#But this isn't drawing. This is photo sampling

[serendark]

Misc. ideas and thoughts about Journals 1 & 2, as inspired by Forduary this year

I have too much going on to participate, but I really like the Forduary prompts this year!

Journal 3 has some things that help with inventing both Journals 1 and 2, I think.

Isn't it weird that gnomes and various other creatures are in Journal 3 instead of Journal 1, when it just feels like Ford would have met them 6 years ago when he first arrived to Gravity Falls? Like, did it really take six years before he wrote about or saw gnomes? Who knows, maybe! However you want to imagine it. I think Journal 3 itself can be used for examples of Journal 1, or you can work backwards from Journal 3 to invent more of what the landscape was like for Ford when he arrived here and was first getting his footing. Journal 3 has various bits looking back at his earlier years, like about his house being built iirc and Steve, so I think there is likely overlap with Journal 1 (and 2) already.

Journal 1 sounds fun as a novice Ford being awestruck by so many things for the first time, and trying as many experiments as he can, and having all kinds of inexperienced clumsy missteps. He traced this town as a big home of anomalies and now he is actually here, and beginning his dream on his own, fresh out of college! And there's all the locals to meet for the first time. Was it overwhelming in the best way possible that everywhere he looked there was just more and more and it felt impossible to possibly study it all? Were his first years really social while he tried interviewing everyone, before falling into his eventual status as a recluse who doesn't really connect with them, before he realized how lonely he was, or maybe he pushed through all of his negative feelings because there was so much that was exciting to focus on instead? Were there more weird holidays like Summerween that don't exist in 2012? Or, even, did Ford witness the very first year of Summerween? What are some local mysteries and ghost stories? Did he meet more of the parents of individuals we know about in 2012?

Were Ford's first notes a mess that he had to go back and reorganize later? Did he have to figure out ways of being better able to draw anomalies when life drawing isn't always an option? What's up with the camera and photos and all those other weird objects in his house in that one flashback scene in ATOTS? How much did Ford have to study and catalogue and take samples of local plants and water before he started noticing weird connections and magical influences? How did he figure out what equipment, tools, machinery, and anomaly specific magic detectors or whatnot that he needed? What was the iterative process like? Did he have a bunch of failed drawings, machines, and samples at the start? Did he hear about the underground weirdness black market and spend a lot of time trying to track it down before realizing how hopeless the endeavor seemed to be? One failure of many he would remember moving forward in his time here, but also exciting fuel to keep learning! Gravity Falls has so much to offer, far too much to stop learning just because of some unanswered mysteries.

I don't recall if Hirsch has ever spoken on the content of Journal 1 but I really think it has a lot of potential as a prompt if you're a little creative! Yeah it isn't super guided but I don't think it's boring at all!

And then Journal 2 is especially extremely super hype imo!! That's the one when he was really throwing himself into researching and learning about spells and magics, including spells he would even carry with him in Journal 3 as useful protective tools on excursions if I'm remembering that correctly. There's so much here that must be related to forest creatures, not to mention the artifacts. Did he catch wind of the Hand Witch or other potential similar individuals? The Love God? Were there more witches and creatures during the 80's than we see in Gravity Falls in 2012? Like how zombie uprisings were a regular monthly occurrence, mentioned in Journal 3, when that clearly chilled out and settled by the time of the show, not to mention the blood rain.

Wizard Ford! Warlock Ford! Ford, the DD&MD dork! Did he learn defensive enchantments? Was he really into useful utility spells instead, like one that keeps himself dry in rain? Or refills his quill ink? What offense might he have liked, or even felt uncomfortable with? Did he practice writing and learning sigils and runes and fae language? Did he sew any into his clothes, or wear any in temporary tattoos or skin paint? Were there things in the library or museum he was able to translate?

Were there other events like that carnival in Journal 3, or weird black magic holidays before such things were wiped from the townsfolks' memories? Was there more visible magic on average back then, and magic interacting with people and vice versa? How did Ford compare his experiences and studies with his beloved stories of fiction, historical reading, myths, and folklore? Did Ford make or find magic rings, pens, wands, hats, clocks? What are some really dumb and silly spells? Did he research how different phases of the moon, weeks in the month, days in the week, or certain hours in a day, or even the weather, influenced any of the rituals or how to acquire materials and items? Did some spells or rituals demand him to sit in pose for 12 hours before activating, and which spells or rituals were more instant or immediate? How about astrology?

This also overlaps with the period of time where Ford knew Bill for like 2 years before the portal was ever proposed, and before Ford had felt himself stuck at a dead end. Ford was still eagerly exploring and researching and practicing like normal, surely with some doubts and difficulties, but I think he was still starry-eyed, too. What was Bill like? How much did Bill help? How much of the stuff in Journal 2 came about from Bill helping Ford with leads, giving him breadcrumbs about things Ford wouldn't have known on his own? What questions did Bill answer, and did Bill tell Ford about any spells outright? Did Bill and Ford hang out working on translating runes together? Did Bill give Ford spells and sigils and all to solve himself like a mentally stimulating puzzle? Is this the period of time where Bill was the most like a practical helpful teacher and friend, and a stronger bridge between Ford and the local weird? Did Ford investigate different ideas about geometry and its relation to religion/spirituality/history/myth?

What potion recipes and ingredients could Ford have found and made and jotted down in Journal 2? The steps and materials needed for rituals? What about notes to be taken on the anomalous and magical properties of random materials and how those interact with mundane technology and science, like hen's teeth, fairy wing dust, certain mushrooms that only grow around fairy circles, silk from weird spiders? Or even how more familiar earthly materials interact with these, like mercury, blood, salt, gold, silver, onyx, honeycomb? What are some local legends and myths? Did Ford use any variety of magical ingredients, ritual, or spell for experiments specifically in his mindscape while he was asleep? Or maybe meditating in a fairy circle?

What offerings did Ford need to learn how to prepare for different creatures, spells, or rituals? Did he have to learn how to bake certain desserts as acceptable offerings? Did he have to make candles and parchment out of custom materials? Did he have to wear clothes of only very certain materials and dyes? If he got on the bad side of very dangerous creatures, or got himself cursed, how did he negotiate with them or figure out how to solve it? Does some magic only work on humans and not the beings of the forest? What experiences did Ford have regarding dreams and the mindscape? What experiments did Ford try? What technology and engineering did he attempt to etch with runes or control magics with? Did he have to lean more into his artistic skills and make sculptures, weave cloth, knit tapestries?

I don't remember if Hirsch has said anything about the contents of Journal 2 either outside of what we see in the show, and it's been a while since I've read Journal 3 to particularly remember what nods it may have had to Ford's pre-Journal 3 experiences. But there's so much potential! It's SO interesting!

I just completely don't relate at all to people who find these prompts boring just because two of the books basically don't exist. And if you don't like what Hirsch has said about them, then don't use or follow what he said? People always want more creativity about Ford's portal adventures and Stan's first acclimation to the weirdness of Gravity Falls after Ford disappeared, yet people are shutting down at the creative opportunity of these prompts.

There's so many different angles you can approach this stuff from, and I think that's a big part of what makes it fun to think about, personally! It is pretty hard to invent where there is nothing or not much guidance, but I think it is truly worth the attempt! There's nothing wrong with looking up secondary prompts if you need them, whether they're past Forduary/Stanuary/Fiddtober/Maybel/Dipcember/Dipril ones or from events like Funguary/Witchtober/Inktober/Mermay! I do really like how Stanuary has a bingo of additional prompts, and I think such a thing would be cool for Forduary too. I notice some previous years did have various extra prompt ideas.

I'm excited to see what people make, especially for Journal 2! Good luck everyone!! :D

[clinically-not-straight]

One thing I've realised about AI art stuff is that you need to ask what it is that you're looking at.

Let's say this

(no credit given because they didn't make it)

Firstly, what is it? Ok well I see a river and a bridge going over it. But then that river isn't a river as you get closer to the source of it and the bridge is wonky in a way an artist wouldn't care to make it. Then you notice the light coming from the river isn't a light source, its just there. The god rays, there is light coming from the clouds, but none of the rooftops imply that; the god rays bend evem though they, in this case are in the style of lens flares but are clearly meant to be god rays. The rooves end in such a way that they don't mesh with the houses.

So to clarify, what is this picture of? I can't tell.

Is it cool looking, yes, kinda, not really. it is not good.

New one:

So its a woman in the desert I think maybe in a fashion shoot?

But it isn't

See, the moon isn't a moon, its an overlaid ball of something, but its also not a ball because the bottom doesn't connect up right. Is it a window into another galaxy? Fuck knows, neither does the 'artist'. Why are her legs so long? Why is that town there? Wouldn't a photographer edit that out because it feels wrong? Why are the dunes/mountains unable to choose whether they are dunes or mountains? Why does the style of mountain dune thing change as you look toward the right? Why isn't the moon centralised? The lighting is boring except for on the dress where it is interesting but ultimately generic for this kind of thing.

