#ur pet freak whos terrified of getting sick

[feralthembo]

I love having contamination ocd and by love i mean i just invented a ritual to "decontaminate" a thing that was stored in a smelly space bc im scared to death of that stink making my food unsafe and now i have to present this to roomie and hope she keeps her judgement internal and does the thing and not forces me to eat something im scared to or me throwing a fit and it getting thrown out.

[t0rturedangel]

I WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO BE A FREAK AND REQUEST DANGANRONPA AAAAAA

so like lowkey gundham tanaka is my offical father figure (I READ UR RULES AND I WAS UNSURE IF YOU WERE OKAY WITH PLATONIC ADULT AND CHILD) and imma need to order a fire meal from this chef aka, YOU 🫵🏻🫵🏻

SOOO ^_^ Can i order some hcs of Gundham with a daughter ?? Teen dad and precious little clone of him duo always gets me , my dream relationship with my dad (GUNDHAM TANAKA IS MY DAD)😢😢

〈  𝟎𝟎𝟎.. DAD N DAUGHTER

ㅤㅤ➯ㅤGUNDHAM TANAKA X DAUGHTER ! READER 〈  𝟎𝟎𝟏..ㅤSYNOPSISㅤ·⠀·⠀·ㅤyou and your father are quite the duo- one that everyone fears.

ㅤㅤㅤWARNINGS, apart from being short, none!

〈  𝟎𝟎𝟐..ㅤ✉ ; THIS IS SUCH A CUTE IDEA WTF???? PLEASE REQUEST MORE POOKIE

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ꒦꒷︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶꒷꒦

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤYou and Gundham are literally THE father-daughter duo, you are quite literally a copy pasted version of gundham (expect you're a girl). You two act the same, speak the same and dress the same; everyone knows you're his daughter

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤMuch like your dad, you have a talent that revolves around animals-- seeing as you were brought up with animals around you, you pretty much know about every animal and how to care for them which earned you the talent of ULTIMATE ANIMAL CAREGIVER / SHSL Animal Veternarian (which you have made a living out of from a young age- whenever your friend's pets got hurt or sick they paid you to help heal them)

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤSince you and your father are good with all animals, whenever (and IF) you are being bullied-- you pull up with about two bears to school the next day (you have had the police called on you multiple times because of this, however you never got into trouble for anything because of who you and your dad is)

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤGundham has a variety of nicknames for you-- but he calls you 'Princess' most of the time (your full title is 'The first born of the forbidden one, Princess [name], Mage of the vast human realm, healer and carer of animals, .' which does get confusing but you and your father have memorised it)

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤUnironically, Gundham is terrified of you- because you helped take care of animals and their children, they seem to favour you over your father and whenever you get angry or upset (or you're on your period) you can easily use them as an army and command them to attack anyone (you don't but the chances are never zero)

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤGundham loves to teach you different spells, from a young age you knew many differnet spells and to be honest you love to use those spells to annoy people (esspecially your aunties and uncles)

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤJust like your dad, you have four dark devas of destruction however they're not called that (because there can only be ONE set of dark devas). You call them your scouts- as they tend to help you when needing to grab items you cannot reach properly.

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤYou two deffinately have matching outfits-- and like to wear them whenever you can. ╰ one time you had an outfit that was literally an exact copy of his and you wore it on halloween; calling it the most terrifying person you could think of- Gundham was honoured, and may or may not have shed a tear

୨୧ㅤ➯ㅤYou have to translate things for people whenever your father speaks to them. ╰ " Silence you fiend! Your words disgust me, Tanaka the forbidden one, to such a degree that even my child and dark devas find appauling! You should have never opened your vile lips in the first place. Your opinions on these matters should not even be considered ever again!" ... 'what did he say?' "Dad's telling you to shut up and never say that dumbass opinion of your ever again. I agree with him'

!⠀♡⠀₊⠀⠀ׁ⠀ꔛ

Ⓒ𝐓𝟎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝕽Σ𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝕷

