alright I've got to do some quick math to explain attitudes towards AI to my boss.
we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)
please rb for larger sample size!
Question 1/3
What is your age, and do you feel AI is a net positive or net negative in our lives today?
this is a fun yet evil conception in which i torture you all by reading the trilogy open heart by pixelberry studios. for the record i am not an oph expert nor claim to be but ☝️ i am really annoying about it. let's go!
OVERVIEW + PARTICIPATION:
this is going to be a discussion-based readthrough
i will be 'hosting' from THIS BLOG with a weekly wrap-up post including some highlights and questions. these will be posted on thursdays.
with that said, you can participate through these posts in reblogs or comments (i will keep a close eye on both and would appreciate it if everyone else would too!)
OR feel free to prompt discussion about something you found significant with your own question! you can either post it yourself (using the event tag and dm it to me) OR dm me the idea during the week and i will add it in the wrap up (w credit)
the week before the event starts, i will post a quick mc questionnaire to get everyone thinking about it (especially if you have multiple mcs to decide between OR are making a new one/playing for the first time)
i will NOT be highlighting small/yes-or-no questions or musings or hcs. use the event tag for these. (please post them !!! but again my intention is discussion! ofc it may spark discussion regardless but i will primarily be focusing on questions, comparisons, and analyses for the bigger highlights)
SUPER LOWKEY COMMITMENT:
feel free to skip around! esp if you've read it before and you're busy for a couple weeks and miss the end of a book, nbd! you can hop into the next one
though i will tag participants in weekly wraps, you DO NOT have to answer every single question or engage with every single one
participate at a capacity that works for you! this goes w the last point ofc but also you're under no obligation to start a discussion or create long analysis posts. just hanging out in comments is perfectly fine!
while i DO want you to use the tag for this event, you don't need to use it if you're making a longstanding change (such as mc or hc alterations) that you dont want tied to the event
ACTUAL THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO:
dm me if you're participating (by May 23rd) so i can make a tag list. you will only be tagged in my weekly posts and the pre-event mc post! im not going to bar you from the event if you dont. it would just be nice :)
please use the tag 'mjs oph replay event' for all your posts. that way we can find them :3
please check the tag :) plsplspls check the tag and interact with others :)
TIMELINE/PACING:
generally will be 4 chapters a week every week from june through august. heres a calendar view
and thats all for now! if anything is confusing lmk!
disclaimers: i was not around in the "prime" of oph so sorry if any questions or discourses are redundant. please keep discussions relevant to the chapters we are reading for that week. this is event is not affiliated with the book club.
tagging those who expressed interested in the initial poll: @peonyblossom @hsslilly-blog @gutsfics
Does anyone know if there’s any good discord servers or any kind of social media chats to talk about choices??? I know the fandom is…kinda dead since the AI slop’s only gotten more and more prominent, but I’d still love to just chat with people about our favourite books and series!!
Last year JK Rowling personally funded a group called Sex Matters to amend UK law so that trans women *overnight* went from legally women to legally men. This has resulted in mass exclusion of the trans community from numerous organizations, along with ongoing violent assaults on both trans and cis women alike.
With the new Harry Potter series she will be making a reported $20 million per-season renewal + other performance dependent royalties. She has been open across multiple interviews regarding her intentions to use said funds to push forth even more trans targeted legislation in the years to come.
This isn’t a “she gets paid no matter what” situation. The more eyeballs on this show the more money she has to actively harm vulnerable communities. By engaging with it you are directly supporting this and otherwise making a conscious choice to consume HP over doing the literal very least possible to not destroy the lives of trans people across the world.
If my stating the objective facts above upsets you then feel free to unfriend and move along. Your nostalgia-goggles feelings for a tired, problematic franchise mean nothing to me compared to the welfare of my trans friends and loved ones."
If you care more about badly written children's books and imaginary wizards more than you do about real people in the real world do it far the fuck away from me.
Don't try to be in my life.
In fact, you are cordially invited to eat shit and die.
Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)
Book: Open Heart
Word Count: ~1,000
Rating/Warning: General; all the pure fluff with these two
Synopsis: Bryce and Olivia take an evening walk in the park following a snow storm.
This stunning art is by the amazing and talented ArtbyAinna (IG)
A shimmering blanket surrounded them. The newly fallen snow glistened brilliantly under the gibbous moon breaking through the last of the wispy clouds.
This was her favorite time for a winter's walk—at the end of the storm, when a few lingering flurries fluttered softly in the breeze, the still untouched snow rivaling the diamonds dotting the nearly cleared sky—a beautiful display of winter's special magic. Their footprints left an ephemeral memory of their time together as they walked through the quiet park.