Face.

Tell me what this image is meant to show me first, then I can at least judge it for that. I do not know what it is so I will judge it for everything.

The insistence in the usage of AI and how amazing it all is tells me that it needs to be perfect, because why wouldn't it be? A person is flawed and can be replaced with a machine, but why is it just worse? If this can do a better job than a person then why isn't it?

Not only do these pictures mean nothing, the thing that created them does not know what they are. Does that not tell you that its shit? If I have to ask what the picture is and the picture cannot show me that then what does that say about the picture? Maybe that coukd be a feature if there were intention involved, but there isn't. Do you see the issue here?

These simply aren't good, it takes a moment of looking to see the things I'm seeing and even less time to see that it isn't right.

I'm really sick...

[vivid-ink]

Kinktober #1 - Handjob "Mission Accomplished"

fem!HumanReader x Neteyam or Lo'ak (you pick! 😉)

Summary: You've been asked to fill in for Norm on one of his Na'vi patient observations, except this isn't any old observation appointment... You need to collect a semen sample and the appointment doesn't go at all to professional plan...

Warnings: 🔞 Sexual content 18+, MDNI 🔞 Word count: 4.6k

Author's Note: Happy Kinktober everyone! 😁 I'm late with this prompt as it was completely unplanned. I got inspired late last night after posting Part 4 of 'The Love Shack' and this is what my brain spat out! As usual, my inability to write short drabbles means that what was meant to be a short, sweet kink-scene turned out to be 4.6k. I've not used any names in this piece, so you're free to imagine either Neteyam or Lo'ak as the male lead in this. Enjoy the spice ya'll!

Tagging some mooties who may be interested (no pressure though): @pandoraslxna @blue-slxt @adrianarose7 @vintaqestar @eyweveng @qcswrites @daeneeryss @oasiswithmyg @delacruzyari @teymars @neteluvr @sulieykte @teyamsatan

And OMG (I feel absolutely rotten for overlooking this until now) - Thank you to the incredible @cinetrix for her render of Neteyam which I've used in the story cover.

You swallowed tightly as Dr Blaise briefed you around the purpose of today’s observation and what was required of you. Your heart was galloping in your chest and you could feel yourself breaking out into a nervous sweat. It amazed you how unconcerned and unaffected she was about the whole thing.

“It’s a simple observation. We’re looking for any key physical differences in appearance, as well as any differences in physiological function.” Dr Blaise stated casually, “No swabs or bloods needed today. Just some notes, photos, and a semen sample. There are sample collection jars in the consultation bay already.”

A semen sample… Good Lord, she said that with all the nonchalance of someone asking for a saliva sample. Though you figured that’s what medical professionalism was all about, right? No awkwardness, no emotion, just plain science and fact.

When Dr Norm Spellman had said that he was writing a book about Pandoran Biology and Na’vi Physiology, you’d jumped at the opportunity to be involved. After all, Pandora was your home. It was the only home you’d ever known. As one of the only two human babies to be born on Pandora, you and Spider were the only generation of humans who’d never known the dying mother planet Earth.

Unlike Spider though who had taken to life on Pandora like a duckling to water, scaling trees, swinging from branches and pretty much adopting himself into the Omatikaya clan, you weren’t anywhere near as outgoing. You’d stuck to the medical labs and the avatar camp for majority of your life, rarely venturing out into the wilderness except to accompany the other scientists on their excursions. Perhaps the only similarity you shared with Spider was that you too were an orphan of war. Your parents had been on the frontlines of the battle between Toruk Makto and the RDA, and they’d met their maker on that fateful day.

You were just an intern currently, but the older staff and scientists were more than willing to teach you. Doing lab observations, drawing blood and other lab technician work was your job, so this morning’s appointment shouldn’t have been any different. And yet it was.

You’d never had to collect a semen sample before.

“Patient is a young unmated male, 23 years of age. Fit. Occupation is hunter-warrior. No pre-existing medical conditions and no recent injuries.” Dr Blaise rationally, handing you the clipboard and pen, “The patient has also been briefed about this appointment, so he knows what to expect and he’s aware he needs to produce a sample.”

“Right, understood.” You mumbled and the words were slightly hoarse. You cleared your throat, dislodging the sticky lump of uneasiness there.

Sensing your discomfort, Dr Blaise placed a heartening hand on your shoulder. Her eyes were kind and the crows’ feet at their corners crinkled as she smiled, “Look, the patient is friendly with the team, one of Jake Sully’s sons actually. So you needn’t worry about any hostility. You’ve done numerous observations and collected all sorts of samples. This is no different. It’s only awkward if you’re awkward. Besides, I’m sure you can understand why Dr Spellman didn’t want to conduct this particular observation himself, what with them being family friends and all.”

A giggle and snort left you at the humorous thought and you found you had to agree. Dr Blaise chuckled alongside you. It would definitely be ten times more awkward if the patient and medical professional were familiar with each other during this observation.

The fleeting moment of hilarity eased the nervous roil in your belly. Tucking your pen into the breast pocket of your lab coat, you took a deep breath and nodded, “Ok, I’ve got this. Thanks Dr Blaise.”

With two thumbs up and a wink, Dr Blaise turned and left you to depart down the corridor, her black pump heels clicking neatly across the hard floor.

Turning to the wall, you grabbed an exopack kit and hooked it to the leather belt around your hips. Tucking your hair behind your ears, you positioned the mask over your face and returned to the doorway that led into the consultation bay. The doorway was tall, much taller than you were used to. All the consultation bays were built big enough with high enough ceilings to accommodate the Na’vi and the avatars. While the main ventilation in the compound was suited to human lungs, the consultation bays were fitted with ventilation to suit their Pandoran patients. Scanning your ID card on the panel of blinking lights on your right, the door slid open with a hiss and you stepped into the bay.

The first thing that always hit you when you entered any of the consultation bays was the sterile scent of it. After a couple of years working here you’d think you’d have got used to it, but every single time the smell was like a synthetic slap to your senses. You wrinkled your nose in distaste. Everything smelled so chemical; too clean and too artificial. It was no wonder the Na’vi didn’t like being in here. If the smell was strong to your human nose, you could only imagine how much more potent it was to their heightened senses.

The second thing to hit you this morning was the sight of the magnificent creature that was standing in the corner of the bay, peering at the various medical models, instruments and books in the wall-mounted glass cabinet. He’d been facing away from you at first, but the sound of your footsteps had caught his attention and he turned to face you then.

A genial smile stretched across his face and he greeted you in a voice that was deep and warm, “Good morning, doctor.”

His use of English surprised you and while his words were accented, his pronunciation was clear. Go figure that Jake Sully would’ve taught his children to speak his mother tongue.

You gave a clumsy laugh and you were quick to correct your patient, “Oh, I’m not a doctor. I’m just an intern. I’m just filling in for Dr Spellman for this observation.”

Your patient grinned toothily at you and gave a nod of his head in acknowledgement, although his tone was teasing when he replied, “Alright Dr ‘Just-An-Intern’, where would you like me?”

You couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up from your throat at his playful demeanour. You smiled at him. He was charming this one, handsome too. Like all Na’vi, he towered well above you in height at approximately nine and a half feet. Though you noted that he was very well-built. Courtesy of being a warrior, you supposed. Yes, he was muscular in all the places you appreciated in a male… You silently reprimanded yourself for your unprofessional thoughts.

“Just take a seat on that gurney for me.” You replied, gesturing towards the make-shift bed against the wall. Retrieving your pen, you began to scan through the notes at the top of the form on the clipboard, double-checking the patient’s details and ensuring everything on it was as it should be.

“Ah, do you want me to take my tewng (loincloth) off?”

Suddenly remembering the aim of the observation again, you felt hot blood rush to your cheeks and ears in embarrassment, “Umm, yes please.” And in a bid to stop your embarrassment running away with your courage, you launched into a rambling outline of the appointment agenda, “Today’s appointment is an observation around Na’vi male genitalia and sexual function. I’m going to need to make some notes and take some photographs of you, both in a r-relaxed and a-aroused state, and I’m going to need to collect a s-semen sample. If you feel uncomfortable at any point…”

He watched you attentively as you babbled onward, the smooth skin of your face and neck taking on a ruddy and flushed hue. He smiled to himself. You were shy and today’s agenda clearly made you uneasy. He felt a twinge of empathy for you. His father had told him that humans were private about matters of the body, especially where it came to sex and pleasure. The Na’vi held no such restraints; sexual freedom was celebrated.

He’d already removed his tewng and had perched himself on the gurney as instructed, unbothered and uncaring of his own nakedness. He was quietly enjoying your discomfort, but not in a rude or condescending manner. He actually found your unease rather endearing.