[littlesliceofimmortality]

hey henry i was going through ur circus au tag and i was wondering do u have any lore for this specific au??? im VERY curious i really like the designs esp mingus and norm (worlds most predictable phrase) :-)

HII MICH :-) smile! my circus au started as "lol wouldnt it be funny if cowboys instead of clowns were a separate species & went extinct". & now it makes me sick

ITS NOT EVENthat much different than the canon story ingame!!!! its just flashier & showy-er & LOUD. mingus demands attention, especially. her being a lioness does in fact mean callum had a pet lion. Alot wrong with him

she had callums ringleader outfit retailored to fit her, fun fact! (shes VERY large, almost scraping 7ft). its different cloth though & the gold studs had to be replaced & coattails needed lengthening & etc... so maybe it really isnt the same

(GINGIs made up of the same cloth as callum, however! the original CIRCUS tent, with polka dots and all !!! and who am i to argue that callum didnt embody the entire city of dialtown?) (mingus is very mad about this fact & actively denounces it)

rather than living on the outskirts of town, norm was found as a lone ranger out in the open prairies of Wisconsin (i cant elaborate here. thats another rant & theres too many parenthesis already) . instead of being immediately executed As is normal procedure, mingus recognizes him as a fragment of history & essentially forces him to join the ragtag rundown circus she runs

since dialtown is already a group of misfits, not many of the cast oogled at the new rodeo clown (it was a HUGE fight on what he'd "star as", & mingus finally relented to him keeping the cowboy hat & paper bag) (if he acts up she threatens to categorize him as a "freak show" and shred his bag)

mingus doesnt treat him as a thing with feelings alot of the time & moreso a thing to help get her pawpaw back. since right now hes. kind of a statue. shes opened up & put back together his head so many times & had to repair him & ward off rust so often that now ALL of his head is golden. not patchworked, but rather, polished

the city is only KNOWN as a city & NOT a travelling circus anymore is because of this, actually. its too much work to transport callum around in the state he is. so mingus dug her heels in & hammered in the tent poles hard. immovable force. not going anywhere til she can step down & let her pawpaw lead again

he was objectively better at it, anyhow. she knows this but WILL bite you if you say it to her face. callum was a magician too, after all! had tricks up his sleeve. much sneakier when hes pulling strings behind the curtains. he had his "assistant" too (aka the other half of the entire show) , which mingus TRIES to replicate, which... i love tango, but nobody can compare to marla

all of this is very upsetting to norm. everything about it, really. worst anyones ever done it. however hes just as stubborn as mingus and will NOT be used as a tool! (thats the ONLY reason, trust) (theres totally nothing about how he'd rather idolize crown in his mind & is a little terrified of whatd happen if he came back & saw the state of everything)

[whumpshaped]

an rp forced me to realise that seth can in fact be a very good bf. very stupidly in love. and bc i think pumpkin wouldve deserved that love, heres an au where they get it. almost. kind of. i'd need a few hundred more words to get to the part where pumpkin becomes a very trusted pet and they kinda become official and all that and some lovey dovey shit and pumpkin (dub)consensually getting whumped- anyway. idk dude this is just to give u a vague idea if ur interested

tw general ksw stuff, kidnapping, pet whump, implied dubcon, manipulation, intimate whumper, stocholm syndrome, no idea what else my brain is fried

-

“Can I help you?”

The person on Seth's doorstep was tiny, made to seem even smaller by their baggy clothes. They were fidgeting with the hem of their sweater anxiously, looking anywhere but them. He would've lied if he'd said they weren't a little cutie, though.

“I… I realise this is very weird, I do, and I’m so sorry in advance. We, we know each other…” The kid took a deep breath, trying to compose themself. “I… I’m pumpkin anon? I… I started messaging you on Halloween night and so I started signing off with a pumpkin, and we kept talking, and, and…”

Seth leaned against the doorframe, a lazy smile on their lips. “It’s you, huh?” 

Pumpkin anon. The little freak who kept sending all those asks about wanting to be his whumpee. A toy, a punching bag, a pretty doll on a shelf. When he leaked his address that day, he wasn't sure Pumpkin would truly bite, that they'd just up and leave whatever city they were originally from to meet a stranger from the internet who had only ever said that they would love to hurt them.

