#basically it’s teach yourself online but come to class to do practicals

[penguinsomething]

Profs are officially on strike. I’m really having shitty luck with school apparently

[mochayoubi]

hello!! how are you? i'm reaching out to you because you're the one i keep seeing my dashboard that's related to japanese learning.

i wanted to ask: how do you suggest a beginner should start studying? like, they're N5, and they know hiragana and katakana, but do not know how to move forward from there because it scares them? (it's me, btw, hi hello how are you how are the kids)

thank you so much!! have a good day!!

omg hi!!! im doing ok (im sick rn but it's fine lol) thanks sm for the ask! :3

i think the best thing you can do for yourself is follow your curiosity! at the early stages of learning curiosity will take you much farther than trying to set hard deadlines for yourself - especially when it sounds like moving forward is a bit intimidating at the moment.

so, i'm going to list out things that might be worth checking out. it takes a while for people to figure out what works for them, and since you mentioned you already know hiragana/katakana you're primed to get out there and really explore your options! embrace the feeling of possibility rather than the fear of the unknown :D i say this bc if you get too caught up in making the "right" choice it might just make learning too stressful to want to continue

anyway here's some things that beginners commonly go for when continuing with japanese learning (under the readmore)

find a textbook and work through it there's a bunch out there, I know Genki I is probably the most well-known, but i'm also familiar with Tobira I, Yookoso, and Minna no Nihongo. textbooks are nice because they're literally designed for learners and offer structure to what order you learn kanji, grammar, etc. and come with lots of practice questions. the difficult part is self-teaching through them since they tend to assume youre also using it with a teacher who can correct you and give advice. however they're still pretty good as references imo! if you google "[textbook name] pdf" they're pretty likely to come up

find an app you can use daily there are also a lot of these, and many of them are designed to be used daily so you can better enforce the habit of studying japanese every day. these tend to be simpler and gamefied to make it more appealing and easier to pick up as well. i would just stay away from duolingo as i've heard their japanese curriculum is bad. some other ones i've heard are helpful are Renshuu and Human Japanese.

find an online guide and follow it by "online guide" i mean websites people have compiled of their own guides to learning japanese, such as Tae Kim. these are more accessible and unlike textbooks tend to assume that you are self-studying, so it's easier to follow independently, but usually don't have any practice questions or ways to test yourself. still good as a reference. you can also check out this website that specifies their philosophy on what makes effective japanese learning and what steps to take as a beginner (imo it's very. long. and winds on for a while. but people have said it helps!)

download and use anki anki is an app (both phone and pc) that uses flashcards and that many learners use to retain vocab. their site has decks other people have created, and you can find decks of "core vocab" for example which has flashcards of common japanese vocab. you can also create your own flashcards of words you encounter in the wild to help practice them even after you've read it. i think anki is super useful, but i would probably suggest using it once you have more of a grasp on basic japanese concepts or else you'll just be rote-memorizing things that don't make sense to you yet. but i'm putting it here in case this appeals to you!

take a class or find an online tutor now this one will most likely cost you money, but it offers the most structure and guidance possible which can be extremely helpful starting out since you're able to ask questions and get feedback. you can look into nearby universities who might offer japanese classes, or you can try one of the many language-learning tutor websites out there. i've had some decent success with italki, and there's also JOI (japanese online institute) that i've heard is very helpful too.

watch japanese-learning videos these can be nice bc you can actually hear the japanese and how it's supposed to sound, and it's typically lower effort and easier to get into than actively starting a textbook or class. miku real japanese, japarrot, and 日本語の森 are channels i've watched before and like, but there's plenty others out there too. i'd just steer away from clickbait-y looking ones like "i learned japanese in 30 days and here's how!!" since they tend to not be that helpful.

read simple stories in japanese reading in japanese tends to be the most intimidating step for people, but there's sites that have stories made for beginners that are easy to follow and only use hiragana/katakana. my go-to for my students is usually tadoku since the stories are short, organized by level, and very beginner friendly. a while ago someone showed me natively which lets you look up japanese books, also by level. if you want some good beginner manga, yotsuba and teasing master takagi-san are what i've recommended before

misc. things you can try!

watch anime but intentionally - try to actively listen and pick up on words they say. a long time ago i used animelon, which puts japanese subtitles that you can adjust to show hiragana only

look up jlpt n5/n4 specific materials. they're geared for an exam so it might not be the most natural feeling, but they do tend to be convenient for lists of vocab and grammar. this website has some helpful resources for that

add an extension on your browser that will let you hover over japanese words and see its definition. i use firefox and have 10ten reader to do this, but rikaikun and yomichan are also similar extensions

when you learn the japanese word for something in your house, put a sticky note on it that has the japanse word. like, for "table" you can put a note on it that says 「テーブル」. i heard this can help with retention (i haven't done it myself tbf)

EDIT: ohh i can't believe i forgot this. but join a japanese-learning community! there's discord servers out there, and if you have a friend willing to study with you you can ask them to be your accountability buddy.

anyway, i know that was a lot but i hope that gives you some direction on where you'd like to go next in your japanese learning journey! ^_^ and again, absolutely no pressure to do all of these. the most important thing is letting curiosity be your guide and fostering a positive relationship with learning japanese rather than being afraid. if i can help out some more lmk!!

[sombra-conlangs]

I just had a thought I want to share: I don't think the conlang community is great at helping beginners to get into conlanging, and while the art form is kind of esoteric and requires lots of knowledge I also think there's probably better approaches for tackling the huge task of learning how to create an entire language.

I can't figure out a way to say it concisely, I'll just spew out all my thoughts on this so hopefully others can see where I'm coming from and share their thoughts, I'm curious to hear what y'all have to say.

First let's look at something that I've noticed is pretty common in other artistic hobbies and communities:

When people decide to learn a new skill there can be a lot of excitement that builds up initially, they may have never touched an instrument in their life but they have this burning desire to jump right into writing and recording an awesome guitar solo, just like the ones they hear in their favorite songs, or they may not have any drawing and writing experience at all but the first thing they wanna do is start working on an entire webcomic series drawn in a highly detailed art style because they came up with an idea for a story that would be amazing. Whatever the skill is, it happens often that someone sees a work of art that is so inspiring that they want to make something just like it themselves.

Of course, when people try a new art form for the first time the results don't tend to be very good, when you've never done a thing before it's unrealistic to expect yourself to be able to replicate the stuff that people with a few years of experience and practice can make.

And that can be a pretty frustrating experience because if someone tries their hardest to create that dream project of theirs with no experience it'll inevitably end up taking a huge amount of effort (due to the person not knowing how to do things in a more efficient way) and then it won't even be as good as they envisioned anyway, and some can walk away from these experiences with the impression that music is simply too hard or they're just not made to be artists or writers or game designers or whatever the craft is.

I think this is why when you take a class on the subject or you hear advice online people often try to get you to lower the scope of your first projects, they emphasize the importance of practicing your fundamentals first, because you may be super excited to jump right into painting hyper-realistic portraits, but if you don't build any familiarity with your tools and you don't train those basic skills you're never going to be able to turn the awesome idea in your head into a reality, and your expectations are going to be too high for you to enjoy the process because you just won't be able to meet those expectations.

Starting with a scope that is far too big ends up just being a frustrating experience that doesn't actually teach you a whole lot, you gotta work on a bunch of smaller, simpler stuff first before you move on to making more advanced things. In other words, you gotta build up to the higher levels, you don't start at level 100, you start at level 1 and then you slowly go up from there.

You may see where I'm going with this: we don't tend to do that in the conlang community.

People who become interested in making languages may be familiar with the concept of conlangs from hearing about Klingon, High Valyrian, Sindarin or similar works, and so they get excited to jump right into making a naturalistic artlang as their first conlang, or they may not even know what the term "naturalistic artlang" even means but they try to make a detailed, fully speakable language for a fictional setting, which is kind of the same thing, or at least it's in the same spirit.

