#lost-hitsu

[ofliterarynature]

Responding to your request for LGBTQ+ recs, some of my favourite 90s adult fantasies - hope these will be niche enough!

The Fire's Stone (Tanya Huff) - fantasy quest but with a MM romance and an ace main character

The Stone Prince (Fiona Patton, Huff's wife) - classic Anglo-Saxon medieval fantasy but with a wholly queernorm world and a central established MM couple

Astreiant (Melissa Scott) - series starting with The Point of Hopes, mysteries in a super interesting fantasy city with a very low-key MM romance

Ahh, thank you so much! We’ve mostly read newer books so far and I’d love to fit in some older titles, I’ll just have to see if the library has enough copies.

We did read one of Huff’s urban fantasy books last year (which was declared not objectively good but a good read nonetheless lol) so now you have me curious about her high fantasy!

[goldammerchen]

hetalia btt/bft trio + bavaria + saxony

Nonlinear – Summary of the War of Austrian Succession

also:

Main Storyline – Chibitalia

Comic Diary – Comic Diary Summary Part 7 (some comics about the Anschluss! Swastika drawing)

Nonlinear – Liechtenstein’s Doting Older Brother Journal

Collezione (link)

tumblr post about the tweet

Bonuses

Hesse:

From Bamboo Thicket (I don't completely agree, due to hearing about strong regional identification in GER, not so few still must be around in Heta logic)

Cleaning Mr. Prussia – Germany Intro

Germany - Stop There

German nations' military uniforms - Bamboo Thicket

Even more

Who are these here?

long text by Hima that doesn't really name drop any other state but talks about the unification

edit: they are back chapter 516! finally canon sax and bavaria!

(hesse isn't there tho...)

[hetadoujinarchive]

“Hide, Hide, Hide!”

Characters: America, Canada, England

Pages: 29

Vibes: cute, wholesome, happy

Translated by: lost-hitsu?

Summary: America and Canada play a game of hide and go seek

[clembarbarossa]

9 people you'd like to get to know better

I was tagged by @couriers-mile. T'is an honour. Love your art :)

3 ships: Currently, I'm into the Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), CaitVi (Arcane) and Shadowlach (BG3)

First ship: Unironically, my first ship ever probably was Bianca Castaphiore x Captain Archibald Haddock ^^

Last song: Wasteland, Baby! by Hozier

Last film: The Boy and the Heron, by Hayao Miyazaki

Currently reading: There is just one thing I need, by SunsetSharkbite

Currently craving: Clementines (need that vitamine C)

I'm tagging @jiruchan, @lost-hitsu, @reallunargift, @chernozemm, @nexwsyexw-the-curious, @hoasens, @digital999placebo, @yukipri, @zu-art + anyone else who would like to participate!

[mariaurore]

(OOC) I log in and immediately the day starts off with this woman calling Hitsu. It's the same woman every time and she calls anywhere from 2-5 times a day.

I'm very patient irl; it takes a lot to bother me, upset me, annoy me, anger me, or to get under my skin.

I think she flirted with him back when I first started this game file. Before Mari and he were married- when they were still in the dating phase. That's when the romance bar appeared and even when the "Ask to just be Friends" option popped up, the romance bar never went away (it just emptied out, to zero).

Now that option doesn't even appear, and when I look it up, people are saying it's been removed from the game or you need to be at a certain amount of romance progression for it to appear. Well heck that.

So, she's been calling Hitsu 2-5 times every day sim-time, and I've just been tolerating it cause if this were real life and I'm trying to have my sims imitate real life (that's what this game is right? A life simulation game-) I'd be having to deal with this.

But I decided y'know what, actually no. If this were real life, we'd be able to tell her to get lost. He's married, has a kid, he's happy, he's not interested in her. Or better yet, file a restraining order. So, I'm actually over her stalking behavior and incessant phone calls.

I send Hitsu over to the local park and he calls her to meet him there.

