#AI client scheduling

[technologyequality]

How AI Can Book Meetings While You Sleep

How AI Can Book Meetings While You Sleep We need to talk about one of the biggest time-wasters in business; back-and-forth scheduling. You know the drill: “Does Tuesday at 3 work?” “No, what about Thursday at 10?” “Actually, can we do next week instead?” By the time you finally lock in a meeting, you’ve burned 15 emails and at least two brain cells. But what if I told you AI can handle…

[forthelostones]

𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 ➺ 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚢 #10 (𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 1)

anderson construction and landscaping had been parked outside your door since you returned home from university. as if the summer couldn't get any hotter, the business owner works overtime in your area. anderson is collecting new, loyal clients of your neighbors, cementing her permanence in your life for the next few months. what's to come of your girlish crush when she keeps showing up?

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜. 18+ (mdni); age-gap, young!reader, older!abby, butch!abby, slow-burn, suggestive language, thoughts of infidelity, ellie ft, smoking/drinking, mentions of parents, nickname: sweetheart, and modern au.

𝚊𝚗. guys, you're awesome that's for supporting me. i've recently stopped using grammarly for a more real writing experience. so if things are wonky, just know thats why! no more ai help.

♫ 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝. come see me by jill scott ♫

“Shit, what time is it?” She rubs her eyes.  

“Almost 12, but lucky for you there are no clients on the schedule today. It’s a planning period, remember?” You said, suddenly nauseous. 

Ms. Anderson’s hand grasped her chest and she slowly breathed herself out of the early chaos. In a poor attempt, she rakes a hand through gnarled hair and you stand with your arms crossed like an upset mother waiting for their daughter to explain a wild excursion. 

“Right.” She managed. 

“Nice robe.” You mutter sarcastically. 

Abby’s face contorts in pure embarrassment as she grips her ribcage before scurrying into the hallway leaving you alone with the ghosts of last night. An empty bottle of red wine with a gold label sat on the coffee table in plain view. You scuff, literally, letting out a breath of disbelief because the things you felt and believed were now un-real. You slump down onto the couch face warm from a certain humiliation that you could only associate as conflating her looks and kindness for more. You did it again. 

Abby walks out in a white Anderson and Co. t-shirt with the logo across her back. The fabric stretching across her traps, tightening around her muscles. You admire her ass in those dark wash jeans and her slick bun. Even as you were upset you couldn’t help but admire how her grays shimmered. “Want a cup?” 

Her offer of coffee was tempting after the night you had with Ellie. Being stubborn would make you look even more like a child so you kindly accept with the intentions of not drinking it at all. You follow her into the kitchen and stand in silence, staring at the unwashed pots and empty glasses. 

“I’ve been off my game, I had an unexpected visitor, I promise I’m more organized than this.” She sighed. 

Unexpected visitor.

“It’s perfect that I’m here now then, isn’t it?” Your voice unusually timid. 

She turns away from her machine and closes her eyes as if they weighed a ton. “It seems like once I gotcha, I lost all my senses.” 

A beat fell between two and the coffee drip pulled at the thick tension as Ms. Anderson’s gaze fell on you. You crack a willful smile and then peer at the kitchen floor knowing you can’t hide from her here. 

The time that you spend with Abby seems to go by quickly because by the time you check your phone it’s already 8:00 p.m. You press your hand to your forehead after looking through numbers and endless identical names, small square boxes on digital screens, it was straining on your eyes. You couldn't complain, you needed the distraction. After Ms. Anderson cleaned up her mess and you both settled into her office, the conversation and work flow clicked effortlessly. She listened when you spoke and took time to process every syllable, all while teaching you her customer management systems, and the basics of organizing a comprehensive schedule. The main priority today was allocating tasks to her staff for upcoming projects and seeing Ellie’s name on the roaster made your stomach flip. 

“Listen, I was thinking last night, this is pretty monumental for me as I am shifting into a new level of A&C and you joining me, maybe if you’re not busy we can celebrate?” She asked. 

“Oh,” Is all you manage. 

“Or not? I see you’re tired and had a long day, unpaid time with the boss, I get it.” Her instant defeat was a little adorable.

“No, no, Ms. Anderson I would like that, I just wish I wore something nicer.” You sigh. 

“I think this looks amazing.” She said drinking you in.

You arrive at one of the few standing lesbian bars in the state that invited all female jazz musicians to provide the entertainment. The building was brick and seemed small but spanned all the way down the plot, housing a wide parking lot, shockingly full with cars on a weekday. 

“I won’t tell you how long I’ve been comin’ here.” She smiles putting the car into park, flaunting those kind crowfeet. 

Slipping out of the truck and walking on the gravel you started to hear the grumblings of a drum kit and wonder what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into. As expected she opens the door for you and welcomes you into a private sliver of her world. Given Ms. Anderson’s past of being a bartender it made sense that she’d take you somewhere like this, but it being a lesbian bar, made it all the more interesting. Women, mostly older, scattered around in two main parts, the dining area with small duo only tables, or the bar that was cornered by a stage and dance floor. You had never seen so many lesbians in one place before, studs and butches vying for attention from femmes flaunting their silky legs and ready bodies. 

“Let’s have a bite. I promise it’s nothing like you had in college, sweetheart.” 

Self seating was a blessing as Ms. Anderson picked the prime seat, a booth big enough for two. You slip into the far end and Abby follows suit and reaching to pull out her glasses, but before she could you stop her. “I could read it for you.” 

Her brow rises and she sinks down a bit to spread her legs wider. Wider into yours. Her thighs brush yours and it was sweet, so sweet. The menu was held in a black, clothed book and the options spread from appetizers to dessert. A waiter, about your age, came over with Barbie pink lip and electric blue eyeshadow. “Hi, what do you want to drink?” 

No niceties just direct and you liked that. 

“I’ll have an old fashion and whatever she would like.” Ms. Anderson smiled at you. 

“I will have… that.” 

The waiter looked at you shocked and so did your counterpart. Back to the menu you lean in even though the music was a soft tickle of a riffing piano. “So, how hungry are you?” Looking up into her eyes was dangerous but you couldn’t help it. Abby chewed on the corner of her mouth and shrugged. 

“Hungry enough to eat,” 

You order two appetizers that serve as your meal. Once the drinks came out Abby turned towards you and raised a glass to make a toast. “For my very first and best-est assistant, thank you.” 

In unison the cups come to your lips with unwavering eye contact. Your eyes dipped over the rim to watch the handsome woman lick her lips to digest the flavor fully. Your body jolts from the immediate heartburn, this drink was nothing familiar, which made her laugh. 

“You didn’t have to get that.” 

“I know, jus’ something new when I’m with you. Plus, I need something stronger than a cider right now.” You add. 

“You’re okay right?”

You exhale allowing a tug at your lips, “I will be.” 

The pianist concluded its set before another large brass band started to infiltrate the stage.

“I would enjoy it if you joined me to watch the band.” She muttered, her words a bit stiff as if she had practiced them first. 

“Of course.” 

The image of Ms. Anderson, young and reckless flashed in front of my eyes as she swayed alongside you to the silky sound of the sax. The woman’s lower body rocks in opposition to her shoulders, making a good synchronous bounce to come about. Slightly shocked you watch her slyly rock side to side balancing another thick scotch in her left hand, eyes locked in on the band. Her eyes fluttering, a very subtle indication that she’s nearing intoxication.

