, faster.

Except it often isn’t. It’s just as likely that tomorrow’s self will be more tired, more stressed, and equally or more distracted.

Mending the gap between your Present and Future Self can be as simple as repeating the mantra, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

But perhaps a more effective strategy is to visualize and to try to inhabit that Future Self.

In recent years, Hal Herschfield and Daniel Goldstein have used software that allows participants to visualize themselves at 60, 70, and 80 years old. They have found that seeing this Future Self helps people commit to investing more into their future retirement.

On a smaller scale—for a final project, SAT preparation, or college applications, where the goal is much closer at hand—try to very deliberately imagine your day tomorrow or next week, whenever you imagine your Future Self will be so incredibly productive. Write down the details.

What gets in the way of that Future Self? Why is this Future Self free from distractions that the Present Self struggles with? Are there reasons other than a vague conviction that you can do better later?

If not, get to work. You’ll thank your Past Self later.

2. Treat Your Future Self Like Someone You Love

This brings me to my second point, a twist on the old adage, “Treat yourself like someone you love.”

This approach entails embracing rather than resisting your neurological makeup.

Think, OK, fine: I am bound to imagine my Future Self as a whole other person. Your job is to bring that other in close.

Imagine the option before you is this: either you can do the work you need to do now or you can leave it for someone you care for deeply, someone you feel the need to protect—a sibling, a grandparent, a best friend.

Turn your Future Self into an actual other person, but one that you care for deeply. You might then find the motivation to save that loved one from your present burden.

3. Focus...and Embrace Distraction When It Comes

Here’s a trick I practiced in graduate school.

If you’re like most ambitious teenagers, you have a lot going on. Sometimes, the sheer number of tasks can leave you feeling drained before you even begin.

It’s always best to focus on one task at a time. Clear off your desk of all distractions but that one, most pressing thing. This is a key technique advocated by Randy Pausch in this popular lecture on time management.

Close out all those excess tabs on your browser and get to the one or two windows you need. Split your screen in half to a word processor and one browser window. These are practical tactics that work.

But if you find your mind drifting, you might just want to let it drift…but take control of the wheel.

It’s natural to get distracted, but instead of diving into social media, pick up another project. Work on that for the ten or two-hundred minutes (no judgment) you might otherwise waste online.

This way, you can feed that little dopamine addict in your skull while chipping away at the tasks at hand.

4. Get Real (Visual) About Your Time

It’s not infinite, even though it might sometimes feel that way. Teenagers often hear, “you have plenty of time!” Which is true until you have none. Time is finite and unforgiving.

One way to visualize this scarcity of time is to take a look at this chart by Tim Urban, founder of waitbutwhy.com. Urban maps out a 90-year life in weeks. If you’re facing a semi-long-term goal, like acing the SAT, you can take a slice of this chart to envision just how little time you have. (Credit to Becky Kane for linking to this.)

This chart is especially useful because it reduces time into homogenous blocks. We often imagine our future time will be filled with epiphanies struck by the wand of genius. But this big, monotonous breakdown of our weeks reminds us that that’s often not the case.

Next week is a hollow little block, just like this week. Might as well get to it now.

5. Out of Control? Find a Commitment Device

In a 2014 Elite blog post, Ethan Sawyer described how he learned to overcome procrastination (mostly):

“One day I read something that really hit me: The next time you think, ‘I’ll do it later,’ do it now instead. Repeat this 20 times. I don’t remember where I read it, but I do remember feeling tired of not getting things done. So I tried it. And it actually worked.”

This is a simple version of what Daniel Goldstein calls a “commitment device.” As a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University, Goldstein forced himself to write five pages per day. If he didn’t, he forced himself to leave $5 on the subway in an envelope.

These are dangerous—your Present Self might manage to find an excuse as to why you can cheat just this once, or twice, or thrice, or…

But if you find your discipline waning and that you need an external control, a commitment device is worth a shot.

--

Keep in mind that we are always developing habits. Procrastinate now and you will get good (and used to) procrastinating in the future.

Our teenage years are a time to develop habits for adult life. If you don’t address your bad procrastination habits now, you are essentially, well, procrastinating. Don’t sabotage your Future Self, who will find the habit harder to kick then than it will be for your Present Self today.

[whumpers-inc]

At a university whumpee finds an ad for like a program to help them study. They are procrastinating a lot/ bad grades/ even failing. They agree to the terms. It seems to them like a weird reality show frat house thing but they want to have better grades. And if it is too weird they can drop out anytime right? So they move in with whumper.

this ask is from 2021 iamsosorry anon!!

"Finals making you want to scream? Need someone to tie you down and finish that assignment for you? We can help you, call this number!" The coloured paper plastered across the campus apparently advertised a study-help program. Whumpee stared at it. From the day they'd miraculously gotten in, their grades had plummeted. Failing was an understatement. One last shot, they promised themselves as they dialled the number. One last chance.