Again, I see no options to "Ask to just be Friends". C'mon EA, what the heck? Why can't we do this the civilized way?

The only seemingly okay options available at this point are to insult her and make her bar go into the red- i.e. make her angry.

To add the cherry on top, he also tells her to "Go Away".

I mean... that should do the trick, right? The point is across. She shouldn't be infatuated with him anymore.

Or so I thought.

The moment he returns home and hops on the treadmill...

And then later that evening...

I swear to God... someone needs to fix this cause I'm looking at alternative options and they aren't pretty 🙃

Mari villain arch? User villain arch? That delete household feature is sounding rather nice right now 😈

[the-wookong]

Anime 1936: Yamabiko who lost the hook 鈎を失くした山彦

A shadow puppet animation. Kagi wo Hitsu Kushita Yamabiko.

[goldammerchen]

(canon often involve[d] "bosses" and historical figures, nation-people don't participate in history just from the sideways[?], and aren't just chilling.)

(about what drives them:)

extra

I thought that the representations are more their cultures instead of governments? Or do you think it’s both because of the element of wanting to hold power?

They are not a representation of their government but their existence does hinge in part on having one. A nation vs a Nation, capital being the animistic Heta character and the lowercase being the cultural-political construct. My personal take, which seems to align with manga canon, is that they don't represent the government but are still intrinsically connected to it because their people are also within their government.

That said, a culture is not a neutral thing. If a culture contains slavery and other structures that suppress personal liberties, then it can't be said to be wholly "good". If a character represents only the culture, then even without representing absolutely every person in that group they still take on the positive and negative aspects. One of these for example would be the Vikings and the people who weren't raiders still purchasing slaves from them within their collective culture.

So yes its both.

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

Hi, just to say a big thank you for all your work here on tumblr and other sites, I discovered so many fantastic books thanks to your recommendations and your STUNNING fanart and I'm just really glad I found your blog!

Thank you! I'm glad you are here, and that we can share the book love!

[mariaurore]

I love watching them play chess ♟️. It's the most adorable thing in the world 🥰

LOL at one point Hitsu points behind Takashi with this "Oh my god, Look!" gesture, and Takashi looks, like "What?!"

Meanwhile, Hitsu is doing something totally sus to the board.

When Takashi looks back, Hitsu is just like "I don't know" 🤷🏻‍♂️, "must have been the wind".

🤣 (OOC: It all happened so fast, I wish I got more screenies.)

I was just thinking "Omg! Hitsu that was so cheap!" 🤭

Of course Takashi lost the game, but I mean... he might NOT have if Hitsu didn't play dirty like that 😂

Someday you'll win a game against your Dad. Keep persevering 🤭

Edit: He did it again! I got some more screenies this time.

[mysterylover123]

Mysterylover watches Bleach episodes 273-274 “Aaaand We’re Back to SideFights”

1. So after an opening angsty montage of Last Episode’s Greatest Hits List (including “This is Heart” and “Are you afraid of me” in all their glory) we annoyingly cut back to the side squad. Dammit guys read the room a man just died.

2. Villain whats his face has lost his shit apparently. I’m sure you’ll keep the side cast busy for a while but you’ll be pretty underwhelming after Ulqui.

3. Big dude gets bigger and fights our trinity of sidekicks. LOL poor Rukia has been so demoted since the last arc. Renji too. 

4. I mean their fighting’s cool and all but it’s no IchiUryuuHime vs Ulqui. Anyway we cut back to the rest of the side cast too, so I guess the leads really are taking a break.

5. So Toshi is fighting Hot Naked Blond girl and they do the usual Shonen do-si-do. 

6. Thanks to Soi Fun being there too we get some nice gal power this episode - these two + Rukia. Some badassery. Anyway. here’s hoping we don’t spend too much time on teh side fights now.