“Any questions?” Your prattling came to a finish and you took a deep inhale as if you’d squeezed every last ounce of oxygen out of your lungs rushing to finish your speech without taking another breath.

He graced you with another charming smile, “No. You may proceed.”

Willing yourself to get a grip, you walked on slightly shaky legs to the desk in the corner and plucked the glass tablet from its stand and returned to place it on the end of the gurney. You kept your eyes lowered to your clipboard, filling in the date and the time. You could see the striped cobalt of his muscular legs in your peripheral vision where he sat with his shins dangling off the gurney. For the meantime, you dared not glance any higher than his thighs…

Your eyes moved to a set of highlighted bullet points in the middle of the page that indicated questions the patient had to be asked.

You read the first question aloud, its meaning registering simultaneously in your brain as the words left your lips, “When was the last time you ejaculated?”

You fought the mortification that threatened to consume you and your mind struck up a chant of ‘stay professional, stay professional’ in your head.

“Yesterday morning.” His answer was composed.

“And was that with a partner or was it self-stimulated?” Fuck, maybe you should’ve read the questions before coming in for the observation…

“It was self-stimulated.”

“And do you have a preference for male partners, female partners, or both?”

“Female. Definitely female.”

His voice was a smooth, velvety rumble. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but something in his tone stroked over you like an invisible caress that made something clench in your lower belly. You scribbled his answers on the page in a messy scrawl that had more to do with your nerves than your actual style of handwriting.

He continued to observe you as you worked. Your knuckles were pale where your left hand gripped hold of the clipboard and you were so focused, almost concentrating too hard on what you were writing. Nose twitching quietly, he parted his lips and scented the air around. The artificial smell of the bay was unpleasant, but a sweeter and much more appealing smell was filling the vicinity now. Your scent.

The blush on your skin remained and he was sure that if he reached out to touch you that your skin would be hot to the touch where your blood had rushed to the surface. He could smell hints of your perspiration and he could also detect a musky and moist feminine undertone. You were attracted to him… His masculine pride delighted in the realisation. Despite your human form, he found you attractive too.

Finishing up your notes, you settled the clipboard down on the gurney and mentally prepared yourself for the ‘looking’ part of the observation.

Eyes still glued to the brown leather of the gurney’s mattress, you declared your next action, “Alright, just stay relaxed for me with your thighs slightly parted. I’m going to begin the physical part of the observation now.”

“Sure.”

Your gaze travelled from the beautiful stripes on his outer thighs inward to the slightly paler blue of his inner thighs and finally, up to his groin. Suddenly, you didn’t understand why you were so nervous about this. He looked fairly… normal? Apart from the general larger size of everything and the blue hue of his skin, everything was as expected. Feeling a little braver now, you grabbed the glass tablet and took a couple of photos and then set it down to return to your clipboard.

“Is everything the same?” He asked out of the blue, “Same as with human males, I mean.”

You looked to his face instinctively and found his amber eyes trained on you, “Ah yes, more or less. Penis, foreskin, testes; everything expected is there and I haven’t noted any real differences in physiology apart from the lack of hair, but that’s consistent with the lack of body hair all Na’vi have apart from on your heads and tail tufts.”

Following the words down the clipboard sheet you came to a section that was titled ‘Texture and Sensitivity’. You paused. How the fuck were you supposed to assess those? The section didn’t have any required questions or sample questions to help you, and no suggestions either, just a space for you to jot down your notes. You looked from your patient’s body and then to his face, and when he gave you a small smile, your gaze shot back down to your clipboard sheet in embarrassment. Texture and sensitivity were tactile aspects. You didn’t really understand how you could assess them without touching the patient.

Evidently you were taking too long in your deliberation, because your patient’s voice sounded again with a gentle query, “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, sorry. I’m just trying to work out how to assess the next bit.” You apologised sheepishly. You weren’t doing a very good job of appearing collected, you realised.

“What’s the next part?”

“Texture and sensitivity. So, what it feels like and which parts respond the most to touch.” You stated in as even a voice as possible. You huffed out a laugh then and shrugged, “It’s a tricky one because they’re tactile observations and I don’t know how to assess them when you can’t touch the patient.”

“Why can’t you touch the patient?” His response was clearly a surprise to you and he couldn’t suppress his grin as you goggled at him in shock, “You can touch me if it will enable you to do your job.”

You were almost about to say that you couldn’t possibly do that, but you stopped yourself. You were a med-science professional. The patient was consenting and your research required you to perform a physical examination. In a professional capacity, there was no reason you couldn’t touch the patient to achieve the intended outcome of the examination.

You remembered Dr Blaise’s words: It’s only awkward if you make it awkward. Fuck, you needed to swallow a bucket of concrete and toughen up. The sooner you completed this observation, the sooner you would be out of this uncomfortable situation.

Nodding resolutely, you agreed, “Alright, but you will guide me with your own hands. That way I can be assured that you’re only leading me where you’re comfortable to be examined.”

Your patient dipped his head in agreement, the tuft of his tail curling and uncurling charmingly on the gurney next to him. You set your clipboard down and moved to position yourself before him, standing between his knees. You lifted your eyes to his and they locked with his gentle gaze. Tentatively you offered him your hand and he took it, his large palm and long fingers engulfing it easily.

“So first up, texture?” He reminded, and you nodded.

Slowly, he brought your hand to his crotch and settled your hand over the shaft of his cock. It was very warm beneath your palm. Gently, your fingers tested the slightly springy flesh, noting how smooth and silken his skin was. At this closer proximity, you noticed that there was also spattering of bioluminescent freckles on the shaft. You made a mental note of that.

You touched the base of his cock, gingerly feeling around the length of it and you asked, “What’s the sensitivity like here?”

“I can feel it, but it’s not intense or anything. It’s more sensitive up here.” He guided your fingers nearer to the tip and you stifled a small gasp when he assisted you in pushing his foreskin back to reveal the smooth, dark purple head of his cock.

You’d never interacted with a naked man this close, human or Na’vi, and you certainly had never touched one in such an intimate place. Your body was starting to tingle in various places; in very unprofessional places. It was a surreal situation to be in and you found that you felt oddly calmer now than you were a few minutes ago.

Trailing the pads of your fingers over the smooth tip, you found it was moist and a little slippery. Your thumb tested the underside of it, “Sensation?”

A quiet hiss left him and you instinctively attempted to move your hand away, but his hold over your wrist kept it there, “That’s sensitive. That feels good.”

Your heart was still thumping and your cheeks were still warm, but it wasn’t nerves anymore that were causing your reaction. God, his skin was so soft and so warm… Your curiosity was growing now; your innate desire to explore taking hold of you.

You traced the raised rim of his cock head with your thumb and forefinger, watching as your patient emitted a rumbling groan. His hold on your wrist tightened and he began to move your hand over him. You intuitively wrapped your fingers around his cock. You felt entranced almost, caught up in the moment as you unwittingly began to enjoy the feel of him in your grasp.

The hot flesh in your hand was growing, elongating and engorging as the stimulation aroused him. You watched, amazed, as it swelled to its full capacity. The fingers and thumb of your hand could no longer meet each other. The girth of his cock was easily the same width as your forearm and by your approximations, it looked like it had also more than doubled in length from its relaxed state.

The erect shaft had lengthened out of his foreskin and it was a lovely shade of striated blue all over, except for a paler purple underside and head. In its aroused state, you discovered that while it shared structural similarities to a human male’s genitalia, it also possessed other aspects which were very different. The engorged shaft of his cock was ridged all along its length and as your hand smoothed up and down the column of it, you noted that the ridges were firm and palpable against your hand.

It was the most arousing thing you’d ever seen… Those ridges must feel so good inside for the woman…

You didn’t perceive his eyes on you, watching you as you explored his hard flesh. You were so engrossed that you didn’t even cotton on to the fact that he wasn’t even guiding your hand anymore. He could smell you, smell your arousal dampening between your thighs and the sight of your much smaller hand stroking and squeezing his cock was incredibly sexy.

You ran your enclosed hand in one full stroke from the base of cock and up to the head of it, fascinated by the ridged texture of it and the slippery, bulbous tip. However, your patient emitted a hissing intake of breath then and you jumped a little, snapping out of your thoughts.

“S-Sorry! Is that painful?” You stammered, shooting him a slightly apologetic frown.

He shook his head with a husky chuckle, “No, it’s just very sensitive. A lot more than earlier.”

“Where?” You asked, stroking him from tip to base and back up again.

“Everywhere. The ridges and the head especially.” His voice was notably breathier than before and his breaths were coming quicker, shallower and less even.

“That is fascinating.” You muttered, and your other hand joined in on your exploration. You fondled his balls lightly, observing the weightiness of them.

Your patient grunted and he parted his thighs a bit more. He leaned back to brace his weight on his palms behind him. He gave a small roll of his hips, which caused the top half of his cock to push and pull within your grasp. He moaned and the sound shot straight to the apex of your thighs. When you didn’t object, he continued the motion, thrusting lightly into your hands, both of which were now grasping his length one on top of the other.