I think tons of conlangers start that way (myself included), it's super common, but I had the realization earlier that starting with a naturalistic artlang is actually kind of crazy, that's a project with a huge scope, it requires you to have so much knowledge beforehand that I'd argue it's the equivalent of trying to play a Paganini piece live in front of an audience on your first time playing the violin ever, of course it's gonna be seen as an impossibly difficult or complex hobby, you're jumping into level 100 right off the bat, no wonder lots of conlangers end up hating their first conlang.

I legit had a moment earlier today when I was thinking "conlanging is not that hard, you just gotta learn the basics of IPA, then learn about syllable structure and phonotactics, then become acquainted with the different mechanisms of how sounds can change over time, then learn what a romanization is and how to make one based on your phonology, then learn how words get grammaticalized.. then learn about all the different types of writing systems... then... huh wait a minute..."

I had this realization that the amount of knowledge you're expected to learn on your first conlang project is kind of ridiculous, it's easy to lose track of how advanced the stuff you're doing is when you've grown so used to it, it's like that xkcd comic.

Yeah this one. Like, the diachronic method of conlanging might not seem that complicated if you're using it for the 47th time, but for a newcomer there are a ton of things they need to learn first in order to even start using the diachronic method.

And even if you don't evolve your conlang from a proto-language there's still a ton of details and moving parts in a naturalistic language: the syntax, the morphology, the phonology, the different levels of formality and social aspects, writing systems, etc.

I feel like trying to capture all of the different nuances of a natural language on your first attempt at a conlang is just too big of a scope in the same way that making your first videogame an open-world RPG with multiple endings tends to result in people quitting game development because they get overwhelmed with the amount of new information that they need to learn and so they lose all their motivation.

All of this came to my mind because I was having a conversation with someone who doesn't have a background in linguistics and I was trying to help them figure out how to make their first conlang, and as the conversation went on I realized that even the posts aimed at beginners I write on my wordpress site are actually way too detailed and complex, like, my post that teaches you to read IPA- let me stop right there, the fact that I have a single post where I expect people to be able to learn IPA just so that they can start conlanging says it all.

And ok, you may be thinking that's just a me issue, but honestly I started to re-watch various youtube videos on how to conlang aimed at beginners and I feel like if I had zero knowledge of linguistics I'd struggle to follow along with the majority of them, in each video there's usually multiple new concepts being introduced at a very rapid pace and a number of things that you're already assumed to be familiar with.

No shade at people like biblaridion and artifexian, I personally find their content helpful, my point is that most learning resources for beginner conlangers (including the stuff I make on my website) do this thing where they infodump a ton of technical information and introduce a lot of new jargon fairly quickly and while that can work for some people I'm starting to think that that's not the best way to go about things.

This may seem kind of random, but I remember this very old video by extra credits where they explained how a good tutorial in a videogame doesn't front-load all of the information you'll ever need, they segment it into smaller chunks so you only learn the few bits of information that are immediately relevant, you get to immediately apply that knowledge, familiarize yourself with the concept at your own pace, and then once you've had some time to play with it you are introduced to a new small bit of information. I know learning an artistic skill is not identical to learning how to play a game, but I find that I learn better this way in general, the knowledge just sticks more, I think that introducing concepts in more bite-size, applicable chunks would probably go a long way to make this hobby more accessible to more people.

Maybe we should be recommending newcomers to practice with naming langs, minimal conlangs, personal conlangs, relexes, ciphers, codes, or idk something else to let people become acquainted with the dozens of concepts that show up in languages in a way that doesn't immediately become overwhelming.

Like, maybe this is a hot take, but I feel like in order to make your first conlang you probably shouldn't even worry about what a place or manner of articulation is, you probably don't need to evolve it or add any irregularity or allophones or any of the stuff we're so used to including as conlangers, you can slowly learn those later.

Think about it, in order to learn how to draw realism you practice the most basic fundamentals first; drawing circles and cubes in perspective over and over again, trying to break down complex images into simple abstract shapes, etc. I think we could do the same in conlanging and teach the necessary skills with projects of a smaller scope.

I just remembered about quothalinguist's choose your own adventure type book for teaching beginner conlangers and I think that's awesome, I haven't read it but I definitely will, we should probably get more introductory material like that, stuff that's more manageable and doesn't require a huge time investment in order to teach you a lot, I think that's a really good approach.

And for that matter I've been curious about the conlang year thing, maybe that'd also be a more manageable way to introduce someone to conlanging.

Just spitballing a few ideas here but imagine teaching about basic morphology by encouraging people to make a sketchlang where they only use sounds present in their native language. Without needing them to know any IPA or anything about phonology you can get them started on experimenting with certain things, like putting words together, compounding, affixing, etc. Remember that the results don't have to be naturalistic, that's not the point, the point is to avoid the situation where people need to learn a thousand concepts before they can even set pen to paper, they get to start experimenting and playing with different concepts in a more manageable way.

Maybe as a way to slowly introduce people to the idea of phonological evolution someone could make a small set of proto-words using a very basic inventory like /p t k m n s j w a i u/ and then you give people a set of pre-designed sound changes to pick from, and they can mix and match which changes to apply and in what order, so this could be an exercise to get acquainted with the way that sound changes work and the way the order in which they happen matters.

Y'all can let me know if I'm not making any sense or if my ideas sound weird or bad, the main point that I want to make is that the way we approach teaching beginner conlangers seems to require a lot of front-loading of information, which is not great.

I honestly forgot how long it took me to learn everything that I currently know about conlanging, I only stuck with it because I had actually consumed a lot of pop-linguistics content before getting into conlanging, so I already had a lot of the knowledge you're expected to learn as a beginner, meaning that the infodumps weren't as much of a brickwall for me as they can be for other people.

I feel like with the way things currently are there's probably a subset of people who have tried to get into conlanging at some point but then gave up and left with the impression that it's simply too complicated and nerdy for them when that may not be the case, I don't think making a naturalistic conlang is that much harder than learning how to draw realistic portraits of people; sure it's hard and time-consuming but it's definitely doable if you practice all the fundamentals first.

In the art community there's people who try to keep their sketchbooks all pristine and perfect looking, but that's not actually super helpful for learning, sketchbooks are meant to be where you practice and get to experiment, it's ok if it's messy or ugly or disorganized, it's not meant to be where your masterpieces come from, it's generally understood within the art community that in order to make drawings that are very well made you have to go through a loooot of crappy, low quality drawings first.

I think that essentially what I'm saying is that there should be a way to encourage beginner conlangers to do the same, make the equivalent of little sketches and practice basic doodles instead of jumping into a highly detailed complex naturalistic artlang right off the bat, that could demystify the wonderful art that is language creation for newcomers.

[maluceh]

how long have u been drawing? i scrolled ur blog (great stuff btw) and your art has improved sooo much over the past like year or so it motivated me a lot hehe so im just asking out of curiosity as someone who's been thinking about picking up the hobby! and maybe if u could share what exactly made u improve thar would be fantastic <3

hi! I have been drawing since i was a toddler, but my art stayed pretty much the same cause i made the same drawings over and over. Even when I picked up digital art, I did it on my phone and with my finger so it wasn’t… great. (to anyone seeing this i beg you to let my 2017-18 art DIE).