7. We  get some more villain flirting between Hitsu and Blondie, which is nice as always. Worthy opponents. 

8. Soi Fun comes in to kick butt like a real badass. Love her. Where’s her girlfriend this arc BTW? Yoru I’m prepared for you to show up at the 11th hour and own the bad guys.

9. Oh and Rangi’s OK. Good to know. Lots of sidekick fights happen adn I’ll be honest I’m pretty tuned out.

10. So that’s all we really get in #273-274. I am committed to watching all the canon episodes RN but TBH I’m wondering if this stuff can just be skipped. I mean, not to be insulting to the show and the supporting cast, but I have to wonder how relevant these side fights are to the main plot. Let me know in the comments. 

[vypridae]

hi can i ramble about my nart ocs for a bit? cool thanks

first off yes i made a whole squad of my own characters because nobody else can tolerate my rambling- ANYWAY here we go long post

FIRST!! i made this character as a self-insert and just kinda went "yk what? yes" so here she is! this is an older ref but boom

shes miyane sakiko!

since im unoriginal i made her like, a super distant relative of the uchiha clan so she has her own sharingan which is probably kinda swaggy. she doesnt have family and actually moved in with the uchihas at like age four i think lmao, then itachi said "no💖" and killed em while she was out at the academy helping clean up (and originally trainin w sask). she got back a bit later than sasuke did and saw the whole clan dead and went "what? the bALLS?" then she like lost sasuke and then later got transferred from one class into irukas like, the day after the genin exams and that made an odd # of kids in the class so three for each squad wasnt possible. until later on when she was assigned her own squad she was put in as a temporary fourth member of team 7 (BECAUSE I CAN) also dont ask why because idk but she has the same earrings as orochimaru under her hair because i love them and have them irl

anyway she gets married to gaara in the end because im a simp okay next character

(by the way i dont have most backstory for most of these characters but wHatevER)

mamo ashinagi!! shes a swaggy one...

shes got the byakugan! again, uncreative me, anyway shes a distant relative of the HYUUGA clan so yeah lmao basically same that i guess, she doesnt really have fam either so she just kinda chills around. in her case its more like nart's scenario but whATEBEBR NEXT

this is nika botoshi!! surprisingly i went a biiiit more original for him but anyway

hes the only male of the group! a nice contrast to the "all-men-with-one-female" that the squads have goin on lmao... hes a med nin!! also a contrast to the # of female med nin lmao, hes pretty quiet and can be kiiinda a jerk but hes cool, also i like boys with long hair... like this guy, and kabuto, and itachi, and orochimaru, and-

anyway! next is the squad leader herself!

meet degiri hitsu! shes also a swaggy one, shes where mamo got her swAg

in a way to describe her, shes like, the cool teacher that does the job right by connecting with the students but also being just so cool outside of teaching too... shes very swaggy and also very skilled at taijutsu! also that jutsu she's doin with the fire, she calls that a "flamethrower jutsu" but its like a one-person combo jutsu she just. makes the fire go brr with the wind lmao, shes very eccentric. also she has shoes with the higher wedges because thats super swaggy!! shes just all around swaggy lmao, but i completely forgot to draw her konoha headband. probably wears it like around her other thigh (the one w/o the kunai bag) tbh. ALSO HALF OF HER HEAD IS SHAVED!! HOW SWAGGY IS THAT??

anyway thats it for my rambling lmao i really like making ocs... i was inspired to make so many because of these stereotype things i saw so jm making things that COMPLETELY contrast those. many many more ocs that i have to make BUT I GOT THSIDBDBDB

anyway bye HAHDBS

[blaster-aichi]

Cardfight!! Vanguard Extra Story IF 15 things

belated edition because brain went on a marathon

The opening scene with Aichi appears to insinuate one of two things: either the Sanctuary Knights need Kai-kun to help stabilize his condition or, as part of a theory below, maintaining the IF World is putting a strain on Aichi that’s becoming more than he can handle with time. The latter would solve why the team suddenly intended to have him visit Sanctuary considering the lengths Aichi’s gone to to keep them apart, but just how he could fulfil the role, haven’t been able to think up anything.