Intriguing, at the very least.

"Come in."

Their eyes snapped up to meet his, confused but so, so hopeful. Oh, they looked like a little fawn. Adorable. "C-Can I really?"

"Is this too light a start for you? Should I have grabbed you by the hair and dragged you inside?" Seth raised a brow, and Pumpkin quickly shook their head, a blush spreading across their cheeks.

"Thank you," they said quietly as they sneaked past him, allowing Seth to finally close the door. And lock it. Discreetly.

"So you caught my address that day. When I leaked it for you."

Pumpkin spun around with their eyes wide. "F-For me? Wh- I-"

"Oh, don't act so innocent. You told me you would come here, I said I would take you in if you did. And then, coincidentally, I leaked my address. You couldn't have possibly thought it was just your luck." Seth backed them up against the closed kitchen door, grinning. "I must say, I didn't think you'd actually do it. I didn't think you were so fucked in the head. Fucking stalker."

"I'm sorry," they squeaked, and it took all of Seth's willpower not to just rip them apart right then and there.

"That's not gonna cut it." They slammed a hand against the door, right next to Pumpkin's head, the wood rattling loud as thunder. The poor kid teared up.

"I'm sorry, I'm, I'm s-so sorry, please, S-Sir, I- I really am sorry- please..."

Seth's other hand quickly found its way under Pumpkin's chin, tilting their head up. God, they were so fucking small. Fragile. Breakable. Just asking to be used and ruined. But there was also something else beneath the innocent look... something rotten. The darker part that allowed them to take full advantage of an 'accidental' doxxing, the sick masochist that wanted to be hurt so badly that they were willing to risk Seth calling the police on them.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" they asked, softer, coaxing the truthful answer from them. "That's why you came here in the first place. To be talked down to. To be threatened. Would you even care if I was a twisted serial killer, about to brutally murder you?"

Pumpkin swallowed thickly, struggling to form the words. They were terrified, terrified that it was all true, terrified that he really was a serial killer, and terrified to give the wrong answer.

"Don't even think about lying to me, Pumpkin."

The nickname made them break out in goosebumps all the way down their neck, paired with the implications of the statement. They jerkily shook their head. Not enough.

Seth shifted their hold on them, grabbing their face properly. "I said, would you, sick little stalker freak, even care if I turned out to be an equally as fucked serial killer?"

"N-No, S-Sir," they choked out finally. "I- I don't-" Tears started running down their rosy cheeks, staining both their own clothes and Seth's hands. "I don't have a-anything to go b-back to. D-Don't- d-don't have anyone. N-No one w-would even-" their voice broke and they hiccuped, looking like they were about to have a panic attack. "m-miss me... n-no one- no one would-"

Seth mercifully clamped a hand over their mouth, shutting them up and sparing them the agony of having to say any more out loud. "Poor thing," he cooed, slowly letting up and instead pulling them closer, into a gentle hug. "Poor, lost little thing. Whatever shall I do with you?"

Pumpkin clung to them desperately, now openly crying into their shirt. Now that Seth was holding them, really holding them, he could feel just how thin they were under all those layers. Not an ounce of fat, not an ounce of muscle, nothing but bones and misery.

"We'll work something out, hm?"

-

Pumpkin had spent that first night in the tiny cage utterly ashamed and horrified. But the feelings melted away quickly as the hours turned into days, and the days into weeks. Seth was keeping them in a cage for the nights, chained by the ankle at daytime, forcing them to do all the chores and slapping them around when they were too slow.

Surely, that would've made anyone else go insane. So why? Why was it making them fall deeper and deeper in love with the man?

The cage was safe, and Seth allowed them to have the comfort of keeping their plushie. The cuff secured to their ankle was padded, a small mercy they could only be grateful for. The chores made them feel useful, like they were in a way paying for the roof over their head and the scraps of food on their plate. God, they wished they could at least be mad about being hit, instead of blushing and muttering stupid apologies and-

"Fetch me something to drink, won't ya?"