Your eyes pace the room, searching for something other than Abby’s nose, that you can’t help but think about. Those lips sat perfectly between it and her chin, pink and damp, stinging from her top shelf beverage. Attempting to appear normal you step side to side and bob your head as the tempo increased. Couples begin swirling around you and Abby and suddenly you were transported to a different era. Legs thrusted out in kicks and ball changes which made your heart bounce. 

Abby leaned back slightly and lifter her glass in an admirable jeer. A slow figure closes in on your left side, taller than Abigail by a few inches and absolutely lofty. The woman had a head full locs, split down the middle, cascading down to her shoulders and skin so dark it had a sheen under the blue stage lights, as if she was glowing. She was probably closer to thirty and her confident was exuberant, you couldn’t help but lean in as she cut past all the flailing limbs. 

“You’re looking pretty nervous,” She chuckles in your ear. 

Her warm breath tickled you and as you adjusted to her body next to yours, you notice Ms. Anderson take an awkward sip, chucking a tight grin in your direction. 

“I need something to make me… less nervous, I suppose.” You reply, nearly yelling into her ear as she bends down, accepting your hand on her shoulder. 

“Your girl isn’t helping?” 

“Boss.” 

It stung to say that, especially with you and Ellie on the fence and an undeniable crush on Ms. Anderson, being in this position felt weird. 

“Shit, that makes more sense, would you like to dance?” 

She was so gentle with her large hand resting just above your hip ever so. You look at Abby who locks in on the stage while nursing the last few sips of drink. 

“Teach me?” You say, as she tugs you into her hips and dips you towards the ground. 

Her strength made you yelp over the clattering of instruments. Directly under a sudden white spotlight, her deep brown eyes focused into view, gold hoop in her nose, and a wide mouth that she wet slightly with the tip of her tongue. 

Once pulled back up, the audience began clapping and the next song began without missing a beat. Your new friend spun you around and twisted you so quick that before it registered that you could even move like this. Something opened up inside of you like a newfound freedom beckoning you to simply let go, which you did. 

꒰ঌ ໒꒱

[bottledpeaches]

LOVE IS CONCOCTED FROM ESTERS AND KETONES- A HSR X READER SERIES

SYNOPSIS: as a renowned perfumer throughout the galaxy, your shop sees a colorful cast searching for their signature scent on the daily. between running your business, crafting new scents to meet your clients' particular tastes, and dealing with their... growing feelings(?), how will you manage to stay afloat?

TAGS: comedy, fluff, slice of life, character analysis in disguise, gn reader

STATUS: ongoing, no update schedule

TAGLIST: @tragedy-of-commons, @mitsvriii, @harque, @nariism, @vxnuslogy, @akutasoda , @flowery-jazz , @gabile18 , @khoncore , @lxkeeeee , @marnie-the-alchemist, @mave-in, (if your blog is in bold it means I can’t tag you!)

NOTES: the taglist is open! sign up to be notified for updates to this series or my works in general

this series will also be cross posted on ao3!

CHAPTERS

00. prologue

01. aventurine

02. robin

03. sunday

04. gallagher

05. topaz

06. jing yuan

07. dr ratio

08. blade

tbd!

@ bottledpeaches, do not copy, repost, modify, translate, or feed to ai

[callalillywrites]

Beary Perfect Replicas

Written for @flufftober's Fluff Bingo. B2 - Plushie.

When I saw this prompt, I just knew it screamed Jake Jensen.

Jake Jensen Masterlist | Fluff Bingo | Main Masterlist

Pairing: Jake Jensen x F!Reader (established relationship)

Word Count: 1432

Summary: Jake gets you a special gift because he wants to make your time away (due to both your jobs) a little bit easier.

Warnings: very sweet, sappy Jake; implied smut; fade to black; rest is just tooth-rotting fluff

A/N: I may have gone a little overboard with all the sweet fluff that's in this story. I regret nothing.

I do not give permission to have my works copied, translated, reposted, or fed into an AI machine.

*****

Your phone pinged with a text the moment you walked into your apartment.

Dropping your things in a heap near the door, you fished out your phone from your pocket. While you did typically leave it in your camera bag, you'd been busy with clients all day. Your pocket had been the easiest solution as you dealt with the busy day.

Exhaustion rolled over you and settled like an overweight, entitled cat on your shoulders.

Not another client question, you couldn't help thinking before your phone's screen lit up.

The familiar name showing on your screen with the notification dragged a smile across your lips.

Jake.

Your longtime boyfriend.

Oh, that was someone you wanted to hear from.

Unlocking your phone, you tapped on his message.

Your smile slipped a little as you read: Called into work. So sorry, babe. Wanted to be there. Miss you.

How long? I miss you, too, you typed back.

Barely any time passed before Jake sent you another that read: Unsure. Clay's being dodgy.

Well, poo.

You'd been hoping whatever new mission he'd been pulled into wouldn't be a long one. Between your schedules lately, the two of you hadn't been getting to spend much time together. A fact that wasn't lost on either of you. It'd been the reason you left the office early, determined to get an evening with Jake.

As if reading your mind, another message popped up on your screen: Oh almost forgot. Check bedroom. Special gift for ya.

Not needing to be told twice, you kicked off your shoes, unmindful of where they landed, then dashed across your apartment.

The door to your shared bedroom stood open a crack. It didn't give you much to go on until you pushed it fully open. You had no need to scan the room as your gift sat in the middle of your made bed.

The sweetest looking stuffed bear.

It took you another moment to take in all his little details.

When you did, you couldn't help the full smile that covered your face until your cheeks hurt.

The bear resembled one of those from Build-a-Bear, but it went beyond their limited options.

No, this one had been fully made into the almost-spitting image of your sweet and loving Jake. Little circular glasses rested on its nose in the same wire frames. It even had the goatee and the frosted tips on the tiny bits of hair they'd stitched between its ears.

The bear even smelled like him.

You had no idea how he'd made that happen, but it made your heart feel close to bursting. Your arms wrapped around the bear as tight as you could manage, just so you could breathe in the subtle scent wafting off its fur. You went so far to smush your face into its fur to better breathe in that soothing scent that Jake always had. He smelled like home.

Without realizing it, you accidentally activated another surprise Jake had installed on the bear.

His voice filled the room.

"Hey, love, I, uh, I-I'm not used to doing these, but I just wanted you to know how much I love you. You make every day so much brighter, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I know we can't always be together because of our jobs, but I thought this might help in those lonelier times. You're never far from my thoughts, and I really hope I'm in yours. Love ya, angel."

Hearing the falter at the start had your heart twisting, but his words came out stronger the longer he went on. It made your heart twist more as love filled you.

Oh, this man has been on your mind since the day you met.

You had few doubts he would remain on your mind forever at this point, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

Especially with this new bear that looked so much like him.

As your gaze drifted over the bear with renewed fondness, a soft glint on the bed caught your attention.

Turning your head to see what it was, you gasped at the sight of the outfits you hadn't seen before. Several lined up behind where the bear had been sitting. The soft glare came from a necklace that bore two dog tags. Upon closer inspection, they bore the similar information as Jake's did.

Without thinking, you slipped them over the bear's head and settled them just so. They finished the outfit the bear already wore — the pink 'Petunias' shirt he wore in support of his niece and the cargo pants he preferred for their numerous pockets.