Following the brief phone call's instructions, Whumpee showed up at the dingy house that afternoon. Apparently there was a "suitability assessment" first. Whatever. As long as someone could fix their grades. The doorbell chimed for a long time, too long, and Whumpee realised they were nervous. They mentally slapped themselves. This was going to be fine.

The door swung open. A man, dressed in a tattered button up and pants stood in the opening. He extended his hand and as Whumpee took it, they noticed what looked like ketchup stains on the sleeve wrists and strangely, under his nails. Not particularly professional, they decided but accepted his invitation to enter.

Inside, it appeared their apparent tutor had never heard of either electricity or waste bins. In the dim light, Whumpee made out piles of bloody tissues, old food, rags and dark smeared utensils. Crinkling their lip in disgust, they followed the man into his living room.

"Please, take a seat." The man gestured to the couches and Whumpee picked the least stained one. They sat and glanced around them, an uncomfortable feeling settling in their stomach. The tattered, closed curtains made the room claustrophobic. They tried to shrug it off as their apparent tutor settled across from them.

"So, you are struggling in school?"

Whumpee nodded.

"Then you have come to the right place. I am an expert in my field."

This was somewhat reassuring. "It's not just one subject." Whumpee made eye contact to ensure this man understood the seriousness of their problems. "It's all of them. I've got two weeks before they're going to terminate my enrolment."

The man smiled. "I can help you. In fact, I can make all your problems go away. "

"How?"

"My teaching methods are highly specialised. I won't disclose them but you need to trust me. My teaching is what will fix your grades." The man leaned closer. "You will be required to stay here while you study. Just to minimise any distractions of course."

Whumpee stood. "Um, I think I can work it out myself." They walked toward the door. "I've remember my sister is a professor at Harvard so I'll probably get her to-"

"Your grades are guaranteed As."

"-I'll stay."

The man smiled. "A smart decision." He produced several crumpled pieces of paper and a pen. "Just sign these and we'll be ready to start your education."

Whumpee took them gingerly and scanned the practically illegible print. Something, something, all autonomy relinquished, something, injuries up to death, a smudge, "I of a sound mind declare". They glanced back at the man. "What the hell's this?"

"Nothing of concern. Just a little clause for my own protection. Just sign the papers please." The man folded his hands tightly as he watched Whumpee.

Whumpee hesitated.

"All As guaranteed."

Whumpee scrawled a signature across the bottom.

"Well done." The man took the pages back. "Call your friends and tell them not to worry if you disappear completely. You're obviously going to be to bogged down in study. And if, god forbid-" he smiled slyly "- you suddenly decided to drop out, no one would need to know. You would simply disappear."

[rokirokinorokkunrokkunrooru]

To be honest I don't have a ton of faith in my academic analytical writing because I procrastinate badly and rush and I feel like I get lazy with things, but I think last semester I was able to push myself to improve as a writer. For my Mishima midterm I was shocked to get a 90 and I worked hard to maintain that grade for my final; I got a 90 on that too and though I wish I did better (because I knew where there were very weak points when I handed it in) I think I still did well considering the subject material was making me nauseous to a point of retching... For my first hiphop paper I got the lowest essay grade I had gotten in years (76) and this was such a massively painful blow that I worked harder and got a 92 and a 96 on the next essays. My work ethic still needs a lot of improvement and I think my writing needs heavy improvement as well (which we will see when I begin my Shakespeare essay. sob) but I think I AM improving and I am really grateful to have professors who I can talk to and help me grow. I feel really intimidated by them and my classmates and that nothing I say really has much coherence or contributes anything deeper but friends & profs have been interested in what I have to say which feels baffling but also assuring in a way. I am in a reading group of one of my professors and he offered me to be the speaker who introduces the text to the group to begin the meeting which!!! I am absolutely terrified of but also I am really touched that he would do that and he has the confidence in me!!!! I ran into another professor (Mishima prof from last sem) and excitedly got caught up with him and he was happy to see me, and he asked if I had any plans on going to grad school because he said it'd be a very sad waste if I didn't :,)

[theunaestheticstudyblr]

Hi!!! So, I am currently in the middle of my finals and I can't deny that I lack discipline and motivation in the field of studying. I just don't want to study. I still do things that I love such as reading and spending time with friends and fam, making my own meals so it is not like I am always on my phone and I procrastinate. Someone would say you have to force yourself to study, it is just until you start, and I know it is true because i have done it before but I don't want to force myself to study because I will end up hating something that I love doing, just not under pressure. I would be grateful if you gave me some advice!!!

(btw your blog is so inspiring and motivating!!🌸🌸)

Awww thank you lovely!!!!! And yeah I get in the same moods. One thing that helped me in chemistry is finding chemistry songs. ASAP Science for example has lots of songs about the periodic table or chemical makeup of DNA. Putting the songs in my playlists helped me because I could listen to music and still learn without hating it.

