#Ask the Tsuri

[senotsuri]

Any ideas why Masquerade wore a breastplate? Confused me so much as a kid and no books or media ever called it out

I imagine it was used as padding, like that used in ~80s jackets that had super wide, exaggerated shoulders.

The broader shoulders are less like Alice's natural build, and is essentially a very understated but easy way to make Masquerade look even further away from, in fact, being Alice. It could, additionally, mimic a more muscular build for the same purpose.

[shslpunkartist99]

Me: Kinda feel like crying.. what should I think about

Brain: Remember that Leroy's big sister is stuck in a gang that has her in a literal chokehold because they not only hunt down who try to leave, but also have her in an addiction? And his brother is in a similar case, except it's more of a cult and they essentially brainwashed him to be a mindless doll?

Me: -choking-

[givemeanaccountalready]

The Anti-Team 7, Formally Known as Team 6 (Komorebi)

First, I’d like to thank the wonderful @pumiih for drawing my little heathens. You made them (and Naruto) so beautiful.

It’s kind of funny. I picked the number 6 as their team number because Naruto would be the sixth Hokage (Kakashi is serving as Tsunade’s Jounin Commander for now) in my little AU world. I then learned that Team 6 was the number given to Jiraiya’s team with Minato and I thought, “Well, that’s a better reason to keep it as Team 6,” so here I am.

The Word doc that I made to actually plot this thing out to a degree has the title above for the Naruto-sensei arc. That’s somewhat touched on briefly before Naruto meets his team in the flesh, where he’s joking with Sakura that “This is their Sasuke, this is our you, and this is our me,” as the two of them look over the files Tsunade gave him. And he’s technically not entirely wrong about it lol. They just have really superficial connections to the OG Team 7. I even asked Pumiih to put them in the same order as the Team 7 picture. I haven’t posted it yet, but fic will be called Komorebi which translates to, “sunlight filtering through trees,” and I liked the imagery of that, so that’s the name.

Anti-Sasuke: Chitose Hyuuga 🍬 (prestigious clan with magic eyes)

Anti-Naruto: Kaito Isobe 🪁 (orphan, known troll)

Anti-Sakura: Tsurigane Kashiwagi 🔔 (girl)

I feel slightly bad for reducing Tsuri to that but I’m laughing too hard at the summary to care. She is probably the easiest anti-parallel to spot. Whereas Sakura didn’t really have an overarching goal until the Forest Death scene, Tsuri is the only one on Team 6 with an overarching dream/goal. She wants to gain Kage level strength, even though she doesn’t necessarily want the hat, and go down in history as a legendary kunoichi. Tsuri pretty much has a five year plan, meanwhile, Chitose is doing this ninja stuff because it’s what Hyuuga do, and Kaito is simply trying to earn a living until he finds something else that he likes. There is enough internalized misogyny in this girl to power a small village. You can thank her parents for that one. Tsuri despises fan girl behavior and she even lost a friendship over her best friend choosing to like and giggle over a boy. Eventually, she’ll reconcile with her, but for now, no. Very stubborn, very bull-headed, and very driven, Tsuri does not do things by halves.

Chitose is probably the least anti-parallel of the three, since her story revolves around bonds just like Sasuke’s had. Whereas Sasuke formed new bonds within Team 7 and wanted to protect them until Itachi and the Sound 4 happened, causing him to think he needed to sever his bonds and fuel his hatred to achieve his goals, Chitose’s story is a bit different. She wants to form bonds with others, and while she doesn’t have a deeply traumatic backstory, Chi definitely has some serious hang-ups stemming from the divide between the main branch and cadet branches of the Hyuuga family. She is not close to Neji or Hinata, but she has seen them grow into stronger, happier individuals because of their teammates and the work they do, and she wants that growth too.

While she does not have the Caged Bird Seal, Chi knows that’s only due to who her sensei is and not because the clan has changed its mind. Hinata is doing her best to change the Hyuuga’s ways after the war, but at the very beginning of the story, it seems more unlikely than not. Chi and the rest of Team 6 are about 6 years younger than Naruto so Chi couldn’t have possibly been sealed on Hinata’s third birthday like Neji was. She was going to get the Caged Bird once she either finished the Academy and became a kunoichi or sometime later if she had failed. The only reason she didn’t get sealed immediately after passing the graduation exam is because a certain someone told Hiashi that Naruto was being considered as a possible jounin leader and Hiashi wisely decided to hold off on it. The Hyuuga compound is still standing… for now.

Kaito is my lil goblin. He’s a snot-nosed brat whose fear of losing another loved one and screwy sense of self/self-worth resulted in his constant trolling and mouthing off. A little hater who graduated the Academy with two full time enemies and one part-time enemy, an unrequited rival (unrequited on Kaito’s part, he doesn’t want it). Like Naruto, he is stubborn and very perceptive of others’ emotions, but while Naruto clawed his way to acceptance and changing the way things are, Kaito is more content to crash and burn in the status quo. As a result, he does not have any big dreams or goals. If Tsurigane’s story is about learning to constructively use strength for herself and on behalf of others, and Chitose’s is about learning to let others in without making herself small to accommodate them, then Kaito’s story is about finding internal peace and taking the chance that the past won’t repeat itself.

I definitely spent too much time trying to think of what I wanted the other rookies besides Team 6 to look like. There’s three other rookie teams, and Shikamaru is the jounin leader for one. I just hope that they’ll be liked when I have enough written that I’m comfortable posting so I don’t have too much dead time in-between chapters.

And because I can… NaruSaku for the main ship. Team 6 ships it.

[girlactionfigure]

A NEW FRIEND

A little Israel story

LEE KERN

OCT 29

We are our own civilisation. We don’t need to entertain or be entertained by anyone else. Because there are a million stories taking place inside the Jewish universe. Today I had a sweet encounter. I met a friend in Neve Tzedek. Then when I left them I was walking through the streets and passed a cute old synagogue. A chassid came out. Black hat. Black frock. The works. He asked me something but I replied in Hebrew that I spoke Hebrew like a child. He then asked in Hebrew if I spoke any Yiddish. I said the one Yiddish phrase I know about having tsuris. Then we just walked not speaking the same language but enjoying each others company. Using broken Hebrew we managed to communicate. I pointed to an old building and he explained it used to be a synagogue and he showed me where the men would sit and where the women would sit. We saw a dog. I told him I had to work later. He said something which I managed to interpret as Adam being banished from the garden and man having to earn bread by the sweat of his brow. I told him that the snake in the garden of Eden was a nudnik and that all snakes are nudniks. He laughed. I asked him what his favourite festival is. He said his favourite chag is Purim. I told him mine was Yom Kippur. Then he typed into Google translate on my phone the words: “If you believe you came out clean, then don’t mess up.” It turned out he was a satmar chassid. I teased him for being anti-zionist and he typed “76 years and there hasn’t been a single quiet day here yet.” I told him that even Eden had its crazy days. He lives in Jerusalem. He was here for a reason I didn’t quite understand. I asked what he was doing for the rest of the day. He said he was doing nothing. So we just strolled a bit. We walked down Park HaMesila whilst hipsters and hot women strolled past. But we weren’t noticing that. By now we were talking about watermelons and schnitzel. Then we swapped phone numbers and said we should stay in touch. He had this tiny little phone from a bygone era. I felt that I should go and do some work but I also felt that he was just wandering around and that he kind of wanted company. So we walked a bit more. He said that he needed to keep moving as he was in pain. I asked what pain? He tried to explain but couldn’t so he typed into Google translate and showed me the phone. “Hemorroid pain” it said. It was hilarious and I started laughing. He was so innocent and sweet, casually telling me he had hemorrhoids as if it was no big thing to tell someone. And the reality is it wasn’t. Finally I walked him back to a synagogue he wanted to go to. I told him I was a writer. He told me he was a printer. He printed posters that the chassidim put up in their neighbourhood. Announcing weddings and deaths and other such things. I said I hope he will get more work for weddings. We shook hands and parted company. 

[four-loose-screws]

Hi so I was wondering something about Fogado. One change that I pretty much never see anyone bring up, is how instances of him mentioning of not being able to swim were replaced with him mentioning that he’s not able to fish. Presumably this was done to avoid any unintended parallels with a stereotype of black people not being able to swim which has some rather … less than favorable origins let’s just say. With the only remnant of this remaining in English is him always being off to the side of the pool in the Swimming Activity. However it doesn’t appear that fishing was just thought up by the localization team, as his Ally Notebook in Japanese appears to mention that one of his dislikes is fishing, which is presumably where the localizers got the idea from. However I would like to know for certain that “fishing” in the JP notebook is indeed referring to the activity we know as fishing, not anything else. Thank you!

In Fogado's list of dislikes in his Japanese Ally Notebook entry, 釣り (tsuri) is indeed included! While this word does have secondary meanings like the English word "fishing" does, it is first and foremost used to refer to fishing for fish. Without other context to tell me otherwise, I'd always initially assume 釣り is referring to fishing for fish.

For objective proof, if you google 釣り, you'll get pages and pages of information about fishing, pictures of people holding up the fish they just caught, and little else.

His Japanese dislikes also include 泳ぐこと (oyogu koto), which is swimmming. The localization removed this entirely from his Ally Notebook entry.

This confirms that the changes the localization made were a simple swap, rather than inventing something new to replace Fogado's dislike of swimming and inability to swim.

Thanks for asking the question, this aspect of Fogado's character is not something I had picked up on at all yet! I almost always learn something new about FE with each Tumblr Ask I get, even though I'm the one providing the answer.

[trancylovecraft]

(KNY) MITSURI x READER: You, 'Tsuri.

☆♡☆ Masterlist ☆♡☆

AO3 link

(YSIK OFF-SHOOT, MITSURI x READER)

Set before chapter five of YSIK but can be read on it's own.

☆♡☆ANGST☆♡☆

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (Also known as "Broken-Heart Syndrome") is a medical condition that can cause symptoms of sudden chest pain, Shortness of breath, Palpitations and feeling sick.

