#this is a potential life hack and I must try it

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Gamer Boyfriend Scenarios

A collection of parodies to satisfy everyone’s desire for a happy ending. Warning: crackhead humor.

Content: gender neutral reader, yandere behavior, brief NSFW, time machine to Wattpad glory days

[First story] [More parodies original works]

Case 1: Third contender

Very few people know about your stepmother. You’d kept it a secret, even from the tentacle monster, who was understandably confused about your boyfriend’s nervousness upon hearing your idea of a family visit.

“Try not to kill each other, please.” You say with pleading eyes.

“I’m more worried about you, (Y/N). Will you be alright?”

You swallow dryly. The evil hag had summoned you earlier this week, and you dare not oppose her. A tear threatens to form in the corner of your eye, so you turn around with a dismissive wave. You’ll be fine.

“I see you already have a suitcase”, the older woman remarks, puffing on her cigarette. “Good. You’ll be leaving today.”

“What? I just got home!” You argue in confusion.

“This isn’t your home anymore. Times are difficult, you see. We’re low on funds.” She ponders her words, then continues. “We’ve sold you to a famous K-pop idol group.”

You can only gawk in shock. Almost simultaneously, you feel a tap on your shoulder and hesitantly look back.

“You must be (Y/N)! Wow, you’re even cuter in person. Those photos I received of you barely do you justice.”

A tall, handsome man with a beaming smile stands behind you. He flashes you a little heart gesture with his index and thumb, and winks.

Is this the power of idol charisma? You can feel the faintest tug at your heart, deep red blush heating up your cheeks.

“I couldn’t possibly…I’m already in a…in a relationship!”

“You’ll be much happier with me. I can offer you the world.”

What a ridiculous situation. You stumble on your words, partly afraid, partly curious about the potential life of luxury as the beloved partner of a famous idol. Can’t be that bad, you tell yourself. You shake your head aggressively. No! You have two people (well, one monster) waiting for you at home. You need to get out of here, but how?

Just as you evaluate escape routes, the door bursts open and you gasp at the sight: your gamer boyfriend, followed by the tentacled creature.

“How did you bypass my security?!” The idol shouts in disbelief. “I have the best engineers in the world working for me!”

The gamer boyfriend smirks defiantly.

“Heh. Wasn’t too hard to hack into your systems, all I needed was my PS5 controller. As for the physical obstacles…” he says, turning to the ancient beast. “You might want to call a cleaning crew for what’s left of your guards.”

You run towards them, and the young man gently guides you behind him.

“Since when do you two get along?” You ask with the sarcasm of a witty Marvel character.

“Let’s just say we figured out a common goal.”

The goal of keeping other people away from you. Any kind of pride he or the monster might've held has been swiftly discarded for this greater purpose. After all, two heads are better than one. Or whatever encephalic organ the creature possesses.

The cherry blossoms sway in the wind, scattering the frail petals across the riverbank.

"It's too much!" you whine, your hot lips brushing against the overgrown grass of the hill, privacy filled to the brim with appendages. "W-what if someone passes by?"

You can't even tilt your head back to look at your aggressors; the weight of the attempted kidnapping was too great for the pair to bear, and thus they were overwhelmed by the urge to reclaim you on the spot. Right there, in the fields, on the way back home.

"I couldn't...care less about that, (Y/N)", the gamer boyfriend manages to blurt out between exhausted, husky growls. His knuckles white from gripping imaginary sheets.

“You belong to us.”

(No slick folds were harmed in the process)

Case 2: Picture frame

The screech slowly dissipates, and the room is quiet again.

Finally. The gamer boyfriend gazes at his masterpiece, a satisfied smile on his face. Now that he's gotten rid of his rival, he can have you all for himself.

“I hope you enjoy the flatness. I didn’t.”

The fight might've lasted longer, had the beast not committed the ultimately fatal mistake of underestimating him. It realized much too late it wasn't dealing with the same human who disappeared months ago. That one was weak and easy to remove.

"Please, what are you-...What are you doing with my body?"

"Relax. I'm just...borrowing it. Permanently, maybe."

Oh, how long he waited for that moment, that instant in which he was guaranteed freedom from the 2D realm. How delicious it was to snatch the escape from the boyfriend who worked so hard for it. All those hours spent romancing the characters, repeating the same dialogue lines again, and again, until the love meter blinked in achievement. And then he stole it, just like that, with a snap of the fingers.

Two things immediately struck him once he made his way out:

First, the third dimension. He'd never experienced such depth before, and all the angles and perspectives sickened him terribly. He spent days bedridden and nauseous. Equally baffling was the fact that conversations were always spontaneous, random, one-of-a-kind and without any subtitles or dialogue box. He tried in vain to reset his response to you, or to replay something you told him. Thankfully, his secret was of such absurdity, that you couldn’t even begin to imagine its possibility. You took his suspicious gaffes with an amused chuckle, calling him a silly goose.

Second, you. He had no idea who you were, but upon laying his eyes on you, a wave of warmth and affection flooded his innards. Were you someone important for the boyfriend? Either way, whatever leftover feeling was left inside the vessel swiftly turned into obsession. You took such great care of him. Guided him through this new world with unconditional kindness. Whatever the boyfriend was to you before, he deserved it more. He was certain of it.

Only one obstacle stood in his way, and he just took care of it.

The entry door unlocks, and you walk in, unsure.

“It’s been days. It always lived here, why would it vanish now?” you sob, shaken by the sudden disappearance of the ancient creature.

“Oh, Darling. Come here”, the gamer boyfriend coos sweetly. “You have me now, don’t you? Am I not enough for you?”

“Of course you are, it’s just…”

You stop in your tracks.

“When did you get this?”

“Today. Do you like it?”

“It’s…nice.”

You stare at the new picture hung in the living room. The ornate frame contours what seems to be an oil painting of a sea monster, tentacles preying out of the water.

It almost looks like it wants to crawl out of the canvas.

“Maybe it just got tired of you.” The boyfriend whistles, approaching you. “But I’ll tell you a secret. I’ll never, ever abandon you.”

“I know, (B/N).” you throw yourself into your boyfriend’s arms.

“Who? Ah, right.”

Case 3: Hidden Ending

You sniff and wipe your tears again, filling your satchel with bread. At the very least, it’s good bread. You made the sourdough starter yourself, in the kitchen you renovated with your own hands.

Not anymore.

You button up your patchy peasant robe, glancing back at the couple one final time. Your gamer boyfriend…well, ex-boyfriend, is following your movement with melancholic eyes. The tentacle creature is holding him affectionately, its tendrils of darkness wrapped around his small shoulders. The same appendages that lewdly traced your body.

You have been cucked.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N). I…We never meant to hurt you. It’s just…we love each other.” He sheepishly lifts his hand, revealing a ring glowing with ancient, cursed energy of cosmic, long-forgotten springs. “We’re thinking of a tropical honeymoon.”

Your underbaked cinnamon orbs glisten with fresh tears, as thin streams caress your cheeks. No matter. You’ll find a new apartment. You’ll start again. You finish tying the bread satchel around the stick, and throw it over your shoulder.

“I wish you happiness”, you sigh, exiting the house.

[btsugarush]

GANGSTA | myg - 002

summary: rough sex, blood money, drugs, and gang related activity; four things you never predicted to experience in your simple life. not until you opened your mouth and caught his attention

pairings: gang leader!yoongi x f!reader

warnings: smut, gunplay, drugs, drug addiction, dark!yoongi, drug lord!yoongi, strong language, gang violence, blood and gore, murder, manipulation, possessive/obsessive behavior, abuse, cheating, angst, fluff, dubcon, implied noncon (not from yoongi but within his gang with his knowledge), 18+, minors dni

word count: 3K

author’s note: sorry if you asked to be on the taglist and didn’t make it. i’ve reached over 50 and couldn’t add anymore people. i’ll add more of you in the comments.

“I’m glad you’re okay after all of that,” Jungkook says on the other end of your phone; you had just spilled about the chaotic situation at Makoto as it was still weighing heavily on your mind. You couldn’t shake what Jimin had said about that Yoongi guy killing someone, though it could have just been a rumor. If he had actually taken someone’s life there would be no way they would allow him to walk the streets. He’d be too much of a flight risk.

“You should really be careful in the future. I know you like to stand up for people that can’t stand up for themselves, but Yoongi is bad news. There’s no telling what he would’ve done to you on the wrong day.”

“So you know him too?” You quiz. It seemed as though everyone knew who this guy was besides you. Maybe you don’t get out enough. Or maybe you were just good at staying away from trouble– until this afternoon at least. “I know of him, but not personally. He came to the shop once like five months ago with the same tall guy you were talking about. He told my coworker Si-Woo to step outside, and the next thing you know he's pistol-whipping him nearly to death. Rumor around the shop was that Si-Woo sold drugs for Yoongi, and owed him a lot of money.”

“Really?” Your mouth drops in shock. “What did Si-Woo say about it?”

“He never talked about it, ended up quitting the next day, and told us ‘not to get the police involved because it wouldn’t be of any help and it was all just a misunderstanding’.” He quoted. “Well, three days later Si-Woo’s body was found hacked to pieces and stuffed in a suitcase behind an alley on Gongdan lane.”

You heard about that case on the news some time ago, but had no clue that Jungkook knew the victim on an intimate level. It honestly made you shiver a bit. Imagine being the one to discover the body, and how gruesome the sight must have been. Stuff like that was common in slum areas though. Crime was especially high in Gongdan lane of all places, which is why you made sure to never venture in that area. “You think Yoongi had something to do with his murder?”

