You Can Still Call Me Batten

decided i didn't want to use the horse gate i usually use because the latch is such a pain. took an unfamiliar route to another gate. very dark out but luckily i can see pretty well. got distracted by a sound beside me. think it's one of the horses. turned to look but kept walking forward so i don't see where i'm going.

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.

And he said, who told thee thou wast naked?

And the man said, well, no one told me exactly, it's just that last night I walked right into a pussy-height stinging nettle. So I thought like maybe I could invent some clothing to cover up the whole situation down there before I walk around some more.

So this is gonna be a REALLY weird post from me, but there's this cat cafe I frequent that's on the ropes and has set up a crowdfunder, because otherwise they'll have to close at the end of the year :')

Of the many many animal cafes in Tokyo, I have loved Nyankoto Cat Cafe for a long time because of how much they genuinely care for their animals, not just as moneymakers. They have multiple cats with health conditions, including one who sadly passed away just months ago from cancer. The older cats who are too aged or unwell have retired to the owner's house where she continues to post pics of them for fans who miss them.

But between the vet costs and multiple sewage backups in their building, they either close, or if they get funding they can move - otherwise it's unlikely the owner can afford to keep all the cats and they'll have to split up and go to different people after living together all their lives :(

The smallest donation is just 1000 yen, or about $6 USD. They'll take paypal and credit card incl from overseas. The digital tiers do not require a Japanese address, just an email! In total they're asking for about $20k USD to relocate the store, and they're halfway to their goal!

I cannot overstate how much I love these cats (especially Chachamaru) so I will lovepost about my favs under the cut:

"Lesbian Weddings" by Wendy Jill York

"Was any of it even real to you?"

I've accepted these meme redraws as my true calling

i do consider all of the solo zoey ones ie the escalator, the utube ones as genuinely canon to me like cryptid photos of her come up online every now and then with people being like tf is this girl doing. then all the comments being like isn't that zoey from huntr/x

I have to put the OG one for Mira here tho nothing can hold a candle to the legend that is lee lin chin

real ones know

I also put Mira in the OG tomb Raider outfit BC I CAN WHO'S GONNA STOP ME (I will unashamedly latch on to any character that has even the slightest hint of that classic lara croft je ne se quoi)

regarding stakes/ tone dissonance I talked abt in this post, I actually don't mind at all that the movie didn't lean into/ explore the darker implications of people's souls being eaten= dying BC on one level it kind of separates huntr/x from general humanity ie how idols/ celebrities are IRL etc stan culture etc (oh noo they died damn 😢 ok anyway back to practice. I know theyre like "for the fans!!!!" Which is so funny like if u dont like huntr/x u can get eaten by a demon lol)) AND there is something interesting abt saving people being the secondary motivator to protagonists ie Rumi talking a lot abt doing her/ their duty (what she was raised to do), Mira immediately checking out after the rumi-demon reveal etc (was there a moment like that for Zoey? I think she says yay let's save the world so I guess that's something ha 1/3 .they really were most hype abt their couch or the bathhouse lol.) BUT I mostly think it's funny when stories get away with morally/ethically dubious plot points/ implications by having the characters serve just that much cunt that it doesn't really matter ie the old tomb raider games (and angelina jolie's movies luv her), John Wick, Charlie's Angels, Sailor Moon, those hitman games etc etc

this may or may not make sense

I could’ve sworn that at some point I talked about Sarang and resource guarding, but I guess that must’ve been in my dms with someone or something? However I think you might like this bit about sleeping spaces

One of the things she keeps in her drawers is food, which is a really confusing behavior for her at first, because she has so much more access to it all the time now! Why is she doing this! But everyone else gets it pretty easily, and they’re quick to offer up some good containers to help her store things safely. There is absolutely a discovery and freakout process like the one you described tho

Zoey’s been designated as the group environmentalist by fandom, which I agree with, and I figure that actually becomes something of an anxious fixation for Sarang for a while? Like, how can she use the least amount of stuff possible, how can she have the least footprint, how can she be as unburdensome as possible. Everyone keeps giving her things, and it’s Too Much

So they have to do some deliberate work on “yes, we shouldn’t be being wasteful, but your existence is not in itself wasteful and it’s okay if you need to replace that blanket that you literally shredded while having a nightmare”

(It’s a happy day for everyone when Sarang starts intentionally collecting for herself)

Also a real issue is the fact that she was raised, like, in a cage. She struggles a lot with just staying in her room (or wherever she “was put”), especially for fear of getting in trouble for “breaking out”. So early days, it’s always very exciting to just find Sarang creeping around somewhere! She’s exploring!