Ibuki switching to Aichi’s first name being a permanent thing now. Yes. (It’s a nice idea if they’re going to play on the both switching places from high school arc)

Had theorized Kai-kun was in an otherworldly/pocket dimension location with the colouring of the scenes in the preview but Takuto summoning him begs the question of how much he has as Prisoner; why not summon Emi and the others into the castle? Or Rekka and Ren, as a means of reintroducing them to the story now that their objective overlaps with that of Suiko’s group? Also Takuto being soft mint Takuto, you little shit, don’t just dangle a life like that over a kid’s head when you know it’s more “real” than the dream he’s living in.

Someone actually drag Aichi home, he’s way too dangerous. He’s pointing swords at anyone and everyone. It speaks for how deep the distortion in him is seeping, with the pacifist we’ve seen him be over the years, to raise a sword at even Kai-kun, to attack Ibuki(’s cards, but somehow not his fingers) with it — and tossing Ibuki into the void — one can only imagine how badly he’s going to react to how far off the rails he went if he has a PsyAichi-esque realization.

Kai-kun confirmed to never hold a girl’s hand before.

How dare Bushi make the Kai Parents the softest, chillest parents when we’ve been privy to what their real selves are like. (Papa Kai mixing up Shuka and Emi slays. Sir, do you mix up your employees too?)

SHIZUKA  — seeing her anything other than bubbly is painful, particularly when it’s used to contrast the happiness of the Kai family; it serves to hammer home how only one of Kai and AichiEmi is allowed to have a family remain in tact and their happiness preserved, driving home how the other serves to be a sacrifice.

“I’m not the kind of guy who still plays Vanguard in high school!” a) did he just roast his real self (and 90% of the cast)? b) side-eyes the preview, ahaha.wav

IF then: presents itself as the most light-hearted season to date IF now: threatens murder at every turn and has the two boys who’ve been protagonists in the past both run away from home in a single season

The episode all but said in as many words that the price of Aichi’s creating/altering IF World to ensure Kai-kun’s happiness was his own presence so as not to trigger any awakening to Kai-kun’s Outside World memories, sacrificing his own happiness to be around his friends in order to allow his best friend a content, fulfilling life. But in recognizing that, and willingly giving up the illusion for the sake of someone else demonstrates just how good a kid Kai-kun is, no matter the world, no matter how cold and distant he’d portray himself in the card-centric seasons.       — Season 1 (of 2011, so different continuity but go with it) initially painted Kai-kun as a more selfish individual in order to mask the complexities of his predicament, his goal appeared to be about power in order to topple a rival, but it was demonstrable that his motivations weren’t so cut and dry: it was about getting Ren back from a state that warped him, the fear that the same was happening to Aichi before his eyes and he was scared due to his inability to prevent it. And Link Joker followed the same line of thinking: his giving into Reverse was never about power, but his fear of falling behind and not being able to keep up — bearing in mind, he had done so thus far without the involvement of any power like Ren and Aichi had experienced — his motivations had always been driven by helplessness, fear and any inability to face them head-on, finding it easier to handle if he ran away — which was a big part of why it bothered me that people would nail him as being completely selfish and stupid when giving into temptation and accepting Reverse’s power. IF’s iteration of him gets to demonstrate what would happen if he was able to communicate himself properly and follow through with what he believes, in similar vein to Legion Mate, but without the shackles of guilt and atonement; he’s experienced a happy life, and wishes not to deprive someone else of the same, but without the pride of his usual self, he doesn’t run himself into the ground overthinking, but takes action based on the emotions he freely allows himself to feel and express.