I started to get serious about it like four years ago, i stopped doing just profiles and hiding hands and I started looking at different references and art videos which helped a lot. I also started studying graphic design and they had a class on traditional drawing and human anatomy and it helped me A LOT. not saying you have to join a class or anything, there’s a lot of online free classes or videos that can help you, what I did in those classes you can do it for free for sure. But having a routine, or an specific time where you set to just learn and take the time can help you (the class was 4 hours a week and all we did was draw and draw and draw, but with direction)

i don’t like to say “don’t do this, do that”, because every artist chooses their own path and they end up using things that others don’t and it works for them. so this is what i did:

doing the basics, studying the human figure (if that’s what you want to draw), studying scale and contrasts, etc. This is for traditional art

applying that knowledge and drawing A LOT of dynamic poses

it gets repetitive having to draw different poses again and again but it helps a lot

timing it to do 20 or 30 second drawings so you find the quickest way to recreate a pose or to at least get the basics of the subject (how long the arm goes, how the leg bends, how the hand sits on different poses etc) it doesn’t have to be great, it’s practice :)

then learning about color theory and how colors works and combinations, etc.

applying that to digital art, learning more things from other artists online.

finding new things about the program i use and taking advantage of them.

never stop learning, there’s always something else you haven’t tried, something you didn’t know, a new hack another artists teaches you, a new discovery you make yourself that changes the way you did things…

a lot of artists will tell you “oh you need to draw and draw a lot” but i find that advice unhelpful. You do need to draw a lot, but you need to work your way up and KNOW what you draw.

this is for later but, for coming up with your own style:

looking at and taking from other artists helps too! (i recommend this FOR PRACTICE not for posting and claiming it’s yours after copying one artist)

if there are more experienced artists you like, you can learn a lot from them and take little things from their art but it has to be multiple artists you shouldn’t take from just one. Try to resemble the way one of them draws bodies, the way that other one does hair, this one has a fun palette, the line art on this one, etc. Even if it’s things from other artists, you will end up with your own style, and it will help you find things that you like or don’t like and discard them (maybe cause they don’t work for you, maybe cause you want your style to look different).

and that’s basically what i did, i hope it helps you!! and i’m honored my art journey inspired you :)

[leapdayowo]

this^^^

If you want to improve your artwork, it’s going to take so much time! I’m sorry, there is no ‘get good in a week’ miracle. There is only lots of practice and experimenting and ‘messing up.’ If anyone wants some advice on what practice looks like, because telling someone to practice is vague and thus unhelpful, stick around I have a few pointers :) scroll all the way to the bottom for bullet points because I like to over explain

First off, almost always draw! Whenever, wherever, and with whatever is available to you. If you’re still in school, keep doing the doodles in your notes! Same can probably go for when you’re at work and things are slow. Keep a scrap piece of paper or sticky notes with you and a cheap pen or pencil and draw what’s around you, what piques your interest, even the cliche things

Here are some of my more recent doodles, but I have note books and scrap paper full of these doodles. Within the last year I’ve been very focused on the human form, so a lot of my doodles are break downs of different poses. I have no expectations for these pieces other than to keep myself entertained in class and play around with my art. So just mess around with low expectations!

Now, as a traditional artist I have a stack of sketchbooks that is getting close to being as tall as I am. Materials can get expensive or not easy to access depending on where you live. If you’re getting serious about your art and its quality, I do recommend finding nicer materials to work with (though this does depend on what effect you’re going for with your art). However, using expensive materials does not always mean better quality or automatically mean your art will be better, often the quality of the art comes from how well you know how to use the materials and your understanding of art (look up elements and principles of art). I myself still use crayola colored pencils and the same mechanical pencil from 5 years ago taped together. I have invested in some nicer paints such as Winsor and Newton watercolors and Canson sketchbooks work fine for me. Finding the right materials will come with time, trial and error, research, and maybe some self reflection. I HIGHLY recommend not investing right away with the more expensive materials unless you have 1) learned the basics of art and feel ready to take on a new medium 2) financially can afford to experiment with more expensive options. Even if you can afford the materials let me say this one last time, the price of the paint or paper does not automatically equate to better art, it’s how you use those materials that matter. Now, that being said, cheaper materials often have their limits, and if you begin to notice these limitations I congratulate you on realizing this and recommend upgrading your stuff :)

Also, if you use cheaper materials it’s less of a big deal if you ‘mess up’ because it wasn’t very costly (maybe 50¢ or so)

good art materials to start with (not an exclusive list):

-colored pencils or crayons

-regular pencils

-ball point pens

-charcoal

-recycled materials (more in line with collage work)

-markers or sharpies

Now where was I… Oh! Going off of the OPs post, ask yourself why your art isn’t good enough. Are you comparing to people who are at a different level of experience than you? Then that isn’t a fair comparison. Being online makes it very difficult not to compare, but how do you know the person you’re comparing yourself to hasn’t had professional teaching for years? Consistent critiques and guidance from peers or other experienced artist? Some people learn concepts faster than others, so if you learn at a slower pace acknowledge that and try gesture drawings or maybe a new art style entirely if you’re really feeling frustrated. Often the expectations we place on ourselves hold us back. Another thing to ask yourself is are you able to handle constructive feedback? I remember when I was about 10 years old I had an art teacher encourage me to put green in the ocean of my drawing of a sunset. I was offended she would consider such a thing! It felt like a personal offense and I refused to put green in the ocean because obviously water is blue! Well… a few years later I decided to follow her advice as I grew more frustrated with how flat and unexciting my art was, and what would you know? There was green in the ocean! There’s lots of colors in water! I still struggle with lighting and reflections, but that was a very important memory for me. I urge you to be more open minded than I was with feedback on your art as it can save you years of art block!

Now, if you are one of those people who created an art account on social media in the hopes of getting famous, I hope you do, but know that is likely not a realistic expectation for a few reasons. There a thousands, if not millions of people with that same idea as you and many of the people with a large following got lucky or had a lot of time to build up that following. Don’t expect to be lucky, and desperately trying to get follows tends to put people off. Are you making art because you even enjoy it at that point? It absolutely feels great to get recognition for your work I won’t deny that, but once you rely on validation from others you will never be satisfied and always need more validation. Try finding fulfillment from the art you are making without relying on others to give you that feeling. What others say about your work is icing on the cake. You have to protect that passion and love for creation fiercely, especially in a day and age where art is being commodified and devalued more and more by others who only care about monetary value. Alright, moving on from the self reflection aspect of making art, take your studies seriously! If you truly wish to improve your art, observe the world around you! Draw it! Draw it terribly or draw it so well you wish you had brought nicer paper than an old receipt! Draw people, buildings, animals, food, reflections in a puddle or the texture of a fuzzy jacket. You like that person’s hair? Draw it! That tree looks cool? Draw it! Draw the folds of fabric and shadows at sunrise. The other part of your studies will be looking at what other artists do that you like or don’t like. Look at a variety of time periods, styles, cultures, and mediums. If an artist is on social media, comment on their work and really try and figure out why you like this particular piece and tell them! Explains your vocabulary and ability to talk about art. This will be something that will eventually become second nature after years of practice. I can’t do anything or go anywhere without thinking ‘oh wow those windows reflect the sky really cool’ or ‘the colors of my meal today work really well.’ I’ve filled my camera roll with stuff that inspired me and drawing references. Also, you will find inspiration in the places you might least expect. I have gone down rabbit holes of online content in the pursuit of a drawing reference (I now know more than the average person about western historical dress construction as one example). Soak it all in! Also, being an artist will likely require you to learn about physics and definitely anatomy. Learn how to draw and paint realistically. Learn all the proper rules of art so that you can turn around and meticulously or explosively proceed to break every single rule in your art. And have fun with it! Play with art styles and mediums you wouldn’t usually associate your work with, you may be surprised what you learn!