I feel like Mira spends a lot of time taking Sarang to different areas of the tower and doing different activities with her to help her feel ownership of the space—if she’s been there with someone and not gotten in trouble, she’s more likely to think she won’t get in trouble for going by herself

I feel like both Zoey and Mira are pretty familiar with “oh, look who decided to join us”-type reactions to supposedly desired behavior from growing up, and so they do their best not to make a thing out of little milestones like the first time Sarang initiates a hug. Mira more successfully than Zoey lol

And—okay so Sarang wears a lot of bracelets, generally, because they help cover the scars all over her wrists, and the first time she very nervously expresses to Rumi that she wants to wear short sleeves but. Maybe. Could. Could she borrow…? and she looks down and points at Rumi’s wrist?

Rumi just feels her entire insides melt with how proud she is because Yeah, of course, do you want to go pick some out together?

"Rumi-unnie?"

"Morning, Sarang-ie," Rumi-unnie smiled, looking at her as warmly as she always did, "What's up?"

Sarang's gaze fell to her fingers, the twisting going slightly faster now.

"Um- Can- Can I- That is- Uh..."

Rumi-unnie moved her arms until they sat folded across the top of her guitar, her eyes never leaving Sarang's face. She made no indication that she would speak or even rush her. Sarang swallowed.

"I- I would like to- Wear short sleeves today."

Rumi-unnie's smile grew a smidge wider as she gave a single nod, "Sounds good! It is supposed to get pretty warm today. Would you like help picking one out?"

Sarang nodded and swallowed again as Rumi-unnie began placing her guitar off to one side to get up.

"I- I would also like-" I can do this "-Like to..."

Rumi-unnie paused, halfway up from the couch, head tilted to one side just like hers did when she was curious about something.

Sarang pressed on.

"M-May I borrow some..."

"...Some?"

"Some-" Sarang's words finally failed her and she forced herself to point to one of her unnie's wrists. Rumi-unnie followed her finger and-

"Oh! A bracelet?" Rumi-unnie asked, holding up her wrist to better show off the purple-pink-blue braided string around her wrist.

Sarang nodded, "Yes. Please. ...Maybe...more than one?"

"Absolutely," Rumi-unnie nodded with a grin, finishing standing up, "You can borrow as many as you like. And if none of mine catch your eye we can always steal some from Mira."

"Stealing is wrong," Sarang stated, following after her unnie.

"Only if you don't intend to give it back," Rumi-unnie explained over her shoulder, "And if she gets mad- which she won't because she could never get mad at you -just throw me under the bus and say I said it was okay."

"...But Zoey-unnie said you're not allowed to get hit by buses anymore?"

"Different kind of bus, Sarang-ie. And I don't get hit by those on purpose! The buses in this city just have it out for me, for some reason!"

-

Later, in the HUNTR/X+Adults Groupchat

EveryonesType: mark the day: Sarang asked to borrow things

MikeyIsTheBestTurtle: NO WAY!! FR?!?!?! щ(ʘ╻ʘ)щ

VisuallyLethal: pics or it didn't happen

EveryonesType: [photo of Sarang in a t-shirt smiling and digging through a stash of bracelets; several already on her wrists]

BobbyRoss: awwwwwww~

MikeyIsTheBestTurtle: ASDGHFDLSFGAKGRAE;GRJWFM;G!!!!!!!! இ௰இ இ௰இ இ௰இ

TheBetterCeline: Has she shown a preference for any specific material yet?