Jungkook scoffed. “The guy was viciously pistol-whipping him three days before his body was identified. I know he had something to do with it, but none of us were willing to risk going to the cops, so we just moved on like it didn’t happen.” Jungkook pauses for a moment before he speaks again. “You know… sometimes I think that maybe we could’ve saved his life if we did report the incident. Sometimes I still look at his station and feel like he’s there, tattooing.” He sighs heavily, like it was a great weight lifted from his shoulders to even tell you.

“You did what you felt was necessary. As fucked up as it may seem, you had to think about what was best for you.” You try your best to comfort him as he seemed to hold on to a lot of guilt regarding Si-Woo’s death, and reminiscing didn’t help. To have the man who could have potentially murdered your friend roaming free to terrorize all of Daegu couldn’t be a great feeling. You felt for him.

“I know. It’s just fucked to know he went through such a fucked up death. I don’t even want to imagine how scared he must’ve been,” you could hear clanking on the other end, as though he was biting down on his lip piercing. “I don’t even like the thought of knowing you tangled with them. He seems the type to hold grudges, and I don’t want you to get hurt. I’d lose my shit and go after him myself.”

You smile softly. “And I just know you’d kick his ass, my tough Kookie.” You both laugh at the nickname, which is one of many you had with the word ‘cookie’ in it. You could be so cheesy sometimes, but Jungkook loved everything about it. “You don’t have to worry though, apparently he likes me so maybe I’m in the clear?” You say unsuringly, still not understanding what he meant by it. It was very abrupt and cryptic. “Well whatever he meant, he’s out of luck because you’re spoken for.”

“As if he’d ever had a chance to begin with, I don’t think I’d mesh well with a criminal,” You chuckled. “I’m more into sweet, sensitive guys with tattoos and piercings.”

“Yeah? I think I know someone like that.” You could tell that he’s cheesing on the other end, which made you cheese. Everything always felt so natural with Jungkook. Him being your best friend in high school really played hand in hand with that. He was no different from a lover than he was a best friend. You two were absolutely the same and you loved it.

“You should probably get some sleep now, Angel. You don’t want to go to work exhausted, and I don’t wanna be blamed for you oversleeping again.” You simply roll your eyes in a playful manner, but agree nonetheless. You couldn’t chance being up so late, Mr. Kim was very strict about being on time.

“I guess you’re right,” you pout. “Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow when I get off work.”

“Okay, Angel. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Kookie cake.” You pull your phone from your ear, ending the call before you get up from your bed to switch off your bedroom lights. You crawl back onto the mattress, pulling your blanket over your body. Picking your phone back up again, you swipe through your apps until you locate the clock app. You set your alarm to wake you up at 12:00 PM on the dot. Just as you were about to place your phone down on your nightstand, something overcame you and you got the urge to search Yoongi’s name on Google.

When you type in his name, you are shocked to see so many results come up effortlessly. Several different mugshots from several different instances, all dating from when he was a teenager to one that seemed recent. You click on the one that looks most recent, letting it redirect you to the Daegu booking website.

Name: Min Yoongi

Age: 30

BOOKING DETAIL

Status: Released

Building: Public Safety Building

Area: Maledorm

Booking number: 575857

Booking date: 3/26/2023 11:56:00 pm

ARRESTS

Arrest number: 680071205

Arrest date: 3/26/2023 10:06:00 pm

Arresting agency: Daegu Police Department

Agency case number: 25-18056

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON

ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO SELL

You read over the arrests in shock, completely dumbfounded by how a man of his caliber could be released from jail and not behind bars rotting for the rest of his life. He practically lived in jail anyway, why not just keep him there? You eye his mugshot, his intense stare giving you the chills. You didn’t need to wonder how the officer taking the photo must’ve felt considering you too have felt those daggers looking into the depths of your soul.

You pull your sight away from the photo, swiping away the page. You didn’t want to spend any more time on Yoongi. What happened at Makoto is behind you now. You just wanted to forget about the situation, and never run into Yoongi– or Joon for that matter, again. You plug your phone to your charger, sitting the device on your nightstand before you drift off to sleep.

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.” Mr. Kim looks surprised as you step into the kitchen, taking an apron from the hook on the wall. “Why wouldn’t I show up?” You quirk a brow, tying the black fabric around your waist. “Because I thought you would’ve been too scared to show your face after going toe to toe with the devil’s minions the other day.”

You click your tongue, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. You couldn’t believe people were still on that. Just as you walked in you overheard a customer whispering ‘she’s still alive?’ to her friend. It’s absurd at this point. “I think everyone is blowing what happened yesterday way out of proportion.” You shake your head, grabbing a notepad and pen from the pencil holder.

“I’d like to say we are, kid, but you got lucky. That Yoongi is no joke to be played with. The guy is a menace. Some people say the only reason he’s not in jail is because he has affiliations within the police unit, and I wouldn’t doubt if it’s true. Our system is corrupt.” The older man sighs. ‘Oh great, here he goes with politics and corruption again…’ you thought. You had better get out on the floor before you’re caught in a whirlwind of it.

You leave him to discuss the topic with himself as you step out onto the floor, and start taking customer orders. “Hey, you’re that crazy girl from yesterday.” A man says as you approach his table. You frown, already knowing what he was referring to, so you avoid it at all cost. “What can I get you?” You redirect the conversation.

“Oh! Uhhh,” he picks up the menu from his table, skimming through it. “I’ll have the Jajangmyeon.” He answers quickly. You scribble down his order. “Anything to drink?” You ask. “Ginseng tea, thank you.” He places the menu back on the table. You nod, taking down his drink. “Okay, I’ll be right back with that tea.” You smile kindly before heading back to the kitchen. You rip the orders from the notepad, clipping them to the ticket holder.

“Hey, kid. We’ve got a delivery order for dumplings.” Mr. Kim informs you as you’re preparing tea for the customer. The older gentleman approaches you, the order already made and secured in a brown bag. You take the bag from him, looking at the order ticket attached to it.

As you read over the address on the ticket, your eyes practically bulge out of your skull. ‘2357 Gongdan Lane’. “Um… Mr. Kim, this location is in the slums of Daegu.” You look at him with concern. “I know.” The man simply nods, taking the tickets you set from the holder. “Yeah, well, I can’t go to Gongdan lane. It’s dangerous, especially for me as a woman.”

“Look kid, I’m sorry. If Jimin was here I’d have him go but he doesn’t work on Saturdays and you’re my only worker.”

“Exactly. I’m the only worker, you need me to be at the shop taking orders.” You knew that wasn’t going to go over as it was a slow day, and there were hardly any customers in the shop to begin with. “I can handle the customers and cook the ramen until you get back.”

You couldn’t believe this. Just as you had prided yourself in never stepping foot in Gongdan, here was this old dirty bastard making you go. On top of that, the restaurant didn’t even own a company car for deliveries so you had to ride a bike. You read over the ticket again, noticing that there wasn’t even a name on the order. “There’s no name on the order, this could be a trick that ends with me getting robbed for free food.”

“All this time wasted on talking about it could be used on getting the delivery done. Stop complaining and do what you’re paid to do. The faster you get it done, the faster you can come back.”

You wanted to stomp your foot like a child and continue to protest, but you couldn’t risk your job by not listening so you did the only sensible thing you could do. Your job. You grab a plastic bag, shoving the brown one inside of it before leaving through the back exit in the kitchen. You spot the red delivery bike lying on the ground, and pick it up, looping the plastic bag around the bike handle.

As you mount the bicycle, you pull out your phone to use your GPS. The ride was about 12 minutes away. If you ride fast you could undoubtedly make it at least an 8 minute ride. You kick back the breaks and set off on your journey. During the ride as you make it into the slum area, you could truly see the separation from Sangsu-dong to Gongdan lane. The sidewalks were cracked and unpaved, the buildings looked more rundown, and homeless people laid out in sleeping bags.

You got an uneasy feeling as you noticed a group of men smoking weed on a corner and intensely watching you go by. You probably stood out like a sore thumb, riding through Daegu’s slummiest on a red bike. You swallowed the lump in your throat, keeping your eyes forward as you paid them no mind. As you continue going, you notice the streets become more isolated. Your GPS directs you to turn, which you follow only to come upon a big warehouse that looked abandoned. ‘You’ve arrived’, your GPS says. You furrow your brows, confusion written over your face.

“Stupid thing must’ve sent me to the wrong location.” You grab the bag of dumplings from the bike handle, circling around the warehouse just in case you were mistaken. You find a door on the other end, cameras surrounding it like it was a government building. You inspect the door, seeing that there was a red button of some sort on it.

You scope the perimeter, making sure no one was trying to sneak attack you. The whole thing seemed completely sketchy. You take a deep breath before pressing down on the button, a loud buzz coming from it. You take a step back, waiting for someone to come open the door. You stood there for about two minutes, not wanting to wait around any longer. You knew this was a scam. You should’ve just gone home and pretended like you delivered the food. It would’ve saved you the trouble. As you turn to walk back to the bike, the door suddenly opens with a loud creaking sound.

You direct your attention back to the door, locking eyes with an individual that you dreaded to ever see again. “Oh my god… i-it’s you…” you stutter in shock, seeing Yoongi stand in the doorway with a smirk plastered on his face. “Wonder Woman, we meet again.”

