inimitable and original

here’s a quick guide on how i proofread and edit my essays as an humanities undergrad! i tend to spend more time on research and editing and much less time on writing and my first drafts are often horrendous, so editing is really important for me :^)

i’ve also created guides on essay preparation, the 5-paragraph essay, how to research, and how to write essays. you can find all my other masterposts here.

transcript below:

omg you're so sweet!! tysm!! "pretending to be married for this high stakes heist is kind of distracting not gonna lie" from this list! [still accepting]

“Lup, I don’t know about this,” Barry murmurs. He and Lup stand a few meters away from the palace’s entrance. Barry watches as guests weave past them, wearing finery and laughing easily. He wishes he could be having as carefree an evening as them. He wishes he was doing nearly anything except this.

“It’s gonna be fine, I promise.” Her eyes barely dart over to the heavily armed guards at the door; one of them appears to be watching the pair of them suspiciously. She smiles fondly and brushes his hair back. It’s bizarre how easy she can fall into this charade, Barry thinks to himself. She places her hand on his chest, toying with his tie. “You remember the plan, yeah?”

He nods. “We’re rubbing elbows with the wealthy, getting intel where we can, and keeping an eye on the crowd. Taako and Lucretia are sneaking in through one of the side doors to extract Merle from wherever he’s being kept. Magnus is our ripcord in case something goes south,” he recites the plan like a mantra.

“Exactly. And honestly? I bet we can swipe some cool shit once these bastards get some drinks in ‘em.”

“Lup, this whole thing is already giving me hives without the petty theft aspect,” Barry says mournfully. Lup grins and adjusts Barry’s tie.

“Gotcha, babe. Only swiping stuff of the utmost importance,” she winks and makes grabby hands for Barry’s arm. “Let’s knock ‘em dead.”

“Remind me how we got roped into this part of the plan?” Barry asks, offering his arm like the perfect gentleman.

“Because Magnus is a terrible liar, nobody trusts a random pair of twins, you’d sooner pass as Luce’s dad than her husband, and Taako and Lucretia’s last try at a lavender marriage did end with us having to pay off like, fifty people,” Lup grasps the crook of Barry’s arm as though it was made precisely for her. “Besides Bar, it’s kinda fun playing pretend for a night, huh?”

Barry smiles tightly. “Yeah. I guess it is.” He fishes out their artfully forged invite as they approach the guards.

The taller guard takes it and scrutinizes it for a moment. “Dr. and Mrs. Bluejeans?”

“Drs. Bluejeans,” Barry corrects firmly. “My wife and I are both experts in elemental and planar physics as well as applied arcana.”

Lup squeezes Barry’s arm and gives the guard a sweet smile as he ushers them inside. “My hero,” she whispers as soon as they’re out of earshot.

“Hey, nobody’s going to downplay my wife’s accomplishments.” Barry smiles at the sight of the tips of Lup’s ears turning a sunburnt shade of red.

--

Lup laughs and taps a tipsy guest on the shoulder, distracting from the fact that she’s extracting a glimmering dagger from his pocket. “Oh, Erskine you really are too much! If you’ll excuse me, I must be getting back to my husband but I do hope to see you around,” she sends him a wink and rolls her eyes the minute her back is turned. Schmoozing comes easy to her but she does loathe to do it. A quick survey of the ballroom and she finds Barry talking with an air genasi woman dripping with jewels p with her eyes practically glued to Barry. He seems to be handling himself just fine, talking animatedly about gods know what; still, Lup feels beckoned over to the pair by some kind of force, some flip in her stomach. Must be nerves.

She saunters over to the pair, feeling that odd flip, that clench in her stomach when she sees this woman paw at Barry’s arm. In a moment, Lup sidles up beside Barry, resting one possessive hand over his shoulder while tucking herself beneath his arm. Without even thinking, she cups Barry’s face with her hand and kisses him, eliciting a small noise of surprise.

She realizes what she’s done a moment too late. Oh well. She pulls back from Barry’s soft lips and rests her forehead against his. Immediately she can see somewhere just south of seventy emotions and thoughts racing through his mind. “Hi baby,” she purrs before glancing back at the air genasi woman. “Who’s your friend?” she asks innocently, a sugary-sweet smile springing to her lips.

“Oh! This is Lady Aurai. I was just telling her about you and I have been working on this year,” Barry says, his voice surprisingly steady.

“Yes, Barry seems very excited by the work you’re doing,” Lady Aurai says blandly, eyeing Lup over.

“Anything I do with Lup is exciting,” Barry looks to her fondly before pressing a kiss to her temple. He catches glimpse of Taako slinking into the shadows, Lucretia close behind. “We should dance, love, I think the band’s really going to pick up in a minute.”

Lup nod, picking up on Barry’s tone. “Well, good talking to you, Lady Away, we should be going.” She turns on her heel, following Barry to the dancefloor. “Sorry about that,” she murmurs into Barry’s ear as the two comfortably sway to the music.