One of the causes of this condition is grief, Which is why it is often referred to as Broken-Heart Syndrome.

Hysterical crying broke through the estate.

Fumihito Kanroji's eyes snapped open, Wide as he heard what sounded like a mountain lion erupt in wails from outside their door. 

He shot up from his bed, Heart almost exploding out of his chest at the sound. The sun shining in from the window beside his bed barely cracked on the horizon, The sky still being a daybreak of baby pink and deep blue hues.

The screams continued, Breaking the silence of dawn.

Was it an intruder? Was one of their kids hurt?

His wife, Tsubame, Was already wide awake and getting dressed at the first pitch of the wails. She hurriedly shoved on one of her chartreuse kimono's, Dark hair messy as her head whipped round to meet Fumihito's.

"Hurry! Get some clothes on, Now-" Tsubame hurriedly ordered as she shoved on a flimsy obi-belt. Eyes burning into Fumihito's before she finally jumped up off the side of the bed.

"Tsubame- What is going on-?" Fumihito urged. Not hesitating to do what his wife said as he pulled himself out of the covers and swung his legs over to the closet, Hand lunging inside to pull out a forest yukata.

Tsubame rushed her hair into a quick bun, Expression gritted and terrified.

"Listen! Can't you hear?!" Tsubame snapped, The concern in her eyes betraying the anger burning on her face.

Fumihiko blinked, Listening to the horrific cries so shrill that it most certainly woke up their entire neighbourhood. His eyes wide as he listened onto their sobs.

His eyes widened.

That tone, That pitch-

Mitsuri.

Fumihito rushed to put his yukata on, Shoving his arms into the sleeves with a shocking haste, Faster than he ever had.  His eyes widened faster as he rushed off the bed, Barely finishing to tie his yukata as he slammed open the bedroom doors.

Tsubame followed after him, Feet thundering through the hallways and rushing past her husband as she turned around corners, Swerving quickly throughout rooms as she sprinted to the front door.

Banging could be heard now, Tsubame turning the corner to spot that the door shook on it's frame. The wails louder now, Even though it was muffled they could tell they were choked and visceral from the throat.

Fumihito took no time to listen, Heading towards the door, Hand rushing to the doorknob and wrenching it open.

"Mitsu-" 

"PAPA-!"

As soon as the door opened his daughter colapsed into his arms, Fumihito catching her weight with ease as she grasped onto him like her life depended on it. Mitsuri was gasping for air, Letting out a shriek with each morsel of oxygen she was able to get.

Hiccuping, She couldn't speak.

"Mitsuri-!"

"P-Papa!" Mitsuri wretched, Her arms locking around his neck as she rocked back and forth in his arms. Mitsuri heaved, Oxygen escaping her as she tried her best to steady her shaking knees, Almost ready to buckle under her.

Her eyes an angry red, Stinging as boiling hot tears ran down her face. Snot dribbled from her nose as she buried her face into Fumihito's shoulder. She had her slayer uniform on, Much more ragged than it usually was, Much more dishevelled.

"Mitsuri, Are you alright, What happened..!?" Tsubame asked as she rushed to their side, Her hand moving to Mitsuri's back to lightly rub it. 

It didn't help in the slightest, Mitsuri only sobbed harder.

"I-I couldn't do anything! I couldn't- I-I should've! Please.. M-My heart!" She wept as Tsubame continued to rub her back in a comforting manner, Fruitless, But it was all she could do. Fumihito's heart thundered like a hummingbirds wings, Concern rushing through his veins as he tried to hold up his daughter.

"Tell us- Sweetheart, Please tell us what's wrong- Steady yourself, Deep breaths!" Fumihito assured as he continued to steady Mitsuri. 

She heaved.

"[F/N]..! [F/N]!" Mitsuri shrieked, Calling out her name like a sutra. She only gasped for air once more, Tears staining Fumihitos yukata as she grasped at her hair for comfort.

Both Tsubame and Fumihito exchanged solicitous looks, Terror and concern written on their faces at the mention of their surrogate child. Mitsuri wept at her name, Hands tugging at her hair as she hiccupped.

"What's wrong with [F/N]? Mitsuri, Try to breathe- Deep breaths, In and out, Alright..!?" Tsubame yelled, A rare moment in her life when she felt out of control. Rage took over for her, Concern in the roots as she tried to handle the moment.

Mitsuri seethed through her teeth, Eyes wide and wild as she screamed.

"I-It's my fault!" Mitsuri cried, Hands near ripping out her own hair. "S-She killed herself-! S-She killed herself-!" 

Tsubame and Fumihito's breath hitched, Eyes widening as Mitsuri hollered, Shaking to them all to their very core. They had to stop, Just for a moment as Mitsuri erupted in another round of sobs.

There was no way- No way this could be happening-

"Mama, Papa.. What's happening..? Why is Nee-chan crying..?" A voice called out from behind them, Tsubame jerked her head over to see two of her other kids peeking out from behind a doorway.

"Go to your rooms, Now! Stay in there until I tell you to come out!" Tsubame commanded, Yelling to the siblings, Mitsuo and Mitsuaki. Both of them shivered but nodded, Pushing the door they peered through shut.

Mitsuri continued to weep, Hands grasping and scraping at the back of Fumihito's yukata. 

"S-She killed herself! I watched [F/N] walk to her death, I-I didn't.. My fault! M-My heart.." Mitsuri's shaking arms slipped from Fumihito's neck, She stumbled back on what very little ground she could hold. Near stammering out the door, Hands rushed to her chest pushing down tightly.

She gasped for air, Tears rushing down her face.

"[F/N].. S-Sweetheart you need to breathe, Come on, Come here-"

"P-Papa.. Papa! Please.. Please- I can't.. I-I can't-!"

"I can't breathe..!" Mitsuri gasped.  

"Mitsu-"

"I CAN'T BREATHE..!" She screamed out as her back hit the doorframe, Weezing as she fell to her knees on the floor.

Tsubame rushed forward, Watching as Mitsuri began to hyperventilate and convulse on the floor. She wrapped her hands around her daughter, Who desperately pawed at her chest, Breaking down sobbing.

"Fumihito! Summon the doctor, Now!" Tsubame cried as she brought her arms under Mitsuri's armpits.

Fumihito nodded, Sprinting out the door into the streets as Tsubame helped lift Mitsuri to her feet. The direction of the doctor's estate already in mind, He ran past the startled neighbours trying to get a look at all the noise.

Mitsuri struggled, Tsubame instructing her to hold onto her shoulder in which Mitsuri obliged. Tsubame wrapped an arm around her waist, Taking a few cautious steps forward, Mitsuri stumbled along.

"M-My heart.. It hurts, Mama! Mama- D-Do something, Please- B-Bring her back! Mama!" Mitsuri hiccuped as she grasped onto Tsubame's arm, Clutching at it like her lifeline, Almost like she would shatter into thousands if she let go.

Tsubame gritted her teeth.

"Mitsuri.. Come on now, I need you to come with me to bed now, Alright? Just hold onto me.. Everything will be okay.. Everything will be okay." Tsubame assured, Though horrified and stricken in her own right, She needed to stay strong.

For some reason, Mitsuri only cried harder at her words as she helped escort her to her room.

This had to be some nightmare, There was no way this could be real. [F/N] was alive, She was happy like she always seemed to be. There was no way Mitsuri had watched her walk to her death like lamb to slaughter.

There was no way, Because if there was, Mitsuri would be sure to follow.

Through life and death, Mitsuri would follow her to the ends of the earth just so they could be together. Home is where the heart is and Mitsuri's heart lied with her, It always has and it always will.

Home, [F/N] was her home. She was her shelter when things came to a bad end, She gave her warmth when there was none to be found. The house she stood under right now was nothing but wood and twine when compared to [F/N].

The memories they made under this roof was what made it her house. When her and Mitsuri broke one of her mothers jars just for them to try fix it up again, When a pet mantis they had kept in an old box had finally died.

Mitsuri had grown attached to it. Even though it only lived for four months Mitsuri had taken time to feed it, Play with it, Name it too.

Mitsuri remembered crying, Recalling how [F/N] had stood there with a blank expression before swiftly turning on her heel and walking out the room.

Mitsuri remembered feeling shocked, Maybe even a little betrayed. Looking back, It was stupid to favour some mantis over [F/N].

She should of treasured her sooner.

[F/N] returned to her house with a satchel filled with sakura flavoured desserts, An awkward yet apologetic smile on her face as she handed them to Mitsuri. Mitsuri had wiped her tears with her kimono sleeve, Bringing [F/N] into the biggest bear hug Mitsuri could muster.

She had left to the market just for her, [F/N] using her own money just to pay for something to make Mitsuri feel better. She never could express things through words, Could she? Returning with those desserts was simply her own way of showing her love.

And she'd never return again.

Mitsuri wept, Her throat letting out choked sobs.

Please, Just come home.

[bokujou-monogatari]

somewhat personal rambling ahead

I saw a post on reddit asking if you would still play a Story of Seasons game without the farming.

Putting aside the fact that Bokujou Monogatari literally means Farm Story; Yes! I would. But that doesn't come without a little explanation, of course. An interview with Wada revealed his original intent for SNES - that it'd be called 人生物語 Jinsei Monogatari, or Life Story. It wasn't until a little later on in development that the farming aspect was refined and the working title adopted 牧場物語 instead.

★

At its core, the series was meant to be a life simulation game, built around the community as a central aspect and means to keep playing. In most developer talks (GDC) and game site interviews, Wada was adamant about keeping that small town community feel, where you would grow alongside the town and get to know and be part of the intricacies of everyone's lives.

That also means that getting to know others would come with other aspects - such as dating and marriage. However, that is not the driving force behind these games. I wouldn't call these games a dating sim at the core... All that being said! It is true that the continued success of the series came with the addition of a "For Girl" series (with a female protagonist becoming a staple in one cartridge instead of two). The female audience - specifically speaking, the focus of the female audience: love & marriage - was not supposed to be the be all and end all, though. Wada did concede that statistics proved that was the case, but it was not his intent in making these games. He cites A Wonderful Life and Animal Parade often as his prime examples of a full, enriching "Life Story".