Another thing I found that helped me a lot is I enjoy reading research papers and going down a rabbit hole. So I just try and read papers regarding certain things from classes. Will I learn all the information I'm supposed to? No. But I will enjoy my time developing niche interests in some things. And it gets me kind of excited to see how that thing impacts other things talked about in class.

One last thing I like to do is to talk to my ferret about the information. If it's something I find interesting, I'll explain all the stuff to him in detail and look up the pieces I'm not quite sure about. If it's something I didn't enjoy, I rant to him about it. How awful it is and how complicated it is. Gotta look it up though because I can't slander something with wrong information.

Tldr: make it fun for you. Find what you enjoy and braid it into that so that it isn't something you HAVE to do. It's just something that happens. Studying doesn't necessarily mean you have to sit at a desk and read your notes over and over and quiz yourself with flashcards. It can be listening to music or teaching a plant about something!

I hope this helps!!!! Good luck on your finals! I'm sure you'll do better than you think you will!!!!

[khaire-traveler]

Hi Beloved✨🌸🩷💚💜💙💜

I’m not sure if I’m the anon you meant to resend the ask, but first of all, please let me sincerely apologize for sending it while you were on a break.🙏💛🥺 I completely missed your pinned post and for that I am sorry!! It was very kind of you to take time away to try to draft a response to me (if I’m the anon), and I really do appreciate this from the bottom of my heart!🩷🥹✨

Perhaps the draft was deleted to allow me to resend my ask with more details so you can see exactly what’s happening.

Hermès has worked with me for a while in many ways and he always comes through for me! He has shown up “romantically” in relation to my FS (Future spouse/soulmate) because I believe in the signs he has given me in relation to showing me who my FS is and their characteristics, personality and overall being.

Hermès is kind (to me), funny, athletic, generous, handsome and represents Gemini amongst other things, which I think my FS is/will embody character-wise.

This has strengthened my bond with him as well as him just coming through for me when I need something done fast or just help. He shows up, whether I ask or not. He helped me finish my over 50 page thesis paper which I was struggling and procrastinated to write, literally two weeks before the deadline. He helped my Mom along with Arch Angel Rafael to get better quickly. That is how good and powerful he is to me!

Usually, he shows up in tarot readings, in passing or dreams but the connection is always spiritual, mental and emotional. It is never physical in that sense of being in his presence or seeing him.

Recently, I asked him to help me complete one of my goals, which was to meet my FS sooner and for us to come together quicker, because there have been delays in this connection and I do get sad and frustrated over it even though I understand Divine timing and the delays.

I told him that even though I understand that the delays are most likely necessary and for a good reason, I would like them to come to an end because I want to meet my FS and I’m finally ready to reach this desire now, because it feels like right now is the time and if he could help me out with this, and finally how grateful I am for all that he does for me and I know I can trust him with this next part of my life.

I have a drying mat that I usually hang up over the dish rack in the kitchen to air it out so it dries better/faster. Usually if it falls, (which isn’t very often) it falls over the dish rack. While I was talking/praying to him, it literally just fell, hit me on the head with a plop. This has never happened before and it was a very light, funny, mischievous moment. I did not feel any malice, but of course I was shocked and felt it was him, just being playful.

This is the first physical encounter I believe I have had with him (outside of the dreams and tarot) and I’m not sure how to interpret it. I don’t know if it means, I may need to take a moment to consider the request because you do have to be careful what you ask for or more of a, don’t be silly I’ll help you do it kind of thing (I feel it’s the later, but I’m uncertain )… I don’t want to bother him to ask for anything else, but this is the one goal I really want to reach before the year ends. It was just such a powerful moment for me and I’m still shaken.

I don’t have anyone else I can ask to help me make sense of this and I know you’re very gifted, which is why I came to you🩷✨

I would really appreciate any insight and guidance you can give me, if possible. I’m so sorry that this is long and again for disturbing you on your break. I hope all is well with you and it's going well!

Thank you so so so much for everything!

🩷💚💙🤍🌸🙏

Hello, Nonny, thank you for resending this! I appreciate the added detail, and I am so sorry about the delayed response; life has been actually insane for me offline. ☠️

So firstly, I'm going to direct you to this link here which will take you to one of the sections listed on my pinned post. I believe there is some helpful information you might find there, specifically concerning interpreting signs from deities.

With that out of the way, I want to say that, honestly speaking, no one can interpret a deity sign for you. All deity signs are meant to be personalized - things that are meant to be interpreted by that specific worshipper - so what makes sense to one person might not make sense to another regarding signs. For example, Hermes tends to send me birds as signs, but for a friend of mine, who lives in the middle of a massive city, the only birds they see are pigeons, so birds aren't much help as signs. Instead, Hermes chooses to a specific mail company's trucks to them.