Pumpkin scrambled to obey, almost tripping over their chain. There were several options readily available, and they didn't want to bother their captor by asking which one they wanted. They grabbed a monster and hurried back, presenting it with shaking hands.

They flinched when Seth reached for them, expecting to be hit once more. Instead, he ruffled their hair absentmindedly.

"Thanks, love." Pumpkin's heart skipped a beat. Love. "Wanna read through what I have so far?"

"Y-Yes, please."

Seth grabbed them by the wrist and yanked them down, positioning their small body however they saw fit. In just a moment they were already sitting on his lap, staring at an unpublished draft, titled 'Carving pumpkins'.

They were sure their heart was about to stop forever.

"Let me know what you think," Seth murmured into their neck, making them shiver. "Wouldn't wanna disappoint my number one fan."

Pumpkin forced themself to focus, reading through paragraph upon paragraph about a whumpee eerily similar to them. Seth had never cut them like that before. Was he making them read this as foreshadowing? Was it a threat?

They were anxiously bouncing their leg until Seth placed a hand on their thigh, making them freeze. They couldn't concentrate. They were scared, they were terrified, they didn't want to be a carved little pumpkin with a candle shoved down their throat. Please, god, please don't let that all happen, just this once, let this be an empty promise-

"Is it good?" Seth slipped a hand under their shirt, tracing tiny circles onto their skin.

"V-Very," they whispered.

"Mmm... Glad you like it." Seth rested his chin on their shoulder, skimming through some lines before turning his head and burying his face in the crook of their neck. "I've always been bad at it. Pumpkin carving."

Pumpkin didn't believe that for a second. Seth was perfect. Seth was good at just about everything. They had no idea whether they wanted someone good or bad scooping out their insides, though. Preferably neither.

"Relax, Pumpkin. This one's not getting carved." Seth knocked on their head, and Pumpkin could feel their smirk against their skin. "Would be easy, though. Not much to scoop out."

They let out a shaky sigh, the insult completely escaping them. They would live another day. Seth chuckled and kissed their neck, making them instinctively bare it even more for easy access.

"Y'know what I'm good at?" Pumpkin whimpered in surprise as Seth bit down, eyes fluttering closed. "Pumpkin craving."

[ofclaude]

vent post   under a readmore instead of in the tags bc i !! need to vent !!! & the point of not typing in the post is to be less in your face but this is gonna be a Lot probably lmao

i just. wish i had people around me who i actually care about & who care about me instead of them all being countries away. i live here in this place that helps me recover from trauma & integrate blahblahblah &...like.

they are literally paid to pet my head & call me sweet & go aww really :(( that sucks! & tell me the world’d be worse off without me. & it just fucking. it always gets to me. how is it supposed to not??? i want to be cared about the reason i’m suicidal is because no-one i’ve lived around ever gave a shit about me except 2 primary school teachers & one friend in high-school. people have been paid to pretend to care about me since i was born because me dying was more scandalous than paying a stranger to therapy the neglect away !!

i’m so tired. i’m so, so tired & i can’t anymore. oh, i will. i always fucking do !!! i always fucking do!! and i hate that!! because it’s never. i. ugh. i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tierd i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tried i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired i’m tired

i went to talk to my father & he !! doesn’t even remember !!! telling me to go live on the street & die in a village where i was the freak when i was 6 years fucking old because he was just qangry & well he got it off his chest didn’t he !! I FUCKING CAN’T IT’S CALLED C-PTSD FUCK YOUR ENTIRE LIFE he was a grown-ass man lashing out in a violent rage at his own goddamn child & NO-ONE. NO-ONE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING WHEN THEY DO THAT. YOU FUCKING KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING WHEN YOU DO THAT, I DON’T GIVE A SHIT IF YOU FORGOT ABOUT IT!! YOU’RE STILL THE ASSHOLE WHO MADE ME SUICIDAL & MADE IT SO I KNOW I’M WORTHLESS, I KNOW NOTHING WILL EVER BE OKAY, I KNOW NOTHING WILL EVERY CHANGE THIS