Edit: one last thing to add is try learning how to work around or with your mistakes! If you draw with a permanent marker or pen, learn how to get creative with making your mistakes look intentional or as an opportunity to learn. Learn methods of covering those mistakes and starting over or make the mistake the shining focal point of the piece. It’s not the end of the world I promise! The more you learn to work with mistakes, the more you might realize starting a new painting or drawing is less daunting

And the last thing is, know that for thousands of years humans have been making art. No matter who, where, and when we have always been trying to create. What humanity has taken thousands of years to learn, you are trying to speed run in your life time. I don’t mean for that to be stressful, I say that so that you will remember truly how incredibly it is that we can make art. That we want to create. Be patient, let your passion and curiosity flourish, and practice :)

Now here are the cliff notes as promised:

-doodle with cheap materials at every opportunity you can get (try not to let the rest of your life suffer for this though)

-expensive materials ≠ automatically good art

-start with cheap materials, learn basics of art, then slowly upgrade your supplies (your wallet will thank me)

-ask yourself why you think your art is bad. Everyone is at different levels of experience and learn at different rates, comparing yourself negatively is unfair

-don’t expect to get famous online with your art in a matter of weeks. You either need to get lucky or take a while to build up a following. Also, be careful seeking validation only from others

-also online art connections need to be complimented with getting involved in person with the art community. Networking involves face to face communication

-study the world around you and draw it! Draw as much as you can! Learn as much as you can about anything and everything! Study artist of lots of varieties

-learn how to talk about art (you can practice by commenting about the things you like about online artists’ works. Be specific. Things you don’t like can be kept in a private journal unless an artist specifically asks for feedback. Learn how to critic without being mean about it)

-lastly, know that it’s incredibly that you are carrying on the human tradition, which is thousands of years old, of drawing! It’s amazing we seek to create :D

Also, I have kept all of my old art on my instagram account as a testament to the gradual growth I’ve gone through as an artist. I too had the absurdly long anime legs phase of art. We all have unique journeys of making art and sometimes it’s going to feel like you’re getting worse, try something completely new when this happens, but just keep creating or thinking about creating stuff :D I believe in you!

btw with art when people say 'youve got to do it scared' 'youve got to draw bad' 'youre not gonna know how to do it until you do it' it sounds like bullshit but its true. 90% of art is just getting over the fear that it's not going to be good enough to deserve to be made in the first place. but you're here. you're alive and, with no need to justify that, you're going to make art. it's just part of being alive. you'll spend so long worrying you aren't doing it good enough that you'll look back and realized you didn't live a single day of it.

[babajiskriyayoga]

Kriya Yoga: Inspired Steps to Inner Peace

In today's busy life, finding inner peace can seem like a daunting task. Many people seek calmness and clarity amid the chaos, and that’s where inspiration for Kriya Yoga comes into play. Kriya Yoga offers a path to achieve this sense of tranquility. It combines various techniques that help you connect with yourself and the world around you. In this blog, we will explore how Kriya Yoga can guide you toward inner peace and fulfillment.

What is Kriya Yoga?

Kriya Yoga is a spiritual practice that involves meditation, breath control, and concentration. It aims to purify the mind and body, helping you reach a higher state of awareness. This practice has its roots in ancient India and is taught by various masters, including Mahavatar Babaji, who is known for his profound teachings and spiritual wisdom.

Kriya Yoga focuses on a series of techniques that allow you to manage your energy and thoughts. By doing so, you can experience deep relaxation and heightened consciousness. Many practitioners find that Kriya Yoga helps them release stress and feel more centered.

The Steps to Inner Peace with Kriya Yoga

1. Create a Dedicated Practice Space

To start your Kriya Yoga journey, find a quiet space where you can practice regularly. This space should be free from distractions. You might want to add simple elements like cushions, candles, or images that inspire you. Creating a dedicated area can make your practice feel special and help you connect with the energy of Kriya Yoga.

2. Learn the Techniques

Before diving into Kriya Yoga, take some time to learn its basic techniques. These include various breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation practices, and specific postures (asanas). You can find resources online or attend local classes to help you understand these methods. A qualified teacher can guide you through the process and provide support as you learn.

3. Practice Regularly

Regular practice is key to experiencing the benefits of Kriya Yoga. Start with short sessions, gradually increasing the duration as you become more comfortable. Aim for consistency. Practicing a little each day is often more effective than long sessions done infrequently. This can help you build a habit and deepen your connection with the practice.

4. Focus on Breath

Breath is a vital component of Kriya Yoga. Learning to control your breath can help calm your mind and body. During practice, pay close attention to your breathing. Notice how it feels as you inhale and exhale. This awareness can help bring you into the present moment and quiet racing thoughts.

5. Meditate Daily

Meditation is at the heart of Kriya Yoga. Set aside time each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath or a mantra. A mantra is a word or phrase that you repeat silently to help focus your mind. One popular mantra in Kriya Yoga is the Mahavatar Babaji Mantra, which honors the teachings of Mahavatar Babaji. Incorporating this into your practice can enhance your connection to the lineage and the essence of Kriya Yoga.

6. Embrace Mindfulness

In addition to formal practice, strive to be more mindful in your daily life. Pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. This can help you become more aware of how you react to different situations. Mindfulness encourages you to respond rather than react, which can lead to greater peace and clarity.

7. Connect with a Community

Joining a Kriya Yoga community can provide support and encouragement. Look for local classes or online groups where you can connect with others on a similar path. Sharing experiences and learning from others can enrich your practice and help you stay motivated. Community support can also make the journey feel less lonely.

8. Be Patient with Yourself

Finding inner peace through Kriya Yoga is a journey that takes time. Be patient with yourself as you learn and grow. There will be days when you feel more connected and others when you struggle. This is part of the process. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and keep returning to your practice.

The Benefits of Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga offers numerous benefits for both the mind and body. Practitioners often report feeling more relaxed, focused, and at peace. Regular practice can help reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and promote emotional well-being. Over time, you may notice that you handle challenges with greater ease and maintain a more positive outlook on life.

Kriya Yoga can also enhance your physical health. The breathing techniques can improve lung capacity, while the postures can increase flexibility and strength. Together, these aspects create a holistic approach to well-being that nurtures both the body and mind.

Some Final WordsKriya Yoga provides a pathway to inner peace through its combination of meditation, breath control, and mindfulness. By creating a dedicated practice space, learning techniques, and practicing regularly, you can start your journey toward a more peaceful life. Embracing mindfulness, connecting with a supportive community, and being patient with yourself are all vital steps on this path. For those interested in deepening their practice, exploring Babaji's Kriya Yoga and incorporating the Mahavatar Babaji Mantra can enhance your experience and connection to this powerful tradition. With commitment and practice, Kriya Yoga can lead you to a place of true inner peace.

[rupasriymts]

Top IT & Software Courses in Tirupati

IT and software courses are perfect for anyone who wants to learn about computers and technology. These courses cover many topics, from basic computer skills to advanced programming. In Takeoff upskill, there are courses that teach you how to use software like Microsoft Office, which includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These programs are useful for everyday tasks like writing documents, making spreadsheets, and creating presentations.

If you want to learn more technical skills, there are courses on coding languages like Python, Java, and C++. These languages are used to make websites, apps, and software programs. Learning to code can lead to many job opportunities in different fields, such as web development, data analysis, and game design.

IT courses also cover topics like cyber security, which is about keeping computers and networks safe from attacks. This is becoming more important as we do more activities online. Cyber security courses teach you how to protect information and stop hackers from getting sensitive data.

Another important area is network management. These courses teach you how to set up and manage computer networks, making sure all devices can communicate with each other well. This is very important for businesses that need a stable and secure network to run smoothly.

Overall, IT and software courses teach important skills that many employers want. Whether you want to improve your job skills, start a new career, or just learn something new, these courses offer many options to match your interests and goals.

In short, at Takeoff upskill, we have many IT and Software Courses to help you move up in your job. Our classes are easy to understand, taught by teachers who know their stuff and want you to do well. Whether you're just starting out or want to get better at what you already know, we've got you covered. When you pick Takeoff upskill, you're making a smart choice for your future. You'll learn lots of useful stuff and get hands-on practice. So, why wait? Begin your learning journey with us now and see your career take off! Come join us at Takeoff upskill and see yourself succeed.

[gibsonmusicart]

How to Teach Yourself to Sing

Private singing lessons can help nurture your voice and perfect your singing. But the problem is that they are expensive and sometimes time-consuming. For this reason, many people don’t attend them, even though they would love to be great singers.

Thankfully, the internet has simplified things for us. You can use it to learn how to sing for free. There are several resources you can use to improve your vocals. These include YouTube, blogs, and online singing classes, among others.