★

Of course this is just personal opinion but, I think the main problem nowadays is the oversaturation of the "cozy" market. I'm not about to go into deeper conversation about that (or what "cozy" means since it's different to everyone), but a lot of mainstream defined "cozy" games do seem to follow a path outlined after the release of Stardew Valley. This is not specifically against Stardew Valley or any one other game, but it's very evident that a lot of it is following what "works" for the market and what grabs a wider appeal in the same way Stardew Valley did.

Baseline, there's (usually) Farming, Fishing, Romance, and Cooking that make up "core" elements of these games without deeper exploration into these systems and anything that might branch off of them.

There's less and less exploration of more daily life, or day to day aspects. I think the last time I really saw something more akin to those elements was the Boku no Natsuyasumi series. (The Shin-chan games from the same developers are also nice - if you like collabs!)

(There hasn't been a Natsuyasumi game localized in over 10 years though!)

I think developers could do very well to explore games around the Playstation 2 era or even games from the Gameboy Color era - with such games like Boku no Natsuyasumi, Kisakae Monogatari, Konchuu Hakase, Tsuri Sensei, and even Bokujou Monogatari GB2 and GB3 as research points.

I know a lot of these individual aspects are in games already, and I think that's really neat. But I think the real game changer will come with a game that fully explores things - all in one title! Whether that happens with a game in the Bokujou Monogatari series, or comes from an indie - I hope it's soon.

[liebgotts-lovergirl]

“fellow parents at the kindergarten AU” for joelix 🤭

Breaking the Ice

✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══ ══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿

Serving three combat tours in Afghanistan had not been kind to Joe's knees and in case he'd forgotten, chaperoning his kids' ice skating fieldtrip was proving to be a mortifying reminder.

"I'm good, zisele, I promise," Joe assured Shira for the fourth or fifth time as he scooted himself to the railing and tried to ignore the sting of the icy slush soaking through his jeans.

The little girl erupted in a burst of laughter, not even trying to hide her amusement as she watched her father trying to haul himself to his feet once again.

"Daddy, c'mon!" her brother, Sammy called as he zoomed past, unintentionally sprinkling Joe's flannel with ice shavings. "Hurry up!"

"Gonna have to give me a second, buddy," the thirty year old responded with a rueful chuckle at his son's back, merely a blur among the sea of parents and preschoolers venturing onto the rink.

"Daddy's finding his footing again."

But just as he was straightening up, one skate drifted into a groove and the former paratrooper found himself flat on his ass again.

Fantastic.

"Did you want some help?" A bright voice asked and Joe looked up to see a goddamn angel standing above him.

It was Alix Martinelli, Gianna's mom.

They'd only briefly spoken a couple times on previous fieldtrips but the timing had been garbage. Joe had been in the middle of finalizing his divorce and as stunning as he thought Alix was, he still wouldn'tve felt right about pursuing anything with anyone until that whole tsuris was taken care of.

No need to drag her into his bullshit.

But Christ, was it hard to stay away from her, especially when she was so beautiful and so kindhearted that it almost hurt.

Her long, silky black hair framed her face beautifully, her sparkling black eyes danced even under the harsh rink lights, and that smile... Damn, that smile that made his heart thud in his chest like he'd just run a mile.

He was so mesmerized by her face and the graceful curves of her figure accented by her tight gray sweater that he hadn't even realized he'd gone slack-jawed until he heard a childish voice giggle,

"Mommy look, Shira's dad's staring!"

"Am not," Joe replied automatically as he managed to haul himself back to his feet again and that was when he saw his daughter coast in next to the little girl with the curly hair.

"Gianna, honey," the angel said and Joe was once again struck by the melodic tone of her voice.

"It's about time for lunch. Why don't you and your friend grab your lunchboxes and head over to the table where the coaches are. They're gonna show you guys some real Olympic medals while you eat! Isn't that fun?"

The little girls' faces lit up with excitement and Gianna gasped, "Oooh are they gonna be shiny?"

"The shiniest," the raven-haired woman assured her and that was all the preschoolers needed to hear.

Taking Shira's tiny hand in her own, the girls dashed off to the other side of the rink with ease.

"Can't believe I'm being shown up by 5 year olds," Joe snorted with a lopsided grin as he straightened up, still clinging to the railing for dear life and wobbling like Bambi on ice.

"I wouldn't take it too hard," Alix commented, her dark eyes twinkling like a glossy obsidian. "Skating's not as easy as it looks."

But the way the dark-haired woman was gliding along beside him made it hard to believe. She looked she was floating on air while Joe couldn't have been more earthbound.

Digging the toes of his skates into the slick ice to steady himself, the cabbie managed to stumble his way along like a newborn giraffe.

"Do you want to hold my hand?" the young woman offered and Joe nearly fell in his surprise.

Of course I fuckin' do, he wanted to blurt out. What man in his right mind wouldn't?!

But before he could get the words out, she added "You know, to steady yourself...so you can let go of the railing" and Joe felt his stomach sink.

But still, he'd take any opportunity to spend time with her.

"Sure!" he responded, mentally slapping himself for answering so quickly and with so much enthusiasm.

But Alix didn't seem to mind. With a warm smile that Joe felt in his chest, she laced her fingers with his and his stomach fluttered full of butterflies.

They both pushed off one skate and then the other, Joe's strides not half as confident as hers.

But nonetheless, having her hand in his and the other around his waist really did seem to steady him.

"There, you're getting it," she encouraged. "Right...Left...Right...Left..."

The rhythm reminded him vaguely of his time in the Army, the marching in time.

But the woman beside him was a lot cuter than his drill sergeants, of that he was damn sure.

"By the way, chaperoning three fieldtrips with me in two months?" Alix teased lightly as they skated along.

"If I didn't know better, Mr. Liebgott, I'd think you might like spending time with me."

Ah shit, she noticed.

"Thought I toldja last time you can call me Joey," he remarked, clumsily avoiding the playful accusation.

"Alright Joey," she repeated, a small smirk teasing invitingly at the corner of her lips. "Am I right?"

Stay cool, Joe, stay cool. You got this.

But before he could find the words, he heard the coaches over the crackling microphone finishing up their presentation and Alix's head perked up at the sound.

They were needed again.

"Duty calls," she joked with a small smile as she let go of his hand and Joe allowed himself a smirk.

"Back into the fray," he agreed.

Straightening up as they came to the exit of the rink, the pair wobbled their way onto the carpeting to the nearby benches.

Alix already had her skates off and draped over her shoulder, casting one final look at the rink before starting off back toward their eager charges when Joe found his voice.

He couldn't let her walk away again. He might not get another shot.

"Hey Alix!" he blurted out and when she turned to look at him, those entrancing black eyes glimmering with curiosity, he almost lost his courage.

"Dinner tonight? If, uh, if you ain't got somethin' better to do, I mean? I can get a babysitter...if you're interested, that is."

Christ, he was babbling.

It was like his mouth just wouldn't stop talking!

What was it about this woman that made him feel like a nervous high schooler again?

Just then her phone buzzed and Joe swore internally when she glanced at it.

Probably her boyfriend, he thought bitterly as she smiled at the screen. Or her husband. He should've known.

But when she looked back up at him, she was practically beaming.

"I'd love to!" she bubbled and Joe's brows shot to the ceiling.

"No kiddin', you would?"

"Of course!" she replied brightly before giving him a wide smile and dangling her phone for him to see.

"That was the sitter confirming, by the way."

Wait... she'd already planned on having dinner with him?

Joe knew he must look as dumbfounded as he felt.

"How did you know?" he asked as he caught up to her, a little bit stunned by her perceptiveness. "That I was gonna ask?"

"I didn't," she answered with a simple shrug and another glowing smile that made his heart skip a beat. "I'd just hoped."

Before he could think of a clever reply, the two were suddenly separated by a horde of babbling children, all chattering at a mile a minute about the coaches' presentation, about the ice skating, about their lunches, about everything under the sun.

Managing to get them all lined up so Alix could do a head count before they left was like herding cats but he'd gotten it done.

As they made their way outside, Joe dug a hand into his pocket and heard the crinkling of paper.

Figuring it was a receipt he'd forgotten to throw away, he tugged it out but in his shock, nearly dropped it.

It was a torn scrap of paper from what looked like the corner of a notepad and on it was Alix's name, a phone number, and a short message asking him to dinner.

She must've slipped it into his pocket while they had been skating!

With a gleeful shake of his head, Joe folded the paper neatly before placing it back into his pocket for safekeeping.

She's somethin' else, he thought, shaking his head with a fond grin as he unlocked his car and helped the children in.

She's somethin' else.

[xxmindscape-collectivexx]

System intro!

🐱 Host Info 🐶

☆ Name: Nyx ☆ Age: 17 ☆ Pronouns: She/he/they/it ☆Sexuality: Poly Pan ☆ Gender: Agender ☆ Status: Taken

🐭 Rules 🐰

☆ Please do not ask for more info on our trauma. ☆ Ask for fronters if it shows only “+ask” in the status. ☆ Do not flirt with the host or their alters without asking. ☆ Be mindful of the front list. ☆ Do not ask for certain alters to front, the hosts will either tell you no or the cohosts will tell you no, let the alters front on their own please.

🐯 HOSTS 🐵 ☆ Nyx (The body) ☆ Tohru Honda ☆ Freminet

🐓 COHOSTS 🐗 ☆ Nanami ☆ Navia ☆ Sakurin ☆ Uta ☆ Sunday ☆ Robin ☆ Scaramouche ☆ Blurri ☆ Balladeer

🐴 System boundaries 🐍 ☆ flirting: Ask ☆ teasing: Ask ☆ touch/hug: Ask ☆ pings: Yes ☆ dms: Yes ☆ friend requests: Yes ☆ petnames: Ask ☆ nicknames: Ask ☆ other: Ask

🐑 INFO 🐮 ☆ Tohru is most likely who you’ll see speaking first, please show her respect. ☆ Our alter count is 1,471 and its still being added to. ☆ Respect the boundaries!!