It was only when you went to fully inspect the other outfits that you noticed they were all your favorite outfits from his closet. Right down to the few accessories, he hadn't left out anything from each of them. Your mind froze at this realization of how much he paid attention to your compliments and your choices on a few special occasions.

A new text notification from your phone was the only thing to bring you out of your frozen state.

See it yet? You like it?

Your fingers trembled as you fumbled to type back: Oh, J, I adore it. Wish you were here so I could show you just how much.

And you really did love the bear.

It was already on your mind that this mini Jake would be following you everywhere. No more so than the times that the real one couldn't go with you. Like the work trip you had coming up and had been dreading until you came home that night to find this new treasure waiting on you.

Another ding came a moment later.

Be home soon. Mission's no-go.

Reading his latest text, an idea came to you.

If you knew Jake and you really did know him, he'd be breaking all kinds of driving laws to get back to you. Well, maybe not breaking them but very much bending them as he knew you, too, and how much you'd hate to see him in trouble.

By the time he pushed the front door open some time later, you were already ready and waiting. You pounced before he could even call out your name, dragging him to the closest surface you could find. After all, you had to show him just how much you appreciated your gift. Even more so, you had to show him how much he meant to you.

And you did.

The sun had long since set before Jake got the chance to show you the other half of his gift.

With movements sluggish from being so sated by your rather vigorous and thorough appreciation, he pulled out the matching bear he had made to look just like you. From your hair to your tips of your toes, he didn't spare a single detail, either. You even learned he'd gone and made it smell like your favorite fragrances, but that wasn't all. He'd even given himself a recording of a recent voicemail you left him, so he could have your voice, too.

Like his bear, he also had several outfits made for the bear to match the ones he loved seeing you in. You'd been pleasantly surprised to find that only one of them was made of lingerie as he always appreciated those, but no, he'd chosen some of your everyday outfits.

When you landed on the dress you'd worn on your first date with him, tears misted your eyes. You honestly couldn't believe he remembered that outfit. You even said so aloud.

"How could I not, angel? When I saw you step out of your place in that dress, I knew you were it. I was so head over heels that I was afraid I'd scare you away."

What little distance existed between you as you studied your mini replica disappeared. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you tugged him down until your lips could touch his. It was a kiss filled with promise, love, and adoration for the man at your side.

When you pulled away, you couldn't help saying, "Better be careful, or we're not leaving this room until I give you a repeat performance of earlier."

"I mean, I wouldn't be upset if you did," he said even as pink flooded his cheeks while a shy but happy grin spread over his features. You lost it when he waggled his brows at you before lifting you and setting you on the bed, saying, "Or better yet, how about I return the favor?"

And he did.

[leithillustration]

Once again I'm back from the dead after two weeks of forgetting to post anything. I swear the ADHD will not allow me to do anything on a weekly schedule!

Current WIPs

Illustration Portfolio

I've been building a PDF to help showcase my work. I'm forever intimidated by my website- I'll happily design someone else's but doing my own is always excruciating. I also get frustrated that every application for freelance work specifies different criteria/work examples they want to see, meaning I have to edit my site or make a new page every time. I am much more confident designing for print, so making a PDF portfolio is a lot more satisfying and I like the control I have over it. The plan is to make a master file for every aspect of my work, then I can duplicate it to delete or edit pages to suit different criteria before sending to potential clients.

It's almost complete, so now I'm glazing each page (all 31 of them because fuck ai scraping my work) and then I'll be uploading bits of it to my social media and website.

One more WIP and tags under the cut

Fitz and Fool doodles

Not exactly a specific work in progress, but I am in the midst of reading Fool's Fate and the only way I can cope with the anguish is by doodling cosy pics of my favourite boys (particularly when they are not quarrelling or in mortal peril). Eventually, I hope to work up one of my doodles into a bigger piece on Procreate, but currently I have so many ideas I just need to get them all down in my sketchbook first.

Thanks and love to everyone who has tagged me in their WIPs and SSSs recently, including @youarenevertooold @monbons @fiend-for-culture @theimpossibledemon @thewholelemon @nausikaaa @the-beard-of-edward-teach @aristocratic-otter @artsyunderstudy and @orange-peony. Sorry I'm so terrible at responding, I promise I really love reading about your work and getting to share in what brings you joy🩷 Big love to you all!!

Tags, as always, are pressure free and sent with love. You're all wonderful.

@iamamythologicalcreature @alexalexinii @cattocavo @that-disabled-princess @katatsumuli

@cutestkilla @rimeswithpurple @larkral @best--dress @scribble-tier @raenestee

@nightimedreamersworld @itriednottothinkaboutit @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @angelsfalling16

@argumentativeantitheticalg @lovelyladzzzz

[shroomerr]

OPENING 1 COMMISSION SLOT !!!

SLOTS ARE NOW CLOSED !!!

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT !!! <3333333

Hihi y’all !! I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but I had a school assignment that gave me the opportunity to finally kickstart my commissions! For now, I’m only opening 1 slot because of my busy schedule. Once that slot is filled, I’ll have to close my commissions (I will likely reopen them sometime this summer if possible).

If you’re interesting in commissioning me, please contact me through DM’s or via email at shroomer.illustration@gmail.com ! Please also make sure to carefully read my ToS below before you contact me.

I hope you’re as excited as I am, and thank you as always for your support!! Reblogs are also super appreciated 🫶🫶🫶 LOVE YOU ALL !

Terms and Conditions:

General

By paying for my services, it means that you have read and accepted my Terms and Conditions. 

Terms of Service and Prices are subject to change at anytime. You are only subject to the ToS and prices agreed upon at the time of the transaction.

I reserve the right to reject a commission for any reason.

All artwork is transferred digitally.

Payment

Payments will only be accepted through PayPal, in USD. I require 50% upfront or full payment before starting a commission. Once I accept your commission, I will send an invoice via PayPal. Only once the invoice is paid will I start working on your commission. If the invoice is not paid, I will have to cancel the commission.

Price can vary based on the amount of detail. 

Refunds will only be allowed if nothing has started. I do not allow refunds after the sketch approval.

Deadlines

Depending on my workload, the turnaround time should take no longer than 4 weeks. I will provide an estimate time for completion, and/or indicate if there is a delay in completing your commission. 

You may request a WIP at any time. I will try my best to respond as soon as possible.

Usage Policy

My artwork is for personal use only. No commercial use of my artwork is allowed. 

I reserve the right to my artwork and the right to post it. If you would like your commission to be private and not published on social media, please let me know!

If you would like to post your commission on social media, please be sure to include my signature or to tag me in the post. 

You may not use my artwork for any kind of Generative AI Training or for NFTs. 

Other

Please provide at least one clear visual reference for original character illustrations. It could be your own artwork, other commissioned work, or even a PIcrew. If not, descriptions and a moodboard/inspiration board can be accepted, though extra will be charged. 

I will only allow 2 major changes (ex: poses, characters) and 3 minor changes (ex: colors, accessories) during the sketch and colouring process. Any more beyond this will include additional charges.

For all lineart commissions, I do not allow having other commissioned artists to color it in. If the client would like, they can color it in themselves to be used as a visual guide or for personal use. However, I do not allow that modified version to be posted anywhere. 

I would also like to be transparent and say that because this is for a school assignment, I have to document the process of this commission, but I will not include your identity nor the contents of your commission! Everything will remain 100% anonymous. 