Clear and viscous pre-ejaculate began to ooze from his tip, increasing in quantity with each roll of his hips. It was so copious that it was beginning to pool on the backs of your palms and drip down towards your wrist. Lord help you… there was nothing professional anymore about what you were doing… Not that your patient appeared to have any objections…

Still completely spellbound by the situation, your curiosity pushed a murmured query past your lips, “Is there always so much pre-ejaculate?”

“Depends. Generally the more aroused a man is, the more he produces.” He replied and when your bashful gaze lifted to meet his, he smirked wickedly.

You were such a pretty little thing to him, your smaller hands trying their best to keep hold of his slick cock. He knew that this was beyond the normal boundaries of the appointment. He knew that while you would’ve been required to touch him to examine him, stroking him off was probably not anywhere on the agenda. He suspected he was supposed to produce the sample on his own, but looking at you now, so enraptured by his body… How could he have resisted? And besides, he knew you were enjoying this as much as he was, your scent told him so.

You tightened your hold on his cock experimentally, squeezing harder. Each time the swollen head of his cock pushed out of your hands to greet you, you swiped your thumb over the oozing slit on its tip. He was panting heavily now, his impressive abdominals bunching and flexing as he continued to thrust his thick cock through your hold. The bioluminescent freckles that dotted his shaft were glimmering brightly and you never thought you’d ever use the word ‘beautiful’ to describe genitalia, but his cock was gorgeous.

All of him was gorgeous, truth be told…

You were attracted to Na’vi men. Ever since you were old enough to notice the opposite sex, you’d been drawn to male Na’vi. After all, you’d grown up on this moon, inhabited by and surrounded by tall, beautiful Na’vi. The humans who surrounded you at the compound and the camp were your family, and they were all much older. There were no men of your own species to look at or be attracted to. Spider was the only one of your generation and he was like your annoying, gross brother. Your attraction to Na’vi men had been an inevitable result really.

So now as you stood in the consultation bay, between the knees of this striking and aroused Na’vi male while he pumped his cock in and out of your hands, you’d never felt more validated and aroused in your life.

Your patient’s fingers were digging into the squeaky brown leather of the gurney now, straining slightly as his hips continued their onslaught. Your hands and wrists were completely drenched, soaking in his thick pre-cum. The slippery mess caused his cock to squelch obscenely as it slipped through your hold. The whole situation was so sensually explicit and you were never more thankful in your life than you were now that there were no CCTV cameras installed in the consultation bays.

You’d be expelled from your chosen profession for patient abuse… Though by the half-lidded, slack-jawed expression of pleasure on his face, he didn’t look much like he was being unwillingly abused…

A string of Na’vi curses left him then, followed by several panted moans. He abruptly pushed off his palms to sit upright and he stuttered, “W-Where is the container?”

A little stunned by his sudden and urgent tone, you stumbled in your own response, “The w-what? Oh, the sample jar?”

Panting heavily through parted lips, he nodded at you and you pointed to the desk on his left. You saw his gaze follow your eyeline and when he caught sight of the plastic collection jars that sat patiently waiting, he let out a hearty guffaw.

He reached for one and deftly flicked the already loosened lid from its mouth, still chuckling away between his huffing breaths, “It’s so small. You ready, doc?”

“For what?” You asked, realising only as the words left you what a dumb response it was as he handed the sample jar to you.

Your patient smiled at you and it was a salacious leer, all narrowed eyes and pointed canines showing, “You’re about to get your sample.”

One of his hands returned to guide yours, wrapping around your one remaining hand where it encircled his stiff cock. The pace of this rocking thrusts increased and he began to exhale with throaty moans that you swore made your own feminine core throb with desire. Gingerly, you held the collection jar up to him, being extra careful not to drop it.

With two more lurching breaths, his abdominal muscles contracted and his back bowed inward, his entire torso going rigid. You felt his cock harden impossibly before it pulsed and the breath he was holding left him in a coarse growl while his face twisted into an almost pained expression. His cock pulsed again and the first spurt of ejaculate missed the sample jar entirely, landing with a warm splat in the middle of your chest where the frills of your blue blouse peeked out from behind your lab coat. Quickly, his free hand grabbed hold of yours to position the jar better, while his other hand attempted to position his cock so he could shoot straight into it.

He was absolutely breathtaking in the midst of his orgasm. The luminous freckles on his face were twinkling and the striped cobalt skin of his neck and chest was glossy with a sheen of sweat. His cock continued to throb and pulse, emitting rope after rope of thick cum that splattered untidily over the mouth and sides of the sample jar.

You could see why he’d laughed at the size of it. There was no way the small jar could have held the full volume of what he was producing.

Coming down now off the high of his climax, your patient slouched against the wall behind the gurney, breathing hard. He caught your eye and he grinned indolently at you.

The adrenalin and heightened arousal in the atmosphere was fading rapidly now, and cold, hard reality was slowly returning to you. You looked at the pearlescent contents of the sample jar, which was still decently full despite majority of the sample not making it in there. You smiled to yourself.

Mission accomplished and what an exciting mission it was…

Carefully setting the jar down on the flat worktop of the metal sink next to you, you replaced the lid on it with sticky fingers and made a note to thoroughly wipe the jar down later before handing it to the lab techs.

Returning your attention to your patient, you smiled at him, suddenly shy again, “Thank you for your co-operation today. I’ll leave you to clean and freshen up. You can see yourself out after.”

His answering laugh was husky and he dipped his head at you, “I should be thanking you for your co-operation I think, doc.”

“Not a doc, remember?” You grinned at him and you were about to turn on heel to depart into the adjacent washroom when you heard him call out to you again.

“Hey Not-A-Doc, if you ever need another sample, I’m happy to provide another one, whether for med-science research or your own personal research.”

A girlish giggle left you and you felt your face flame again. You shook your head, making your way into the washroom to clean yourself up. He was a naughty one that one…

[emergency-vehicle]

‼️‼️ EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS ‼️‼️

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE SAYBROOK-ARROWSMITH FIRE PROTECTION UNIT

Hi everyone! As all of you are aware, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee have been devistated by Hurricane Helene. This is an incredibly important event for many, many reasons, and one that brings great grief to my heart.

I am Appalachian, though currently I live in Illinois, and it breaks my heart that I cannot be there to support my community during its darkest hours. But, that does not mean I can't do something about it.

One of my coworkers volunteers with a fire department up here, and I just spoke with the fire chief. Their goal is to help the Chimney Rock Fire Department get new supplies, trucks and equipment to help in the rebuilding process, along with bringing supplies for the community.

They have had such an outpouring of support from other departments that they are trying to get ahold of semis in order to bring everything they've been given! And that is where we come in: Every dollar towards this endeavor helps. Every donation to this project helps rebuild communities in Appalachia that should have never had to endure such terrible conditions. I will spare you my rant, but the short of it is: Appalachians are people, deserving of support. They cannot do this alone, and it is up to us to support them however we can.

With that in mind, I've decided to open my commissions. Every dollar I make off these commissions will be going to the fire department. If I continue to make commissions after the trip, the fire department has assured me they will send the money where it needs to go in order to help the community of Chimney Rock.

If you CANNOT support, that's okay! I totally understand. I was in the very same boat until recently. What you CAN do is reblog this to all your blogs and spread the word as much as possible. Appalachia needs all of us to begin to heal.

SO! Let's Talk Commissions

First up: Art Commissions

Pictured under the cut is my regular commissions sheet. Also pictured is some of my other work that has special pricing. Let me explain.

Paintings: I will run a special on them, 75 dollars for a fully rendered painting (normally they start at 175). Additional characters will be 30 dollars each.

Cell Art: Send me a photo that you would like to have done, and I will work on a color palette with you. These will cost 75 dollars.

‼️HALF MUST BE PAID UP FRONT AND THE OTHER HALF WILL BE PAID AFTER THE FINALIZED SKETCH‼️

WHAT IM WILLING TO DO:

OCs (must have an image of them OR a detailed description)

Characters from ANY fandom (NOTE: I normally draw humanoids. I'm still learning the ins and outs of drawing mechs. This is to say that if you want something non humanoid, i will gladly take it, but it WILL take longer)

Ships

Landscapes and Nature

Animals

Furries (this will add 10 dollars to the final price because I struggle greatly with furries)

Anything else I'm missing is negotiable, just know depending on what it is, I reserve the right to add 10 dollars to the final price

WHAT IM NOT WILLING TO DO:

NSFW

Gore

Body Horror

Incest

Zoophilia

Xenophilia

Underage shit

Second Up: Fic Commissions

Fanfiction is going to be more strict in terms of what I can and cannot do, simply because I want to ensure that I can deliver a quality product to you and not butcher your favourite characters. I will link my AO3 after this paragraph. There isn't much there yet, but I feel like it is a good sample of my writing style.