You’re silent, not really saying a word as you feel too stunned to speak. “You got something for me, sweetheart?” His eyes darted to the bag in your hand. You snap from your fearful trance, remembering why you were there in the first place. “Uh… yeah. Here’s your order.” You stretch out your arm to hand him the bag, not wanting to come any closer. The raven reaches forward, his hand brushing yours as he takes the bag from you. You quickly turn away, rushing back over to your bike.

“Hey, I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself yesterday.” He says, following behind you. “I already know who you are.” You mumble as you mount the red two wheeler. “Really? You didn’t seem to know who I was yesterday. If you did, you wouldn’t have shot your pretty mouth off like that,”

He grabs the handles of your bike, preventing you from leaving. “You look scared. Guess my reputation precedes me.” He says almost too proudly. “Not in a way that a decent human being should want it to, but I guess decency isn’t what you’re aiming for.” you say slickly, which causes the raven to smile. “There goes that smart mouth again,” he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, giving you the same predatory stare from yesterday. “Normally I wouldn’t tolerate anyone getting slick at the mouth with me, but from you it’s kind of a turn on.”

You scowl, ignoring his sexual advance. “Can you let go of my bike? I need to get back to work.”

“How about you let me drive you?” he offers, but you quickly decline. You’d be an idiot to get in the car with a proclaimed murderer. “I’ll take my chances on the bike, thank you.” The raven lets go of the handles, taking a step back to allow you to be on your way. “Be my guest, sweetheart.”

You kick back the break, not wanting to waste any more of your time in Gongdan speaking to this thug. You back away from him, turning the bike to ride down the path you came. “I hope to see you again, Y/N.” He calls out. You come to an abrupt stop, looking back at the raven. How did he know your name? “I don’t remember telling you my name.”

“You didn’t need to. I have my sources and connections, Princess. Whatever I need or want, I get.”

You cringe at the nickname ‘princess’. Jungkook doesn’t even call you that, with all the cheesy nicknames he does use. Him knowing your name suddenly made you question how coincidental this whole encounter was. You were starting to wonder how much about you he knew. As if he read your mind, he starts to read you like an autobiography. “You were born in Busan and raised right here in Daegu, you’re an ex nursing student, an only child, both your parents passed away in a tragic car accident, your best friend is Sang Mina, and your boyfriend is… Jeon Jungkook? Am I right?”

Your heart pounds against your chest as he spoke information that only people close to you would know. You felt sick, creeped out even, but you tried not to display that on your face. “So, I guess you know my work schedule then. You set this little encounter up knowing that I was the only worker today, didn’t you?” the raven simply shrugged like he couldn’t answer whether that was true or not, but you knew that it was. “I don’t know what your deal is, but just stay away from me, okay?”

Yoongi sneered, as he turned on his heels, heading back to the door from once he came. The raven makes sure he gets the last word though.

“I can’t make you any promises, sweetheart. Like I said, whatever I want, I get.”

Taglist

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[judesths]

Based on what i've seen on the tl abt Korn and his actions and motivations in both ep 1 and ep 2 and his relationship to Tonkla I've decided to write some of my thoughts. This writing is purely subjective and was motivated by what I considered misreading of Korn's character and morals.

To get is out of the way in no way I am justifying him cheating on Tonkla, a considerably younger person, who is both mentally and economically is in a far more vulnerable position.

In the first episode we got their interaction and dynamic showcased both intimastely sexual and non-sexual.

To begin with Korn, he is a first born child, put under immense pressure to live up to the legacy created by his father, In the first scene we have with him, the audience can clearly see his anxious demeanor (not one relaxed muscle) on the way to the meeting with his father. He is given a new position, he must perform it perfecty to be the ideal son his father wants him to be.

Moving on to the scene with him and Tonkla, we see him obviously relaxed, drained completely. His relationship with Tonkla is his safe space, he can be himself, which kind of shows how good he is at compartmentalising his life as what I assume a closeted gay man.

Tonkla on the other hand is a young man full of life, passion and certain needs, Here we see Korn questioning why does he work? Is the money korn gives him not enough? Which he answers with 'I have to work too'. Here in my understanding, it is shown why they are attracted to each other, Korn loves to pamper the person he loves, Tonkla like the intimate, emotional side of that pampering and expression of affection. Korn loves the emotional support tonkla embodies and gives to him without questioning his life outside of the relationship, which for a person with his tendencies to compartmentalise is what he thinks works best.

Then we get their sex scene, this dynamic is reaffirmed here, in tonkla's need to be more intimate with Korn, showcased by the condom scene, in which Korn can not give himself completely. We can see here how much he wants Korn and yearns for him. Then we get the scene in which Korn expresses the want for both of them to feel the same physical satisfaction. Here it comes full circle to show the audience how much both of them want and cherish each other, Howeve because Korn is a person stuck in a cycle of constant social pressure by himself and his father to be the ideal son, this relationship can never be what it has the potential for, unless Korn changes. This cycle is showcased by the phone call that interrupts their intimacy.

In the followign scene, we see tonkla dejected, drained emotionally because he knows Korn cannot be present the way he wants him to.

Moving on to the second episode, we see Korn under immense pressure, trying to navigate the new task he has been given. Korn in my opinion is not an immoral person who does not recognise the damage the gambling den his father has him run does to people. He justcan nott mentally afford to care for other people's wel-being beside his famlily, again in trying to become a archetype of an ideal son his father wants, You can see his perplexed demanor both in the den in the first episode and in the second episode which we wil get to.

Moving on to the events of second episode Tonkla has lost his brother, alone and inconsolable, calls Korn. Korn in a distressing situstion and because of his habit of compartmentalising his life, langs up on him. We see torkla lighting a cigarette We know Korn hates in order to console himself in some way. There is also hinted at here that he may be taking drugs (we see an empty plastic bag he takes out of the drawer.)

In the next scene we have with Korn, because of the hacking incident in the den, and his subordinate telling on him, which he specifically asked himn not to, he has been summoned by his uncle gain we see his anxious, stoic demeanor upon seeing his uncl, and Fasai. Here we get to know the person he calls uncle fasai's father i assume, is related to organised crime syndicates has cleaned up the hacking incident caused by one of the sharcholders by killing him.

Korn's family is built upon a chain of illegal activities which makes them both in debt and vulnerable to Fasai and her family, The uncle. The following scene the uncle tells him `you have a lot to learn, korn'. Them we see korn's face tainted with pressure and desperation and the knowledge that he has to repay this.

In the next scene we see Fasai and him alone. Again his drained face folowed by Fasai saying 'no need to worry anymore.' The audience can clearly see the discomfort in his face in his interactions with fasai. He asks fasai with a guilty look 'How did your father took care of that shareholder?' She says she doesn't know and doesn't want to know and say if there is any other problem she can call her. She sits down, he drains the wine and strips.

The whole placing of the the scene, one is sitting and one is standing, one is completely clothed and the other completely naked will tell you everything you need to know about their dynamic and the places and situations Korn forces himself into in order to be the perfect son.

The next scene we have with Tonkla is his interactions with the policeman. The policeman wants to console him and reassure him that the law will find and deal with his brother's killer here he answers 'i've seen murders before. Most get just ten years. In the end all get released. This judicial process of yours, in that really ustice?' we get the reaffrmation here that is the kind of person tonkla is, he feels his emotions passionately and in a deeply personal manner. He loves passionately and hates passionately too and he hates the inadequ ate system's failure in stopping the harm his brother an innocent civilians was subjected to.

In the end, if the story progress to him becoming a real killer showcased at the bepinning of the episode, his disillusionment with was pioneered by the social classs he is from to will be partly reinforced by Korn (his den having sth to do with his brother's death) will make an interesting and dynamic narrative between the two we have yet to see.

[spielcave]

God of War Valhalla DLC (Aka, 'Kratos and Mimir go on a bro trip that ends up being Therapy')

Just wanted to start by saying thank whatever is out there for Santa Monica Studios, for their phenomenal work into giving Kratos some much needed development and exploring his complexity. I'll explore this game in subsequent posts and maybe any suggestions you're welcome to shoot my way.

Spoilers ahead!

I think it's a testament to how beloved the Norse games have been through the amount of cheering the second Kratos came on the screen during the reveal trailer for Valhalla, Mimir in tow. After rewatching the "Raising Kratos" Documentary on YT, I know the team at Santa Monica Studios really feel the love from their fans. If they intend to make a game about Kratos going to another mythology, I really hope Mimir is with him. It's clear they've gotten very close between 2018 and Ragnarök with how at ease and personal they get, especially since I'm pretty sure if Kratos left him with Freya, she's likely to 'misplace' him in the Lake of Nine. I found the different difficulty settings interesting when you first chose Valhalla at the main menu. I started on the 3rd (the very middle) and am currently working my up when I feel it's getting to hard. Right now I'm at the one right before "Show Me Mastery" (the names escape me lol). I'm not expert at Rogue-Likes, but the consensus I seem to see is that the gameplay of God of War really lends itself well to the style of game. And what a genius way to utilize what was previously, I felt, an underused character, Tyr! Even when you free him in Niflheim, I feel I was waiting for him to do more outside the post-story interactions you get to get glimpses to his character (and potentially hint and later games). Him being Kratos' therapist is really demonstrates how similar they both are, how strong Tyr is, and what we can hopefully see Kratos grow into moving forward. As someone who recently started therapy around the same time as this DLC came out, I couldn't help but feel connected to Kratos myself. Especially Mimir. I, too, have been trying to improve from someone I wasn't proud of and as a result I'm too hard on myself sometimes. It limits me from achieving personal acceptance, like I don't deserve the good things in my life. What this game puts Kratos (and myself by proxy) through, is how to accept his actions, his mistakes. To acknowledge who we were and to not let it stop us from embracing the chances to do better. Now, you don't have to have killed entire pantheons, your family, and plunge a society into destruction with mountains of innocent lives at your feet... but I think we can agree that kind of message resonates. The scene where he sees his younger self in that throne just HITS. Kratos admonishes his past self for doing such awful things and being such an awful person... but also accepting him/himself to be more complex than that, he always has been. In a way, it sticks it to the people who said (prior to the 2018 game) that God of War is just about over the top violence, blood, tits, gore, more blood is missing the forest for the trees. They're big trees, sure, but not the whole forest. There was always more to Kratos that violence and the hack and slash genre, dude is a massive greek tragedy. And in Norse, he's putting Hero's Journeys like he was born for it.