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The reverse-centaur apocalypse is upon us

I'm coming to DEFCON! On Aug 9, I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On Aug 10, I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

In thinking about the relationship between tech and labor, one of the most useful conceptual frameworks is "centaurs" vs "reverse-centaurs":

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/17/revenge-of-the-chickenized-reverse-centaurs/

A centaur is someone whose work is supercharged by automation: you are a human head atop the tireless body of a machine that lets you get more done than you could ever do on your own.

A reverse-centaur is someone who is harnessed to the machine, reduced to a mere peripheral for a cruelly tireless robotic overlord that directs you to do the work that it can't, at a robotic pace, until your body and mind are smashed.

Bosses love being centaurs. While workplace monitoring is as old as Taylorism – the "scientific management" of the previous century that saw labcoated frauds dictating the fine movements of working people in a kabuki of "efficiency" – the lockdowns saw an explosion of bossware, the digital tools that let bosses monitor employees to a degree and at a scale that far outstrips the capacity of any unassisted human being.

Armed with bossware, your boss becomes a centaur, able to monitor you down to your keystrokes, the movements of your eyes, even the ambient sound around you. It was this technology that transformed "work from home" into "live at work." But bossware doesn't just let your boss spy on you – it lets your boss control you. \

It turns you into a reverse-centaur.

"Data At Work" is a research project from Cracked Labs that dives deep into the use of surveillance and control technology in a variety of workplaces – including workers' own cars and homes:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work

It consists of a series of papers that take deep dives into different vendors' bossware products, exploring how they are advertised, how they are used, and (crucially) how they make workers feel. There are also sections on how these interact with EU labor laws (the project is underwritten by the Austrian Arbeiterkammer), with the occasional aside about how weak US labor laws are.

The latest report in the series comes from Wolfie Christl, digging into Microsoft's "Dynamics 365," a suite of mobile apps designed to exert control over "field workers" – repair technicians, security guards, cleaners, and home help for ill, elderly and disabled people:

https://crackedlabs.org/dl/CrackedLabs_Christl_MobileWork.pdf

It's…not good. Microsoft advises its customers to use its products to track workers' location every "60 to 300 seconds." Workers are given tasks broken down into subtasks, each with its own expected time to completion. Workers are expected to use the app every time they arrive at a site, begin or complete a task or subtask, or start or end a break.

For bosses, all of this turns into a dashboard that shows how each worker is performing from instant to instant, whether they are meeting time targets, and whether they are spending more time on a task than the client's billing rate will pay for. Each work order has a clock showing elapsed seconds since it was issued.

For workers, the system generates new schedules with new work orders all day long, refreshing your work schedule as frequently as twice per hour. Bosses can flag workers as available for jobs that fall outside their territories and/or working hours, and the system will assign workers to jobs that require them to work in their off hours and travel long distances to do so.

Each task and subtask has a target time based on "AI" predictions. These are classic examples of Goodhart's Law: "any metric eventually becomes a target." The average time that workers take becomes the maximum time that a worker is allowed to take. Some jobs are easy, and can be completed in less time than assigned. When this happens, the average time to do a job shrinks, and the time allotted for normal (or difficult) jobs contracts.

Bosses get stack-ranks of workers showing which workers closed the most tickets, worked the fastest, spent the least time idle between jobs, and, of course, whether the client gave them five stars. Workers know it, creating an impossible bind: to do the job well, in a friendly fashion, the worker has to take time to talk with the client, understand their needs, and do the job. Anything less will generate unfavorable reports from clients. But doing this will blow through time quotas, which produces bad reports from the bossware. Heads you lose, tails the boss wins.

Predictably, Microsoft has shoveled "AI" into every corner of this product. Bosses don't just get charts showing them which workers are "underperforming" – they also get summaries of all the narrative aspects of the workers' reports (e.g. "My client was in severe pain so I took extra time to make her comfortable before leaving"), filled with the usual hallucinations and other botshit.

No boss could exert this kind of fine-grained, soul-destroying control over any workforce, much less a workforce that is out in the field all day, without Microsoft's automation tools. Armed with Dynamics 365, a boss becomes a true centaur, capable of superhuman feats of labor abuse.

And when workers are subjected to Dynamics 365, they become true reverse-centaurs, driven by "digital whips" to work at a pace that outstrips the long-term capacity of their minds and bodies to bear it. The enthnographic parts of the report veer between chilling and heartbreaking.

Microsoft strenuously objects to this characterization, insisting that their tool (which they advise bosses to use to check on workers' location every 60-300 seconds) is not a "surveillance" tool, it's a "coordination" tool. They say that all the AI in the tool is "Responsible AI," which is doubtless a great comfort to workers.

In Microsoft's (mild) defense, they are not unique. Other reports in the series show how retail workers and hotel housekeepers are subjected to "despot on demand" services provided by Oracle:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work/publications/retail-hospitality

Call centers, are even worse. After all, most of this stuff started with call centers:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work/publications/callcenter

I've written about Arise, a predatory "work from home" company that targets Black women to pay the company to work for it (they also have to pay if they quit!). Of course, they can be fired at will:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/29/impunity-corrodes/#arise-ye-prisoners

There's also a report about Celonis, a giant German company no one has ever heard of, which gathers a truly nightmarish quantity of information about white-collar workers' activities, subjecting them to AI phrenology to judge their "emotional quality" as well as other metrics:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work/publications/processmining-algomanage

As Celonis shows, this stuff is coming for all of us. I've dubbed this process "the shitty technology adoption curve": the terrible things we do to prisoners, asylum seekers and people in mental institutions today gets repackaged tomorrow for students, parolees, Uber drivers and blue-collar workers. Then it works its way up the privilege gradient, until we're all being turned into reverse-centaurs under the "digital whip" of a centaur boss:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/11/25/the-peoples-amazon/#clippys-revenge

In mediating between asshole bosses and the workers they destroy, these bossware technologies do more than automate: they also insulate. Thanks to bossware, your boss doesn't have to look you in the eye (or come within range of your fists) to check in on you every 60 seconds and tell you that you've taken 11 seconds too long on a task. I recently learned a useful term for this: an "accountability sink," as described by Dan Davies in his new book, The Unaccountability Machine, which is high on my (very long) list of books to read:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/02/despotism-on-demand/#virtual-whips

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[slugluvr69]

Hey all! I'm opening commissions on behalf of Safaa @sfaamq10 who is trying to escape Gaza with her family.

Her campaign was reblogged by 90-ghost here (terminated blog, same person/gfm)

Donations dated before December 1, 2024 are not eligible.

Fill out the google form here to secure your slot, and I'll contact you for proof of donation and references before moving forward with your commission.

The amount you donate corresponds to the type of commission available to you, as pictured above.

Slot info and TOS/details below.

Prices are in USD.

FULLBODY ($80) - 1/1 SLOTS

Two Major revisions allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

HALFBODY ($60) - 2/2 SLOTS

Two Major revisions allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

CHIBI ($25) - 2/2 SLOTS

One Major revision allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

BUST ($20) - 4/4 SLOTS

One Major revision allowed, minor tweaks accepted up until piece is finished.

LITTLE DOODLE ($5) - NO LIMIT, CLOSES WHEN I DEEM IT NECESSARY

Extremely minor revisions only, I don't do a sketch for these at all so you get what you get. Quick and dirty yeehaw.

TOS

All commissions are for personal use only. Absolutely no commercial use permitted.