TheBetterCeline: Also, Zoey, please change my name. We talked about this.

MikeyIsTheBestTurtle: [image of Nick Fury with text that reads: "I recognize that you claim Celine Dion is a better singer/performer than you, but given that that is a stupid ass opinion, I've elected to ignore it."]

EveryonesType: love how you just have that ready to go

TheBetterCeline: Language.

MikeyIsTheBestTurtle: korean, english, or spanish? take your pick, i am learning more :D

VisuallyLethal: wait those are my bracelets

VisuallyLethal: RUMI YOU BITCH

TheBetterCeline: Language.

EveryonesType: I WANTED HER TO HAVE A BIG SELECTION

VisuallyLethal: AT LEAST INVITE ME TO MY OWN ROOM?!?!?! PLUS YOU SUCK AT ACCESSORIZING!!

EveryonesType: I DO NOT! AND SHE'S EXPLORING HER PERSONAL AESTHETIC!!

VisuallyLethal: WHICH SHE SHOULD BE DOING WITH SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY HAS A LICK OF FASHION SENSE!

MikeyIsTheBestTurtle: lol "lick"

EveryonesType: ZOEY!

VisuallyLethal: ZOEY!

Now I want to add to the mix... honmoon goes down, all past hunters that are alive i would assume would feel/see it go down (no matter the distance) right? And instinct would probably have them wanting going back to to the place they all know to see what is going on/possible safety right....

Cue big mix of people the villagers have probably seen before but not in a looong time and im sure people huntr/x only know by name and pictures. But all of them at least being somewhat well known k-pop stars with stories to tell.

Do you see where this could be going? 👀 let the shenanigans or blenders begin

(personal pref, blenders of Celine's backstory coming out in the stories from third-light and their horrible mentors, all while celine lays in a bed unconscious not knowing what is happening in her own home. Added bonus, the villagers stories either back it up or able to point out someone is lying)

I'm imagining that there aren't a lot of hunters that are still alive. I place Celine at late 40s to early 50s. Which places the age of her mentors generation at 60s-70s. And I think that any generation older than that wouldn't be running to deal with a disaster.

But Celine's mentors (the ones that are able) do appear. Eunji leaving her seaside cottage, grumbling the entire time about how she's still cleaning up Celine's messes; Hana leaving her (very confused) grandchildren and wondering why no one reached out to get their help before things got this bad.

( @frozenwolftemplar 's tags )

Celine doesn't think she's seen Rumi as pensive as she's been, hiding -- though Rumi would protest the term -- next to Celine's sickbed.

But im not finding it easier to talk about AI with the people in my life who use it. The evils are both enormous and complex. I cannot, on the spot and in casual conversation, recite the colonial and political history that led to entire towns in Chile being devastated by AI data centers. It is unseemly to bring up how many women have had miscarriages because of lack of access to drinking water worsened by data center usage in places like Uruguay. How racist surveillance of the public in South Africa has been used as training data for AI companies. How AI companies would not limit their use of drinking water even during Arizona's most severe drought in history. How this whole paragraph isn't even scratching the surface of what is evil about AI companies.

It's actually so much harder now to articulate my absolute hatred or to know how to approach these conversations.

EDIT: So far this year I've read, in order of quality/relevance:

Empire of AI by Karen Hao

More Everything Forever by Adam Becker

Enshittification by Cory Doctorow

More Than Words by John Warner

planning to read these next:

Data Empire by Roopika Risam; not sure how specifically AI-focused it will be

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

Example: In response to an article about Sam Altman asking Congress to regulate AI, I saw a lot of comments like, "What, even HE doesn't think his own company can get its shit together?! He's that desperate for outside help?"

And that's not what's going on. Sam Altman talks to Congress because he's directing the conversation around AI concerns. He wants laws passed that make it harder for other companies, especially Chinese companies, to compete with OpenAI. He wants us all to be worried about theoretical future AI models triggering apocalyptic scifi scenarios because that kind of panic distracts us from tackling the problems that are actually happening now, like extreme surveillance, water shortages, destruction of land, and abuse of workers.