Shinobu's intro:

° . ✿・° ⊹ . + ° . ✿・° ⊹ . + ° . ✿・° ⊹ . +

in walks Shinobu Kocho!

๋࣭ ⭑ Shinobu Kocho! ⭑๋࣭

◟basics ! 🪻﹒﹒﹒ ╭ ₊˚ ✿・ Shinobu Kocho! ⸝⸝ ┊💜 ；She/her ⸝⸝ ┊☂️ ；20 ⸝⸝ ┊🟣 ；Female ⸝⸝ ┊🪻 ；Taken by Douma (Insys) ⸝⸝ ╰ ✿ 🟪 ・-Shinobu ⸝⸝

⋆˚₊⋆─────── ✿ ───────⋆˚₊⋆

◟system info ! ☂️ ﹒﹒﹒ ╭ ₊˚ ✿・ Doctor Alter ⸝⸝ ┊🪻 ；Demon Slayer ⸝⸝ ┊🟪 ；Therapist and avenger ⸝⸝ ┊☂️ ；persecutor and prosecutor ⸝⸝ ┊💜 ；Very Active ⸝⸝ ╰ ✿ 🟣 ・Frequent Fronter ⸝⸝

⋆˚₊⋆─────── ✿ ───────⋆˚₊⋆

◟boundaries ! 💜 ﹒﹒﹒ ╭ ₊˚ ✿・ Nicknames: Yes call me Kocho, Butterfly, Wisteria-petal⸝⸝ ┊🟣 ；Petnames: No⸝⸝ ┊🪻 ；flirt /p: Platonic flirting yes.⸝⸝ ┊💜 ；flirt /r: Only Douma⸝⸝ ┊☂️ ；rp: Depends⸝⸝ ╰ ✿ 🟪 ・touch: Yes⸝⸝

° . ✿・° ⊹ . + ° . ✿・° ⊹ . + ° . ✿・° ⊹ . + last updated: 10/19/24

Mitsuri's intro:

•.:°❁× 𝑩𝑨𝑺𝑰𝑪 ×❁°:.•

❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

🪷 𝑵𝑨𝑴𝑬: Mitsuri Kanroji!

💕 𝑵𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑵𝑨𝑴𝑬(𝑺): Mitsu, Tsuri, Kanroji-san

🌸 𝑨𝑮𝑬: 19

🍡 𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹: Female

🪷 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑵𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑺: She/her

💕 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑪𝑰𝑬𝑺: Human

🌸 𝑺𝑬𝑿𝑼𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑻𝒀: Bisexual

⢄⢁✩ 𝑺𝒀𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑴 ✩⡈⡠

❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

🪷 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑪𝑬: Demon Slayer

💕 𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑬(𝑺): Comforter, cheergiver, avenger, caregiver

🌸 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑿𝒀: Mitsu;

🍡 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑪𝑬 𝑻𝑨𝑳𝑲: Yes!

🪷 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑪𝑬𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑺: Yes!

💕 𝑺𝑼𝑩𝑺𝒀𝑺/𝑮𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑷: Not a subsys

♡༺ 𝑩𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 ༻♥︎

❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

🪷 𝑷𝑫𝑨: Yes!

💕 𝑵𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑵𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑺: Yes!

🌸 𝑭𝑳𝑰𝑹𝑻: Only Obanai!

🍡 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑳𝑰𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑺: Yes!

🪷 𝑫𝑴: Yes!

💕 𝑭𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑫 𝑹𝑬𝑸: Yes!

🌸 𝑻𝑶𝑼𝑪𝑯: Yes!

🍡 𝑷𝑬𝑻𝑵𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑺: Only Obanai!

🪷 𝑩𝑨𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹: Maybe!

💕 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑼𝑺: Taken by Obanai (Insys)

🌸 𝑭𝑨𝑴𝑰𝑳𝒀: N/A

🍡 𝑨𝑺𝑲 𝑻𝑶 𝑭𝑹𝑶𝑵𝑻: Yes!

❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

[shslpunkdrabbles]

PLEASE CONTINUE A CRY FOR HELP

I NEED TO READ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT SO BADLY

IF IT ISN'T HAPPENING SOON HOWEVER THEN CAN I HEAR A BIT OF SNEAK PEAK ON WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT TO HOLD ME OVER? PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP?

I hate being sleepy, buuut.. I got a lil part done, so here we go:

Even when Gene left the room, Leroy was still smiling like a little kid at the interaction, just so happy to meet a friend of Tsuri’s after so long. It was Tsuri who brought him back to reality, when he softly bonked the top of the bluenette’s head. “Focus, Leroy.” Tsuri said. “You seemed pretty serious about this shit, so explain it.”

“Yeah, you even wanted me. Like, damn, I’m special.” Kurai whistled, swaying his head and kicking his feet. He and Leroy haven’t spent as much time with each other as is, especially if Tsuri wasn’t there (he was their connection), so it definitely surprised him when Leroy requested his help. Not like he minded; something that required his help was sure to be an interesting mission. “So what is it? Are we gonna double date? You with Naomi, me with Tsuri? Let’s get it.”

“Kurai, you gotta stop.” Naomi pinched Kurai’s cheeks, her own getting flushed. “Go ahead, Leroy! I’ll keep this enderman in check.”

The light-hearted moments back to back were coming to an end, and remembering the whole point of this meeting dropped Leroy’s smile, his posture straightening. He took a deep breath while picking up his wine glass, rubbing the cup in growing uneasiness. “Well.. I asked you all here because I wanted your help with something. It’s.. I guess it’s a selfish request, and it could just be my paranoia, but..

“I met someone that I think needs help. Their name is “Leia’."

[blessed-by-umbral]

💭 - How much do their inner thoughts reflect what they say aloud and do?

Ondrea embodies the essence of her upbringing, from her exceptional education to her families esteemed position in the noble courts. Lady Cress maintains a clear demarcation between her public persona and her private self. Her demeanor is characterized by a calculated approach with a hint of tsuris, all in service of upholding the honor of her House and safeguarding the purity of her lineage. Ondrea's genuine thoughts and feelings are kept under strict lock and key, seldom revealed to those outside her most inner circle. Every action undertaken by Ondrea is executed with a deliberate and calculated intention. Spontaneity is a rarity in her approach. Thank you for the ask! ♥

[senotsuri]

Leonidas’ existence continues to prove that you can take a little negative energy sprinkle powder and make an all new person. But the games are non canon...

Kind of, but not quite. The souls aren't given the negative energy ball Hal-G creates in the intro sequence, nor a sprinkle later on. More accurately, it appears they're resonating to its existence out of a combined, restless fury, culminating in one death dragon.

Leonidas was not given any negative energy by an outside source (unless you count Vladitor sacrificing himself to revive Leonidas, at which point theoretically he does, but it doesn't change him), nor was the doom dimension, beyond the natural amount an attributed bakugan appears to naturally have (unconfirmedly appears to be stronger within the ventus-subterra-darkus triad.)

[shslpunkartist99]

Actually writing Symbol fics is gonna be a mess

We all know the main plot is when Xeno comes into the picture, yet my brain's going to the other characters, and how THEY became cards

First Otis vs Pico (then vs Pachinko), and now how Leroy and Tsuri came to the city, as well as Leroy forming a close bond with Keith before they became Cards

[chanoyu-to-wa]

Some Random Thoughts on the Practice of Chanoyu (13):  the Use of the Ro during the Furo Season (Part 1).

    A while ago, someone asked about how the ro might be used during the furo season.  So -- because I think it might be good to take a short break from our discussions of tsuzuki-kane [續きカネ] and soe-oki [添え置き] -- I decided to use a recent chakai from the month of May, as a way to illustrate this matter.

    Before looking at the tori-awase of the chakai, however, it might be good to repeat something that has been said here before:  before Jōō created the irori, the only way chanoyu was being performed was with the furo.

    Things had already started to move away from the daisu by that time (it appears that Shino Sō-on was already placing the furo on a round shiki-ita, which he arranged beside his family’s chū-ō-joku -- it seems that it was from Sō-on’s idea that Jōō derived his square ko-ita, by cutting a square within the circle); but the furo itself, even if Japanese-made, was still a very expensive object (and, in the case of the lacquered clay Nara-buro and mayu-buro, one that could easily be damaged as well).

    It was in order to eschew the entire issue that Jōō recognized the communal cooking pit in the common room of the farmhouse as a potential alternative; and once it was perfected, his intention was that it be used all year round as the ultimate realization of the wabi aesthetic.  Indeed, the furo was not used in the small room setting until after Rikyū entered Hideyoshi’s household (which he did between the end of 1582 and early 1583) -- the first example of which was when the small unryū-kama was used in the large Temmyō kimen-buro that was arranged on the Yamazato-dana [山里棚] (a tana resembling an inakama take-daisu, though with the front right leg removed and the ten-ita cut into a roughly triangular shape, both of which were necessary accommodations if the large Temmyō-buro was going to be placed on such a tana) in Hideyoshi’s Yamazato-maru [山里丸] (the 2-mat room that was constructed in the boathouse on the inner shore of the moat that surrounded Hideyoshi’s Ōsaka castle).

    The first public reveal of this “new” way of serving tea in the small room appears to have been when Rikyū brought the same furo and kama to Kyūshū, and placed them directly on top of the wooden lid that he made to cover the mukō-ro in the tearoom that he had constructed in the “tea village” on the grounds of the Hakozaki-gu [筥崎宮], during the summer of 1587.  So, prior to that occasion, only the ro had been used in the small room setting, irrespective of the season or temperature.

    Turning now to the chakai that was held on May 14:

    The kakemono was written by the Korean monk Seok-jeong of the Gumgang Temple in Busan.  Seok-jeong s’nim is very famous for his cartoon-like sketches of Buddhist figures.  This scroll features a painting of Bodhidharma, with his left hand raised, and the colophon jwa dan shib-bang [坐��十方] (za dan jippō; “from your seat scatter the ten directions” -- the meaning is to shed our misguided perceptions of reality through the repudiation of our ego, by means of the cultivation of samadhi via seated meditation).