But many people often wonder whether it’s difficult to teach yourself how to sing. Well, it can be. However, like everything else, the more you practice, the better you become. Today, we share some great tips to help you learn how to sing by yourself. Read on to learn more.

Can I Sing?

Everyone, regardless of their abilities, can sing. Sure, it looks complex at first. But once you get the right skills, singing is achievable. You must discover where your singing voice is at the moment, and then you can train yourself from there.

It’s also essential that you know whether you sing in tune. If you are an instrumentalist, play a note on your instrument and sing along. While doing that, try to identify whether you match the pitch. People who don’t have an instrument can use music apps like android ear training to determine their singing notes.

It’s also essential that you test your sense of rhythm. You can use the same apps, as most offer rhythmic training. Alternatively, you can pick your favorite song and play its instrumental from the background while singing along. Remember to record yourself and listen to your performance afterward. Find out whether you got every beat or missed some and how your delivery was.

Steps to Teach Yourself How to Sing

Now that we have identified the basics of singing, we can get into the process of learning how to sing. Please note that you have to master the above skills to become a good singer. You need to have excellent ear and rhythmical skills; otherwise, you’ll struggle with singing. That said, here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Prepare Yourself Physically and Mentally

Singing is an art that requires coordination in your body. Therefore, you need to ensure that your body is in the correct position before practicing. Posture is crucial in singing. Experts advise that you ensure that your back is straight whether sitting or standing, and keep your legs parallel and aligned with the shoulders. Also, your feet should always rest flat on the floor. This posture opens your chest cavity, allowing air to flow freely in your lungs. As a result, you produce exceptional notes easily.

Step 2: Practice Breathing Exercise

Breathing makes up a significant percentage of singing. So, do some breathing exercises beforehand to give you better control of your pitch and duration. Generally, if you can breathe deeply, you can sing better.

Breathe slowly in and out to stimulate your abdominal muscles, allowing you to have a more powerful voice. When you inhale, allow the air to flow to your belly through your diaphragm and when exhaling, slowly release the air to let air out.

Ste 3: Begin with Your Speaking Voice

Your singing and speaking voice come from your vocal cords, meaning that if your normal speaking voice is healthy, singing will not be that much of a big deal. Pick a song you like and start speaking out the lyrics with your normal voice. Take note of the vibrations and resonance in your body while you speak. Then sing the lyrics with your speaking voice. Even if the song is different from the speaking range, don’t add anything to sound pretty. Lastly, record and listen to yourself. These help you familiarize yourself with your voice, making it easier to sing.

Step 4: Refining Your Voice

Once you know your singing voice, the next step is releasing your vocal stress. All singers have this stress. It could be in the form of body tensing, popping veins, etc. Releasing it helps you get better at singing. You can do that by shaking your head from side to side such that it looks like you’re saying no when singing. It sounds weird, but it can release vocal stress quickly. Also, try to massage your neck muscles while singing to loosen up the tension and allow your vocal cords to produce better sounds. Remember to do this every day to strengthen your vocal muscles.

Step 5: Find Your Voice Placement

This is where you place your voice while singing. Always ensure that you feel a buzz at your mouth’s roof. If you can feel it, it means that your voice is produced correctly. Start by imitating the sound an owl makes lightly; “oo-oo.” Then, feel the buzz and maintain the feeling at all times. Apply the buzz to all your songs.

Step 6: Sing in Pitch

Unfortunately, most people will know whether you are singing on pitch or off-pitch. But, everyone can learn to stay on pitch while singing. Count 1-5 loudly in your speaking tone. Then count back down from 5-1. Then, find a note bottom at your voice’s range. Girls can try G3 and boys C3.

After, count out each note using the 5-tone scale, starting from the first to the last and back down. Since notes on the scale are close to each other, going off pitch is easy. In that case, try to keep them closer.

Step 7: Project Your Voice

Even if you can sing well, people need to hear you. Therefore, you must master how to project your voice when singing. Pick a phrase from your favorite song. Pretend that you are on stage and need people at the back to hear you. So, say the words out loud without yelling. Then, speak-sing the lyrics using the same pitch you said them out. Your vocal power should be stronger, and you’ll have a clear projected voice.

Step 8: Practice Everyday

Practice makes perfect. So sing several songs daily once you practice the above exercises. Pick at least five songs that you can practice singing during the week and enjoy your practice. Finally, if you get a chance to sing in front of people, just sing. Be in the song with your feelings for your audience to get an intimate performance.

If you want to go beyond being just a beginner at this or any other skill, and work toward developing a real mastery, then you are going to need a deeper and more powerful strategy.

[brisbanefirstaid]

How a CPR Course Can Make you a Life-Saving Champion?

Whether you're a caregiver, an athlete, or just someone who wants to know how to save a life, learning basic first aid skills are something that can benefit everyone. First aid courses are the best way to learn how to treat a variety of injuries and illnesses. But did you know that CPR course Brisbane could also save your life?

Here's why getting CPR certified is essential for anyone looking for ways to help others in their time of need:

Acquiring Vital Life-Saving Skills

Learning CPR course Brisbane is a great way to become a life-saving champion.

CPR is vital, it can save lives, and it's easy to learn. You don't need any special equipment or training--just the ability to follow instructions and perform chest compressions on an adult or child until help arrives.

CPR training classes are offered at community centres around the country by local fire departments, hospitals, medical schools and other organizations that teach first aid skills as part of their mission statement (or because they're just nice people).

Increasing Confidence in Emergency Situations

The confidence you build by taking a CPR course can help you to take the right action in an emergency. Confidence is built by experience and training, so if you have never done this before, it's normal to feel nervous.

But with practice and repetition, your confidence will grow. You will be able to calmly assess the situation as well as perform CPR in a way that will maximize your chances of saving someone's life.

With practice, you'll also learn how to keep yourself safe when performing rescue breathing or chest compressions on an unconscious person who may have vomit or blood coming out of their mouth or nose--which means staying clear of their airway!

Rapid Response

CPR is a life-saving skill that can be learned and applied in a short time. It can be used by anyone, even those who do not know how to swim.

They were able to revive patients who were clinically dead after suffering cardiac arrest or respiratory failure using chest compressions alone without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or electric shock treatment that was commonly practiced at that time.

Making a Life-Saving Difference

The most important thing to remember is that a CPR course will teach you how to save someone's life. With this knowledge, you can help others in need and make the world a better place by giving them another chance at life.

You might be thinking: "But what if I'm not around when someone has an emergency?" That's understandable! But even if you aren't able to administer first aid immediately after an accident or medical emergency occurs, your efforts could still make all the difference between life and death.

By learning how to perform CPR correctly through online training programs such as those offered by professionals, you'll be prepared for whatever comes your way--whether it happens right now or later down the road!

The bottom line is that you can't predict when an emergency will happen, but you can be prepared for it. A CPR course Brisbane gives you the tools and confidence to respond in any situation, so don't wait any longer--register today! Source: https://brisbaneremotefirstaidcourse.blogspot.com/2023/06/how-cpr-course-can-make-you-life-saving.html

[moeenali5423]

Smart Ways To Learn Arabic In Non-Arabic Countries

If you're not living in an Arabic-speaking country, it can be difficult to find ways to learn the language. However, there are several smart ways to learn Arabic even if you're not living in an Arabic-speaking country. In this blog post, we will explore some of the best ways to learn Arabic even if you're not living in an Arabic-speaking country. From online resources to immersion programs, there are several ways to get started with learning this important language.

Reasons for learning Arabic

There are many reasons for learning Arabic, whether you are living in an Arabic-speaking country or not. Here are some of the most common reasons:

1. For work or business: With the growing international economy, many businesses are looking for employees who can communicate in Arabic. This is especially true in fields such as finance, oil and gas, and diplomacy.

2. To study Islam: Many people who are interested in Islam want to learn Arabic to be able to read the Quran in its original language. Others want to study Islamic theology or history, both of which require a good understanding of Arabic.