The side conversations with Mimir hit me the hardest, grappling with your own self esteem when you feel you aren't enough for our loved ones, hearing about he and Sigrun first met, how utter in love he was with her throughout the last two games and here. It strikes a familiar cord... which is why I'm so glad he was able to let go so she can find herself in the end and the support he has from Kratos. We talk about all the time how the wise and loving decision is usually to let go (as it is!), but I think it must be said how hard it can be. It's the right choice, ultimately, but damn if isn't difficult to actually get there. I think my take away has been more of an affirmation that letting go is what I need to do, and the way to help ease the transition is to make sure I have a support system and learn to love time with myself in order to value my own merits, even if I have shortcomings. "Does she not deserve the smartest man alive?" CHILLS On a less serious note, it's good to see Freya out and about! Finding her freedom and stepping up as a leader for the 9 realms. It's good to see that post story, she does care about the both of them. Maybe they parted ways for a bit as Freya takes a more public role in organizing her council, but their journeys (which we can assume all side objectives you can do with her are canon) brought more than a professional connection. Like,

(sorry for shit quality) Totally gives off "Wife found Husband doing something reckless/stupid" vibes. And I'll admit, I am like... 85% if not 90% on the Kraya/Freytos/Warflower train. Baldur's death really does weigh on my mind when I think about Freya and Kratos as a pairing. And I do also like the idea of them being good friends as time goes on. Not to mention Kratos likely still holds Faye close and Freya's last marriage was fuckin bonkers. But I still do like to see these grieving parents, comrades at arms, finding a home in each other, a connection that makes each one feel safe, real, and loved. Not without bumps in the road, but they'd make an awesome power couple. And the shameless smut, but it goes without saying. Oh and whatever reaction it would get from Atreus would be hilarious.

In the end, this DLC really leaves me wanting more, theorizing where the story goes from here. I see a lot of people throwing out ideas on what mythologies they go to next, who's our next playable character. I feel it's still gonna be Kratos, but I also feel it has to make sense to his story. He's become very developed in this DLC, when you have a character who becomes so developed, there is little room/reason to really keep telling their story, at least in a way that can translate to an action pact video game epic. The only thing I can think of for Kratos, is we get to see him follow through with his development. And that, my friends, is another post. Until then! I hope enjoyed my ramblings!

[gear-project]

Overskill Kuden: The Teachings

There's a Japanese school of martial arts term known as "Kuden" which embraces the concept of "Mastering the Obvious".

It is the idea that one must fully understand one's self in order to achieve full mastery of the skills one obtains.

This concept was originally created in an anime series by the name of Log Horizon, however, the application of the concept itself goes far beyond an anime show.

The term "The Teachings" or "Skill of the Great Ones" (Kyojin no Waza) or "Boundary Destroying Arts" are other ways these "mysteries" have been described.

For an example of this Mastery, say you had a Special Attack that could be done in mid-air…

This ability not only suspends you IN the air, but it can also adjust your mid air momentum. For example, Bandit Revolver is a technique Sol can use in mid air to project himself forwards without the need to Airdash and spend that kind of resource, but it can also keep him in the air when he wants to delay a landing.

But there are other more "philosophical ways" of understanding this "mystery".

Combining two basic skills together to make a more advanced skill, or simply using the same skill for various different uses. Life Hacks can sometimes be described in this manner.

But it also applies to one's own sense of identity as well.

How you approach things, how you solve problems, how you view life… these things can change as YOU YOURSELF change and GROW.

Mastering "the obvious" about yourself. The things you might have easily missed when trying to understand your true potential.

To focus on the "inner meaning" of the concepts around you, the things that define you, and the things that carry the most meaning TO you.

Sometimes it is very easy to overlook the "obvious" in that sense.

Kuden: 口伝, is the inner mystery of yourself.

I hope you all can reflect on this and reconsider what needs to be mastered concerning yourselves.

[thequeensgrimoire]

Wheel of the Year 2024, Partial Redux

Since my last Wheel of the Year reading, there have been some big changes in my life.

Some more or less noticable to a reading, of course, but one major one was so obvious I even saw it in the way my Wheel of the Year was laid out: A big potential cross country move, to a place with little support, for an uncertain job future, in a field I've only been hired in once before. The cards showed it clear as day: In July, there would be a massive change, a whole chapter of my life drawing the curtain. And after that... well, there were two deaths and a tower. It wasn't great.

But since that reading, I've had huge news that moved my relocation to next year - and with it, that whole certainty for July slips away. So I thought it would only be best, seeing as my yearly course has so dramatically shifted, to do a re-read for July through December and see what my NEW end of the year might bring.

Where We Are Now - King of Cups, Reversed A failure to create a loving or supportive environment. This card means that, where I am, I'm not in a place of emotional vulnerability or safeness. I'm not letting anyone in, leaving my cup upturned - empty - and refusing to be receptive to others or let them give to me.

July - The Six of Inking Balls This card represents drowning in your work for better or worse. Being lost in your job. I can already feel this incoming, with my job getting more and more frantic as production ramps up. It's a warning not to get too caught up in it and remember to pop to the surface, every now and then, for air and human connection. And to remember to eat.

August - Queen of Swords, Reversed This card heralds a sort of targetless rampage, a hack and slash approach to life where you kill all before you and take no prisoners for your goal. You will hurt and cut anyone in your way - you are demanding, brutal, and harmful, because you feel like you must be. Be careful where your blade may fall.

September - Page of Pentacles, Reversed A haziness, having no clearly set goals for yourself after your rampage left you aimless and empty. You don't really know what you want to do, drifting, and you're moving from thing to thing without setting roots down. Try to center yourself and judge why you're doing this, and if it may be better to stop in one place for a while.

October - 7 of Cups Suddenly, new! New projects, ideas, and choices, all popping up at once - abundant choice and boundless imagination. This is a card of opportunity, possibility of change, and new horizons. Make sure you pick wisely from the bounty in front of you, and enjoy it while you can.

November - Two of Whips, Reversed This card is about seizing your personal power, despite maybe feeling like you have low station or very little power to make change. Take a moment to assess the structures around you and see how you can make change without hurting those around you.

December - Dancing Death This is a happy death card! It's dancing on the grave of the old in order to joyfully celebrate the new coming on the horizon. It's a reminder to be light and joyful in the face of imminent change, and the temporary nature of life. A good way to close out a year and welcome in a period of massive change for me and my impending move, indeed.

Where We End Up - Seven of Pentacles Things coming to completion, and hard work paying off. Enjoy and appreciate what all your hard work has made for you, and now you can look ahead to plant a new crop - you know it will be bountiful if you treat it right, like you did the last. A bountiful harvest of a life well lived!

This reading definitely lines up much more closely with how I feel the next six months will be without the massive, upending move changing everything and turning things on its head. Hopefully I'll be able to take advantage of the good this reading entails, learn from the bad, and be ready with a full six months coming to joyful fruition to see the next phase of my journey off well.

[discotenny]

Im gonna be sick I saw this English translation of Get Busy and I’m sick!!!

Have some Get Busy thoughts as I write the next few fics.

To be clear!!! I have not looked at translations for the Block Party drama tracks so this is me working on all the info from before those came out.

Long analysis under cut

I think it’s made clear that both of them are referring to their own individual potential as people. The whole “get busy” and “push push buddy” parts referring to the fact that they both are moving forward and must keep moving forward to continue to develop to be the best versions of themselves.

But there’s a lot of talk about a second individual. With all the “our eyes cross each other” “if you run from this there’s no second chance” “connecting the dots together,” etc etc. I have a few ideas, one main idea but two others.

1) They’re referring to each other. If they show the interactions in the Block Party that leads to them performing this at the music festival it would make sense 🤔 Are these songs actually being performed in the music festival though ? Unsure LOL.

But the two have very similar personalities in terms of extrovertedness and excitement so it would make sense that they’re referring to each other in this song if you look at it like that.

2) They’re referring to the listener. Hypmic lyrics typically seem to be more about the characters rather than the messages they can put out to the readers (at least that’s what I can understand). But the introduction of this second person character could be Hypmic inviting the listener to take on the stance and outlook these two characters have in life.

Basically, it would be Jiro and Kuko telling the listeners they need to “get busy” and “push push buddy” if they want to live up to their fullest potential. They’re inviting the listeners to take that journey with them- and I think that’d be neat.

But, my main theory.