    The hyōgu [表具] is fairly typical of scrolls made for modern-day tea use, in terms of its proportions and the selection of the fabrics used; however, one point of note is that the handles are made from polished (but unpainted) natsume wood.

    The chabana consisted of white tsuri-gane-sō [釣鐘草] (Campanula takesimana) and murasaki tsuki-gusa [紫露草] (Tradescantia ohiensis), in a coarsely woven bamboo basket.

    The kama was a medium-sized unryū-gama [中雲龍釜].

    The mizusashi was brown Seto ware, one of a group of mizusashi that Jōō ordered from the Seto kiln during his middle period (for use on the fukuro-dana -- they are thus associated with the early use of the ro, and are of the ideal size for chanoyu).

    The name of this particular mizusashi is “Odori Hotei” [踊り布袋] (“dancing Hotei” -- Hotei being one of the seven Gods of Good Fortune, with his dance symbolizing unrestrained joy and contentment).

    The chawan was black Raku-ware (of the Ō-guro [大黒] variety); the ko-bukusa [小フクサ or 古フクサ] was sewn from a variety of meibutsu-gire [名物裂] known as tan-ji chū-keitō-kinran [丹地中鷄頭金襴].

    The chashaku is named “Yoka” [餘花] (which means flowers -- usually the word refers to cherry blossoms -- that bloom several weeks after the season has passed).

    The chaire was made of Bizen-yaki [備前焼], by Kimura Yūkei Chōjūrō [木村友敬長十郎], the fifteenth generation master of the original Imbe kiln.  Since the Edo period, it had been the practice of his family to make copies of all of the meibutsu chaire; this is his copy of the chū-ko meibutsu [中古名物] Seto hyōtan-chaire [瀬戸瓢箪茶入] named Kūya [空也].

    The shifuku was sewn from a piece of a summer kimono material (from the early Shōwa period), with the design called seikai-ha [青海波].

    The futaoki is an iron kakure-ka [隠れ家] (this shape of futaoki is usually called gotoku [五徳] today); and the koboshi is made of lacquered bentwood (this koboshi was favored by Ryōryō-sai Sōsa [了々齋宗左; 1775 ~ 1825], the ninth generation iemoto of Omotesenke).

    The reason why I decided to begin by mentioning the tori-awase was to give this explanation context -- because the selection of utensils necessarily has an impact on the temae.

    According to Jōō, when the ro is used all year round (which was his original idea for chanoyu in the wabi tearoom), during the spring and summer, the ro-buchi [爐緣] should be of unpainted wood¹, while during the autumn and winter, it should be lacquered (in the wabi setting, this meant rubbing with lacquer, or the use of one of the less fastidious techniques, was preferred over something like shin-nuri).

    As for the question of incense, when Jōō began to use the ro, the only kind of incense used in the tearoom was made from crushed incense wood -- jin-kō [沈香] or byakudan [白檀]² -- which was drizzled along the length of the dō-zumi [胴炭]³ (so the incense would continue to perfume the air over the course of the gathering).  Since byakudan is the smell of the furo season, it is entirely appropriate to use it in the ro during the furo season (and that is what was done on the present occasion)⁴.

    As for this particular two-mat room, the length of the guests’ mat has been emphasized by the 8-sun 2-bu wide board (which functions as an ita-doko), while the utensil mat was made to look smaller by replacing the far end of the tatami with a board 2-sun 5-bu wide.  This arrangement where the ko-ita extends completely across the mat predated the appearance of the tsuri-dana:  the board allowed the hishaku to be displayed on the mat (as here), without having to rest on the futaoki⁵; the kōgō was also commonly displayed on the board (according to the records of Rikyū’s own gatherings).

    Placing a pair of fusuma to the left of the utensil mat mirrors Jōō’s own arrangement of the utensil mat of his Yamazato-no-iori [山里ノ庵]⁶.  The fusuma allowed the host to lift the various utensils directly onto the utensil mat⁷.  For that reason, a tana was always placed on the far side of that fusuma, to keep the utensils from sitting directly on the floor⁸.

    The kama is an unryū-gama, which was suspended from the ceiling on a susu-dake ji-zai [煤竹自在].  Most of the unryū-gama made since the Edo period have the handle of the lid made of a small ring.  The reader should notice the direction in which the ring-handle faces in the drawings.  This orientation allows the ring to be pinched from the sides, between the thumb and first finger of the right hand, when it is picked up.  This is the traditional way for such handles (which predated the unryū-gama by at least a century) to be oriented.  The host should be sure to open the lid of the kama slightly before calling the guests back to the tearoom, to let the built-up steam escape.

    The mizusashi is centered on the left side of the mat, with the futaoki placed in front of it (so that it is in between the two kane).  The cup of the hishaku rests on the board (5-bu from the wall), with the handle running along the kane; and with the chaire displayed on the near side of the yū-yo [有餘] (this is referring to the 2-sun wide space that extends across the mat in front of the mukō-ro:  nothing should be placed in the yū-yo).

    The chawan and koboshi should be prepared as usual (in the case of the chawan, the chashaku should be oriented facing upward -- this was Rikyū’s rule); and, together with the go-sun-hane [五寸羽]⁹, they should be arranged on the tana (in the katte) in a manner that will facilitate their being lifted onto the utensil mat at the beginning of the temae.

    The goza begins with the host opening the door, and bowing to the guests.  Then he slides across the sill on his knees (according to Rikyū, people should not stand up in the small room; moving about is done on the knees).  The host immediately turns back to face the open doorway, and slides the fusuma closed¹⁰.  (It is important that he do this every time¹¹, since otherwise it will be impossible to open the other fusuma, to access the utensils placed there).  Then he turns back to fact the shōkyaku, and the two exchange words¹².

    The the host turns to the left, and slides forward toward the temae-za, where he pauses briefly to appraise the condition of the fire¹³.  He should also take note of the other utensils, making sure that they are still in the same places as when he arramged them on the mat (and if not, he should rectify things now).

    After turning to face the fusuma¹⁴, and sliding it open, the host lifts the chawan onto the utensil mat (placing it in the lower left-hand corner of the temae-za).  Then the koboshi is taken out, and the fusuma is closed.

    The host turns to face the far end of the mat again.  First the chaire is moved so that it overlaps the kane that is to the left of the central kane “by one third¹⁵.”  The kane, in this case, is the me to the right of the futaoki¹⁶.

    The the host then moves the chawan to the left side of the chaire.  The foot of the chawan should be immediately to the right of the endmost yang-kane (which is 5-me to the left of the futaoki)¹⁷, with the back of the chawan’s foot touching the front edge of the yū-yo.

    Next, the futaoki is picked up (with the right hand) and placed on the right side of the mat.  Here its kane is on the fifth me from the heri; and it should be 2-sun from the front edge of the ro-buchi.

    Then the host picks up the hishaku with his left hand¹⁸, and reholds it with his right.  Holding the hishaku horizontally in front of his body, above his knee-line, he first moves the koboshi forward with his left hand (so it is 2-sun 5-bu below the lower edge of the temae-za), and then rests the hishaku on the futaoki.

    According to Rikyū, the hishaku should be held so its cup approaches the futaoki at an angle (so that the corner is fitted into the depression in the center of the futaoki¹⁹); the hishaku should be brought into contact with the futaoki gently, and then the handle should be lowered to the mat²⁰.  The handle should rest on the heri, with its right side to the left of the heri’s middle²¹.

    After placing the hishaku on the futaoki, the initial arrangement is completed, so the host and guests bow for the sō-rei [総礼].

    Following the sōrei, the host pauses momentarily, to collect his thoughts.  Then the chawan is picked up and moved in front of his knees (the left side of its foot should be immediately to the right of the central kane, while the far side of its foot should touch the front edge of the yū-yo -- this is necessary so there will be sufficient space in front of the chawan for the chaire).  Then the chaire is moved between the chawan and the host’s knees, with the chaire resting squarely on the central kane.

    The host unties the himo, and then removes the shifuku in the manner appropriate to the kind of chaire he is using.  The chaire is placed down on the mat again, and the shifuku is smoothed out, and then placed on the far side of the yū-yo -- with the mouth facing forward (according to Rikyū’s instructions), and the uchi-dome of the himo pointing toward the center of the mat.

    The host then removes the fukusa from his obi, folds it, and tucks it into the futokoro of his kimono (or, if he is not wearing a kimono, he tucks the folded fukusa into his belt, near his right hip²²).

    Then the host picks up the chaire, and while holding it over his left knee (the heel of his left hand can rest lightly on his left leg at this time, for security), he takes out the fukusa.  Raising the chaire to the center of his body (above his knee-line), he wipes the lid, and then the shoulder, with the fukusa.  Then, after returning the fukusa to his futokoro (or tucking it into his belt) once again, the chaire is lowered to the mat.  Its back side should touch the front edge of the yū-yo, while it should not cross the kane on the left (this is a memory of the shiki-shi [敷き紙], where nothing resting on it was allowed to project beyond its edges).

    The host then moves the chawan forward (so that its back side touches the front edge of the yū-yo).  He takes out his fukusa, and places it on his left palm.  Then he picks up the chashaku, cleans it with the fukusa, and rests the chashaku on top of the chaire.  After which the fukusa is returned to his futokoro (or slipped under his belt).

    Next, the host lifts the chasen out of the chawan and stands it on the mat on the same (yin) kane on which the futaoki is resting.

    The the host takes out his fukusa, and wipes the lid of the mizusashi (because, on this occasion, the mizusashi has a lacquered lid) -- in front of the handle, on the far side of the handle, and then from the handle off the right side.  (The case where the lid is made of the same material as the mizusashi was the original situation.  Because the idea of making a lacquered lid for a mizusashi only appeared around the middle of the fourteenth century, it was felt that certain changes to the temae were necessary -- to make the use of a lacquered lid “more difficult²³.”)  Then the lid is picked up with the right hand, reheld from the side with the left, and then leaned against the left side of the body of the mizusashi (the lid should touch the mat 3-me from the left edge of the foot²⁴).