PRICES:

500-1.5k words: 10 dollars

1.6k-2.5k words: 20 dollars

2.6k-3.5k words: 30 dollars

3.6k-4k+ words: 40 dollars

The price will be agreed and paid before I start writing. If I accidentally go above the agreed upon word limit, there will be no extra charge.

FANDOMS:

Transformers One

Transformers Prime

Stardew Valley

Red Dead Redemption 1/2

Yakuza

Wolf 359

Welcome to Nightvale

Assassins Creed: Valhalla, 3, and the Ezio Trilogy

X-Men (Specifically First Class, Apocalypse, Days of Future Past, The Last Stand, and Dark Phoenix)

Bluelock

Demon Slayer

Blue Eye Samurai

WHAT IM WILLING TO DO:

SFW fics

Fluff

Most tropes, will be discussed when discussing the commission itself

NSFW fics (there are some kinks I am unwilling to do, we can discuss these in private) (‼️ YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ENSURE TO ME THAT YOU ARE 18+ ‼️ I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE IF I AM SUSPICIOUS OF YOU LYING ABOUT YOUR AGE. just a disclaimer)

Major character death, major injuries, the angstiest shit you can think of

Song fics (i love these)

Horror

Ships

THINGS IM NOT WILLING TO DO:

Dub-con/non-con

Underage nsfw

OCs

Zoophilia

Xenophilia

AUs

Incest

Alright! I think that about sums it up!

‼️AGAIN! If you cannot contribute monitarily, you CAN contribute by spreading the word. EVERY single dollar helps this endeavor, and all of it will be going to heal my home.‼️

I cannot express enough gratitude to every single person who has done something to help Appalachia, nor can I express the grief that weighs heavy on my heart every single day. Appalachia is defined by its strong communities and its insistence to survive against all odds. It will survive this, but we must do what we can to help.

And, as always,

[nana-mizu-shiki]

Hi!!!!! I'm back w/ more art! This time of lil' Timmy, I don't really have an exact age but here he is!! ( 〃▽〃) (*^▽^)/★*☆♪

👇

This is sorta just like a character page thing I do, before the finished character (bottom left) I have to draw the eye (top left), hair (top-mid), and clothes design (top right) shape/style separately to make sure I like it before smooshing it all together. It also just wouldn't look right atomically if I didn't lol, the eye would be grey from erase marks and the forehead would be 40x an actual human's. ( ﾟ∀ﾟ)

Also, I always draw on sticky notes & stuff since I'm drawing in school, so that's why the colors might be a bit funny.

This is the clearest up-close I could get, I'm really not that good w/ taking photos but I think k you can see what I was going for! Tim's holding a camera and that's a lanyard around his neck.it doesn't really show here but I colored the lanyard, his collar, eyes, and belt white. The blue also just barely shows in his eyes but it is there! p(^^)q

Here I just drew what I think he'd liked as an 8-10 yr/o. This is definitely before Tim!Robin, the R is just a symbol of the boy he stalks, and there's a Conspiracy- Cork-board by that w/ his photos below. The camera came really shit on, well, camera, but I tried.

Here is just the design for his outfit, as a rich sad lonely boy. Idk, I just thought it was cute and the first thing that came to mind. Also I personally just really want one of these vest-like things.

Yes, Tiny!Tim has a bowl cut. No, I will not take any arguments. Also, this is just a sample of one of his photos, which I was actually really proud of for making so small with details. I know it sucks on camera but the top yellow blob is obviously the bat-signal while the second blob in the middle is supposed to be a grappling-Batman w/ Jason!Robin next to him. It doesn't really show but Robin was too small for me to detail so I just put his colors around a stick. (／。＼)

Here's just where I drew his eye since he's still a kid he's got them big'n'round. It came out darker here but his eyes are a lighter blue than this shows, I know his isn't this dark of a blue and I know it's not a big deal but when your drawing a family with the same constant features [Black Hair+Blue Eyes] you gotta figure something out. [Especially bc I'm bad at coloring and almost never color my character's skin tones.]

This first photo is just an unedited version of the final product, while the second is something I drew a while ago that I just thought was funny.

I hope you have a good day and read!

- [-Nanashi {♡} Mizuki-]

[konbartzine]

Contributor Applications are open!

Konbart Zine Contributor applications for all kinds of creative work from writing to illustration to cosplay to crochet are open from now until April 11. Please fill out an application here--or reblog this post so that your interested mutuals see it! Remember:

We do NOT need to see Konbart in your sample work. We want to see your best work, if that isn't Konbart then don't worry! We're looking for creativity and the ability to execute an idea.

Applicants must be 18+ by April 21st, regardless of whether they plan to submit work for the NSFW zine or not.

Applicants may apply for more than one type of contribution! If you would like to write and draw, or create cosplay photos, or any other type of contribution, we welcome you to apply for both.

We are looking for merchandise artists as well as zine content artists.

[42bakery]

So since Fermín is rumoured/has already changed the leathers brand and it's rumored to be due to poor fitting, I decided to look into the racing gear of the tall riders.

First of all we need a list of all the riders (permanent, test, wildcards and replacement to get as much data as I can) that have been on a weekend this year.

With the exception of Pedrosa's and Zurutuza's height all comes from MotoGP website (beef with them because some are wrong, but we roll with it). Dani comes from a random article on the net, and Xabi comes from KTM's website (for some reason they don't have their height listed).

The racing gear list has been done with the aid of this Twit and then looking at the rider's photos in MotoGP site (again beef with them if I put a rider with the wrong gear due to the photo). The ones with the question mark is me not being able to really figure out or being unsure of the branding after searching the riders social media pages. Some do tag it, others don't.

So now we have our riders, so we need to define which are tall, and who isn't. In this case, we will define them when a rider is taller than the mean.

To make things easier, riders are being considered tall when they are 173cm or taller (my first guess was 175cm, so I wasn't that far off). So now this is our new ser of data

And this are new means (just to keep in mind)

Now, let's look at all the data. How many riders in each category are considered tall? And what are the brands they use?

Apparently across all classes, Alpinestars is the most popular one (12 out of the 58 "tall riders") with 20.7%. In 'Others, I include the ones I wasn't sure, the ones with just 1 or 2 riders to make the data easier to look at).

So far, we can see that no MotoGP rider uses Macna, which are the leathers Fermín is/has been using, but they are Dainese riders in Moto2. Something that is interesting is that only REV'IT and Alpinestar supply riders in all categories.

Now the question would be, is Fermín too tall for Macna? Would he fit better with Dainese. To see that, we can see the high distribution across all manufacturers.

According to MotoGP, Fermín is 181cm tall (which I actually disagree, I think he's even over 184 but that's another matter). If we look at Daniese, they supply for both Luca and Joan (and Vale), which might be the reason why I associate tall people with Dainese. However, Bo Bedsneyder, who according to MotoGP is 184cm, does use Macna and doesn't seem to have an issue.

Now, we can look at the means of each category and brand.

It seems like Alpinestar seems to be have the lowest mean, which can mean they do supply the riders in the lower portion of out select group of riders, Interestingly, Macna and Furygan seem to supply the riders in the tall part of it.

And those are the numbers

Macna, REV'IT and Furygan do have the higher means, but they also only supply 6 (soon to be 5), 8 and 6 riders. Alpinestars does in fact have the lowest mean, with Ixon, and if you compare with the mean of each category, they never reach it.

When looked at all the data combined, we can actually see that Magna and Furygan seems to place in the top and top-middle of the list. Alpinestar and REV'IT is all over the place, while Ixon seems to be a choice for the shorter riders of this portion.

(Sorry for the quality and the colour choices)

We can't draw too many conclusions due to the small sample size. But I think it's interesting to look at. I do know there are some test I can perform with the data and see if really Macna and Dainese are chosen by taller riders more than 'short' ones, but I can't actually remember them at the moment. So if anyone wants to look more into it DM me and I'll send the data

[prezine]

Announcing: PreZine, a fanzine for the Precure series!

Hello, tumblr!

I don't wanna waste anyone's time, so I'll cut to the chase: I'm trying to put together a Precure fanzine with community contribution. You can find a submission form here, with plenty of detail about what I'm looking for. If you want more detail, keep reading.

My name's Nick, and I'm a huge fan of the Precure series. Each season varies in quality—there are some I love almost completely, some that disappointed me immensely, and a lot somewhere in between. I've watched on my own, introduced friends and family to the show, have the soundtracks on my phone to listen to, I've bought figures and other merch while visiting Japan... I like it a lot.