3. To visit or live in an Arabic-speaking country: If you travel frequently to Arab countries or plan on living in one, it will be much easier if you can speak the local language. Even if you don't plan on using Arabic outside of your travels, being able to say a few words and phrases will go a long way in making your trip more enjoyable.

4. For personal interest: Learning a new language is always a rewarding experience, and Arabic is no exception. It can be challenging at times, but ultimately very gratifying. Additionally, knowing Arabic will give you a better understanding of Arab culture and society.

Different types of learners

There are different types of learners when it comes to learning Arabic. Some people can learn the language quickly, while others may take a bit longer. However, there are some things that all learners can do to make the process easier.

One way to become a better Arabic learner is to find a tutor or class that fits your learning style. If you're someone who learns best by listening and speaking, then look for classes that offer conversation-based learning. On the other hand, if you're more of a visual learner, then consider classes that use pictures and videos to teach Arabic vocabulary and grammar.

Another way to improve your Arabic skills is to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. This means watching Arabic movies and TV shows, listening to Arabic music, and reading Arabic books and articles. By exposing yourself to as much authentic Arabic content as possible, you'll be able to pick up on the nuances of the language and learn at a faster pace.

Finally, don't be afraid to make mistakes when speaking Arabic. The more you practice, the better you'll become at using proper grammar and vocabulary. So go ahead and start practicing today!

The best place to learn

There are many reasons why you might want to learn Arabic. Maybe you have always been fascinated by the language and culture, or perhaps you need it for work or travel. Non-Arabic speaking countries now have more options than ever for Arabic learning.

One of the best ways to learn Arabic is through immersion. This can be done by taking a trip to an Arab country, or by living in an Arab community in your own country. There are also online communities where you can practice your Arabic skills with native speakers.

Another great way to learn Arabic is through courses and classes. Many universities and colleges offer Arabic courses, as well as online programs. You can also find private tutors who can help you learn the language.

Of course, a self-study is also an option. There are many resources available online and in libraries that can help you learn Arabic on your own. With a little dedication and effort, you can learn the basics of this fascinating language.

How to learn

There are many ways to learn Arabic, but some methods may be more effective than others depending on your learning style. If you're looking to learn Arabic in a non-Arabic country, consider using one or more of the following methods:

1. Use an online course: There are many great online courses available that can teach you the basics of Arabic. These courses can be a great way to get started if you're not sure where to begin.

2. Find a tutor: If you want to learn at a faster pace or dive deeper into the language, finding a tutor can be a great option. A tutor can help you with grammar, vocabulary, and conversation practice.

3. Join an Arabic meetup group: There are often groups that meet up regularly to practice conversational Arabic. This can be a great way to make friends and improve your skills at the same time.

4. Watch Arabic TV and movies: By immersing yourself in the language, you'll pick up words and phrases more quickly. Look for shows and movies with subtitles so you can follow along as you watch.

5. Read Arabic books and newspapers: Reading is a great way to learn new vocabulary and improve your understanding of grammar rules. Start with simple books and gradually move on to more challenging material as your skills improve.

Online Arabic learning tools

There are several online learning tools available to help you learn Arabic in a non-Arabic country. These tools can be used to supplement your regular studies or as a standalone course.

One popular online Arabic learning tool is Mango Languages. Mango offers a comprehensive Arabic course that covers all the basics, from grammar and vocabulary to pronunciation and cultural tips. The course is designed for both beginners and more advanced learners, and it can be accessed on any device with an internet connection.

Another great option for Arabic learning online is Live Mocha. Live Mocha offers a variety of language, Arabic learning courses. The courses are interactive and engaging, and they’re taught by native speakers. You can also connect with other learners from around the world, which makes Live Mocha a great option for those who want to learn in a social setting.

If you’re looking for a more affordable option, there are plenty of free online resources available as well. One such resource is Duolingo, which offers a comprehensive Arabic course that covers all the basics, from grammar and vocabulary to pronunciation and cultural tips. Duolingo is completely free to use, and it’s available on both web and mobile devices.

Finally, don’t forget about YouTube! There are thousands of helpful videos available on YouTube that can teach you anything from basic phrases to more advanced concepts. And since you can watch them at your own pace.

In-person classes

In-person classes are one of the best ways to learn Arabic in a non-Arabic country. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that you can get immediate feedback from a native speaker on your pronunciation and understanding.

Another great reason to take in-person classes is that you can develop a rapport with your instructor and classmates. This can make Arabic learning more enjoyable and effective, as you'll feel more comfortable asking questions and participating in discussions.

Of course, in-person classes aren't always possible or convenient for everyone. But if you have the opportunity to take them, we highly recommend doing so!

The importance of speaking practice

If you want to learn Arabic in a non-Arabic-speaking country, it is essential to find ways to practice your speaking skills. There are many ways to do this, both online and offline.

One way to practice your Arabic speaking skills is to join an online community of Arabic learners. This can be done through forums, chat rooms, or even social media groups. Many online resources can help you improve your Arabic speaking skills.

Another way to practice your Arabic speaking skills is to find a native speaker of the language who is willing to help you practice. This could be a friend, co-worker, or even a tutor. If you live in an area with a large Arab population, there may also be community groups or classes that you can join.

Finally, don't forget that practicing your Arabic speaking skills doesn't have to be all work and no play. Watching Arabic movies and TV shows, listening to Arabic music, and reading Arabic books are all great ways to improve your fluency while enjoying yourself.

Conclusion

There are many different ways to learn Arabic, but not all of them are suitable for everyone. If you want to learn Arabic in a non-Arabic country, it's important to find a method that suits your learning style and needs. The good news is that there are plenty of smart ways to learn Arabic even if you're not in an Arab country. With the right approach, you can be well on your way to becoming fluent in this beautiful language. Thanks for reading!

[thatgoblin]

Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy x Rookie Reader Headcannons

Leon

At first you were in awe of your lead. THE Leon S. Kennedy was showing you the ropes and helping train you for the job you'd dreamed of. Hero worship was common in this line of work, but you did your best to keep it to a minimum. You didn't want to embarrass yourself after all.

In place of that hero worship came this insatiable need to make Leon proud. Whether it was memorizing and nailing every written exam or physical test, you wanted to earn his praise.

You worked hard, harder than almost everyone it seemed. Leon never saw you slacking and saw how serious you were about the job. Protecting people was what you had always wanted to do with your life.

So when the grades came back that you weren't doing so hot, you were mortified. How could you let this happen? You didn't slack off, you studied everything you could get your hands on, hell you watched instructional videos on YouTube before bed! But you still weren't making a passing grade.

You thought you would be okay with the physical part, but no matter how hard you trained, no matter the extra hours you put in, you just couldn't seem to get what everyone else did. The moves were simple, why couldn't you just grasp them?

The only thing you thought you had going for you was the firing range, but even that was less than acceptable. Every time you tried to do something the pressure got to you and you messed up. You were so busy trying to make sure you didn't fail Leon that you were failing yourself.

It was when you were called into your commanding officer's office to speak about your grades that you were sure you were done. You were given two weeks that were used for break to study and practice and retest. But you'd already had nearly four months and the best you could do was subpar.

You were in your room, packing your bags because you knew you were going to be kicked out of the program when Leon showed up.

"Hey, Kid, you leaving for break?" He asked as he leaned against the door frame of your dorm.

"Uh. . . No," you said, hanging your head in shame. "I'm flunking out. Figured that it would just be easier to pack my bag now than wait later till I was officially asked to leave."

"What? How are you flunking?" Leon asked, straightening up. "I watch you every day and you're one of the hardest working cadets I've seen."

"Hard work doesn't mean much when you can't apply it correctly," you said. "I can't get the fighting technique right, the written exams are all a bust, and I can't even shoot a gun right. I don't deserve to be here."

"Have you asked for help or for someone to tutor you? That's what I'm here for, you know," he said, moving into the room to sit on the bed next to you.

You stared at the floor as you took a deep breath, feeling all the insecurities come rushing through to the surface.