I say this mostly to let you know that other worshippers can't interpret - specifically such important-sounding - signs for you. I personally encourage you to rely on your own intuition here. Did it feel like a sign to you? Did it come at a strangely opportune moment? Did the sign answer a question or provide a response to something? These are just some good questions I think about when interpreting signs in my own practice.

Along with that, I'll tell you a trick I used to use at the beginning of my practice that helped a lot with interpreting signs. I personally call it The Rule of Three because I think it sounds cool. Here's how it goes: once is a coincidence, twice is a curiosity, and thrice is intentional. This helped me a lot when I struggled with over-rationalizing things and being a bit too skeptical within my practice. I'm not sure if it'd be helpful for you, and it's important to note that not every sign can be easily applied to this rule, but I hope it can help in some way.

If you want my personal opinion, though, I'd say it could be a sign of something. I don't really know what it could mean; it's possible he was just being playful with you. I encourage you to communicate with him directly through divination or other means to get a more concrete answer. If you don't know how to do divination, I have a section for it on my pinned post that may help. You could also try asking, through prayer or otherwise, for another sign from Hermes or maybe for him to send you a dream. That's typically what I do if I'm unable to do divination.

It's very nice that you had a fun little interaction with Hermes, and I hope that my answer helps you in some way, although I couldn't really give you a direct answer. No one can really speak for the gods, so it's difficult for me to say what his intentions were. :/ Regardless, though, I wish you the best of luck in finding your future partner and in continuing down your spiritual journey. Take care, and have a good day/night. 🧡

[tales-from-nocturnaliss]

If I could give a piece of advice to autistics like me, or simply autistics who struggle to navigate the world and wonder if there's any way to make the pressure of Changes in your brain alleviate at all:

Develop an obsession for finding solutions.

(and to autistics who can't: tl;dr ask someone like me to help you, I would be thrilled)

For the record: I used to be incapable of that. It is legit a skill I taught myself over time, mainly from becoming a better critic for my own writings (yes, skills cross-play with the rest of your life).

Situation: I'm a pretty big tea drinker. I don't like metal filters, I drink by the mug because I like to make different teas in a day. I therefore chose paper filters years ago, and have been happily using them ever since.

Problem: the store we go to stopped carrying them.

World-shattering problem: the brand stopped making them altogether.

Result: with only four filters left, I had to hurry to find an alternative that was still qualitative. I found some, ordered a box a couple of days ago, it arrived today... and the bags are HUGE. Size had not been mentioned, and the packaging made them look small and mug-sized. I am not happy. I'm still gonna use them, but my brain has now been looking for better alternatives for a couple of hours because cannot tolerate to not. Have. The. EXACT. Thing I used to have. Especially considering prices. Dunno what happened, but those quadrupled since last I bought a box a few months ago (no, it's not the size that does it, I checked).

Result 2: I know my brain, and I know it's gonna be a bitch about this filter business. It has been. It's driving me insane (and the husband I expect, who received a litany of comments on Discord as I searched/found potential alternatives/other sites to buy from). It just Can't Let Go, because tea, tea is important, I love tea, I NEED an alternative to coffee because it causes me depression, I need a simple alternative because I am not executively functional in the morning, when I have my first tea.

End result: did you know they make glass tube filters now?

My brain fell in love the moment it saw the photo, and has decreed the tube to be The Only Viable Alternative now. It's cheap, resusable, dishwasher safe, I do love glass items, and it's perfect for a single mug and oohhh I wanna see the leaves dance in my mug without getting into my mouth. It's perfect.

A perfect solution that I found because 1. I couldn't let the problem go (I feel like everyone'll understand me on that front <<), 2. I fixated on finding a different site that sells the right filters, 3. I remembered I have a stainless steel filter somewhere that I could try, but first googled its effects on health, 4. I found an article about that (in French) and discovered other available materials, 5. I googled glass filters out of curiosity and tadaaaaa. Which sounds like a lot of steps. But the hyperfixation + need to find a solution ASAP really breezed me through it.

And I know: not everyone is able to do this. To you who aren't able, I want to say: please, ask someone like me to help you find solutions. I LOVE finding solutions. I love the search, I love the dopamine I get from finding something, and I also love to make people happy, which is extra dopamine. Can't guarantee I'll find these solutions if they're country-specific, but you can bet I'll try to help you to the best of my ability because, yes, I believe we ALL deserve some happiness. And some help.

And now I can finally stop procrastinating but my brain really demanded I write this up to conclude this Tea Chapter. Thank you for tuning in, see you next time my routines are disrupted and/or shattered.

Edit: I have now called myself a tealchemist to the husband and understood exactly why the tube thing appeals to me. Alchemists are a big part of Aeyuu('s issues... XD;)