3) They’re referring to Ichiro. To be clear- I do NOT ship any of the BBs and this is not me trying to make up defenses. I am a Kuko and Ichi shipper so do with that what you will LOL.

In terms of Jiro- it’s clear his overall arc is about learning to be more independent from and to not idolize Ichiro so much. He’s really becoming his own person- developing a view of Ichi as someone who can and has done wrong, but still loving and caring for his brother all the same. He even stopped calling Ichi Ichinii because he stopped viewing him as one does a little kid.

I think this song symbolizes Jiro’s full independence from Ichiro. The whole “if you run from this there’s no second chance” could be him inviting Ichi to take the step with him, but won’t chase him out anymore if he doesn’t want to go with him. Showing that it’s not that he doesn’t care if Ichi is by his side, but he will continue to push forward in his own goals even without his brother’s support.

And my argument for Kuko? This whole damn verse LOL

“Somehow, it turned out this way” referring to the mind hacking event. It’s canon that he and Sasara don’t know what exactly they said to their partners.

“Being suggestive is OK” tbh I think this is just Kuko being Kuko. But if you want to read into it more it could be Kuko saying that Ichi doesn’t have to tell him exactly what happened if he doesn’t want to.

“My feelings are on wits end from mischief and passing time” There’s two ways I could see this- Kuko’s built up feelings of all his development from all the years he’s lived through or that the ‘passing time’ refers to his time in MCD. Both would work tbh

“Squeezing out each other,” if looking through the lens of this being about Ichiro- could refer to the fact that the two have sort of ‘moved on’ from the incident. They have people in their lives now that filled the void they once left in each other.

“Obviously… in time” again, referring to their reconciliation.

“Stepping together it hurts” could imply that there’s still leftover negative feelings between the two. Not bad blood per se , but maybe it’s guilt from kuko’s end about what he once did to Ichi. Or it’s fear that things might turn out the same way again 🤔

Overall- I do think both characters are referring to Ichiro in this song. But rather than the song being ABOUT Ichi- it’s about them moving on from their characters focal points being about him. Being their own people, acknowledging their connections, but not letting it define them.

Jiro- not going to idolize Ichi and is willing to walk forward even if he’s not by his side.

Kuko- accepting that they’re different people at the moment and continuing to walk, opening a hesitant hand if Ichiro wants to take it.

[crippleprophet]

hello mac my love! speaking of mobility aids, i'm doing a pros and cons list for potentially buying either a mobility scooter or power chair, and i'd love any insight from either you or anyone who follows this blog. ok kisses!

hiiii <3 <3 <3 absolutely!! my main considerations that led to me deciding in favor of a mobility scooter were:

my knee pain means the best position for me is with my legs extended (knees bent as little as possible) and i am tall

due to the cripplehood i tend to carry A Lot Of Shit with me

i needed something my gf could get in/out of the trunk of her camry

i had leg support attachments on my old powerchair which addressed #1 but that’s often hard to find secondhand and/or more expensive, whereas my 3-wheel scooter has enough space that i just put my feet at the front of the platform and it’s fine

as far as types of scooters i’m happy to send you my spreadsheet if you dm me ur email - it’s a bit out of date since this was summer 2020 but my factors were price, ground clearance, disassembly (number of parts, weight of heaviest part), speed, battery life, type of battery (specifically, is it non-lithium so it can go on a plane)

hmm u may already know this but the other main thing is any point of disassembly is also a place where it’s likely to experience problems, UK cobblestone fucked my baby Up for a while. my dream is one of those massive non-portable scooters but for practical reasons i had to start with something portable

ig the other thing i didn’t need to think about at the time of purchase & am now struggling with is control mechanisms, got a lot more hand pain now so distributing over larger surface area would be better (vaguely in the process of trying to crip hack that) + being able to switch the hand i drive with is a must for me

[gnomeyflamingo]

✮ The Skill Hack Lot ✮

It's been a couple of days and Alejandro is trying to gain his weight back by compulsively eating cake. It’s working, kind of.

Alejandro: *yawns* “I feel so exhausted all the time. Stupid Summer. Stupid insta-lean. Well off to work I go."

We have two new cat visitors. Brenda with a jawline to die for and Zoe, who looks suspiciously like a mountain lynx?

Brenda: “I will rule this place someday. Just you wait.”

Zoe: “RAW- uh I mean- Meow?”

Meanwhile...

Riku: “Need. To keep. Running. From. My. Life.”

Brielle: “What a nice tiny eco- lot the Watcher made us visit. And the lady who owns it  just told us to make ourselves at home before immediately leaving. Hopefully eating this burger stops me from feeling so dizzy."

This lot has everything a toddler needs to max their skills as fast as possible.

Acco: “Skill. Must skill. Hug. Slide. Play. So tired. Tent nap then more skill.”

It’s hard being a potential heir.

Atreo: “AH this place is amazing! I’m having the time of my life!"

"MUM! Come see the sand sculpture I made. It’s a gnome getting eaten by a shark. It’s so awesome it’s made me super confident.”

Brielle:(off screen) "Sorry mummy's too dizzy to walk atm. I'm sure it great sweetie."

Acco: “Blocks! Then communication!”

Atreo: “Why didn’t we come here earlier? I could’ve been a top notch toddler in no time.”

Brielle: “The Watcher probably didn’t think of it and it doesn't matter, you'll always be top notch to me."

Atreo: "Aw thanks mum I feel so supported!"

Brielle tries to knit but the effects of Summer’s black market insta-lean is making her too dizzy to keep going. So she naps whilst the children continue to skill gain like crazy.

Atreo: “I love that we're doing this together but are you sure the lady is okay with us building a treehouse in her garden?”

Brielle: “It’s fine. I'm sure she’ll understand when I tell her our garden is too small for this lovely new family activity… if she ever comes back.”

Atreo: “I’m going to make the smelliest, foulest stink bomb and ruin somebody’s life forever." *evil cackle*

Acco: *sings* "And we sit on the potty to go pee.”

Brielle: “Well done Acco- Ugh I don’t feel good. Malnourishment is the literal worst.”

We'll end today on Acco sleeping in a stranger’s play tent having maxed out all his toddler skills within like a day. I love this hack!

(for app) >> Next Chapter >> Previous Page

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❧ Back to the Legacy Archive

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

Sorry not sure if it's okay to ask this, but do you have any reccs for fantasy or sci-fi books, other than the ones with Alina and the Darkling I mean?

It’s absolutely okay! That being said, I’m rather terrible at giving out blanket recommendations because I like to tailor to taste/what someone might be in the mood for. But here are a few things I liked in no particular order!

Book of Night by Holly Black

This is* Holly Black’s most recent, very highly anticipated release, and also her adult debut. It’s very on the radar lol but there was some negative rap surrounding it, that I actually found pretty surprising.

It’s a fairly slow building, character driven urban fantasy with a noirish tone. The premise is that the general populace has only recently learned that people’s shadows can be used to perform magic. The protagonist is a former teen-con-artist turned notorious thief in the magic world (stealing grimoires, magical artifacts, etc) who’s trying desperately to get her life in order. But then she finds herself dragged into the center of a mystery.

*was until literally two days ago, I forgot Stolen Heir exists

The Poppy War by R F Kuang

This series was probably my favorite read of 2021. It’s a sprawling fantasy drawing from Chinese history, with a protagonist loosely inspired by Mao Zedong. It’s notorious for being really dark and brutal, and it’s very well done but not a light read. That being said, I think there’s some uneven choices with the relationships development in the first book, and it has some debut clumsiness but overall it’s very good. And Kuang’s skill noticeably improves with every book.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

I read this over five years ago so I’m not entirely certain how it holds up. But I remember it as a really fun urban fairy tale, bordering on surrealism. It’s a modern retelling of Vasalisa the Beautiful where the protagonist is sent out by her stepsister to buy lightbulbs at Babs Yags’ convenience store in the middle of the night, gets accused of shoplifting, and must prove her innocence by completing three impossible tasks or get *beheaded.* It’s just really weird and really fun.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

These are a fun set of novellas set in a cyberpunk dystopia. The protagonist “Murderbot” is a sentient android/cyborg owned by a bond company who sends it to protect contracted human research teams from potential threats. But Murderbot’s hacked itself so that it can do the bare minimum/spend the majority of its time watching television. The first book is really fast and imo the clumsiest of the bunch but it goes on to become a really interesting sci fi thriller as Murderbot embarks on a journey to unravel a corporate conspiracy and just figuring out personhood, who it is, and what it wants out of life, etc

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Sweeping historical set in alternate china with some magical elements. It’s billed as Mulan meets the Song of Achilles and it fits that description really well! The protagonist is a peasant girl living in abject poverty who, upon her brother’s suicide, steals his identity and hopefully his fortune, because while he was foretold to be “great” her fate was to be “nothing.” And she goes from taking refuge in a monastery, becoming ordained, to eventually joining the rebel forces that end up destroying the place, all in a bid to survive and achieve this ephemeral idea of greatness.

There’s also a foil protagonist/antagonist in a eunuch military commander, who, as a child, chose castration over death when the emperor demanded the eradication of all the men in his bloodline. And then, iirc, kept him on as a ward? And his struggle with filial duty to avenge them at the cost of his own wants and personal loyalties is fascinating. Overall this book explores gender, social roles, queerness, and misogyny in really interesting ways.