Turnaround of up to 6 weeks for chibis/busts, and 2 months for full/halfbodies. Little doodles should be quicker. I draw slowly and have an insane work schedule, so please bear with me.

Please provide a clear visual or text reference for your character. Supplemental references (moodboards, faceclaims, other inspirations) are of course welcome and appreciated.

Complex designs will be simplified

If you have a pose/expression in mind please say so and give examples when you send your references.

I reserve the right to refuse any request, and may ask you to choose something else or look elsewhere.

In regards to furries/antho/monsters, I'd be happy to try to draw your character but I don't have much experience with that kind of design so I can't guarantee satisfactory results. If you're okay with taking that risk then request away!

Do not use the commission for NFTs (are these even still around lmfao) or run it through AI image processors. Do not edit the commission with AI.

All commissions are full color and lineless. Static poses only (chibis can get a bit weirder with it but no dynamic angles)

Single characters only this time. You can donate more to reserve more slots, but any additional slots will be for a single character as well.

I will draw real people, as long as you can prove that you have permission to make the request. Doesn't apply to famous actors of course.

I will be batch posting the finished pieces to my blog (lower res, watermarked), with a link back to each client's social media of choice. If you don't want yours posted, let me know.

Due to the nature of the process, there will be no refunds.

If you have any questions send me an ask and we can discuss :)

[herbhexecrafts]

Using AI in witchcraft (Hot Take?)

We have come a long way in terms of AI taking over and as someone who lives by the mentality of 'work smarter not harder', I decided to play around with different AI tools such as #ChatGPT for my mundane job to help be create tools for clients dealing with motivation, organization and mental distress as well as playing around in my witchcraft.

Obviously, I would never recommend using AI to rip off real artists or creators or tell my students to use it in an academic way but I feel that it has been helpful for me. The power of AI, I feel, comes from how you use it. For example, I have gotten different responses depending on what I ask AI to do, the biggest difference I've seen are prompts like 'help me write/create' vs 'write/create for me' and including the prompt for AI to provide references.

Trying to find information on Slavic and Germanic folk practices has been tricky for me, so I feel so grateful to find creators such as ThePolishWitch and Ella Harrison on socials to learn from but as a history nerd, I also like doing my own research and finding direct text or sources. This has been a challenge due to my lack of understanding the language of my ancestors. I speak OK German through my family and formal education but not confident to read a primary source on a topic.

I also deal with difficulty with organization and have things like moon phases, sabbaths and things sneak up on me because I tend to deal with 'time blindness'.

With all this, I wanted to share some prompts that I used recently to hopefully keep myself and my practice more on track for 2025.

->"come up with a 2025 schedule of slavic folk, pagan and german folk sabbaths and ideas on how to celebrate"

-> "list of German and alpine spirits and deities of folklore"

->"write introduction with sources about germanic deities and spirits" with a follow up prompt of "yes, more detailed breakdown of specific deities" and "what about Frau Perchta?"

-> "provide me a list of references you used to create this chat"

As a follow up, please don't take what AI creates at face value and do your own follow up research to confirm but this is something that I have found incredibly helpful as a solo Practioner with few resources.

Attached is part of the calendar I asked AI to create that I will research further before deciding to add to my grimoire and regular practice. I even asked for pronunciation help but will double check those since I can already tell that Perchta is pronounced incorrectly.

I will also not be doing the ritual recommended with #Marzanna since she and I have a different relationship and I have my own go-to ritual that I will happily share if anyone is interested.

[carlhofelina]

Artificial Intelligence is more than just a buzzword—it's a powerful force shaping the way we work, live, and connect. As businesses and professionals navigate the rapidly changing digital landscape, AI integration has become not only an advantage but a necessity. From automating repetitive tasks to streamlining communication, AI is transforming the workplace—and now is the time to plug in.

What Is AI Integration?

AI integration refers to the process of embedding intelligent technology into your current systems and workflows. Instead of replacing human effort, it enhances capabilities by analysing data, learning patterns, and optimising operations in real-time. For professionals and organisations alike, this means better decisions, faster execution, and improved customer experiences.

Why Embrace AI Today?

Here’s how AI integration is making a difference across industries:

Improved Efficiency

With AI handling time-consuming tasks like email filtering, data analysis, and scheduling, teams can focus on what truly matters—innovation and human connection.

Smarter Decisions

 AI can process huge amounts of information quickly, offering insights that help businesses make better, data-backed choices.

Digital Strength

Today’s digital-first world demands a solid online presence. AI tools play a major role in Digital Presence Management, from optimising search visibility to curating consistent social media content.

Personal Branding 

Professionals and entrepreneurs are increasingly using AI-powered personal branding tools to craft compelling bios, automate content creation, and engage with audiences more effectively.

B2B Strategy

In a competitive market, B2B branding strategy supported by AI helps teams personalise outreach, understand client behaviour, and build stronger relationships.

Getting Started With AI Integration

Adopting AI doesn’t require a tech overhaul. Start with tools you may already be using:

Leverage Smart Features: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Canva now include AI suggestions, writing assistants, and design tools.

Automate with Purpose: Platforms like Zapier or Make.com allow easy automation between your favourite apps and services.

Explore Industry Tools: If you’re in marketing, explore ChatGPT or Jasper for content. If you’re in customer service, check out AI-enabled platforms like Intercom or Drift.

Best Practices for a Smooth Transition

Educate Your Team: Offer basic training so everyone feels confident using AI tools.

Start with a Small Project: Test out AI on a single workflow, such as automating social media or customer queries.

Maintain Human Oversight: Always review AI outputs for accuracy and relevance.

Key Takeaways

AI integration is no longer optional—it's essential. Whether you're looking to improve productivity, enhance brand visibility, or gain a competitive edge, integrating AI is a smart step forward.

Visit Best Virtual Specialist to discover how our expert virtual professionals can help you integrate AI tools, elevate your digital presence, and transform your workflow. 

[ax0latte]

[ RBs ❤️ ] My commissions are open!

I typically do about 3 slots at a time but I can put you on a waitlist if necessary.

Extended ToS under the cut

GENERAL By commissioning me you are confirming that you have read and fully agree to my terms of service. I can reject any requests that I deem inappropriate or something out of my range, and I may also reject requested changes if I am given artistic freedom and then asked for a change later. If a client is rushing me or is rude, I have the right to decline their request, refund, or give out a partial refund depending on the progress of the commission. Please keep in mind that I am physically disabled and it may take me longer than the average time to complete commissions. Visual references are mandatory as I cannot work with a written description only, but having both is also appreciated. I cannot draw anthro or feral and I will not draw any suggestive content or NSFW. I do NOT do/allow NFT art/AI training.

PAYMENTS Initial payments are preferred to be paid in full upon commissioning. After paying, your commission will be accepted and put into a queue after full payment and if you meet the criteria above. Major edits after confirmation of the piece at the sketch stage and coloring/final stage will require an additional fee depending on complexity, but I'm more than willing to make minor edits using your feedback to ensure the piece meets your needs. Examples of major edits include things like a full recoloring, different pose, outfit, etc. Tips are always appreciated but not necessary!

REFUNDS If the client requests a refund before the sketch begins, I will keep 5% of the current amount paid. If I am in the process of the sketch or have finished it and the client requests a refund, I will keep 50% of the current amount paid. Anything past the sketch portion will not be refunded, unless decided otherwise by me.