I've never actually interacted much with the fandom, though. I'm awkward when it comes to joining new communities, and tend to lurk more than I actively contribute. Recently, though, I had an idea. See, I love analyzing things I like. And things I don't like. And Precure is full of both of those things. I've also been mildly interested in webzine culture and the idea of creating some of my own. The writing is fun, and I've wanted to get better at layout work, so doing a little Precure fanzine could be quite a lot of fun!

But... it's not really "interacting" with the community if I'm just writing my own thoughts and throwing them at you, telling you to read them. I'd rather get folks involved! Details can be found further down, but the gist of what I'm doing here is that I want to gather volunteers for a free fanzine I'll be publishing. It might wind up being a single issue, or keep going for some time—we'll just have to see how things go. The zine will be freely available and not behind a paywall, but I will have a ko-fi set up to take donations. Proceeds will go towards paying contributors first, before I touch any part of them. I don't expect a high volume of donations or anything, but whatever I do get I want to go towards the continued success of the project, and that means making an attempt to fairly compensate those who contribute.

To that end, any contribution—whether it be an article, piece of visual media (art, cosplay, etc.), or something else I decide would be a good fit—will provisionally be worth $50. If we get enough donations on Ko-fi to fully pay those tabs, then they will be fully paid. If we get less, then each month I'll divvy up the money based on percentages of contribution, up until (hopefully) all contributors are fully paid.

To be clear, once again: the zine will be completely free, and I have no budget for this at the moment, so any and all payment will be dependent on folks donating us money. I strongly desire to pay every contributor, but at the time being it's best to view this as a volunteer passion project with payment as a distant possibility.

Now, what are we looking for? Well, all of the information below will also be found on the linked form for submission pitches, but...

Articles

I've already written first drafts of two articles, which I've linked as samples down below. What you write doesn't have to be in the same style or vein as mine, but at least that can give you a bit of an idea of what's guaranteed to be included already. Currently, what I'm looking for specifically are:

Characters that have influenced you

Musical analysis

Original Precure fiction

If you have ideas for things not on this list, you can also pitch those within the form.

Visual Media

I have no art at the moment. As this is a zine about a property I do not own, I am absolutely going to avoid using official art. I can decorate with other images I have the rights to, but to give it that actual Precure aesthetic, having visual media submissions would help a lot.

For the time being, I'm looking for:

Drawings

Cosplay photos

As with the articles, you can also pitch stuff not on this list.

Graphic Design

This isn't on the form, but if you've got any graphic design experience... well, you can see by looking at our Twitter or the avatar for this blog that graphic design isn't my passion. I think I do okay when it comes to layouts, but covers/avatars/timeline pics... not so much. PM me, here or on Twitter, if you wanna take a crack at addressing any of our graphic design needs. You will be compensated for your time in the same way as all other contributors.

So, if you're interested in contributing, here is the submission form once again. You can also check out my two samples, found here. They will be edited, so this isn't their final form, but they are roughly what I'm contributing in terms of writing.

And lastly, our Ko-fi can be found here.

If you have any questions I haven't addressed here or in the form, ask away!

[fourteentheart]

Gaius Merch Pop-Up Shop Sneak Peek!

Meowdy! o7 I've been taking a break from drawing, but not from working on things related to things I have drawn LOL.

This isn't the official post but I wanted to drop a sneak peek of my lil pop-up shop! I'll have worldwide (postal services permitting...) preorders for the following:

2.5" Pinched Charms (Gaius, Allie)

3" Wind-up Gaius Charm Standee

3" Glow-in-the-dark Werlyt Charm

15" Wind-up Gaius Pillowcase

I'll make another post when the shop is open for preorders. ETA mid/late October.

The readmore is just some light, unofficial shop rambling lol! Subject to change.

This isn't the first time I've sold something, but definitely the first time I had multiple things up for order!

Everything will be preorder status with a preorder window of about 4 weeks once everything's up and running, FYI!

I was originally just going to do the standee and pillowcase but figured I could throw up my old stuff for official preorders as well in case anyone wanted them!

I'm still waiting on samples for the standee and pillowcase to take real product photos / videos.

Pricing is still being finalized but I think I'm getting there...

It's doubtful anything will arrive in time for holiday gifts. ; v ;

If you have any questions before then feel free to reach out by replying to this post or sending me an IM here!

[gloriouspiratenacho]

Played with some free AI art programs, and was pleasantly surprised.

Yes, I could draw it myself, but as I am deeply lazy, that doesn't happen often.

In classic INTP form, I have therefore instead found a way to talk a computer into doing to for me.

A sample:

Official character design vs ai created design

Wanna morph him into a realistic looking demon instead of an otome/anime design? Done.

Ai isn't perfect, and drawing it yourself is much better and less prone to error. There are some pretty severe limitations to ai artwork. But if you want something quick and dirty, it's not bad!

I actually saved a few other ai drawings to use as references for my own traditional artwork. I've been learning watercolor, and seeing how it did the skin and hair on a few gave me some ideas. Plus I bought some inktense pencils I need to try out, and it might help me there too.

As reference material, AI is great, if you think of it as a stock photo. Then you can fix all the shit that doesn't make sense when you redraw it.

[alliance00]

Hiring a Pastry Chef: What Skills to Look For

Now, when it comes to sweets and pastries, all the difference is made with a good pastry chef. Whether high-end bakery or casual café, a good pastry chef can be an integral part of your team and make sure delivery of quality, creativity, and consistency. But who is that right candidate? This guide discusses the main skills and characteristics when hiring a pastry chef for making your facility stand out.

Introduction: Why Hiring Matters

Imagine a person coming into a bakery, embraced by the wonderful smell of the fresh goods. Now think of this: taking into your mouth that buttery, flaky croissant. It's all because of the creative pastry chef. Bringing in the right talent means filling out a space in an organization. It becomes the raising up of the organization and making it worth paying for.

The Role of a Pastry Chef

A pastry chef is neither just a baker nor is he a manager, but they are the three in one. His duties range from making mouthwatering pastries to supervising people in a kitchen. To know which kind of a pastry chef would suit you best, know what to look for.

Key Skills to Look For

When hiring a pastry chef, consider these crucial skills:

Creative Abilities

Excellent patissiers innovate. Whether that is creating new dessert flavors or making old favorites a work of art, innovation is key. Ask for previous creations or how they come up with ideas.

Technical Expertise

Precision is an important factor in baking. A professional pastry chef will be able to understand such techniques as laminating dough, tempering chocolate, and sugar work. This technical skill provides consistency and quality in every bite.

Time Management and Organization

In baking, exactness is a must. The professional pastry chef should comprehend techniques such as laminating dough, tempering chocolate and sugar work. Technical skills allow one to deliver consistency and high quality with every single morsel.

Leadership and Teamwork

A pastry chef typically manages a team, so good leadership skills are expected. They must be able to delegate, communicate well, and create an atmosphere where teamwork is the way forward. A team that clicks will make magic happen in the kitchen.

Hiring an Assistant Pastry Chef

Sometimes, the workload demands additional help. An assistant pastry chef plays a vital supporting role. Hire ones who have a lot of enthusiasm, fundamental skills and like to adopt your way.

How to Assess Candidates

Here’s how you can evaluate applicants effectively:

Portfolio Review: Request samples or photos of their work to gauge their creativity and skill level.

Practical Test: Ask them to prepare a dish on the spot to see how they perform under pressure.

Behavioral Questions: Inquire about how they’ve handled challenges in the kitchen before.

Job Descriptions that Attract Talent

An attractive job description is your first step to drawing in top-tier pastry chef talent. Be clear about responsibilities, qualifications, and the benefits of working with you. Highlight opportunities for growth and creativity in your establishment.

Interview Tips for Employers

This is your opportunity to really get to know a candidate.  Use open-ended questions to learn about their passion for pastry. For example:

“What inspires your dessert creations?”

"Tell me about a time you handled a high-pressure situation in the kitchen."

These tell you a lot about personality and work ethic.

Importance of Cultural Fit

Skills matter, but so does the ability to align with your team’s values and vision. Hiring someone who fits your workplace culture ensures smoother collaboration and long-term success.

Training and Development

Once you’ve hired the perfect pastry chef, invest in their growth. Offer opportunities to attend workshops or experiment with new recipes. A little encouragement goes a long way in retaining top talent.

Conclusion: Investing in Talent

Hiring a pastry chef isn't just about filling an empty position; it's about investing in the future of your business. Creativity, technical skills, and teamwork are the key ingredients a talented pastry chef can bring to your establishment, boosting your brand value and ensuring customers keep coming back. Take your time with the hiring process to ensure you find the perfect fit. If you’re looking for expert assistance, contact us at Alliance Recruitment Agency—we specialize in connecting businesses with top pastry chef talent.View source: https://allianceinternationalservices.medium.com/hiring-a-pastry-chef-what-skills-to-look-for-e92c0f6c97c9

[tomschoolwork]

Ai is not art

Have you guys noticed how often or how much people defend AI? They post so much about how they need to use Ai to make art because they can't do it themselves. Spoiler alert; it's not real and all of their excuses are not valid at all.