& that was just one, tiny lil interaction out of 24 years of that shit. 24 years !! how am i supposed to just. work thru all of that shit without getting tired of it; yaddahyaddah make ya life better IF UCKING KNOW. HOW ABOUT NOT MAKING ME WORK FOR SMTH I NEVER CHOSE & DON’T WANT ANYMORE, HOW ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ABOU TTHE SCUMBAGS WHO GET TO JUST ‘GET BETTER’ AFTER the only reason they’re not responsible for my death is bc i got real fucking lucky. i’ve got massive endurance & i got lucky as hell. & it wouldn’t have mattered bc THEN I WOULD’VE BEEN DEAD, HUH?!?!? NO-ONE CARES! no-one does anything, & i’m sick of it. they get to kill me, but fuck forbid i do something abou tthem.

& blah that’s all feelings & trauma blah it’s not true i fucking know it’s not true. nothing’s true or fals #nihilism. doesn’t matter that’s not the point. i can do endless therapy, i can have people pet my head all day, i can talk myself out of this & that attempt because i know it won’t change anything. but i can’t change that this lives in me. it’s been years since i cut ties. he’s changed. i’ve changed, else i wouldn’t have cut ties in the first place but ok.

i still don’t want him. i still don’t like him. part of me still cries & hates me for taking my own daddy away from me!! even tho he’s the aggressive bastard who makes me want to fucking take my own life hellloooooo !?!?!? i have to put up with this shit. because i choose to live, but i didn’t get to choose what motherfuckers i was born with - not that my mother didn’t try to teach me otherwise tho !!! it’s all ur own choice uwu u made this call u wanted me for a parent !!!! except i loved myself unlike you bitches so no i did not but go off !! in ur fantasyland

it’s been 3 fucking years & i’ve done so much & i actually got myself a will to live last years. & it’s like. yay it’s better now :))))) no. it’s not. there are better things also. this is not better. it won’t get better, because there is nothing to change. & since it’s ptsd, i can’t forget either. blahblah lessen the impact IF UCKING KNOW I DO THERAPY I KNOW HOW THIS WORKS! BUT IT DOESN’T CHANG ETHE FACT MY OWN PARENTS THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY TO TEACH ME TO HATE MYSELF & THAT THE WHOLE WORLD COULD ONLY EVER HATE ME BUT I WASN’T ALLOWED TO DIE!! OR MAKE A SCENE !! THAT’D LOOK BAD HUH?? me, the village freak. diagnosed with autism cuz they traumatised me so bad it looked the goddamn same but fuck forbid ANYONE. EVER. talk to my parents !! noooo no i was the one that needed fixing. except they did that wrong too my fucking god does it never end.

i’m tired. i’m tired of living with the pieces of somebody else’s mistakes. i’m tired of being afraid of pushing away the only people i have who i do care about & who care about me, just by asking them to care about the parts of me that’ll never get better. i’m sick of hiding how tired i am. i’m sick of having to be normal & happy & good enough by all those rules that don’t belong to me just to not be as terrified of being neglected again - except this time by people who don’t owe me shit.

i always deal with everything. & i’m tired of it. i’m so, so fucking tired. i know. i know it can get better. i know i can find ways. i know. i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i know i KNOW. that doesn’t make it okay.

i wish it did, but it never does.

& since :))) i’m afraid of running off my friends by asking directly i’ll just ;)) vent :))) here ;)))

what do you even say to the ppl who actually care about you anyway like lmao what a joke. the better i get the more room i have to conform to being normal - & idc about how other ppl like it, i mean. bad normal. social skills apparently only mean ways, not truth. i was never taught social skills so i communicated directly, which is super good & ppl these days need to be taught that?? so much????????? but no i was awkward & didn’t have social skills. fuck you, ppl raised from the get-go with social skills are the WORST at being social bc they never had to learn another person’s language or the desperation that comes with the language barriers no-one will explain to you. i’m so tired. i’m so tired of jumping thru hoops just to  what???? get ppl to care??? get smn to care about????????? & then what. jump thru hoops some more bc now u have smn who doesn’t get u unless u filter out who you are & are left with nothing.