Eager to see the extent of Kai-kun’s power; Kourin stated he’s in an incomplete form, but he’s able to perform the same as Emi without the need for Shuka’s involvement and even Ride units the same way had hoped Emi was going to prior to the season’s airing. Which poses the question of how is he able to and why Aichi would allow it within a world that he tampered with to erase the relationship, unless it’s a facet beyond his reality warping ability.

Kamui’s appearance in the preview brought a thought to mind: although they’re in different branches of the school ordinarily, there’s been no evidence that Kai-kun attends Hitsue within IF, and that, in fact, with his family’s wealth, it’s possible he could even attend Miyaji instead. The line of thinking is wholly dependent on how Kai-kun reacts to Kamui and/or his uniform come epi 16, but it would be a nice nod to the dividing up of the Kai/Miwa/Ibuki trio to have them each in different schools in a similar manner to their initial divided stances in the season’s plot.

Also IF 16? Did someone order extra-cute?

A couple of theories to add to the pile (partially yanked from discord logs)

Aichi:

Something corrupted him and started fucking with his head to implant the insinuation that Kai-kun's life would have been better had he never pursued Vanguard as a hobby and the two of them never met. It could be that Ibuki Deleting Kai-kun and the subsequent struggle he had was the means for this line of thinking to worm its way in.      — In the same vein as VoidAichi, said corruption gave him the ability to warp reality, allowing for a completely happy and harmless life for Kai-kun, though it distorted things around him as a result, hence binding his page in the Akashic Records; that's a defence tactic Aichi took to prevent the change from being recognized by the Tatsunagis and an effort to correct what was clearly altered from their understanding For the sake of not risking himself being a trigger that would bring to the surface any memories of his real life, Aichi ran away from home and holed up in Sanctuary, removing any chance of Kai-kun being enlightened to the truth and allowing his perfectly happy life to continue without a hitch, and by having him get bored of Vanguard, there is no tie between them But the corruption is poisoning him and/or the strain of upholding such a world is taking its toll on Aichi, hence the beginning of the episode, and they already spelled out he himself isn't happy, it kills him to not see the person he wants to most, but sacrifices his happiness for Kai-kun's. Why he wanted Kai-kun brought to Sanctuary, idk, maybe as a brief respite, to serve as a reminder of why he's doing this, and keep his eroding spirit strong      — The corruption is what's turned him into a violent monster who's fine with hurting or pointing a sword at whoever gets in his way. VoidAichi was passive and sealed because he was a threat to his friends' peace, trapped in a position where he was a ticking timebomb, but IF Aichi is proactive and cut himself off because he's a threat to Kai-kun's happiness and can do something about it.

Also it's made pretty obvious that Aichi's tampered with Kourin, Naoki and Shingo's (and probably Miwa's) memories, which is why they're so fixated on his will and their dedication which feels kind of cult-ish, because of Naoki's glimpse of the real history after he lost the fight In his own, even more twisted way than Legion Mate, Aichi thinks he's doing the right thing, and the interference with that dreamworld isn't something he has the patience for due to the corruption, which is why he freaks out whenever Vanguard is brought up or someone opposes him

Ibuki:

The theory is Ibuki's been cast into an illusion where he relives his childhood, or maybe an ideal childhood is given to him in the same vein as IF Kai-kun to lessen his will to fight, whether to enforce just what he's up against and the hurt he could face again or to give him a glimpse of what he could be blessed with if he stops interfering with Aichi's world Shuka seeking out Emi gets a little more strength to it as well, as the only person in the world who would recognize that anything is wrong with the atmosphere at home the way it is after Aichi ran away, and no-one else knowing him because of his isolated childhood, so she's the only anchor to drag him back down.

Courtney also came up with the suggestion that Ibuki might instead be forced to loop through his torment at the Deletors’ hands, living through cycles of his attempt to erase Vanguard, to twist the knife but also try to remind him of why Vanguard is a terrible thing.

Kai family:

“I’ll see you again someday”.