Notice this: when defending their use of Ai to make work, they defend themselves saying "We need to use Ai to make sure we can create" they are wrong. Ignore them. They don't need Ai to create, they need Ai to be able to do work without needing to actually put any effort in. They want profit without any effort. Sounds appealing, right? Well here's another term;

artist exploitation.

"Hey, how can Ai be exploiting artists? It's a computer software!"

How do you think they get their sample photos? Ai cannot create without referencing and sampling. And who are they sampling from? Artists! Imagine posting digital art just for somebody to feed it into their Ai so they can turn your work into something else. And it doesn't even look good! Here's an example.

I fed a piece of work into an Ai to rework it. It's my own work and the only person who could possibly be harmed by this is me, and I took this risk. Here is the original.

And here is the Ai's version

Notice how different they are. The Ai isn't capable of recognizing/replicating what the original image was. It is just some smiling anime girls- which is stupid because it was a brother and sister drawing I had done. It also completely reworked their eye colors and made them paler. Also it hasn't realized how color theory works. I had done every color intentionally, the pink and blue represent and complement each sibling and the black also ties them together. The Ai doesn’t understand these and sees 2 figures to turn into anime girls, which- yikes- and overall is disappointing.

Ai isn't helping artists at all.

"But Ai can give the gift of creation to those who can't create on their own!"

While that sentiment would be nice, they aren't creating with Ai. They're essentially rebranding. They rework an image to create. And often times, it isn't a good looking image. Looking back at my image, yeah of course I made mistakes but the Ai also made mistakes. It can't pose the way I had been able to, and because it couldn't it filled in gaps. Imagine seeing somebody be glad they can finally make something, just to realize they're stealing work from others. It's not gonna be a good feeling at all. Those who are really determined to create find alternatives. Some people use their lips, use their mouth to hold the paint brush, use their feet, anything besides using an online program to reuse old work and pass it off as their own.

Also, Ai is being trained to steal jobs from real artists. And it sucks. Some people have been saying Wish by Disney is Ai generated, and let me just say it's not, it's just a disappointing movie. Wish is what happens when a poorly planned movie gets greenlit. Not everything bad is Ai generated.

Artists put a lot of effort into their work, it often takes hours to make and complete. Imagine creating something that took hours for you to make, and then boom; somebody else posts something that looks similar, but took them a few minutes at longest. And what they did to make it was wait for a computer program to spit out their prompt after they opened a program and fed some art to it. Artists would get disheartened and then they would slowly stop posting. If their work gets less traction for more effort, what's the point?

"What can I do to protect my art?"

GLAZE IT

Glazing your art will not at all impact how your art looks but it will impact Ai that are trying to replicate your art. It poisons the Ai, and it warps whatever they try to generate.

And also let artists know! If you see their art being bastardized by Ai screenshot it, report the post and let the original artist know. If you don't know the artist, report the post regardless.

Remember, Ai isn't a fun tool to make art, it actively harms artists! Report it if you see it being used in any way that could possibly impact artists, or other people negatively!

[reneenalaniartista]

1.11.24

Happy angel number/portal number day! And today is the first New Moon of the New Year in Capricorn.

111 is a significant date. 111 is associated with boosted confidence, motivation, and decision making. 1 in numerology signifies determination , independence, and opportunity. And since there's three 1s in this sequence, 3 is a magical number. 3 represents creativity, communication, optimism, and curiosity.

I'll have to post a picture of my New Moon in Capricorn altar here later.

If you're not SUPER familiar with me, then you should know that I'm into astrology, spirituality, and mysticism. And this is where I might lose some of you. "Oh, lawd. She's one of THOSE weirdos." To which I say, hell yeah! What of it? Haha!

I'll have to save that origin story for another day because it is a LONG story. Thinking about how it all started got me curious and sent me down the nostalgia rabbit hole. I got to thinking about my first friend group and I revisited my old online community pages. Before instagram, tumblr, twitter, facebook... BEFORE MYSPACE. I was on an art community page.

Here's a sample of that insanity. Artwork isn't mine. This was part of a roleplay story my friend and I would do. Like DnD, but without dice. It was just us in an AOL group chat either with other friends or just amongst ourselves.

Suffocated 2 Death. Chapter 1. Page 7. By Lea.

It was something we loved to do together. Just creating a world in our little AOL chatrooms. Coming up with random nonsense. We loved our world so much, my friend tried to recreate it to share with the world. It didn't really get very far. The burn out got real and we started to grow up and grew apart. You know. Life stuff.

Looking back at the content, I wish I had access to all those chat logs. We would try to save every session to our hard drives/floppy disks. There were times we'd forget to save and that one glorious adventure was lost to the recesses of our memories.

We'd thought it'd be forever. We'd thought the memories would always stay. Fond adolescent memories lost to the impermanence of time.

It's surreal to think that I've had an online presence since ~2003. I've been online a lot longer, I know. But to be on a public community/social media page for that long? Kind of a trip to think about.

Let me tell you, the cringe material I found. You know how people will look back at their old photos and say, "Oh my goodnes... My hair! So ridiculous!" Well, the content I've uploaded on that page was just as bad.

It just felt like a whole other lifetime. Like, I have changed so much and all at once, not much? My thoughts, perspectives, and values have certainly changed. (And I'm in therapy now.) I was such an out there angsty teen who spoke in 1337 ("leet," for you youngsters) with wild views and so naive. Makes me mourn a bit for some of the lost innocence.

My creativity was unfiltered for sure. I was always drawing, taking photos, writing... That's the part I missed most. I knew exactly what I was passionate about back then. I just did it. I just created. I want to do that again. That's what I'm doing here.

I may not draw much anymore (my hands). I can certainly take photos and write/type. There are so many avenues for me to express myself creatively. It's strange to look back at all of this and feel inspired by these bitter-sweet memories.

[anonymusbosch]

"So don't just take everything that is handed to you and share it further no questions asked."

This applies to everything I've said in this post as well. I'm not an expert, just someone with a tiny bit more background, and I'm missing a lot of relevant info as well. I did get a correction that I'd like to add:

"state-of-the art image generation methods like diffusion indeed don't "try to hide" things—they're trained by filling in blanked out patches of images, and they're scored by how close they were to the original, not whether their completion looks plausible. therefore, when generating images, they are unbiased: they will try to draw samples from the same distribution as their training data. but, this isn't true for all image generation methods! in particular, GANs are trained as a generator and an adversary, where the generator creates images and the adversary tries to distinguish whether the image is real or generated. so, GANs *do* draw people with their hands behind their backs, with blurry backgrounds, etc."

so: depending on what type of generator someone is using, the generator may or may not "try" to use bokeh to cover up detectable flaws. thanks for that correction!

regarding several other things, I used Stable Diffusion to illustrate some counterexamples that I think are worth talking about. MAJOR NOTE: I am lazy and cheap and will not pay money to make these counterexamples, so they are going to be bad! they are NOT going to be state-of-the-art. But each is intended to show something specific.

Lack of blurry background.

Lack of blurry background in photo of a person.

More realistic photo without excessively blurry background.

Landscape without any people at all, deep focus.

Different art style, background clear, no humans or fingers

Another art style, also landscape

you could fake photos of war rubble if you tried.

or fake a twelve-year-old's Sasuke fanart.

again, these are all with a fast-and-free cheapo tool to illustrate that these rules/suggestions are not infallible! I encourage you to be careful in accusing something of being AI-generated AND in trusting images you come across. (Even before AI, there was Photoshop, and before Photoshop, there were darkroom techniques and double-exposures, etc.)

Last one for fun: I did ask it for a watercolor close up of hands.

Good job, buddy. Spot on.

https://www.tumblr.com/bigmammallama5/732632789726478336?source=share do you have any tips on how to detect ai and deepfakes?

Good question and I'm gonna be honest, it's not always easy and it will only get harder and harder. I'm just an artist who has spent their personal time to dive into this topic and study images. I'm still learning and there is a lot I don't know. But let me show what I know. This will be long, but I will make a summary at the end! So far, even with ai having become better and better there are still almost always some things wrong with an image, and they all have a very specific look to them. So let me try to show you some and point out some of them.

As we all know, a biggest struggle ai had were hands. And even though here and there we still see messed up hands, I say "had", because the hands is actual a good example on how ai is improving and will only get better. Still, looking at pictures that show more hands is always worth it, because somewhere in the back there will be most likely at least one messed up hand.

Another issue a lot of ai still has is hair though!

It's very obvious still in many ai "drawings" and in those otherwise well rendered portraits. Hair starts to blend with the ears a lot, or with the clothes.

There is also often this very odd look between something too sharp and way too blurry

There is often a very specific texture to the hair. I actually do not know the artistic or specific name for it. I can only describe it as this weird sharp feeling that makes it look oddly pixely, and then you have areas where it's very blurry. And the kind of loops and almost flame like looking hair we see in the last pic out of the three here is also something very common with ai.