REVISIONS Clients will receive a WIP of their piece at the sketch phase. It is strongly encouraged that you ask for any edits at this point, as it will be easier to fix during this time. Any work started after the sketch is continued because of your approval. If you are not satisfied with the final piece and request any major editing (examples are as provided in the “Payment” section), there will be an upcharge in price or the current piece will be considered as the finished product and will not be changed.

DEADLINES AND DELIVERY Commissions may take one to three months depending on the workload of my queue, the type of commission, life activities, or more. If there is a chance that I am unable to complete it in that amount of time, I will reach out to the client and we can discuss the situation. I may be able to complete them sooner depending on my scheduling, this is just a general range. If you have a specified due date (birthdays, holidays, etc.), you can pay a rush fee to have the commission done quicker (amount is determined at the time of the request).

USE I reserve the rights to all artwork made to:

Promote myself for advertising purposes.

Display on any form of social media I am on, unless agreed otherwise.

Use as examples to others. It is not for commercial use, meaning you cannot make profit. This is for personal use ONLY unless discussed and agreed upon by the artist and client. The commissioner reserves the right to:

Claim rights to the character, but not the drawing itself.

Share/repost their artwork any place they see fit with proper credit to the artist (me).

Request that their art piece not be displayed on other platforms by the artist. You must request this either before or when you receive the artwork for this rule to come into effect.

[prose-among-the-trees]

Okay now that I’ve finished all my work for the semester I can officially tell the AI story about my field experience course.

I’m a college student who just finished my third of five total years to get a BA in English and a teaching credential in the state I live in. I’m in a joint program at my university that offers to combine the course load. It doesn’t mean I finish quicker, but it does mean teaching and English courses become interspersed in my schedule so I’m not making a huge shift come my last year of college.

This spring, I took a field experience course. The course, which was a seminar class, centered around students writing an essay on a short story, and then teaching that essay to their classmates. The field experience part comes in the fact that we all needed 25 hours of classroom observation for grades 6-12 outside of the class, so ten Wednesdays of the semester were dedicated to getting those hours instead of sitting in the lecture.

I liked the course well enough. Everyone worked with a partner to lead a discussion based on a reading we had to do surrounding pedagogical practices, everyone chose a common short story taught in middle or high school, and everyone made a lesson plan, all while getting these observation hours.

I could make an entire post about how difficult it was to get the observation hours, and I might, but for now, I want to talk about the actual seminar bit of the class, our required time being in person learning together.

My professor was, in the nicest way I can manage, far too kind and far too lenient with us and our time. A lot of the class was spent discussing previous bad experiences we had with teachers, and the measures we intended to take to correct those experiences for the future. Except, it wasn’t really like that. It came off as 20-35 out of our 75 minutes being used to trauma dump about bad teachers. It became very clear to me that a lot of the people in the class who wanted to be teachers were trying to teach to find some sort of closure for themselves, not actually correct any patterns of behavior previously experienced.

I think teaching is a noble profession, and it’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do that’s stuck as a career option. That being said, you need to teach for the children, not for you. It’s like wanting to be a psychologist because you want to attend a therapy session of your own. At the end of the day, it’s gonna impact your clients negatively if you aren’t in a space to help.

I’m getting off track a bit, but I promise it’s relevant.

The last two weeks of our class were spent presenting the lesson plans of the short stories we’d written literary analysis essays on. I chose the short story “Araby” by James Joyce, firstly because I like Joyce’s style, and secondly because I had a bad experience being taught that story my sophomore year of college, and I wanted to be able to analyze it in a way that was less openly sexist. (Fuck that modern Brit lit professor btw).

Some of the other stories included were Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds.” There were more, but these were the most commonly done ones.

The entire class was told to read the stories in advance and write summaries on them, two sentences minimum. TWO SENTENCES. A girl I’m vaguely aware of (and pretty much the only one spending 20-35 minutes of our time trauma dumping) started complaining about how much that was with how many stories. As a joke, I let our professor know that the first round of responses would be a whole 16 sentences, only for this girl to say “see! What Prose said!”

No my love. I was kidding. You want to teach for a living, you can handle 16 sentences.

I will bring this girl up again and again because she’s the center of this story.

We are instructed as a class to read these stories, even if we didn’t write the essay on them, because we need to have the context of the stories understood before we can participate as a class for whoever is presenting their portion of the lesson plan. We were instructed to be good students, attentive, and participatory for these presentations.

I’m a bit neurotic and I make sure I know the fuck out of every story I’m telling, especially my own.

Apparently the rest of the class doesn’t get the memo? The environment is not in the presenter’s favor here, because I’d say about 80% of the class didn’t read any of the stories, INCLUDING THE ONE THEY NEEDED TO PRESENT!!!

During my friend’s presentation on “Recitatif,” she divided the class into four groups and had us find textual evidence showing whether Twyla and Roberta (the two girls in the story) were white or black (different answers per group). The assignment was meant to make us as the students uncomfortable because Morrison wrote that short story as a social experiment, and it says a lot more about the audience reading than the story itself when our own biases are placed where Morrison intentionally leaves information out.

The girl I’ve mentioned, in the middle of my friend’s presentation, goes:

“I didn’t read any of this shit!! I used chat GPT for the summaries, and I have no idea what this story is even about really!��

She continued talking during our allotted time (not in my group but I’ve heard about it) about how difficult her life had been and why she couldn’t write 16 fucking sentences.

During my friend’s presentation that she’s being graded on. Making the environment hostile in a way that my friend is being graded on managing, but could not have possibly managed.

My friend got a lower grade as a result of this.

Ana. You want to be a teacher. You cost my friend her grade because your ass couldn’t manage 16 sentences as a college student, and you cost my friend her grade. You spent our entire semester whining about your experiences as a student while actively putting future teachers through hell. You took away my paid time in the classroom to whine about what’s wrong with you.

The one time I shared a story in class I got pulled aside and asked if my professor needed to call anyone for me. There’s a time and a place, and I’ve learned sharing anything about how I grew up will get me actively cornered by concerned people.

I don’t know what’s going on that you needed to spend my time that I paid for wasting it, messing up my friends’ grades, and actively using AI unethically as a future teacher, but you need to figure that shit out before you ruin some kid’s high school experience.

Fuck AI.

[creatureofmimics]

BREAKING NEWS: Revolutionary AI Scheduling Model Disrupts Multi-Billion Dollar Industries