"I didn't want to disappoint you," you said. "I mean, I wanted to do it all myself without help. I wanted to make you proud that you were my lead. If I was always asking for help, what good does that do? It shows that I can't do something on my own and need my hand held like some baby."

Leon sighed as he folded his hands together between his knees.

"I get it. I do. Wanting to make your leader proud and show how good you are, but we're a team here. No one is by themselves. You're only so good as your team is and if you're not doing well then that's a reflection on us," he said.

"Oh god, are you guys getting in trouble because of me?" You asked, looking at him horrified that you were possibly making things hard for your team.

"No, no, I mean. . . We're a team for a reason. You have to lean on us and trust us so when we need to, we can lean on you and trust you. If you need help studying or practicing outside of classes, I'll help you. That's why I'm here. It can be hard to ask for help in any situation cause it means you're admitting to a weakness, but that's okay. That's how we get stronger as individuals and as a team," Leon said.

You nod with a sigh. "I have two weeks to get better before I officially am asked to leave. I don't know if I can do it on my own," you said. "Can you help me?"

"Of course. I've got your back, Kid," Leon said, giving you a soft smile.

Chris

The B.S.A.A. was not for rookies, but they needed recruits so here you were. They provided training on weapons, protocol, how to work the gear, basically everything. Because they wanted everyone to be a well oiled machine out in the field, they made sure if you couldn't cut it that you didn't make it out of training. It was life and death and while they needed the hands, they weren't sending people out to die.

The trainers rotated to take classes of trainees. You were lucky enough to get the legendary Chris Redfield for your class leader. He would be teaching everything and making sure that everyone was ready. You had heard of him before, knowing that he was a weathered agent and could almost do anything was daunting.

Which was probably why you tried to avoid him at all costs in one on one situations. He wasn't mean or an ass, but he was intimidating. His stature and history were more than enough to show he knew exactly what he was talking about. You didn't want to feel stupid or embarrass yourself, so you kept him at a distance as you worked almost on your own.

Sure there were classes and work that you were trained in, but just the fear of being the weak link in front of others was hindering you. All of your tests and physical training was mediocre at best. Sure there were people that weren't going to cut it obviously, but you were much closer to their end of the spectrum than the other end that was running circles around you.

It wasn't that you couldn't do it. You could, but sometimes you froze up because your hands did something your mind didn't want to do or nerves made you stutter and stumble over your words. Everyone in the class at least had a background in the military or the police force or FBI or CIA or some other group that was similar to this.

You on the other hand did not. You came from a more technical background rather than a physical one. While you were miles ahead on the written tests, the physical ones were going to kill your career.

So when the notice went out that you were on the chopping block to be let go unless you could prove you were capable of being in the field, you weren't surprised.

Half of you wanted to keep trying, but the other half was telling you to pack up and go. You weren't unique or special, so why bother to continue to try?

It was when you were were working with one of the large guns by the shooting range, that Chris approached you. Before then, you two hadn't said a word to each other outside of the classes or even directly to each other.

So when his large frame took a seat across from you, folding his hands on the table after setting a file next to him, watching you with the gun, you weren't sure what to think.

"Hi," you said, freezing as you looked from the gun to him.

"Y/N, right?" He asked. You nodded as you set the pieces of gun on the table. "Why are you here?"

Oh Jesus, no. Why now? Why here?

"Uh," you said, blinking rapidly as your brain tried to come up with an answer. "Because I wanna help people."

"That's usually the answer I get," he said, sitting back to let his hands drop into his lap. "That or 'to kill bio weapons.' That's also a popular one."

"Yeah?" You said, unsure of what he was getting at.

"But I don't think it's why you're here," Chris said. "Because I think you don't know why you're here." Opening the file, you could see it was all information about you. Your background, schooling, family, credit score, even online usernames. They had everything. "When I was looking through the potential trainee's info, you struck me as odd. It's not exactly an every day thing that we get people who are more tech inclined rather than have a police or military background, but it happens. Usually they wash out though and end up in our research department."

"But I don't want to be in the research department," you said, frowning. Was he going to push you over to that section of the organization? You didn't want to be there though, otherwise you would have applied there.

"Every time I talk to someone and they have the chance to go to research after speaking to them about it, they take it," Chris said. "They figured out they can't cut doing the ground work so they move to a different field, but not you. I see you everyday in training, working your ass off to keep up with everyone and you almost make it. Not quite, but almost. Almost isn't going to cut it out on a mission."

"I know, I just. . . I'm working on it," you said, trying not to sound hateful or rude as your hands started to move on autopilot, putting your gun back together. "I'm really trying and I just can't get over this stupid hump that's holding me back."

"What's that? What's holding you back?" Chris asked.

"Me. I'm holding myself back," you said with a sigh. "I second guess everything because everyone around me has the experience that I don't, but I know I can do it. I just choke when it's time to act."

"I know you have some experience that they don't," Chris said. You nodded, understanding what he was talking about.

"I was a kid when it happened, I could barely call it working experience," you said, pushing the empty magazine into the gun.

"It was for Sherry Birkin," Chris said. "Raccoon City for a 9 year old isn't something to sniff at. From what the reports said, you were by yourself for three days before you made it out."

"Yeah," you said, nodding as you moved to the handgun next, disassembling it easily. "Hid in my apartment till I saw military trucks driving by then ran out."

"You lost your whole family to what we're training you to fight," Chris said, keeping his eyes on your hands as your fingers moved without faltering as you put the gun back together. "You were a kid when that happened. I say it still counts for experience that no one else really has. You know what you're doing with the infected and you know what it's like in the aftermath. We need people who know what it's like so that we can stop it from happening again."

"So what do you propose?" You asked, looking up as you finished putting the handgun back together. "After school training? Tutoring? Or do you want me to be counselor for survivors or shove me off to R and D?"

Chris chuckled as he closed the folder to look up at your face.

"I'm not gonna cut you," he said. "You know what you're doing and you're right. You're hang up is yourself. I'm gonna work with you to get over it. It's probably one the easiest things to work through really."

"You mean I can stay?" You asked, relaxing back into the chair, not even realizing you had grown so tense.

"Yeah. I just watched you take those weapons apart and put them back together in record time without even pausing," he said, pointing to the guns in front of you. "I want to work with you, Y/N. This isn't going to be an easy fight, but I really believe you have what it takes to be a good B.S.A.A. agent."

"Thank you, Sir," you said, smiling softly. "I appreciate that."

"You're welcome. We'll start some one on one combat training tomorrow before class. You're going to be working double what the others are, but it'll be for the best in the long run," he said.

"Whatever it takes, I'll do what I need to," you said.

"Glad to here it. Now, while we're here in the shooting range, let's test your aim."

[mwagneto]

i'm in the process of learning hungarian, and i was wondering if you had any resources you usually recommend or tips? i've been using duolingo for the very basics and making vocabulary lists for memorization but i know that won't be enough for a full grasp of the language, especially with, gestures at hungarian conjugation vaguely. i'm dating a native hungarian speaker so i'll be able to practice it fairly regularly but i'd like to have a grasp of the basics so that i can understand a bit before i start immersing. thank you so much! :D

OH SHIT THAT'S GREAT!!! well first of all. christ. good luck. we literally have to take intense grammar classes for 12 years just to get it and some people still don't it is. a LOT lmao

second of all uhhh I usually recommed people watch dubbed cartoons like peppa pig for the very very basics but that's rly more helping out, i dont really know any good online programs tbh, my main recommendation is to combine sources so duolingo (which. isnt that good for hungarian ngl coz it just teaches you phrases but absolutely Nothing abt the grammar such as the four different versions of "you" etc) + youtube videos + online tutorials + the main thing which is LANGUAGE BOOKS. preferably ones that start at the verrrry basics. like ik everything is online nowadays and I've only ever learned languages by like. orbiting around them until i was fluent so I don't habe much experience Actually studying but language books are sooo useful and usually very well put together, we have a thing called the Library of foreign books in budapest that has a shit ton of them, so maybe try looking around your area to see if you can find anything like that, or just buy a few for yourself?

the main thing I'd start with is the alphabet and how each letter is pronounced (which is where stuff like youtube comes in) tbh like. we have wayyyy more letters than english but we're phonetically consistent so getting the hang of oóöő and shit like gy and ty and dzs etc will make your life a dozen times easier

as for the grammar it's. really really really complicated BUT !! the good news is that it's Very organised and once you get the hang of the rules (which. again we need 12 yrs of grammar classes to do) it'll be way easier

another thing is don't be afraid to mess up!! it's better to say stuff even if you're wrong than to not say anything. hungarians will literally give you all the money they have amd a big fat kiss if you even just say kurva, noone minds grammar mistakes, we love anyone who even attempts this language

also uhmmm if you ever have any questions feel free to ask me i fucking love grammar lol

ps you'll want books that detail grammar rules and have little charts like these

[iaal]

Hi there, this is probably quite an odd request but how about Adultrio + Pariston with a S/O who is horrible in bed? Like, the S/O in question makes tons of dick deflating comments & jokes. Can’t give a blowjob to save their life, touches like they are patting a dog or horse etc?