    Opening the mizusashi at this time is necessary because the kama is an unryū-gama:  because of the small size of this kama, the water boils away very quickly²⁵.  Thus, it is necessary to constantly replenish the kama with cold water, starting as soon as the lid of the kama is removed.

    The host then picks up the hishaku with his right hand, and reholds it in his left hand so that it is above his left knee (it was at this time that it was held in the “kagami-bishaku” [鏡柄杓] position:  opening the lid of the kama was felt to be akin to revealing the host’s heart -- the state of his samadhi -- to his guests, and so the hishaku was held like a mirror onto which his samadhi was reflected).  He then takes the chakin out of the chawan and uses that to protect his fingers while lifting the hot lid off the kama.  (As mentioned above, the ring-handle of the lid is pinched from the sides between the host’s thumb and first fingers -- with the chakin between the skin of his fingers and the metal of the ring.)  The lid is lowered to the futaoki.

    When the ring is held in this way, it will be pointed toward the lower right-hand corner of the temae-za.  This leaves the side of the lid facing toward the middle of the mat completely unobstructed (meaning that there is no need to flip the ring over, the way certain modern schools teach²⁶).  After placing the lid of the kama on the futaoki, the chakin should be rested on the lid (as shown in the drawing).

    Then, after reholding the hishaku with his right hand, two hishaku of cold water are immediately added to the kama (to replenish what has boiled away since the sumi-temae), followed by a yu-gaeshi [湯返し].  After which, a quarter hishaku of hot water is dipped from the kama and poured into the chawan.

    The host then immediately adds one hishaku of cold water to the kama, followed by a yu-gaeshi; after which the hishaku is rested on the kama as usual.

    Then the host picks up the chawan, rotates it three times above the koboshi, discards the water, and returns the chawan to the mat in front of his knees.

    The hishaku is picked up again, and a half hishaku of hot water is poured into the chawan.  Once again, the host immediately adds a full hishaku of cold water to the kama, performs another yu-gaeshi, and again rests the hishaku on the kama²⁷.

    The lid of the mizusashi is then closed, and wiped with the host’s fukusa in the same way as before it was opened.

    Then the hishaku is picked up, and held with the left hand above the host’s left knee (kagami-bishaku, once again); and, again using the chakin (the lid will still be quite hot), the lid of the kama is picked up, and placed on the kama, closing it completely.  Then the chakin is placed on the lid of the mizusashi, and the hishaku is again rested on the futaoki.

    Then he picks up the chasen and rests it in the chawan, leaning against the far rim of the bowl.  Then he performs the chasen-tōshi in the usual way, stands the chasen on the right side of the mat as before, and discards the water.

    He dries the chawan with the chakin²⁸, places the chawan down on the mat in front of his knees, and returns the chakin to the lid of the mizusashi.

    In the usual way, the host picks up the chashaku, and then the chaire, and transfers enough matcha to the chawan to make one portion of koicha (according to Rikyū’s way of doing things).

    After returning the chaire and chashaku to their places on the left side of the mat, the host picks up the hishaku and holds it above his left knee (kagami-bishaku, again).  Then, picking up the chakin, he again opens the kama, resting its lid on the futaoki (and then placing the chakin on the lid, as shown above).

    At this time, during the furo season, the host once again rests the hishaku on the kama -- without doing anything else.

    Then -- because this is the furo season, so cold water has to be added to cool the kama slightly before preparing koicha²⁹ -- the lid of the mizusashi is again wiped with the fukusa (as before), and then opened.

    The host then adds one hishaku of cold water to the kama, followed by a yu-gaeshi.  Dipping out a full hishaku of hot water, he pours an appropriate amount over the matcha in the chawan, and returns the rest to the kama.  (At this time he does not add any more cold water, since he already did that before dipping out the hot water.)

    Picking up the chasen, the host blends the matcha and hot water together to make koicha³⁰.

    After the host has finished blending the koicha, the chasen should be placed on the left side of the mat, on the endmost yin-kane; it should also be in line with the center of the chawan.

_________________________

◎ While the details of the temae narrated here agree with Rikyū’s own writings, they might not necessarily conform with the way the modern schools teach these things.  In every case where the temae practiced by the school with which the reader is affiliated differs from what is written here, it would always be best to follow your own school’s preferred methods.

¹On this occasion, the ro-buchi was made of sawa-kuri [沢栗] -- a variety of chestnut wood that grows near streams in the wild.  This wood, which is beige, with a slightly darker grain, was the kind of ro-buchi preferred by Jōō and Rikyū for this purpose.

²Before the modern period, byakudan with a reddish tinge was preferred (since it has a more subtle aroma than white byakudan).  However, this kind of byakudan is rarely seen today.

³Crushed incense wood is what is used in the temple setting.

    Chips of incense wood, such as are usually used today, were originally made to perfume the breath while speaking (a chip was held under the tongue for this purpose).

    It is unclear from the historical records when the change from crushed incense to wood chips was made.

⁴Neri-kō, as a way to perfume the air in the tearoom, did not come into use until a number of years after Jōō began to use the ro in his 4.5-mat tearoom.

    When neri-ko was used throughout the year, the blend appropriate to the particular season seems to have been preferred:

◦ bai-ka [梅花] was used in spring;

◦ ka-yō [荷葉] was used in early summer;

◦ ji-jū [侍従] was used during the rainy season;

◦ ka-yō [荷葉] was used again during the period of intense heat;

◦ kikka [菊花] was used in early autumn;

◦ raku-yō [落葉] was used from late autumn to early winter;

◦ kuro-bō [黒方] was used in the depths of winter.

    The reader should understand that this is only one system.  Other series (in which the various blends were sometimes associated with different seasons) are also described in the classical literature (and these tend to reflect period-specific preferences -- which may or may not be tied to the availability of certain of the ingredients, most of which had to be imported from the continent).

    This sequence cited above appears to follow the traditional division of the tea year into seven seasons (which primarily was used as a guide to the selection of the utensils):  shun [春], u-zen [雨前], u-chū [雨中], u-go [雨後], shū [秋], shō-kan [小寒], dai-kan [大寒].

⁵In the early days, people were still using the treasured futaoki that had been placed on the daisu and other tana-mono, which were objects of appreciation.  Resting the hishaku on the board permitted the guests to look at the futaoki without having to touch any of the other utensils*. __________ *If, for example, the hishaku was resting on the futaoki, since there was no tana in this kind of room, the question became what to do with the hishaku while looking at the futaoki.  Placing it on the floor would dirty it.

    Also, if the hishaku was resting on top of it, it is likely that the guests would not be able to see the futaoki clearly, and so not recognize what it was.

⁶The Yamazato-no-iori [山里ノ庵] was Jōō’s first 2-mat daime room.  It was built in late 1554 or early 1555, at the same time as Rikyū’s Jissō-an [實相庵].

⁷Moving back and forth between the utensil mat and the katte, while carrying in the utensils one by one, was something that was supposed to be done only in the shoin setting.

    In the wabi room, it was preferred that once the host reached the temae-za, he should not leave again until the service of tea was finished (this seems to have been Jōō’s idea from the beginning).

⁸These drawings show Rikyū’s tabi-dansu [旅簞笥] (which was used with the door removed, since the fusuma itself fulfills that function), since that tana is less deep than most of the others -- though any sort of mizusashi-dana could be used.  In Jōō’s day there was a preference for high-quality mizusashi-dana with four legs, since those tana (fine though they might be) could not be used on the utensil mat.

    The tabi-dansu was designed as a portable dōko (for use in a larger room that had not been constructed as a dedicated tea room -- meaning it had neither a ro, nor a built-in dōko).  At the siege of Odawara (in 1590), Rikyū used the tabi-dansu when serving tea during Hideyoshi’s conferences with his generals.  The furo-kama (the small unryū-gama in the large Temmyō kimen-buro), mizusashi (kiji-tsurube), and futaoki were arranged on a naga-ita.  After everyone had taken their seats, Rikyū entered carrying the tabi-dansu in front of his body.  He placed it on the mat to the left of the one on which the naga-ita was arranged*, opened the door, and then turned to face the naga-ita†.

    The tabi-dansu was made so that it could be used with any chaire, except for a large katatsuki resting on a chaire-bon selected according to Jōō’s method (that is, the tray would be 3-sun larger than the chaire on all four sides).  A tray of that size will not fit inside this tana.  However, Jōō’s tray for a ko-tsubo chaire (such as Rikyū’s “Shiri-bukura” chaire [尻膨茶入]‡) would fit.  A large katatsuki would have to be used with a tray selected according to Rikyū’s calculations (in other words, the tray would be 2-sun larger on all four sides).  A clear understanding of the distinction between these two kinds of bon-chaire will be very useful for anyone who hopes to make sense of the aesthetics of Rikyū and his followers. ___________ *In, for example, an 8-mat room, it seems that Rikyū performed the temae on the left of the two mats in the middle, with his assistant (who conveyed the bowls of tea to each guest) seated on the next mat.

†This is completely different from how the tabi-dansu is used today.

‡Which he used during the most intimate conversations between Hideyoshi and one of his officers, or when receiving an envoy from the Hōjō defenders.

⁹The go-sun-hane [五寸羽] is the small-sized habōki that is used on a daime utensil mat.

   In the small room, the utensil mat is always considered to be a daime (regardless of its actual size), since the lower 1-shaku 5-sun of a full-length kyōma tatami was always yū-yo in the small room setting.

¹⁰Rikyū preferred to reach across his body.  Thus, when opening the fusuma (which, in the example shown, would slide from the host’s right to left), the host would reach up to the hand-hold with his left hand and, after opening the door 1-sun or so, push the fingers of his left hand through the aperture, and so pull the door open to the middle of his body.  Then he would lower his left hand and continue pushing with his right hand until the door was open.