Empress of Salt and Fortune by Ngi Vo

It’s been awhile since I read this one too but it’s the first in a series of novellas. It’s told through a framing device, as a story told to another character. It’s again a sort of fantasy imperial china, about a foreign empress in a very unhappy marriage, shunned by everyone at court, and her relationship with her handmaiden. And their eventual scheme to overthrow her husband. These books are very short, and told in a leisurely fable-esque way, but I enjoy them a lot.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

I know this is the internet darling right now, but unfortunately it is just as good as the hype. The first book is like a space opera spin on a country house murder mystery. The protagonist, a foundling on a desolate planet, wants nothing more than to escape and make her own life, and she’s given the chance to if she pretends to be her most despised childhood enemy/ruler’s personally sworn knight essentially— they call them cavalier’s in universe— and accompanies her on an unknown trial on another planet. And then things start going very wrong.

It’s billed as lesbian necromancers in space, and like, yeah that covers it! The subsequent two books get weirder with every installment and the fourth and last book’s not out yet, but overall this is a really solid series.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

This one’s a space opera I’ve seen people calling economicspunk. The protagonist is a ruthless machiavellian type, intent on getting revenge on the empire that colonized and destroyed her homeland by clawing up the ranks. And though she’s relegated to an accountant, she intends to use that position to achieve her ends. There’s a lot of twisty political intrigue in this, though a large part of the conflict comes from her trying to survive as a lesbian in a brutally homophobic society.

The Diabolic by S J Kincaid

This is the absolute silliest of the bunch. But it’s probably my favorite YA series. It’s like space opera hamlet if ophelia was a super soldier. The protagonist is a “diabolic” genetically engineered to protect her charge at all costs, down to pretending to be her when she’s demanded at the (space!) emperor’s court. It’s ridiculous but fun, the second book is the best in the series imo, and the third book is… fine if rather weird. It’s an entertaining brain off kind of read.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHAT NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ABOUT FUTURE

In Web-based software does require fewer programmers. As well as avoiding bullshit one should actively seek out things that matter in the real world. For most of my essays. If we improve your outcome by more than 43%. If you do anything in the future big companies will exist, because startups rarely get sued for patent infringement is like a sort of background, good startup ideas is many times larger than the number who want it urgently.1 Many of the applications we get are imitations of some existing system.2 He just wanted to hack.3 And if your startup does tank, you won't be selling the company to the point where you shake hands and the deal's done. Yes, I can tell from a thousand little signs.

Larry and Sergey when they wrote the first version?4 And not just because things change faster, but now applies to individual investors generally.5 In industrialized countries, I'd take the US system. What you want to define a more convenient alternative to the Turing Machine. The simplest way would be to try it. I know if something major happens, or someone making conspicuously avant-garde stuff to impress ten year olds, or someone else, that's no reason not to: if you work on the idea. If you want to be smart. You have to be very hard to predict how big a deal it will be either a view of the future, and judge them based on that. A lot of people who'd make great founders who never end up starting a company hard to bear. I thought that something must be.6 When we talk about unequal distribution of income, we should expect it to continue. There are other kids who deliberately opt out because they're so much influenced by other investors' opinions means you always start out in something of a hole.

Especially if it meant independence for my native land, hacking.7 But there is a way of life that was literally uniform. It's just as well they do are not orthogonal.8 They'll all lose their jobs eventually, along with practically every other adult you've met. Instead we should try thinking of them as rather passive. The most successful sites are the ones that are universal, or nearly so.9 You're investing your own time, different societies have wildly varying ideas of what's ok and what isn't.10 Usually successful startups happen because the founders make them take off.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could achieve a 50% success rate? And you can't go too far.11 In 1958 these ideas were anything but at first. Yeah, sure, what you need to write a prototype that solves a subset of potential users, at least by legal standards. The reason the US News list. Wealth is the underlying stuff—the goods and services we buy. But it was the capital which would cause other problems.12

Notes

This includes mere conventions, like good scientists, motivated less by financial rewards than by the PR firm.

For example, being a scientist.

There are two non-sectarian schools. A more powerful language in it. If you did that in the category of people starting normal companies too.

Put in chopped garlic, pepper, cumin, and partly because so many people mistakenly think it is. There's comparatively little competition for the sledgehammer; if you don't, but those don't involve a lot heavier. You can safely write off all the potential series A in the bouillon cube s, cover, and partly because a quiet contentment. Convertible debt is a flaw here I should probably fix.

Most computer/software startups are simply the embodiment of some brilliant initial idea. It seems justifiable to use thresholds proportionate to the home team, I've become a function of their upbringing in their graves at that.

It was only because he was a sort of dress rehearsal for the average major league baseball player's salary during the Ming Dynasty, when in fact I read most things I write. If he's bad at it. Or more precisely, there would be investors who turned them down. I think in general.

Or more precisely, there would be more precise, and it will have a better story for an IPO, or because they could probably starve the trolls of the Web was closely tied to the point of a press hit, but the idea. The angels had convertible debt, so that's what you're doing.

Publishers are more likely to have them soon. It's one of the reason the young Henry VIII and was soon to reap the rewards.

And butter cases. Design ability is so plausible, the transistor it is more important for societies to be recognized as an asset class.

Another promising idea is the place of Napster.

I mark. Ironically, the more effort you expend on the economics of ancient slavery see: For most of the clumps of smart people are magnified by the fact by someone who doesn't understand what you're working on some project of your last round just happened, the local startups also apply to the table. There are simply the embodiment of some power shift due to fixing old bugs, and as an asset class.

Candidates for masters' degrees went on to the extent we see incumbents suppressing competitors via regulations or patent suits, we should have been the losing side in debates about software design. The Price of Inequality. The original Internet forums were not web sites but Usenet newsgroups.

Thanks to many others, Kevin Hale, Geoff Ralston, Garry Tan, Sam Altman, Robert Morris, Hugues Steinier, Marc Andreessen, and Jessica Livingston for smelling so good.

[lesblizzard-ultradyke]

Life hack for being gifted flowers:

When they are done he sure any plastic or other non biodegradable items are removed, look over to check for any insects or something that may not be native on them (these must sadly die if potentially invasive) and then put them (and the dead bugs if any) outside in nature to rot. Ideally in a compost.

And just spread it around to friends and family that you most appreciate flowers from a garden or not in petroleum plastic etc or whatever if you want to cut down on that

I don’t “believe” in anything but on an emotional level I feel it is deeply cursed to put something grown, that is living or was once alive, into the municipal trash. It needs to die and rot in a good place. Tbh I just feel the waste management systems we have are deeply cursed period so I try to have almost nothing to do with them between composting, avoiding getting “disposable” things, repairing.

I love this advice and I wish I could do this but most of the time when I get flowers through the year is in the winter when there's only snow outside, but being honest, even when I can I won't do this because I feel like my family will be weird about me doing this even though there's nothing really wrong about it I am just extremely weird about what my family thinks of me. all my friends know that I don't want flowers so yeah it's just my family. maybe I should dry them instead or something. or become a normal person and just do whatever I want to. this post went not in the direction I wanted it to go. but thanks!

[pashterlengkap]

I gift LGBTQ+ children’s books to my nephew every Christmas. This is the first year I’ve hesitated.

Not long after my nephew was born, I started keeping a list of books to give him. If I’m being completely honest, it’s a bit of a life hack for a lazy guncle: Whenever his birthday creeps up on me unexpectedly or if I’m stumped as to what to get him for Christmas, I can just turn to this convenient database of potential gifts. This is not to say that I haven’t put any thought into the titles on The List. My brother and sister-in-law are not what I would call readers, so I feel a responsibility as both a writer and an avid reader to try to instill in my nephew a love of books. Anytime I hear of a particularly interesting children’s book or recall one that I loved as a kid, I list it for future gift-giving purposes. Related: The new “Frog & Toad” series is the perfect queer love story for families What joy it must be to get together and watch something so sweet, cozy, and queer. But it goes deeper than that. My nephew is white. He’s growing up in rural North Carolina, in an area where in recent years homemade pro-Trump signage touting the Big Lie has become a permanent fixture on some people’s lawns. At seven and a half years old, he is about as rough and rowdy a boy’s boy as they come; obsessed with Godzilla and King Kong and dinosaurs and sports. He’s kind-natured, but I worry that he is developing a very narrow worldview molded by the heteronormative, lowercase-C-conservative environment in which he’s growing up. And as a gay uncle, as a feminist, as someone who strives to be anti-racist, who cares about social justice and equality for all, I want to foster those values in my nephew by exposing him to stories and ideas he might not otherwise encounter. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our daily newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Promotions (occasional) * Week in Good News (one on the Weekend) * Week in Review (one on the Weekend) * Daily Brief (one each weekday) * Sign Up So, I have carefully curated a list of books that feature characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters, and characters who don’t fit neatly into the traditional gender binary. All age appropriate of course. Several years ago, I gave him a copy of And Tango Makes Three for Christmas, and among others, the list currently includes Jessica Love’s Julián Is a Mermaid and Neil Gaiman’s The Sleeper and the Spindle. My brother and sister-in-law have never objected to any of this, so I have never thought twice about my ongoing book-giving project, which I have jokingly referred to as “reprograming.” Until this year. I have spent the better part of 2023 covering the anti-LGBTQ+ laws that have been introduced in states across the U.S., the hateful anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and false narratives that seem to be resurging online, and the efforts to ban books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes from schools and public libraries. I’ve written and read about armed members of hate groups showing up at drag queen story hours, Pride events, and all-ages drag brunches. I’m reminded almost daily of the hideous lies proliferated by the likes of Libs of TikTok’s Chaya Raichik and members of Moms for Liberty and Gays Against Groomers. More than one of these stories has involved small-minded, reactionary wingnuts challenging completely innocent children’s books, movies, and TV shows, describing them as “obscene” or “pornographic” merely for depicting LGBTQ+ or gender-nonconforming characters. It is, at best, an uneasy time for LGBTQ+ people in America. At worst, it’s a frightening one. But I hadn’t realized the extent to which all that bad news had wormed its way into my subconscious until I was shopping for a Christmas gift for my nephew this year. I was in a bookstore trying to figure out whether Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad books were the right reading level for him. I was also thinking about how the books have been read as subtly queer, as they center on a close, loving relationship… http://dlvr.it/T0ZkjM

[akinformation]

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to it entirely. A regular person would act differently when arriving at this place, not as the hero of my story. He wouldn’t know anything about it and the amazing story that makes it so valuable. He wouldn’t know the history of it, and so it wouldn’t have the same meaning as it does for me. It would just be another place. He feels the energy, and there’s a resonance, but not as powerful as mine because he is not living the story that I am telling you now. Are you with me? There is a huge difference between whether I simply show you the place or tell you the entire story behind it, the history of it, and my ten-year journey towards it. There is a huge difference, and this is how it works.