it’s so important to be me but the better i get the less i can do that & that’s what killed me so i gues we’re back at square one !!! let’s go back to therapy & pretend i need that when i already know how to work shit. let’s pay another person to pet my head & give me an hour of their time to vent, just because i don’t have to be afraid they’ll run. jesus christ. if i can’t be me i won’t do it. but idek if i can force myself to bemyself anymore & that’s fucking scary. learning social skills after a lifetime of being shunned just makes me more equipped to go with my terrible coping skills, which is to nix myself & just. be normal be normal be normal be normal bne nomral bne mrf oamlf be nomral. i’m tired.

& blah if u wanna post it on tumblr u gotta go on ur personal uwu ur rp blog is a vending machine no personal shit !! how dare u have a personal life that Exists lmao

[danisnotofire]

hey im going to orientation in a few days and im rly nervous abt starting college, i was just wondering if you had any tips or any ~advice~ bc im like, lowkey freaking out ((also i also stage manage and i love musicals and astronomy (sry i was snooping around your about page)))

hey!!! ok i am so so so sorry this took so long lol i actually just went back to school myself to help out with a pre-orientation program and we’ve been having like 17 hour days so i’m Exhausted and haven’t had a lot of time to really give a thoughtful answer (UNTIL NOW). some of this is gonna sound cheesy, but this is Emma Danisnotofire’s Official Real List of Pro-Tips for College, so if it’s on here it’s true. that being said, i go to a medium/small school (4,000 students) in the middle of fucking nowhere, so some of my experiences are gonna be a lil different. most still apply. 

first off, it’s TOTALLY OKAY that you’re nervous. i know when i went i was highkey freaking out even more bc everybody else seemed to be just excited and i felt like i was the only one actually losing my mind from how scared i was. i didn’t sleep at all the night before i moved in. being scared is fine. you’ll probably be scared for awhile after you get there, too, and that’s absolutely okay. i remember it took me a solid few weeks for me to stop feeling nauseous from nerves whenever i woke up. i promise i promise this will go away. you will settle in and you’ll make friends and you’ll figure out where everything is and how things work, i PROMISE. 

second, once you get there, don’t be afraid to talk to people!! i know that sounds super cheesy and unhelpful, but seriously. talk to your orientation leaders!! they’re usually upperclassmen and 99% of the time they had to APPLY to get that position, and it’s because they’re so so excited to meet you!! i’m a mentor for this pre-o program (it’s arts-focused), and we all had to apply, and every single other mentor is super passionate not only about the arts but about making sure the incoming freshman feel comfortable and happy and at home right off the bat. we want to like you!! talk to us!!! talk to each other!! at my school, (bucknell), orientation is actually pretty fucking legendary (it’s 5 straight days of just. nonstop activities), so getting to know your group is always nice. good conversation starters include: compliment something they’re wearing/have done, mention pets, ask about what classes they’re taking. that’s usually where i start when i’m talking to my kids!! 

okay, now for some Actual Tangible Advice. most of this is actually taken from when i gave my friend natalie some advice about college, but it’s still applicable to you!! i’m putting it under a readmore bc It’s So Very Long, I’m Sorry, I Really Hope This Helps/Makes Up For Me Not Answering For So Long

-if you can, get a microwave. if you can’t, it’s nbd because there’s probably one in your dorm somewhere. but it’s really nice not to have to put on shoes/socks to go make ramen at 3am

-INVEST IN GOOD SOCKS!!!! srsly omg you’re never gonna wanna go anywhere barefoot, and dorm heating/cooling can be tricky. i treated myself to a 5-pair box where they’re all different classic art pieces. they’re GORGEOUS and super nice for when i can’t find my flip-flops.