The use of this line as Kai-kun’s parting words to his parents is striking: as given Shuka’s warning, the likelihood of him actually achieving this is minimal, unless for a few scenarios:     — he returns home to be with them as IF World is erased and the timeline corrected, allowing them one last time together     — post-IF, the real Kai-kun seeks out his parents. In doing so, he’s able to demonstrate to them what he was able to grow up into despite their abandonment, even if for that purpose and then to part ways with them. For the real Kai-kun, such a meeting would serve as closure and for the IF version within him, it would be one last show of love and gratitude for the life they gave him. (the latter part could apply to the real Kai-kun, appreciating the childhood he was given until they left.)     — Also the irony that they absconded for selfish purposes, shirking all responsibiliy of their child, left to fend for himself against the ire of his relatives, but when he runs away from home, it's to protect them. What a good boy.

[wereowl]

<3

@lost-hitsu @versen @kitikara @iampresent @crocoguile @george-the-pumpkin @dressesandcarresses @karasunocurry

Send to 10 other bloggers you think are wonderful. Keep this going to make someone smile. ☆♥

awww thank you nyx!!! and also big thanks to @siren-serenity @devilfishcafe @dove-da-birb @identity-theft-101 @officialdaydreamer00 !!! you guys are all so sweet and wonderful!!🥺💕

tagging! @hheun @azulashengrottospiano @fukashiin @atsdlura @siphoklansan @jade-s-nymph @coralinnii @v-anrouge @vtoriacore @spadecentral

[etspera]

@ Tagging Game

i was tagged by @hitsuaya who is fantastic!

rules: tag 10 people you think would like to be tagged, and copy/paste the asks into a new post. Answer all/as many of them as you want!

1. do you prefer writing with a black pen or a blue pen? meh, i don’t mind either: writing with my hand is what makes it special! 

2. would you prefer to live in the country or in the city? i love Budapest, don’t get me wrong, but as @hitsuaya mentioned, living by the sea together is an absolute Goal. Hitsu could decorate our walls with their drawings Jean Cocteau style (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-villa-santosospir)

3. if you could learn a new skill, what would it be? i am learning knitting at the moment, don’t at me... also, i would love to know how to use photoshop!

4. do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar? no. 

5. what was your favorite book as a child? Baráth Katalin, a Hungarian write, had this book where a girl gets lost in Greek Mythology, cause HERMES asks her one day after school. It basically shows Jason’s story with the Golden Fleece through a Hungarian teenage girl’s eyes.... AMAZING. Also. Hungarian Shaman book: Gergő and the Dream-Catchers!! Meg Cabot was also a fave, I remember eating her books.

6. do you prefer baths or showers? showers, cause they energize or sooth me. I can feel actually clean after them idk; it’s not a rational thing. 

7. if you could be a mythical creature, which one would you be? Vampire - why be dead when you can continue to be funny and sexy. 

8. paper or electronic books? there is nothing like paperbooks, though i understand the pain of not knowing where to store them. 

9. what is your favorite item of clothing? i have a long cotton dress that is covers me BUT lets air in and since it’s a simple beige thing, i can accessorize boldly :-) 

10. do you like your name? would you like to change it? i love my name, thank You. 

11. who is a mentor to you? a what. 

12. would you like to be famous? if so, what for? not famous, but i want to have something to be remembered by. :-) A book or several. 

13. are you a restless sleeper? depends on my moods: when there is a lot of work, i sleep like a baby, when something has upset me, i find it hard. also, many mock me cause i can fall asleep VERY easily. 

14. do you consider yourself to be a romantic person? i know i am, it is my hybris.

15. which element best represents you? water - last year and this year taught me humility and how emotional i really am. i fought a lot over the years to hide this part in me, or “correct” this sensitivity, but what i learnt that it’s a core part of my personality and who i ultimately want to be. 

16. who do you want to be closer to? i want to be loyal and supportive of the friends i have, and be much stricter who i let in close. 

17. do you miss someone at the moment? yes.