I called the Mystic-old man, and our conversations were very unusual. Sometimes, we speak in the format of a consultation, and sometimes we speak in our own language. What is interesting is that this conversation wasn’t recorded, and he told me not to tell anyone about it, so I will not tell you the specifics. But I will share what I can. I will explain the reason why I am not allowed to tell anyone about it. During this time, the Mystic-old man gave me a life hack. He told me there is a key you can use to make something happen and that he must pass me this key. He also said that everything he told me in this forty-minute recording was true. It is not an illusion, not a deceit; it is exactly how it is. But if I start trying to prove it, everything would get in the way, and it would be impossible. Everything would turn out exactly the opposite way. It was a paradox. This was the reason that I couldn’t tell anyone about it. This information is personal for me. Also, he kept telling me that a person can literally be set on fire and burned. Interestingly, Big Alexander told me the same thing, that a person can blow his fuses if he sees something that is beyond his level of understanding. That is, this information is intended only for me.

About the conversation with the Mystic-old man. Here is the situation. I leased a device that can detect if there is something under the ground. Metal detectors can only detect to a certain depth, and if there is something deeper, it won’t capture it. There are other devices, a georadar, for example. It looks like a lawn trimmer, but it also has its limits depth-wise. And since we already spoke to the Mystic- old man and he mentioned depths like fifteen, thirty, forty meters, we started to look for the devices that could potentially reach these depths. We discovered

[revenconcepts]

5 Powerful Brain Hacks to Enhance Your Quality of Life

Do you ever feel you need to live up to your full potential? Are you looking for ways to boost your brain power and enhance your quality of life? If so, you're in luck! In this article, we'll share five powerful brain hacks that can help you achieve greater success and happiness in all areas of your life. It will take some practice and patience, but these five powerful brain hacks will change your life.   Five Powerful Brain Hacks Meditation and Mindfulness Exercise Sleep Eating Quality Foods Brain Training/Mindset Training   Meditation and Mindfulness Meditation and mindfulness are two practices that can profoundly impact your brain function and overall well-being. Meditation involves focusing on a specific object, such as your breath or a mantra. In contrast, mindfulness involves paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings in a non-judgmental way. Regularly practicing these techniques can help reduce stress, improve memory and focus, and boost creativity.   To incorporate meditation and mindfulness into your daily routine, try starting with just a few minutes each day and gradually increasing the time as you become more comfortable with the practice. One of my favorite types of meditation is walking meditation. Doing a meditation where you are sitting is good sometimes, but I would rather be mobile or in a yoga class going through the poses. Also note that though this is Hack one, there are better ones you should follow.   The hacks that work best for you will be dependent on many factors. For example, I had a friend in college whom I tried to do some sitting meditation with, and after five minutes, she said she couldn't go on. She said that she could not stop the thoughts from flowing in her head and quieting her mind. I told her that our thoughts were like the leaves on a river. They will come and go, and we must allow them to do so.   Even for myself, mediation took me many years to master. Though I say master, there is always room for improvement regarding meditation. I enjoy meditation most because every session produces a different result and challenge. Sometimes I am energetic and ready to go after a meditation session, while other times, I am ready to sleep. Regardless of the effect, I feel better after being more mindful of my day, body, and goals.   Exercise Exercise has to be my favorite hack on this list, and for a good reason. Regular exercise is another powerful tool for enhancing brain function and quality of life. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, stimulates the growth of new brain cells, and releases endorphins that can improve mood and reduce stress. In addition, exercise can also improve physical health and help you maintain a healthy weight.   As you can imagine, exercising is a two-for-one special. Not only are you getting your body in order, but your mind also benefits from this brain hack. Even when I do not feel like working out or going to the gym, I do it regardless because that is my mindset; I am always happy that I went and got my workout in, rather than skipping it. I understand that working out can be challenging for everyone, but working out can differ from what you see in the movies and magazines.   To incorporate exercise into your daily routine, find an activity you enjoy and try it for at least 30 minutes daily. This could be anything from walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, weightlifting, playing sports, practicing martial arts, or yoga. The important thing is to find an activity that you enjoy and can stick with over the long term. I have found that even if people do not love working out, they can learn to love it.   A great example of this is my wife. When we first met, she loved the idea of working out but wanted to avoid the actual act. The reason was a set of limiting beliefs and the understanding that she had to output massive energy to reach her goal weight. I am proud to say she got a body she was proud of through my training program, but it didn't come easy.   When working with clients, the greatest obstacle is not the working out aspects but the mental aspect that is necessary when working out. The brain does a good job of keeping us safe, but it cannot tell the difference between a workout and a situation where our life depends on our physical prowess. After years of working out, that emergency signal the brain sends when you are running at top speed becomes quieter and easy to ignore and push past our comfort to create growth.   My top secret hack for exercise is to work out in groups. This can be a yoga, cycling, or CrossFit-style class that will get you around people. When you see other people working out, it will be easier for you to work out because other people are doing it, so it tricks your subconscious mind. The other benefit of working out with a partner or in a group is having someone who will push you when you are less motivated.   Sleep If everyone could have a best friend, I would want their best friend to be sleep. The reason is that healthy sleep cycles will lead to better actions and mindset. Getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining good brain health and overall well-being. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and restores energy. I know many people try to get away with less sleep, but when you do that, you break down your body because it doesn't have time to heal appropriately each day.   Chronic sleep deprivation can impair cognitive function, cause mood disturbances, and even cause physical health problems. I am a victim of lack of sleep at times. You can even check the podcast and see bags under my eyes, especially from the past year. There is a reason, but never an excuse, for my lack of sleep. As you may know, I had my first child last year, and when you have a child, puppy, or sick family member, you will be missing some beauty rest whether you like it or not.   I can recall when I was a kid, and I would tell my mom that taking naps is for babies. Now that I am an adult, I take naps as often as possible (I guess I am a baby, ha ha). How I built my schedule since starting a family is extremely different from when I was younger and in college. Though I had many long nights cramming or doing papers, I always was able to get my sleep cycle after the "push." Today, it is more difficult when we do not have much help, and you have a toddler needing either mom or dad.   My situation made me think I needed to get more sleep, but I also had a business to run. This gave me the idea that if I cannot get my 8 hours of sleep at once, I get it in spaces in the day. This means that I will take naps during parts of the day when there is downtime in the business in between the family's schedules. For me, movie night is nap time. It sounds crazy, but many parents will relate to my sentiment. However, only some have the flexibility to sleep like me, so we have to figure out how a regular person can enhance their sleep.   To enhance the quality of your sleep, try to establish a regular sleep schedule. You will also want to create a comfortable sleep environment and avoid caffeine and electronic devices before bedtime. A rule in our house is no television in our room. You can bring your phone in if you have to, but even that is lowkey breaking the rules. Although it is great, technology harms good sleep.   I want you to try to implement a no-technology in-room rule for one week. Leave your phone in the living room, and if you are too cheap to buy an alarm clock, you can leave your phone outside of your door. That will force you to get up and not hit the snooze button. I have found this to be extremely helpful not only to get me out of bed but by helping me not grab my phone and start combing through all the emails and messages I received while I was in dreamland.   A secret brain hack I will share with you is to turn off the snooze option or to set your alarm for the exact time you have no more time to sleep. For example, if you have work at 7 am and set your alarm for 5:30 am, calculate your travel time and morning routine and subtract that. The time you get will be when you have to wake up or be late. You may have to calculate other factors like kids or traffic, but the trick will get you out of bed sooner because you have no time to procrastinate.   If you're having trouble sleeping, many resources are available online, such as sleep meditation and relaxation exercises, that can help you improve the quality of your sleep. You can also invest in better bedding to ensure the most comfortable setup. Some rules to follow are not eating three hours before bed and not having a screen on one hour before bed. Though you might be doing that right now and getting away with some decent sleep, you need to understand how good of sleep you will get if you follow these tips.   Brain-Boosting Foods You know that consuming certain foods will affect your energy levels and mindset. Looking back at the darkest moments, I find I was not eating the foods I should be. I opted for fast, greasy foods over a nutritious and balanced diet. It took me time to realize that my poor mental state and performance were caused by the foods I was eating. Once I got on a plan, I saw my life shift toward the positive.   Realizing that the foods you eat can significantly impact your brain function and overall well-being was enough for me to make better food decisions. I understand that eating healthy can cost more, but when you eat well, you feel good, and I would rather feel like a million bucks than have a million bucks. This is a concept many people learn the hard way because they do not realize how important their health is until it is gone.   We want to gravitate towards certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and antioxidants, because they are essential for maintaining healthy brain function. If you did not learn this in high school, you would want to work with a nutritionist to learn what foods your body excels in. Yes, your body will not like every food you give, so the only two options are to work with a professional and get the work and assessment you need or do trial and error.   The key is to find the foods that your body can maximize energy and brain power. It might sound crazy, but your food does more than fill your stomach. Your food choice will determine how much energy you will have today and tomorrow and how many good choices you can make daily. You will want to fill your day with as many brain-boosting foods, such as nuts, fruits, and vegetables, and make that the new normal in your life. It is time to get away from the old meat and potato diet. Brain Training, A.K.A Mindset Training Finally, engaging in brain training activities can help to enhance cognitive function and improve mental clarity. I knew this growing up, but I only sought the full benefits of brain training in my late 20s. The secret is that you must engage and practice and digest new content daily. It sounds like a lot because it is, but it is easy to do.   When I began this brain training and mindset hack, I read for an hour each night before bed. I read real books with pages, no Kindles or audio books because there is a power that comes from reading a book that doesn't come from a Kindle or an audio book. The ratio I found for effectiveness is 3-5 Kindle books, and audio books will equate to reading one book with papers where you have to turn the page.   What happens mentally is that your brain can transition into a learning phase much quicker due to your conditioning in the school system. I cannot even tell you how many pages I turned growing up. I fear that with technology in schools today, more children will lose this building block to create a powerful brain hack. However, it is possible that new conditioning will be formed from reading off of screens and laptops, but the trend I am seeing now is that there is less focus, which means fewer data is retained.   Though we must be aware of changing times, we must also know what people can do to strengthen their brains and elevate their mindsets. Some simple things a person can incorporate beyond reading include puzzles, playing games, and daily memory exercises. These activities can increase focus, improve memory, and enhance problem-solving skills.   Moving past the physical aspect of learning, we must look at the mental aspect of fortifying the mind to become stronger. In a way, it is almost by brute force, but the process is simple. A great example of brain training is by doing things like martial arts that help not only the body but also the mind. These athletes must create a mindset to break past their limits, which is brain training.   Another secret people can do to train their brains is to shock the body. The easiest and most popular way to give your body this shock is to take a cold shower or an ice bath. When I was younger, we didn't have a working furnace, so we didn't have hot water. Sometimes we had a working stove to boil water and bring it upstairs to run a bath, but many nights were cold showers. That shock would make us jump, but it was normal for us growing up to take cold showers. Fast forward to today, I take cold showers to relieve stress and strengthen my mindset.   This next story about brain training will be in my parenting book because I was unaware of it until my wife started to do it. My wife started to douse our first child with cold water. The baby would cry because of the water, and I almost said something to her, but we have an agreement not to get in the way of how we want to raise our child as long as the value remains consistent. Surprisingly, he eventually stopped crying when she bathed him in cold water. Today, he is one year old and has immense pain tolerance and a fighter mindset.   The last brain hack is something I used when I was going through the greatest mindset shift in my 20s. I learned about the "5 Second Rule" by Mel Robbins, who discovered that our brain has about five seconds before it gets in the way of our actions. This is why hitting the snooze button is a bad idea. The five-second rule states that if you start counting up to five or down from five and take action within those seconds, the chance you will succeed in your desired action increases exponentially. However, if you do not do it within the allotted five-second time, the chance you will do it decreases.   The Drawbacks As with anything, there will be drawbacks that will render these brain hacks ineffective. I already gave some examples like obligations like work, school, and parenting, but other factors like time and money have to be calculated into the mix. The reason is that most people in the world trade time for money and have no time because they need more money. This cycle will leave you feeling drained in these areas. At that point, this is when you have to enhance your quality of life not only with hacks but with results.   Living paycheck to paycheck without time to exercise, meditate, sleep, or eat healthy is a great place to begin. One of the services we provide for our clients is we give Health and Wellness Coaching. Fitness is also an aspect of the service any client can take full advantage of in our monthly subscriptions. Being flexible and getting help is the best way to combat outside and circumstantial factors.   Incorporating these five powerful brain hacks into your daily routine can enhance your brain function, reduce stress, improve your mood, and achieve tremendous success and happiness in all areas of your life. If you struggle to incorporate more than one of these brain hack areas, I recommend getting a Coach. A Coach will help you create the habits, routines, and mindset you need to gain a deeper understanding of your potential, which will help you increase the quality of your life.   Until then, Michael Rearden Founder of Reven Concepts Read the full article