“Don’t worry about it. Gotta keep up appearances.” It’s odd. Lup almost wishes for more of a frazzled reaction. Barry’s hardly hunky-dory at the moment, mind you, though Lup’s uncertain how much of that is normal stress and how much is kiss stress.

“Yeah, you get it.”

As the music swells, Barry grins and twirls Lup around before bringing her in close.

“You’re really good at this, Barry,” Lup says breathlessly, not used to how foolish Barry can make her. Which is an odd thing to say about a friend, Lup amends mentally.

“I try. Easy when I have such a dazzling partner,” He smiles and holds her face in his hand. A moment too long of hesitation and a loud bell is struck; the unmistakable sound of Magic Missiles gives Barry and Lup all the heads up they need. They make themselves scarce in the ensuing scuffle and meet back up with Taako, Lucretia, Magnus, and Merle.

my last year of high school starts rather soon, and i’ve had more than my fair share of days when i wake up wanting to cry. there aren’t many things you can do when obligations like school force you to get over it as soon as it starts, so here are some tips to make your day better.

1. dress opposite the way you feel. even though sweats might be super tempting, dress up. wear your favorite pair of jeans, or a dress, or your cutest sneakers, even. wear bright colors at least. sweatpants and such will just make you feel even more blah and unfocused throughout the day. 

2. moisturize! this might seem like an odd idea, but moisturizing and going into school glowy and soft definitely helps me feel more comfortable and less ugh during the school day. it helps keep me in my home-y comfort zone, if that makes sense. 

3. carry something from home. this can be a book (even if you don’t read it), a tube of chapstick, a big waterbottle, etc… i have even gone as far as wrapping myself in a small blanket and walking around like that for the day. if you like this option and don’t feel comfortable wearing it, fold it up and place it in your backpack, just so you know it’s there.

4. plan out your day. even if it’s just making a mental note, tell and remind yourself of the things your going to do and when. this will get rid of any unnecessary stress and pressure. if something unexpected comes up, this will also help you manage your time a little better.

5. eat and drink happy things! pick today to pack a lunch, no matter what your usual routine is. drink plenty of water throughout this day, and eat as many fruits and veggies as you can. fill a reusable water bottle with water, fruit (like lemon or strawberries), and chia seeds! it’s perfect to sip throughout the day for a reboot or just to boost your mood. 

6. when you get home, bathe immediately! wash off the day’s dirt. drop everything as soon as you get home, and either jump in the shower or relax in a bath with your favorite soaps and scents and a book. give yourself a break before you have to get back to work.

7. don’t ignore your work. by work, i mean school work. if you’re having a bad day, don’t hesitate to take a break from talking to people or running (low-priority) errands. you don’t want to ignore schoolwork, though, because teachers aren’t the most lenient people in the world, and getting it done will take a lot off of your shoulders. pushing it away will only gain you more bad days. 

[08.03.2016]

Can’t believe we’re already halfway through January! Σ（ﾟдﾟlll）

Moonlight Serenade playing from another room

100 Days of Productivity (87/100): 12.19.2017 3:10 PM

Wow, I’m almost finished this challenge. Here, have one of my favorite bujo spreads, the one for this week! I really like the combination of purple and gray. 

*26/11/2017*

Hello sweethearts! Sorry to disrupt you, but I think it is finally time for me to say thank you!

Well, at the beginning of this month, I hit my first milestone ever: 100 FOLLOWERS (Now I’m currently with 125, which is even more amazing)! I know this is very little if compared to some big and famous studyblrs out there, but anyways, for me that number is incredibly high! To be honest with everyone: I’ve never imagined such a thing, and when I joined this community I didn’t expect to receive such love!

So this post is dedicated to you! Yes, you. The person that is currently reading this. To every single person in this wonderful and loving community, because you gave me such support, even though I’m not aesthetically pleasing. I can’t fully express how happy I am right now, considering that words will never be enough to transmit my feelings of utter gratitude for all of you! 

I developed the habit of sending a message for every new follower, and to me that’s not really fitting: I wish I could give you a proper hug, to show you that I appreciate you, that I care for you, and that you make me feel special! I hope that I brighten your day just a little, that you can confide with me because for real, count on me as a friend: I’ll be there for you, if you wish to be here for me too!

And I think that, as an ending for this post, I need to say something, something that I’ll never stop saying to you: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Hugs and kisses to my dearest and beloved followers (a.k.a my sweethearts)!

27/11/17

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 

I am IN LOVE with my Hufflepuff-themed spread from last week. It is probably in my top 5 of weekly spreads, to be honest. The yellow was so cheerful and great to see every day, and I love the plant aesthetic. I’m definitely a proud Hufflepuff and the more I think about it, the more I identify with the values of the house. 

+ the cute little witch drawing is from @mohtz (follow her, her art is incredible!) 

+ as always, but especially this week, inspired by @studyrose

+ listening: “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)” by Dua Lipa