IndustriesMay 14, 2025 – In a groundbreaking development set to redefine time management across education, fitness, and the arts, researchers from the Zurich Institute of Technology (ZIT) have unveiled an artificial intelligence model capable of autonomously optimizing human schedules with an accuracy rate exceeding 98.7%.Dubbed "ChronoPilot," the new system leverages deep contextual learning to interpret not only user preferences but also emotional states, productivity trends, and even regional weather forecasts to dynamically tailor personal and group schedules. In early trials, the system outperformed existing scheduling platforms by over 400% in efficiency and conflict resolution.The implications span vast sectors. Educational institutions using class scheduling software like Lunacal’s platform for class bookings have already reported dramatic improvements in attendance and engagement. In the fitness industry, where applications such as gym booking software are crucial, ChronoPilot’s integration led to a 37% rise in client retention during a 90-day pilot. Music academies leveraging music lesson scheduling tools observed a 52% reduction in missed appointments.ZIT’s Secret Weapon: Sentient Sync ProtocolWhat truly sets ChronoPilot apart is its proprietary Sentient Sync Protocol (SSP) — a neural time-mapping engine that mimics human anticipation. SSP doesn’t just block out time; it predicts the best time for each task based on thousands of variables, including circadian rhythms, cognitive load history, and even micro-fluctuations in vocal tone during user interactions.Dr. Lena Marwick, lead AI architect at ZIT, explained, “We’re no longer asking users to fit into rigid schedules. ChronoPilot adapts to them, moment by moment.”Global Trials, Unprecedented ResultsThe AI was tested across 1.2 million scheduling interactions in 11 countries, across five major time zones. In one compelling instance, a public school in Osaka integrated ChronoPilot into its digital classroom system. Within three weeks, student punctuality improved by 48%, and feedback indicated a 63% increase in perceived classroom coherence.Meanwhile, a UK-based national gym chain used ChronoPilot to coordinate personal training sessions across 87 locations. Instructors reported a 41% decrease in downtime, and an average boost of 18% in customer satisfaction scores.ChronoPilot vs. The Old GuardWhile current scheduling tools rely heavily on manual input or rigid templates, ChronoPilot learns from passive inputs — browsing behavior, sleep app data, voice command history — with the user’s consent. This passive data synergy allows it to preemptively adjust schedules without user intervention.Analysts say the AI’s capabilities pose an existential threat to legacy scheduling systems and even to calendar giants like Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. “It’s not just a calendar anymore,” says Gideon Lark, senior analyst at MetaMetrics. “It’s a lifestyle orchestrator.”Privacy Concerns and Ethical DebateNot everyone is celebrating. Digital rights watchdogs have raised concerns about the volume and sensitivity of data ChronoPilot processes. The AI can access everything from location logs to biometric signals. While ZIT asserts the system uses end-to-end encryption and offers opt-out data controls, some critics remain wary."We’re trading convenience for surveillance,” warns Aria Salim, director of the Tech Privacy Initiative. “There must be enforceable limits on how such AI models evolve, especially as they begin to predict and possibly influence human behavior.”ZIT has responded by publishing a white paper detailing its privacy protocols and inviting third-party audits. Still, the debate over AI autonomy and human agency continues to intensify.

[geekysolution]

Get the Best Company in Delhi — Geeky Solution

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[adsproject]

Progress Update #4: DITL, Sitemap, & Wireframes!

Hey guys, welcome back to my Tumblr blog! Read ↓below↓ what I have been up to for this project!

What has been happening over the past 2 weeks?

These past two weeks, I have completed my DITL video (90 seconds, or 1 minute and 30 seconds long), site map, and low-fidelity (lo-fi) wireframes for my main website, which are attached at the top of this post.

What is coming up for the next 2 weeks?

In the next two weeks, I plan to finalize my wireframes (maybe make high-fidelity [hi-fi] wireframes based on the lo-fi ones?), write the website content and prompts for each microsite, and develop the code for my WordPress website. I just wanted to get the basic production phase deliverables out of the way, which I should have done last time. Yep, I am behind, haha…

Hiccups/Hurdles/AHA moments

One hiccup I encountered was while working on my wireframes on Figma. The placeholder image box would stretch with the frames when resizing, and the solution I came up with was just to start from scratch. Basically, I would just copy and paste the placeholder image again and resize it to match how it was originally. This was not an ideal solution, as restarting multiple times took longer, but hey, if it works, it works.

A hurdle I need to overcome is my procrastination. I could try time blocking my schedule for when I work on my capstone, dedicating certain times and days to it.

I had an AHA moment when I came across Jouviane Alexandre's article “Will AI Replace Web Designers? 5 Things Designers Do Better Than AI” for my research. It essentially confirmed my biases (confirmation bias) about how web designers are not to be replaced by AI yet. In my precapstone paper, one argument I had was that they cannot empathize. Sure, they could mimic empathy, but they do not have that face-to-face interaction and emotional connection a client and web designer would have in person. Another trump card human designers have is our creativity. Again, AI can generate “new” designs, but we humans have that creative direction and vision they lacks. Time and time again, I have faced the question, “But won’t AI replace web designers? Isn’t your job useless?” The latter was not outright spoken to me but was heavily implied. While AI can program code, generate art, and even design websites now, they cannot replace us for the abovementioned reasons. You can create websites, but they might lack clear visual hierarchy, layout/structure, navigation, and other user experience (UX) elements. For the user interface (UI), you can use any colors, images, and buttons you want. Still, to the trained eye, it will not look as visually appealing as when a web designer has meticulously selected the color palettes and whatnot, and it will lack cohesiveness. Sorry for the rant, haha. I am pretty tired of people telling me that web design and art as a whole will be replaced by AI.

Any deliverable drafts to share?

I have attached images of my sitemap and wireframes so far, as well as links. These were from my DITL (Day in the Life) video assignment, and I have not progressed beyond that since I focused on my other classes. I realize that my top priority should be my capstone project, as it is a requirement for graduation. I guess that could also be my AHA moment.

Where are you on your timeline?

I would say I am still very behind on my timeline. I need to start working on my microsites, which will be the bulk of my project. I should have completed a visual timeline a long time ago, so I will try to finish that to reference where I am instantly, what needs to be done, and how far along I am until the finish line. I can take a peek and know exactly where I am with a glance.

That’s all from me. Thanks for checking in! :D

[dominimoonbeam]

The Truth in Your Skin - 12

The tattoo au continues!!! To read from the beginning check it out on ao3. <3

Darlin/David, Milo/Sweetheart, Asher/Huxley

tags: angst, past violence, scars, trauma, hurt/comfort, we're working through things, found family

Put your angst seatbelts on! Milo's seeing that tattoo for the first time.

The Truth in Your Skin - 12

Milo came in early for an appointment he’d made with a client that absolutely couldn’t come in any other time of day. He still doubted that, but it was hard to negotiate with moms on a schedule and this one was determined. So he not only managed to wake up early but pry himself from Sweetheart and head in on his own. He’d definitely gotten used to carpooling with Sweetheart because driving alone felt unbearably dull.

He was surprised to see the lights on, expecting to be the first, but sometimes David took early appointments. Milo hesitated for only a second. He’d put this one on the schedule so David would have known he was coming in. It wouldn’t be a surprise. He unlocked the back door and walked into the low hum of music and the familiar buzz of the tattoo needle. “Good morning,” he called, hanging up his jacket and eyeing the coffee pot. Oh, he was coming back for some of that. First, he’d prep his station. Then he could stand around and drink coffee, talking to David and his client while he waited for his own to show.

If that soccer mom didn’t show up, Milo was going to blow a fuse!

“Good morning,” David and Darlin called back.

Milo smiled to himself. Had Darlin come in just to keep David company or did they have an early client too? He hadn’t seen them since the club after the game the other night. He wondered if they were still dancing around their feelings for each other or not.

“We’re all here and there are no donuts? This is crime,” Milo complained, stifling a yawn on his way into the main room.

“There’s coffee,” Darlin said.

Milo blinked. Darlin was stretched out on David’s bench, shirt hiked up and the big guy bent over their hip and working on their side. Milo grinned. When the fuck had this happened? Had they skipped hooking up and just gone straight to giving each other tattoos? Or maybe this was a prelude? Were they flirting in ink?

“No coffee will ever have enough sugar to rival a donut in my heart,” Milo argued, coming over to get a look at the tattoo.