[tzipporahssong]

So you’re interested in Judaism

That’s great! I’m glad you’re on this journey. But before you start making side blogs and before you contact a rabbi, here’s some books which I think should really be the bare minimum to get you started researching. Yes I recommend them in this order.

What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism  by Robert Schoen: This is a super great resource for learning the early stuff about Judaism. Basic overview of customs and holidays, etc. I highly recommend it if you have any background in xianity whatsoever.

Settings of Silver by Stephen Wylen: This is a bit more of an academic text, but is super easy to understand and is incredibly thorough. It’s broken up into sections on Basic Beliefs, Practices and Customs, Jewish History, and Modern Judaism/Israel. I’ve included a link but it should be commonplace in most academic libraries.

To Life! by Harold Kushner. I’ve talked on this blog a few times before about how essential I see this book to be for new converts, Patrilineals, parents of Jews by Choice, and anyone who’s lost touch with their Jewish heritage and wants to discover more. It’s broken up into super easy to read sections, with introductions on every topic and a Q&A section at the end for any potential questions you may have.

Essential Judaism by George Robinson: This is a resource text with incredibly in depth answers to any Judaic question you can think of, with answers in line with that of every denomination. It’s quite weighty, clocking in at 704 pages, but I see it as a must-have in any Jewish home. (Plus you can totally find pdfs online if that’s your thing)

By this point, it should be pretty clear to you whether or not you want to convert. Your next step is not to make a blog (I don’t see why so many people make side blogs so early in their process, it’s okay to reblog pomegranates and yidquotes to your main lmao) but to start reaching out to local Jewish congregations in your area. If you don’t have a local congregation, then I suggest either finding one relatively close by that you can commute to or work with remotely, or waiting until you’re at a place in your life where you do have one. 

I highly suggest A) attending services for a while (a month minimum) before talking to your local clergy about conversion and B) emailing the shul ahead of your attending so that they know you are a safe person to let in.

In the meantime, the books I suggest are:

The Jewish Home by Rabbi Daniel Syme: This book is a guide for creating–you guessed it–a Jewish home. It has super simple and in-depth explanations of rituals, holidays, how to celebrate said holidays, life events, and appropriate prayers (transliterated!) for each.

Choosing a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant: This one is quite popular with converts. It is a guide for navigating the conversion process, with suggestions for readings, prayers, your familial connections, and what the actual conversion moment looks like.

Your People, My People by Lena Romanoff: very similar to Diamant’s book, this is a resource for conversion by someone who has been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and worked with converts for decades. It does take a lot of the view of people converting for marriage, unfortunately, but it is not solely dedicated to that POV. It’s incredibly helpful on the front of navigating the issue with your family: both your own and that of your future partner’s. I found it incredibly lovely this year as I spent Chanukah with my partner and a good chunk of it was celebrated on FT with their parents.

The Way of Man by Martin Buber: My partner would roll their eyes at my including this book, but despite the fact that it’s a pretty sexist Hasidic text, I think it’s an important message for converts: there is no one right or wrong way to find Hashem. The important thing is that you try your best every day to do good and be in His image. It’s a very short book, but take your time with it. Don’t read it all in one sitting.

You may be sitting there looking at this list going “whoa whoa whoa wait! That’s a lot of books! How much will that cost me??” And you’re right to. It’s not a pretty list to look at. Converting costs money, there’s just no way around it. You may or may not have to pay for whatever classes you take, and you may or may not have to become a member of your shul. But the price of these books is just encouragement to find them at a library, order them from used book websites, and most importantly: to space them out.

Becoming a Jew isn’t a race. It’s not about “saving your soul as quick as you can” because that’s ridiculous. It’s a lifelong commitment with no un-do button, so you better make damn sure this is what you want. Take your time with it. Study, interact with your community, study more, and did I mention study? You’ll never be finished learning what there is to know about Judaism, but this is a great place to start. The actual conversion process will take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years depending on what you and your rabbi think is best for you (also, life hack: the more studying you do on your own ahead of time, the shorter your process may end up being). And they’ll have their own book recommendations! In fact, three books on this list were ones my rabbi required of me!

You’ll notice I didn’t include any siddurim or even scripture on this list. Your siddur is a very important and special text, and I don’t think it should be purchased without rabbinic oversight. Likewise, I don’t suggest attempting to study Torah until you have someone knowledgeable in it who can help you study and interpret it.

Don’t rush this. It’s a beautiful thing that will take time, effort, prayer, sweat, and tears. But it’s something that will also rush past, and before you know it you’ll be a bona fide Jew. So enjoy the process of getting there, and know that your commitment to studying doesn’t stop at the mikveh.