    The door should not be slid open completely.  Rather the panel that was just opened should be left projecting 1- or 2-sun beyond the edge of the other panel, so it can be grasped easily when it is time to close the fusuma again.

¹¹Unlike in the versions of the furo-season usage taught by many of the modern schools, where the fusuma by which the host enters and exits the utensil mat is occasionally left open -- ostensibly for the purpose of keeping the tearoom from becoming too hot -- this cannot be done in this room (since it will make it impossible for the host to open the other fusuma, through which he accesses the objects arranged on the tana behind it).

    Furthermore:  in Rikyū’s period the tea gathering was considered to be an extremely private affair, meaning that the doors would always be closed (and locked, where locks were available).

¹²Their discussion, at this time, is usually focused on the chabana, and the objects arranged on the utensil mat.

¹³According to Rikyū, the condition of the fire is the thing that determines what can be done during the gathering -- and a master chajin was one who could build a fire during the sumi-temae (always at the beginning of the shoza) that would keep the kama boiling until the service of usucha was finished, with the sound of the kama persisting (albeit weakening) until the guests left the room.

    While the host pauses here to inspect the fire, he also should also check and see that the initial arrangement of the other objects was not changed by the guests in any important way (and if it was, he should put things aright before proceeding further).  Unlike today, when scolding and hypercriticality have become important activities by means of which the guests attempt to control each other (so their behavior conforms with the norms established by their particular school), in Rikyū’s time the guests were free to do pretty much whatever they liked, and they often picked up the various utensils to look at them closely when they first entered the room for the shoza, or the goza.  (Indeed, Jōō actively encouraged them to open the door of the ji-fukuro, or the dōko*, so that they could look inside at that time, only asking that the last guest close the door again when they were done.)  However, since the host will also use the positions of the various utensils to guide his hand when moving new objects onto the utensil mat, his faith in the initial arrangement should be confirmed before he begins doing anything else. __________ *Only in the case of the mizuya-dōko was this sort of thing strongly condemned by Rikyū (meaning that he began to assert the host’s authority only during the last two or three years of his life, since the first mizuya-dōko was the one he built in his Mozuno ko-yashiki [百舌鳥野小屋敷], which was completed in late 1588 or early 1589).

¹⁴The fusuma at the left of the temae-za had a similar function (indeed, it was the inspiration for) the door of the dōko.  The original dōko was simply a locally made wooden box, with a shelf suspended across the middle, that was a wabi alternative to the imported mizusashi-dana that had been all the rage during Jōō’s middle period.  Once the size of this tana had been fixed, it was only a matter of time before the opening, and the fusuma sliding in front of it, were reduced to being no larger than necessary.  (This, of course, was only possible in a 4.5-mat room, where the dōko is some distance removed from the host’s entrance.  In this particular two-mat setting, however, it would be difficult, since the host’s fusuma must slide behind the other so that he can get into and out of the room, meaning that the height of the two doors must be the same.)

¹⁵This is the way the idea is expressed in things like the Nampō Roku.  What it actually means is that the foot of the chaire is located immediately to the right of the kane, so that the body of the chaire extends across the kane (in the case of the meibutsu chaire, and meibutsu chawan, the foot is usually one-third of the maximum diameter of the body); the back of the chaire should touch the front edge of the yū-yo, as if it were an invisible wall -- it is fairly easy to visually extend the front edge of the ro-buchi across to the mat to this point, allowing the host to gauge the width of the yū-yo without much difficulty*). ___________ *When it comes time to move the chawan beside the chaire, the back of the chaire is the visual guide that helps him determine how to orient the chawan.

¹⁶This is why the placement of the futaoki -- centered, as it is, in between the kane -- is so important:  it shows the host where both the yin and the yang kane are located -- since the me on both sides of the futaoki represent those kane.

    Rikyū said that the kane, especially in the wabi small room, should be recognized by counting the me on the mat*, and this is what he meant. __________ *In entry 50 of Book Seven of the Nampō Roku, it was alleged that Rikyū marked the kane on a sort of measuring tape, which he then hid in his futokoro, bringing it out when he was arranging the utensils on the mat at times when other people were not present; but this sort of action is contraindicated by his own words.

    Using a measuring tape was a machi-shū practice that the machi-shū of the Edo period subsequently strove to validate by also putting the device into Rikyū’s hands.  Rikyū’s point, however, was that the wabi setting does not demand such exactitude -- and, indeed, such excessive care is actually out of place there.  It is better for the objects to be aligned with the me of the mat -- that is, so the side facing the guests is seen to be so aligned with the me (since placing objects so that their edges are in between me looks careless).

¹⁷The kane were derived from the shiki-shi [敷き紙], which accounts for some of the more arcane conventions associated with them -- such, as in the case of the endmost yang-kane, the idea that things are bound by them (objects placed on the shiki-shi were not suppoed to project beyond the edge) -- though this is only really a rule during the actual preparation of the tea.  This is why the chaire must be wholly within the confines of the kane, since the purpose was that any tea that might fall off of the chaire* would be caught by the shiki-shi (which was originally used only once, and then discarded after use), rather than soiling the mat. ___________ *In the early days, the fear of contaminating the tea with lint meant that the chaire was rarely cleaned as diligently as today.  As a result, it was not unheard of for tea to remain on the shoulder of the chaire, from where it could become dislodged, and so fall onto shiki-shi.

¹⁸This is done so he does not have to reach over the chaire and chawan with his right arm to access the handle of the hishaku, which would be wrong.

¹⁹The depression in the top of a futaoki is called a hi [樋].  In the early days its presence (or absence) was considered to be the most critical feature of any object that the host wanted to use as a futaoki.

²⁰Audibly striking the hishaku against the futaoki, and then dropping the handle so it bounces several times before coming to a rest* were machi-shū practices adamantly deplored by Rikyū -- not only because they were annoying, but because they could loosen the joint between the hishaku’s handle and its cup, resulting in the hishaku leaking during the temae. __________ *This kind of thing was viewed as a kind of “natural magic” by the Koreans of the middle ages (and even today), since the interval between taps decreases by exactly half with each repetition.  Nevertheless, while this is so, it is out of place during the temae.

    According to Rikyū, the cup should be gently rested on the futaoki, and then the handle should be gently lowered to the mat -- even in the most wabi setting.

²¹The outermost 5-bu on all four sides of the mat is yū-yo.

²²This was explained by Rikyū.

   While Rikyū preferred to wear a kami-ko [紙子] (a kimono sewn from heavy paper treated with persimmon juice -- making it a dark brick-red color), many people of his period preferred to wear Korean-style clothing, consisting of a pair of loose pants tied at the ankles with strips of cloth, and secured around the waste by a narrow cloth belt, and a separate shirt that was tied at mid-chest with a sort of cord attached to the hems, both of which were made from undyed cloth (usually cotton or hemp, so they were between off-white and a pale beige).

    In either case, a jittoku [十德] (a hip-length overgarment, sewn from black diaphanous silk, and traditionally worn by monks on formal occasions) was worn over the other garments before entering the tearoom.

²³This will likely strike the modern reader as an odd way of thinking about the matter, since the higher temae are invariably more complicated than the lower.

    But this is a problem that arose (perhaps intentionally) during the Edo period.  The original daisu temae (the so-called gokushin-temae [極眞手前]) was very simple, with all actions dictated only by necessity.  Originally, only a mizusashi with a lid made of the same material as the body was permitted, and this lid was cleaned (with a damp chakin) when mizusashi was filled with water when the daisu was being prepared for use.

    But when the lid of the seiji unryū-mizusashi [青磁雲龍水指] was broken during the attack on Yoshimasa’s storehouse (yet the body was left completely unscathed), Yoshimasa felt it was too much of a waste for such a precious object to be thrown away.  So he had a wooden lid carved and painted, to resemble the original celadon lid. But it was found that dust clung to the lacquerware in a way that it never did to pottery or metalwork*, and this is what necessitated the wiping of the lid with the host’s fukusa every time it was going to be opened or closed (for fear that the dust would fall into the water, thereby contaminating the contents of the mizusashi).

    The original usage was basic.  The later modification was more complicated, because it took into account the peculiarities of the new lacquered lid. __________ *Or perhaps it might be better to say that the dust was simply more obvious on account of the material that was used.  Nevertheless, because people were now more sensitive to this issue, a remedy had to be devised, and that is how the procedure came into being.

²⁴This angle of inclination is considered to be the most stable, and so less likely for the lid to slip and fall on the mat.

²⁵The original unryū-gama was the small unryū-gama, which holds three mizuya-bishaku of water* when full.  However, that kama was really too small to be used over the ro (because, on account of the larger fire and greater heat, the water will boil away too quickly).  Later a slightly larger version of this kama was cast for use in the ro (it holds four mizuya-bishaku of water), and this is what is now known as the medium unryū-gama (chū unryū-gama [中雲龍釜]).  It was made for use with the ro, and in that setting it was supposed to be used in the same manner as the small unryū-gama was used on a furo. ___________ *A mizuya-bishaku -- this is a standardized measuring device -- holds 400 ml of water when filled to the rim (though in practice, it probably holds a little less when water is being poured into the kama).  Consequently, the small unryū-gama holds around 1200 ml (when filled to the bottom of the kan-tsuki -- as was the original rule, though some of the modern schools have changed this), and the medium unryū-gama holds 1600 ml.

²⁶Originally the ring-handle was pinched between the thumb and first finger, as described here.  The early ring-handle did not have a projecting leg (that keeps the ring from lying flat on the face of the lid). Consequently, the host had to lift the ring up with his fingernails (cultured persons of the upper classes, both men and women, effected long fingernails during that period*).  As a result, holding it from the sides was the most logical way to do things.

    Ring handles of this sort were first seen when old bronze mirrors came to be used as lids for kama during the late fifteenth century†.

  These mirrors had a small knob, with a hole pierced through it, in the middle of the back side (the front side was polished as smooth as the technology of the day permitted, and then silvered); and a cord was threaded through that hole (which was then braided to make a handle by means of which the mirror could be held up -- this can be seen in the photo).  When mirrors that had lost their silver were used as lids for kama, a cord was impractical (since it would get wet from the steam, and so get too hot to handle; cords of this sort were also susceptible of catching on fire).