It was big, a portion of it and the outline clearly done at an earlier date. David had a steady hand and a good eye. Milo had a piece of his on his shoulder that he’d done freehand. This wasn’t freehand. It was clearly planned, designed to meld with the other pieces on their body even if it was definitely David’s work. In fact, it looked a lot like the flower he had on his arm…

Milo’s stomach dropped when he took in those lines that couldn’t be David’s. Sloppy, brutal, ink carved into their skin. Part of that first word was already gone, devoured by the new design, but the rest and the scars were still there under the delicate outline of the plan. -AYS MINE

That MINE made him feel sick. Made his jaw tight and his knees want to bend.

How had that happened? How had they sat still for it? As soon as he thought it, he knew they hadn’t. They couldn’t have.

Someone rattled the front door. It was still locked. His client.

His gaze snapped up to find Darlin staring back at him, something unreadable about their expression.

Guilt twisted his heart. He hadn’t reacted correctly. He hadn’t—

The door rattled angrily. “Fuck,” Milo turned. “Sorry.” He went to the front room and unlocked the door. The soccer mom was pissed. Milo was a jumble of emotions himself, but they managed to get through niceties. When he led them through the parlor and toward his station at the back, David was cleaning up and Darlin was gone.

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck.

He got through the piercings and so did his client.

When he walked his client out, David was gone but Darlin was at their station. It was still early. He locked the door and stood in the dark lobby for a few more minutes, staring out at the snow and trying to collect himself. Trying to think of how to fix what he’d damaged.

“I’m sorry,” Darlin said.

Milo spun around to stare at them. They leaned against the archway between rooms, not quite looking at him but not looking away. It was almost a talent how they could do that.

“I should have warned you or—”

“What? No! No. Fuck.” David did cover up work all the time. Milo did not need to be warned ahead of time or told anything and they definitely didn’t owe him any of that information. But this was different than just anyone. This was his friend and the idea that someone had…

Darlin nodded, still not quite looking at him, but not seeming to know what else to say. They started to back out of the room.

Milo jerked a step forward. “It’s…” he started and stopped.

Darlin stopped too, both of them caught there together but Milo wasn’t sure they understood each other.

“You’re my friend. The idea that someone…”

Darlin’s gaze flicked up to his, dark and surprised. Why were they surprised?

“I don’t want you to feel like you need to hide it or work on that tattoo when I’m not around. I was just surprised…and angry.” Shame twisted his heart when he confessed to his own anger. Anger had always felt dirty to Milo, like something flirting with being a person he couldn’t be—like something inherited from a dad that used fists instead of words. He wasn’t that guy. He’d never be that guy. But damn did it scare him.

Darlin nodded. “Me too,” they said with the smallest smirk.

He wondered if they meant the first time they’d seen it. God, what had that been like? Was it the same night, the same guy, that had pulled that lip piercing out and left a scar? Quinn. He’d wanted to forget the name after those clients of his had recognized Darlin months ago and shown him pictures of them after the assault. Quinn.

Darlin took a step back, into the parlor, this time the movement seeming to invite him along. “David went to get donuts.”

Milo followed them, relieved by the offer of normalcy. “I’m sorry if I reacted badly,” he added, before they could completely sweep this under the rug and he could fail to apologize properly. They should hear it.

Darlin jerked a little, surprised, and Milo knew he’d been right to say it.

“The cover up David’s doing looks incredible.”

Darlin smiled. “Yeah.”

-

They were relieved that they hadn’t just triggered the shit out of Milo by not warning him about the tattoo. Or, if they had, at least they’d made peace.

He followed them to the back room to get coffee and wait for that promised sugar blast.

“Can I ask something?” his voice was low. It was barely a whisper.

Darlin braced themself but nodded. They knew they could have said no and he would have dropped it, and they knew they would have a month ago, but it didn’t feel as raw anymore. “I might not answer,” they said instead, sipping their coffee.

Milo nodded. He looked so tense. He didn’t have any scars they could see but Darlin was starting to get the feeling that he understood something about what it was to have them. “Was it…the same guy as your lip?”

Darlin had held their breath, for a second terrified he might say his name. Like Quinn was the fucking boogeyman to be summoned with a whisper. He wasn’t. He was just a guy. Darlin tongued the thick scar tissue in their lip. “Yeah.”

Milo wasn’t looking at them, staring instead at the coffee in his cup. “Same night?”

Darlin watched him. It was easier because he wasn’t trying to look at them, wasn’t reading their reactions or taking in their discomfort. “Yeah.”

Milo cringed, eyes closing. “That night those clients recognized you… I should have thrown them out but I didn’t know. They talked about…him. And they had a picture.”

“Of him?” the words jumped from Darlin’s throat, a strange mix of surrealism and panic at the thought of his face, not as it had been the last time they saw him, but as it would have been in a picture. Quinn was beautiful and charming.

Milo opened his eyes and shook his head.

Oh. “Oh.” That picture. Oh yeah, they’d seen that one floating around after. Everyone they’d known had seen it, had a copy of it on their phones to analyze and debate and gawk at. “Did anyone else see it?” they asked without thinking. Did it matter now? Yes, of course it did. It had been the worst night of their life followed by the worst year of their life and it was all right there, raw and awful in that photo. Of course, they didn’t want anyone in their life now to see it, to know what it had looked like or how broken they had been.

Milo shook his head. “No. And I didn’t mean to see it. I swear. I didn’t know if I should tell you or not. I don’t want to make anything worse.”

Darlin studied him. He still had his head down, fingers barely touching his coffee on the counter. Something about the way he looked, reminded of how they felt sometimes, when they could hear the echo of their head smacking the floor. What echo was he hearing?

“He was charming,” Darlin said, voice hollow but not shaking.

Milo’s gaze snapped up to theirs, like for a second he wasn’t sure who they were talking about. His ghost or theirs, maybe?

“It’s hard for people who know him, or even met him, to believe it happened. I think if it hadn’t been so bad… I probably wouldn’t have believed it happened either.” They’d never said any of it out loud. “He was always a bit of an asshole but he’d never been… not until that night. He’d been rough and pushy, and we argued a lot, like big arguments too, but he’d never swung at me so I just…didn’t see it coming.”

Milo stared at them, his eyes shining with tears. It felt like those were their tears in his eyes, like they didn’t have to choke up on the words because he was. Milo’s jaw ticked, angry for them too. “It’s not your fault.”

Darlin shrugged a little. They’d underestimated Quinn, or overestimated him, depending on how they looked at it. They hadn’t seen it coming.

“Darlin,” Milo said, voice hard.

They looked at him.

He looked so certain when he said it again, “It wasn’t your fault.”

Darlin exhaled hard and nodded this time. Some days it was easier to believe than others, but there were more of those in the last few months than there had been in years.

“Can I hug?”

Darlin laughed. “Why are you all so huggy?” they complained but turned away from the counter and opened their arms.

Milo smiled and wrapped them in a hug. “It was Asher. He started it.”

Darlin sighed, always surprised how nice it felt to be hugged. “Asher said it was you.”

The back door opened with a gust of wind and snowflakes, letting David in with a pink box.

Milo didn’t let go of Darlin but pivoted so that they could both look at David.

David raised an eyebrow, the door clapping shut behind him. “Am I interrupting?”

“No,” Milo said, smirking now. “You can join if you want.”

David snorted and put the box on the nearest counter before shrugging out of his jacket and shaking the snow from his hair.