-also, if you have birks. bring them. they are also good for sliding on when u really have to pee in the middle of the night and can’t for the life of u find anything else. also everyone i know wears birks casually (i have a 20 dollar pair of fake ones from american eagle lol)

-OLD NAVY HAS FLIP FLOPS 2 FOR 5 DOLLARS. they make the BEST shower shoes and also they come in so many lit colors they’re the bomb digs. these are also good if you don’t have a pair of birks

-if your dorm doesn’t have it already (most dorms don’t) BUY A SCREEN FOR YOUR WINDOW!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY if u hate bugs you do NOT want them coming in when all u want is some fresh air. my roommate last year brought one to school bc i didn’t even think about it and it was a LIFESAVER.

-if you can, get one of those febreeze scent things you plug in. if you aren’t allowed, there’s this thing called a scentsy that basically melts wax and it makes your room smell SO. GOOD. idk how much they cost but honestly you will be thankful you have it if you can get it (candles work too but most dorms don’t allow candles)  

-you don’t need a huge plastic shower caddy!! you can get a softer one and then hang it on a hook outside the shower or loop it around the shower knob. they’re probs better than a big hard one bc they won’t fill up with water and you can stash it easier. (i went with a big plastic one and it’s a hassle lol). however, if you already got a big plastic one, that’s cool too bc sometimes they come with a removable second smaller caddy, and that’s good for putting your phone in outside of the shower to play music.

-lofting your bed is super nice bc it gives you a little more privacy from your roommate (and privacy is so so so rare in college, esp in a dorm). it’s also nice bc if you’re up there and a friend walks into your room (which is bound to happen with dorm living, which is where i’m assuming ur living as a first-year) they won’t immediately see you, which gives you a few seconds to get ur shit together before they see you.

-HOWEVER!! there are a few downsides to lofting ur bed. the major one is that it’s a pain in the ass to not only get up there, but also to lug your laptop/charger/snacks/etc up there, and once you’re up u probably aren’t gonna wanna come down. also, i don’t know if you drink, (which btw totally cool if you don’t!!), but there was definitely one time where i was too drunk to climb into my bed (i know, i know, several bad choices were made that night and i regret all of them), but thankfully my roommate last year was a fucking goddess though (a definite Mom Friend) and pulled all my sleeping stuff down to the floor lol. it’s rare that something like that happens, but it’s definitely something u wanna take into consideration.

-college is infinitely emotionally taxing. face masks and shower bath-bombs (you put them on the floor of your shower and they slowly dissolve and release whatever scent they are) do LOADS to make u feel better. face masks are also good bonding with friends!! 

-some other self-care college tips: cafes will usually have either hot apple cider in the fall, or you can get steamed milk with vanilla in it and it’s very soothing and gentle and calming. i got it a lot when i was sick just bc it was warm and not difficult to stomach. 

-also baking. if you get a few friends and bake something, it is 1) bound to be hilarious and 2) everyone who walks by will love you. we once made cinnamon buns, except instead of individual ones we made one big disgusting MegaBon, and we still talk about it to this day. it’s the name of our group chat lmaooo

-you can literally never have too much storage. plastic bins, crates, etc. never too much.

-you will leave college with so much more stuff than what you came with. holy shit. you will also get so many t-shirts??? see above. you’ll need storage.

-college is also the definition of ‘Everything is Happening All The Time’, and ur probably gonna make friends who try and do Everything. it took me super long to internalize the fact that it’s okay to like, say no to doing something and take a nap instead. not all the time, sometimes its good to force urself out of your room, but you can stay in on a saturday every once in a while! it doesn’t matter. 

-that being said, do try and go out of your comfort zone a little!! i was definitely not the type to do this in high school, but these days i’ll sometimes go to frat parties!! they’re actually really fun when you go with friends (and always go with friends!!!). it doesn’t even necessarily need to be parties either. audition for a capella. stage manage a show. do a club sport. there’s so much you can do!! (i actually didn’t follow my own advice here last year, i was too terrified to do a lot of things. i did theatre though, which ended up taking up most of my time anyway, but i still wish i had done more, hence why i’m doing this program right now! don’t be like first-year me. be better!)