    After chanoyu came to be practiced by members of the samurai caste (whose physical training meant that they could not have excessively long fingernails), the little leg was added to the ring, to make catching hold of it easier.

    Unfortunately, by the Edo period the machi-shū had forgotten how this was supposed to be done, and began putting their index finger through the ring (meaning that the ring will have to face toward the host at all times).  Because the ring was now taking up the very part of the lid where the chakin would have to sit, Sōtan and his followers got into the habit of flipping the ring over, so that the side of the lid facing him was unobstructed.  Of course this not infrequently resulted in the host forgetting to flip it back over before the end of the temae‡ -- which was another point about which the guests could gossip later. __________ *Long fingernails meant that they did not have to do any sort of manual labor.

    The way of doing things like handling a writing brush always took into account the fact that the user might have long fingernails.

†This was because, since bronze was not yet being made in Japan, this was the only way to get lids of that metal for the iron kama that were being cast in Japan.  (When these old mirrors lost their silver, there was no way to repair them, so they became useless.  Using them as lids gave them a new purpose.)

‡If the ring was not flipped back, it would be very difficult to pick up the lid.

²⁷This is a special feature of the unryū-gama temae:  as a result, while the amount of water in an ordinary kama decreases over the course of a temae, in the case of the unryū-gama, it slowly increases after each time hot water is used.

²⁸In Rikyū’s temae, the chakin was used as it was, to dry the bottom, lower side, and upper side of the interior of the bowl, then the front rim and back rim, when wiping the omo-chawan [主茶碗]; it was not draped over the side while the bowl was rotated -- that was done only when drying the kae-chawan [主茶碗] (since doing so is more dangerous).

    Thus, in Rikyū’s temae, the chakin was immediately placed on top of the mizusashi, without any need to refold it.

²⁹The reason for adding water to the kama before preparing koicha during the “furo season” is this:  once the ambient temperature begins to remain above freezing throughout the day and night, the strength of the stored tea begins to decrease each time the cha-tsubo is opened (as more and more of the volatile components evaporate when the jar is opened to the air).  Therefore, the temperature of the water has to be lowered, otherwise the aromatics will dissipate completely before the bowl even reaches the guest.

    We are not really so sensitive to this as were the people of Rikyū’s time, and the reason has to do with the way the matcha is processed.  Even if you visit a tea plantation and are served a bowl prepared with freshly ground tea, the simple fact is that the machine-operated tea mills heat the leaves too much when they are being ground (the millstones become too hot to touch).  Thus, so much of the flavor has already evaporated even before the powdered tea is sealed in its tin (the aroma of grinding tea spreads even out into the parking lot -- that is how much is lost).

    In Rikyū’s day, the tea was ground in a hand mill, and when turned by hand (even by the young men of the household to whom this task was usually delegated), the stones do not even become warm to the touch.  Thus the tea retained virtually its full strength and aroma until it was finally put into the chawan, and boiling water was poured over it.

    Before Jōō created the irori, when the furo was used all year round, this simple rule could not be followed. Rather, from the beginning of winter in the Tenth Month (when the new jars of tea were cut open for the first time) until the end of the Second Month (around the end of March), fully boiling water was used to prepare koicha.  From the beginning of the Third Month until the end of the Ninth Month, the kama was brought to a full boil (by closing the lid of the kama during the chasen-tōshi), and then its temperature was reduced appropriately by adding cold water to the kama before dipping out water to make the tea.  While one hishaku of cold water would suffice for most of this time, from the end of the rainy season the host had to take especial care -- because even though the weather begins to cool from late August, the tea will have already been so damaged during the intense spell of heat, that it will have been all but ruined.  Thus water no hotter than absolutely necessary should be used for the remainder of the year.  (That is why Rikyū used a tsutsu-chawan during that season -- so he could cool the kama as much as possible, yet be assured that the tea would not cool further between his hands and those of the guest.)

    Chanoyu, especially wabi no chanoyu (where the focus was supposed to be wholly on serving the best possible bowl of tea -- rather than amusing the guests with a room full of expensive utensils*), was a much more involved process than the modern, mechanical, mindless methodology might lead one to conclude. ___________ *Unfortunately, this idea has declined to the point where a majority of the practitioners of chanoyu today do not like koicha, and only endure it because of the utensils and food, despite the fact that most private gatherings take place in what would be described as a wabi small room (which includes the inakama 4.5-mat room).

³⁰According to Rikyū, hot water should be added to the chawan only once -- so the koicha could be offered to the guest as quickly as possible.  Pausing to add more hot water (as Jōō did -- not only when preparing koicha, but when making usucha, too) will delay this, meaning that more of the volatile flavor components will have had the chance to evaporate before the bowl actually gets to the guest.

[tsurilol]

tsuri are you okay

I should be asking you that question… Why do you ask?

[xtruss]

The “We❤️NYC” Logo Flop! The New Logo Lacks the Bite and Snarl that Made Milton Glaser’s Original an Icon.

— By Adam Gopnik | March 23rd, 2023

New York City’s new logo fails because, instead of summing up an emotion, it belabors an image. Photograph by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty

Not since the new money—remember that?—no, not since New Coke—no, not even New Coke—well, then, not since the Dodgers left Brooklyn has any intended innovation met so much appalled resistance as the proposed new logo for post-pandemic New York.

Meant to gently supersede and complement Milton Glaser’s famous mid-seventies logo, which I wrote about and praised this week, it has reeled in hate mail of a kind that not even Donald Trump would seem to deserve from Stormy Daniels. “The original looks like the voice of a city. The new one looks like the voice of an investment bank or possibly a healthcare provider,” one commenter wrote on Twitter. Someone else allowed judiciously that “this sucks on every conceivable level and also on some levels that exist beyond human perception.” And, with perhaps the canniest remark on the design’s yokel-ness, someone else claimed to have seen the new logo wandering around Rockefeller Center asking for the Christmas tree.

What is fascinating to consider, imagining someone a hundred years from now—when the language of graphics has changed enough to make the intricacies of our language opaque—is why we’ve reacted so loudly. This logo is the same idea as Glaser’s after all, very mildly tweaked. (Apparently by one Maryam Banikarim, who had the not-bad-on-the-surface idea of adapting a subway typeface and did this in tandem with a group of civic-business boosters.) So why all the tsuris? Well, first because what Glaser pursued, as I tried to suggest in that lengthier piece, and as he always insisted, was not drawing elegant graphics but thinking in images. His seminal Bob Dylan poster, which once decorated every teen-ager’s bedroom, caught lightning in a bottle: Dylan was in transition from rough-and-tumble early-protest Bob to later and superior Rimbaud-image-mongering Bob. The poster caught that transformation.

Photograph courtesy New York State Department of Economic Development

Similarly, the original “I❤️NY” logo—even though it was scribbled on the back of an envelope (and was originally, as I noted, intended to indicate the state, though it was quickly subsumed into the town)—worked so beautifully because that heart symbol acted as a hasty synecdoche for love, and this in a pre-emoji age when such rebuses were rarer than they are now. By compressing civic love into a single symbol, the design brilliantly caught the speed and dispatch of our city. The heart was meant just a little ironically, in the same spirit as Detective Kojak’s memorable “Who loves ya, Baby?” of the same period. We don’t have to take the time to say “I love New York” when we can do it in a single sign, because we don’t have the time. The original logo not only advocated for New York; it advocated in a New Yorkish kind of way. (I strongly believe that the now universal “Love you!” phone farewell to friends and family, extending now even to parents, began then—and that I began it—but that is another tale.)

The new logo fails because, instead of summing up an emotion, it belabors an image. “NYC,” though an abbreviation used in official records and sometimes on mail, is unnatural to New Yorkers and calls up no sensitive synecdochic vibrations. We know New York only as New York—the state comes in a sad second in the registry of meaning. “NYC” is like “Avenue of the Americas”—a rebrand used only by out-of-towners. (In an early profile of Donald Trump, in GQ, back in 1984, Trump gave his phony game away when he referred to Sixth Avenue exclusively by its fake name.) “NYC” is going a bridge, or consonant, too far.

And then the addition of a rounded shadow on the design’s heart misses the whole point of the original, which was that it could be devoured at speed and therefore indicated a city speedy in its devourings. The logo in its new form is not extended to a new age, it is merely slowed down as if in old age, and nothing could be worse.

What is easy for the new generation to miss is that the original logo had just a mild undertaste of belligerence to it, like bitters in an Old-Fashioned. At a time when New York was feared and despised and thought to be dying, Glaser’s creation said not merely that one of us loves New York but that we love new York—so fuck you, Mr. President who abandoned the city in a moment of crisis (spurring the famous Daily News headline: “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD.”) Youngsters will not credit how depressed and threatened the city felt then, at a time when “Taxi Driver” seemed like “Wonderful Town”—or how much the “I❤️NY” campaign (with its cheering accompanying jingle, written by Steve Karmen) was a startling affirmation. O.K., hate us, but we still have Broadway, the Rockettes, the park, “Saturday Night Live”—we’re still here; all is not lost. Similarly, today we want to affirm that, although a lot of the social fabric of the city has undeniably degraded—too many helpless people on the subway in need of care, and too many rats in the park in need of removal—the core of the city is sound and solid. Those of us who stayed in place in town right through the pandemic, resisting all invitations to escape, Boccaccio-style, to a country house, or to decamp to some other not-New York place, thought afterward of demanding T-shirts that read “We Never Left.”

What we really want in a renewed logo is that properly renewed note of belligerence. Milton Glaser, were he living at this hour, would doubtless have made something a little darker and more aggressive, as he did after 9/11—maybe a new logo using a new emoji and not saying, wistfully, that we still love New York but that, in effect, anyone who doesn’t has something really wrong with them. There was a little bite beneath the old heart. We want to hear it, visually, again. We are renewed more by a snarl than a smile. That’s Why We ❤️ New York. ♦