Thanks for the ask that was fun to write!The hc takes place after the first night with the reader, not a crush anymore but not a s/o yet because for most of them I don’t imagine them letting the situation last. It’s a tad crackish, except for Pariston, I always end up writing him darker than what I had planned.

Hisoka:

*Cracks knuckles*

Looks like there’s a lot of work awaiting him.

He would only put up with it with someone he was interested for others reasons, mostly fighting, and he’d think it would be a waste to just walk out of the door and never come back.

He just can’t believe how someone can be THAT bad at something supposedly instinctual.

That in itself would amaze him, to be this atrocious it’d almost be an art form.

Bluntly, after your first night together he would tell you that for the first time in his life he was genuinely unsure if he could finish.

Of course he did, it’s Hisoka, but the admission coupled with his dumbfounded expression would make a point of how arduous it was because of you.

But worry not, his ego just can’t let him pass on the opportunity to show his worth as a teacher so it’s not game over yet.

Sure, he could just gag and bind you and do all the work but it wouldn’t fix the core of the problem.

Besides, it’d get old fast if that was the only option.

He’d be surprisingly diligent in his lesson.

Sex, even the fun kind he likes, is serious business.

Hisoka would start from the very start, not even the touching part yet.

The first lesson would be how to not absolutely murder the mood with your remarks.

For that he’d put his hand between your legs, caressing you very slowly to work you up and building up a rhythm, encouraging you to be vocal.

If you make any comments that break the mood he would stop for a bit and resume from the beginning, going back to his sluggish pace and gradually increasing the movements of his hand again.

For the next part he’d not shy away to show you directly how he wants to be touched, explaining his favorite spots and the right way to handle him.

The only thing left would be to put your newfound knowledge in practice.

After a few days and many trials and errors he’d at least make a decent lay out of you.

Now that you’ve got a grasp on the basics the real fun would begin.

He stills has a lot more to teach you until you’re ready to pass his class.

Chrollo:

He’d try, really try, to not say anything at first.

After all, a first time with a new partner is rarely great, maybe you were nervous and it’ll get better after a few try.

But as you didn’t show any sign of improving he’d have to face reality: you have no idea what you’re doing –  worst, you seem to unintentionally sabotage his own effort to show you the right way.

That would pretty much kill his libido for a while and Chrollo would weight the pros and the cons to just end it here and there.

The choice wouldn’t be easy, he wouldn’t have wanted you to begin with if you didn’t interest him and you had no value outside of the bedroom.

And when the balance tilts more towards the pros than the cons he’d decide that it’s time to put some efforts in the relationship.

Without saying that you’re awful, he’d tell you that the sex isn’t great for him and if you’d be okay with letting him try some different things.

Namely absolute obedience in bed.

Normally Chrollo already tends to be dominant but he’d still be flexible and wouldn’t have a problem giving up control, or at least as much control as he’d allow.

Not with you. You can’t have nice things.

He’d direct your every moves and the only words authorized out of your mouth would be the ones he asked you to repeat.

Once he sets a goal for himself he invest himself a hundred percent in it and he’d be a strict instructor.

Of course he’d make it enjoyable for you too, not wanting you to end up disliking sex with him but going halfhearted would lead to punishment.

The problem would be that Chrollo can easily deal with someone who’d fight for dominance, he can deal with brats, he can deal with a shy inexperienced partner… but you… you’re just bad.

Even when you try your earnest to follow his instruction the result would somehow still be terrible.

As if you were tone deaf, but for sex, like sex deaf.

He’d still intend to finish what he had started and he’d have faith in himself, he know that with enough time and dedication he’d get the results he wants.

If you have to spend 3 hours a day with his cock in your mouth until you suck him right so be it.

Illumi:

The least bothered of the lots.

He doesn’t really need you to be an active participant and he’s selfish enough in bed to get his own pleasure as long as your legs are open for him.

Your comments and jokes would met his deadpan gaze and an order to shut up if it’s too distracting but he himself would be well versed in the art of awkward remarks.

Illumi only really shines in bed when he’s a bit pushed to make effort.

If you don’t challenge him out of his comfort zone he’d do the absolute minimum as foreplay and piston inside you to finish.

So it would be a match made in heaven but not a very enjoyable one.

Sure you could ask him to get you off but he wouldn’t put much effort into it.

You’d have to get better in bed by yourself if you want to be satisfied and that means finding the words that would work on him and how to get him really worked up.

Enough for him to really get in the mood and not use you as a glorified fleshlight.

Without guidance the road would be strenuous to say the least, not only you but you’d have to make Illumi follow suits.

With both of you being the bottom of the barrel in term of sexual prowess, and Illumi being fine with that, you’d have to carry the both of you.

Porn and online forum would be your only help with various degree of success, it’s not like you still had friends to call and you’d be too mortified to ask the butlers.

You’d want to give up more than once, to just lie on the bed and take it but after a few weeks you’d start to see changes.

Illumi would let you suck him off for more than a couple of minutes, he would insist a bit longer on the zone that just earned him a sweet sound from you…

A few month in and your hard work would really start to pay off.

You’d start to know some of Illumi’s button to push and he’d pay enough attention to get you off without you asking.

There would still be a long road ahead but you did it, you can finally stop counting the cracks on the ceiling.

Pariston:

He would be delight with the fact that you’re a disaster in bed.

Never in a million year he’d have imagine that you, the target of all of his attention and affection, would be that big of a disappointment.

And that alone would make it even more worth it.

Pariston would be torn between the need to humiliate you immediately or playing the long game to be sure to make maximal damage.

Eventually he’d want to play with you longer.

He’d put all this heart on making you feel good, making you cum as long as your body can take it, not stopping for your cringy lines, even encouraging you to do as you please.

He’ll be sure to be prepare for all the next times.

Without you knowing he’d start to film you.

Even if the sex was lacking, the thought of the shame you’d feel when he’ll reveal that you had an extensive bad porn filmography and had no idea would be enough to make him hard.

In your everyday life he’d already start to show subtle signs of abuse and would solidify his control on you.

In bed he’d make no effort to guide you, you’d be as bad as your first time.

When he’s sure that you’re irremediably hooked he’d show you his videos collection and you’d have no choice but watch it all.

Not only it would be mortifying to know he has immortalized all of your intimate moments on tape you’d be horrified to see by yourself how bad you are.

The worst being the Pariston in the videos.

In all the positions where you couldn’t see his face he’d be stifling a laughter or biting his hand to not let you hear his hilarity.

You’d be completely floored to notice that more that once he’d use his phone to look at porn to finish, that would explain why he loved doggy-style and blind folding you so much.

It would be shattering and you’d spent all night watching, with Pariston beside you making comment on the funniest part, this time laughing openly.

He’d fuck you at the end of the last video.

You’d be silent and motionless, the perfect broken doll.