-HOWEVER here are some (frat) party tips: girls can usually get into parties much easier than guys can, but either way don’t try to go out until around october/late september. the first few weeks back are for upperclassmen catching up with friends . go with a group, and STAY with your group. please. no girl left behind. they usually only serve shitty beer, and ofc you should keep your eyes on it the whole time. if you put it down, just go get another one instead of picking that one up again. also, invest in a shitty coat/gross pair of shoes specifically to wear to the frats. the floors are gross, and you’re probs gonna end up storing your jacket behind a trash can in the winter bc it’s too fucking hot inside the room to keep it on. (is this coat thing just a bucknell thing?? this might just be a bucknell thing). 

-more drinking/etc/stuff: know your rights. RAs are not allowed to look through drawers/open closets when doing room searches, so if you have wine or anything, make sure it’s hidden in somewhere they’re not allowed to touch.

-THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT: if someone has drank too much, BACKPACK THEM. get them into bed while wearing a filled up backpack. it prevents people from rolling over and choking on their vomit. i cannot emphasize how important it is for you to backpack someone. if you can, stay with them to make sure they’re okay. also, don’t be afraid to let them throw up before they go to bed. it helps. they’ll usually feel better. 

-if you can, get a job that lets you sit down. receptionist, librarian, etc. these are the best, bc sometimes you’ll get the  chance to study or get paid for doing nothing. also? receptionist looks SUPER good on a resume. also? money is nice.

-LOCK YOUR DOOR!!!!! I LEARNED THIS THE HARD WAY WHEN SOME WEIRD SENIOR BOY WALKED INTO MY ROOM DRUNK AT 3AM AND WOULDN’T LEAVE. also, you’ll make friends in the first week that you won’t necessarily want to be friends with later on, but they won’t get that message lol. again, lock your door (learned that the hard way, too)

-for future semesters, if you can’t get into a class right away it REALLY helps to email the professor!!! seriously, 9 times out of 10 they are more than happy to let an extra person in, because there are always students who drop the class within the first week or two. that’s how i got into astronomy my first semester, and i’m now a teacher’s assistant for it. so. really, it helps.

-the best way to be better friends with people is to just, get meals with them. honestly. make a group chat with some people and whenever ur getting dinner or lunch or whatever just throw out a ‘hey anyone wanna get food with me??’ text. 90% of the time someone will come with you.

-speaking of meals tho, ik this is the number 1 thing people tend to say, but it’s tRUE. nobody cares if you eat alone. it too me SO LONG to internalize this, but it’s totally fine to do!! it’s actually really nice sometimes, you can bring homework or your laptop and get some work done. it’s not even with meals, either! you can study alone! you can walk places alone! you can go to the gym alone! i was always terrified of being seen alone bc i thought people were gonna think i didn’t have friends or w/e dumb thing my anxiety had me feeling, (i still struggle with that lmao) but in reality you just look independent and cool!!! also, it helps to be content in the fact that you have friends and it doesn’t matter if people THINK you don’t.

-get a reusable water bottle. i got a plastic one for like 12 bucks, and i use it DAILY. if ur walking a lot, it helps keep you hydrated. also, it gives you something to do in class. also, you can personalize it with stickers and stuff (you can do the same with a laptop case). i p much take mine with me EVERYWHERE.

-this was also hard for me to internalize, but u gotta remember the fact that it’s okay not to be who u were in high school. like, i gave up some of the things i was into in high school in favor of some other things, and it took me awhile to figure out that i wasn’t like, betraying anyone, if that makes sense?? like, i started going to frat parties and actually having FUN at them??? (something i NEVER would have been into in high school, but here we are).

-also, grades are very different in college. i freaked out when i wasn’t getting a 4.0, because that’s who i was in high school, but then i kinda put it in perspective. i ended with a 3.67, which is still dean’s list. you’re not going to be perfect, bc chances are you ended up at a school with people on kinda equal intelligence levels as you. don’t freak out. 

okay that’s pretty much it!!! i can def come up with more stuff tailored to certain things/etc if you want me to talk more about this stuff!!! i love giving college advice and talking and helping people feel better about this whole thing bc i know it’s hard and scary