Even through their gloved hands, she could feel the steady caress of his thumb moving along hers. She leaned further into Bryce, enjoying his warmth.
"I wish the snow could stay like this—pure, clean, untouched, perfect."
"That can be said of most things," Bryce offered. "The rivers, the oceans, the mountains, our children—the world's children," Bryce quickly clarified. "—not ours. I didn't mean to imply."
"It's okay." Olivia interrupted, stopping the now flustered Bryce. It wasn't a look she was used to on him. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth. "I know what you mean, but I wouldn't be opposed to... the second meaning either."
He paused their step, turning into her. "Really?"
She shrugged shyly, looking down at their still joined hands and nodding. She lifted her head, meeting his gaze. "Yes. I love you, Bryce. You know I want a future with you. That includes all of what a future might hold."
He lifted her into his arms, kissing her softly again and again. "I love you too, Liv. I want that so much!"
She hid her smile on his lips as she kissed him again, savoring his warmth as he lowered her back to the ground.
His fingers brushed over her jaw, cupping her face, holding her in the moment—a silent conversation passing between them, saying more than words ever could.
"Oof." Bryce spluttered as a wet, slushy pile of snow slipped from a branch above them and plopped onto his head.
Olivia jumped back, avoiding the falling snow. Her hands clasped to her face to quiet her growing laughter at Bryce's dismay.
"You think it's funny?" His brow rose a moment before he tossed his head freely to the sides, the snow flying off and spraying her too.
"Hey!" She shoved him playfully before wiping the snow from her face.
Dramatically, Bryce stumbled backward, flopping into the pristine blanket of snow behind him.
"What are you doing? I did not shove you that hard!"
"Are you sure about that?"
Olivia rolled her eyes and pressed her hands to her hips in disapproval. "Yes, quite sure."
Bryce smirked, shrugging in the snow. "Anyway, I thought you wanted to have a baby." He held his hand out toward her, begging her to join him.
"BRYCE!" Olivia was grateful that her cold, rosy cheeks hid the vibrant blush that resulted at his words. "I didn't mean right now."
"My bad," he laughed cooly, his smile lighting the night. "Come here."
"No! It's cold!"
"Just one kiss, pleeeeassseee?"
"I'm not laying in the snow."
"You can lay on top of me. I certainly wouldn't mind." He wagged his brow, puffing his chest for her benefit.
"Oh sure—" Olivia tilted her head to the side, shaking it lightly. "We both know where that would end up."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Bryce spread his arms and legs wide as if he were doing jumping jacks in the snow. "I'm an absolute angel."
"I'm not sure snow angels count." Olivia couldn't stop her growing smile at his attempt to prove his point. "Besides, that's the worst snow angel I've ever seen."
"Oh yeah? You think you can do better?"
"I know I can."
"Show me."
"It's not going to work."
"What?"
"Your attempt to get me in the snow."
"What attempt? All I'm hearing is you know my snow angel is better than yours."
"It's cold." Olivia pouted, folding her arms around her, feigning a shiver.
He held his hand toward her once more. "For me... and our future children. We should probably determine who will teach them how to properly make snow angels, I mean, we do what our host to look good."
"Host?"
"Would you prefer Chorus or Choir?"
"How many little angels are you planning on here?"
"At least an even dozen, unless you wanna go for the baker's dozen."
Her eyes widened, and the rosy hue drained from her face, leaving her white as the snow.
Bryce held his serious expression as long as he could before a rumble of laughter roared into the night.
Olivia bent over, balling up snow and throwing it from his face as she breathed a sigh of relief. Shaking her head, she moved beside him, analyzing the snow, looking for the ideal patch. She wanted a spot where the gentle breeze had not disturbed the softest powder from the last of the flakes.
She took a breath, bracing for the cold that would envelop her with its embrace as she carefully fell backward, arms outstretched in a t position. She shifted her arms and legs out and in, letting each movement create a deeper, but uniform impression. She pressed her head into the soft pillow behind her, leaving behind the perfect indentation for her angel's head. Slowly and precisely, she moved from her position, trying not to ruin the meticulous snow angel she had created. "There." She brushed the snow off her coat and pants as she admired her snow angel, its indentations clear, defined, and precise. "Perfection."
Bryce stood in awe, his arms wrapping around her. "Yes, you are."
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this fic. It was a lot of fun to write. I just love these two so much. If you enjoyed this, please leave a like, comment, or reblog. I appreciate every interaction! Thank you for supporting me and these two!
We were learning about community helpers and one of my students asked me to draw with him. This doodle is on a scrap of paper made with a primary (extra think) pencil so any tiny details were impossible. lol