As an artist I know we make mistakes too! The way I draw hair is flawed too! But it's not only that it's flawed here, but it's following always the same pattern and falls into the same issues over and over again, no matter who is "creating" the image. Those flame like loops are a common one, next to the odd blends and weird sharp and blurry textures.

But ai is getting better, and we not only have "art" and something that tries to be a drawing/painting, but photos too.

A lot of those "photos" have a very specific texture and look to them! Again, it's not always the mistakes, but the very specific optic too. A lot of the images are oddly smooth, too rendered, with always blurry backgrounds. And when you look closer at the background you will see the mistakes! The crowd behind Jesus is a hot mess once you look closer. Bob Marley's hair has the same issue than I described before. Lincoln is surrounded by people with messed up hands and don't even get me started on the faces behind Caesar.

So a lot of ai images look alright on a first and quick glance, but as more time you spend with them, as more mistakes you will notice. The wehre is Waldo of ai horror.

And those "photos" shared here are still very obvious. Not just the mistakes and messed up details but the very specific aesthetic too.

Those images get better and better and as less details you have, as less mistakes you have!

With photos like this it becomes harder and harder. There are not many details and no hands. Not many mistakes can be made. Also the very obvious plastic looking smoothness isn't so much here anymore. It kinda still is...but differently. And always the blurry background!! Sometimes the hair is still a giveaway. Collars and clothe straps are also often still a giveaway upon close look. As is jewelry. Earrings will be different and necklaces often don't go all the way around, just end, or blend with the hair or clothes.

Often details on jewelry is also blurry and not shown properly. This is a trick with many details. With jewelry, batches, hair, ears, text. So it's often blurred out and not shown properly because ai doesn't know what to really show here.

It's often really just the small details and when we scroll down quickly we will miss them. Like the wedding ring on the middle finger, the pens on top of a closed pocket, the batches that are always blurry, messed up faces that blend with a blurry background.

And sometimes it's so subtle that I could only really tell that right is the ai image in comparison to the real photo on the left. The real photo shows hands clearly and even when things are blurred out it doesn't feel that it's done to hide things. The ai image on the right hides the hands. There is also a very dead look in the eyes :D

And here I could only tell because the text in the back doesn't make sense. Even blurred out we should be able to make out something here

And after seeing a lot of ai images I recognize the kind of blurred out bg in combination with a very smooth and well rendered foreground/characters.

And here the only giveaway is a closer look at the backgrounds as well

To summarize it:

Ai and fake news rely on a fast living world. We are being bombarded with tons of information and messages daily and we scroll past quickly. But the best tool, for now, in detecting ai is taking our time! Those images get better and better but so far there are still always some things off!! Especially in the background!

Hair. Often weirdly smoothed out and oddly sharp at the same time

Hair often blends with the ears or the clothes

Details are blurred out.

Jewelry doesn't match (example earrings). Details on metal often blurred out and never shown. Necklaces blend with hair or the clothes, and don't go around the neck.

Background is always blurred out.

In this blurred mess there are often hidden very messed up faces and/or hands.

A very specific smooth and yet too sharp/too rendered aesthetic combines with an always blurry bg.

Text, especialyl in the background, is not legible and doesn't make sense.

Backgrounds are often (so far) the dead giveaway. Somewhere in the back things become muddled and messed up. This shows also very well in ai decor/architecture. There will be odd lines that don't align or align too well. Curtain poles that end in the furniture, a plant that is behind a lamp suddenly having leaves in front of the lamp. As longer you look as more you will notice.

Conclusion:

Take your time with images! Sit with them! Especially when it's framed as important and political news. Is it ai and propaganda, or did it really happen? Don't fall for the quick buzz and outrage! Some things are obvious right away but with others you have to take your time. And it's time you have! If you are still unsure if a pic is real or not, do some research on top. Image reverse search. Can you find it anywhere else? Are other news outlets sharing it? Does the image/message make sense? For example there is now a deepfake of Bella Hadid voicing support for Israel. Ask yourself, does this make sense? If it feels out of line compared to previous behavior, do some research! Media literacy is not just as being able to recognize a fake or real right away, but being able to do research. To question things! Don't just take every post online for face value. Even when shared by a mutual you trust. They might have been tricked!

There are so many information online and it's great to have access to so information, but it's also difficult to wade through all of it. Media and truth are a weapon and it's being twisted and bend used to manipulate. Always has! But ai and so many people being able to post and share things, it becomes bigger and bigger and more dangerous. So don't just take everything that is handed to you and share it further no questions asked. Media literacy and being able to think for ourselves and do the research is important!! And as research becomes harder and harder, as sources are being messed up with ai and other fake news, it's even more important to sit with the images and study them. See the flaws, the mistakes. Compare it to other news and images.

This got long, and I started to ramble at the end. Sorry But I hope this helped

[saramiah]

More primary images!!! That I sourced myself! I took a lovely trip to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham to observe the wonders of nature they had on display. Amongst the plants, in one of the glass houses was a pond, full of koi fish. There's koi fish in Bangladesh! Connection! Amazing Connection! A quick few snaps of the shutter on my phone camera and my arsenal was a few photos heavier. I would use this to my advantage.

Now, aided with the few photos of koi fish swimming in murky green water, I concocted a plan. The question at my frontal lobe, flashing, underlined in red and written in bold: where do I go from here? It didn't take long for a fool proof plan to form, and of course it was to merge lily pads and koi fish. And now my brain was consumed with this idea. I quickly gathered up different green fabrics with varying textures and tones. I was quite successful in my hunt. Next I was tasked with obtaining the right coloured threads that would enhance my idea and take my sample the extra mile. I soon came across all the colours of thread that would complete my work. But then came the hurdle of what fabric to use to sew this masterpiece onto, it was a quick fix: aquafilm - it looked like water and even reflected like water (oh how wrong I was, it was too good to be true) and a light blue netting to further enforces the illusion that I was working with literal water (unfortunately this isn't so visible on the images). I went ahead with my equipment and set up my work space. Using scissors, an essential piece of equipment in even an average armoury, I carefully, but with efficient speed, cut lily pads in a range of sizes from each green fabric I had picked up from my travels. Now equipped with green discs, thread and scissors I set up my sewing machine and began attaching my ideas together literally and mentally. I used the zigzag stitch manoeuvred my work around slowly and with caution to create a perfect outline around these lily pads.

That was the lily pads out of the way, next to tackle was the koi fish. I started off by simply drawing the outline with a ballpoint pen and mapping out where I want each fish to be placed (this world is in my hands). The rest was smooth sailing from there. Using the zigzag stitch (my favourite) to fill in the body of the fish and then the single line stitch to outline the fins and tail and add some structure and make the 'fans' of the fins and tail more obvious. After three fish, two red and one white, this mission came to a close. For now. To be continued...

[trubluebecca]

I guess I need to do a better job checking the cash people hand me. The items I marked down that I sold (which also can be difficult to keep track of and could be off) and the final money count in my change bag + the credit card sales are off by $8. I can think of one big mixed up pile of bills I was given that I didn't check closely. However that person had already made another purchase of $40, so I was like, ok, they've already given me a lot, I don't care if it's under.

$8 isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it makes me wonder where I messed up.

BTW I did a small, library hosted, comic/pop culture show a town over and it was fun. I heard it was slower this year from other vendors. I never have super fast/amazing sales at these, but I just don't know where else to sell the creature portion of my work. Also, as mentioned, they tend to be fun.

I was a table on the "passport" and got to stamp passports for people (mostly kids) that posed like one of my drawings. At first I thought that was kind of silly and they were just thinking of the opossum, but then I realized I actually do have a lot of different poses in my work, haha. Still, some kids tried to pose like the Captain America photo that is printed on my commission sample sheet. I had to tell them "No, that one doesn't count. I didn't draw that." Despite the traffic from that, I made only a couple small sales from it.

I think this is the first not dog show I've done since I have had more merch. Bird art was quite popular. Little kids liked the stickers with lizards on them (as suspected!) I'm so bummed I didn't get to do the holiday craft show at a nature center that I was set to do last year because I caught COVID. I think I would have done REALLY well at that show and had a lot of stuff made up specifically for it. Barn owl stuff got a lot of comments asking if it was Jareth from Labyrinth. So guess that's a good species for nature shows and pop culture things. Sold a few greeting cards of various designs. Got asked if I had art of x breed and said no. The purchase freebie preference was for prints and not stickers as seems to be the case at a lot of shows.

I was told if I do a show in Sedona to jack my prices up. I also had a few people interested in pet portraits, but we'll see if those pan out. A younger person may commission me for some pieces to use in the book they wrote. I really hope they reach out, because it sounded like a fun project. I should have gotten some contact info.