18. tell us about an early childhood memory. i remember memorizing floor tiles at my grandmother’s house with my brother. It was summer, the window was open, my grandmother slept in the afternoons and we connected imaginary dots and names different shapes through the tile geometry. it’s a good memory. 

19. what is the strangest thing you have eaten? Bayou stew with alligator tails in it.

20. what are you most thankful for? every opportunity to learn something new, and also that fate (however you call it) let me meet loving people whom i can freely love too!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

21. do you like spicy food? YES. Hungarian cuisine is also more than ideal for this purpose.

22. have you ever met someone famous? i’ve seen them from afar and that was enough.

23. do you keep a diary or journal? continuity?? in this brain??? less likely than you believe. 

24. do you prefer to use pen or pencil? pen

25. what is your star sign? libra sun, cancer moon, capricorn rising... control freaks united.

26. do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy? I love CRUNCHY cereal, but imma be honest with You, i usually forget i have breakfast ready and it gets soggy. 

27. what would you want your legacy to be? i would like teenage/ young adult/ adult girls from a modest or abused background in my present and my future feel understood and represented; to make them feel and make them know it gets better and we are not alone. i would like to teach a lot of children and teenagers about the absolute humanity and joy and selflessness and cruciality of art. 

28. do you like reading? What was the last book you read? Yes! I reread Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann. That book series fucks. 

29. what are you afraid of? being shamed and misunderstood. 

30. what is your favorite scent? cinnamon; the air before a great storm. 

31. do you address older people by their name or surname? nicknames, though i check with them. i rarely use people’s first names in person, it is a very intimate act for me. 

32. if money was not a factor, how would you live your life? “in a small house near the ocean in Italy of course” :-) 

33. do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? T H E    D E P T H   O F  T H E   O  C  E  A  N.

34. what would you do if you found $50 in the ground? i mean. i would search for its owner a bit, but otherwise keep it and buy myself and/or someone a gift? 

35. if you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? have already a scale sign on my left arm; i’m thinking of tattooing a quote too. 

36. what can you hear now? cars outside and some music from my brother’s room. 

37. where do you feel the safest? when i am alone. but that can also bug me or take me down in the long run. 

38. if you could travel back to any era, what would it be? i am not that interested in time travelling - human nature remained and remains as terrible and terrific as before (though i’d check out 16th century Europe). 

39. what is your most used emoji?  🙃 🙃 🙃 🙃 🙃 🙃

40. describe yourself using one word. wistful.

41. what do you regret the most? cruelly and very suddenly cutting one specific person out from my life in fear of intimacy and as a remnant of deep-seated childhood issues.

42. last movie you saw? Mother/Madeo (2009) superb film. 

43. last tv show you watched? Santa Clarita Diet, netflix you fucking coward.

44. invent a word and its meaning: hypatheon - a sense of dread actually paralyzing you. 

if the following people have time and energy and are in the mood, please don’t hesitate: @trulytheoretical @neverfeedthesarcophagi @mybrainishealthy @niquesse @wolfhalls @woman-wolf-witch @vividfantasy7 @via-whitmore @merfaerie @sovietspies 

[chanoyu-to-wa]

Nampō Roku, Book 5 (58):  Two Poetic Aphorisms Related to the Practice of Kane-wari, Attributed to Rikyū¹.

58) [Two aphorisms in poetic form related to the practice of kane-wari, that were written on the back side of the document translated in the previous post; and attributed to Rikyū by Tachibana Jitsuzan².]

￮ [From] the chigai-dana [違棚], ō-toko [大床], shoin [書院], [to the] wabi-zashiki [ワヒ座シキ = ワビ座敷], [the arrangement of the utensils] is based on the five kane of the daisu³.

￮ In the small room, as well as in a room of one-thousand mats, the numbers of objects [displayed] should be based on the daisu’s nanatsu-kumi [七つ組]⁴.

(These two poems were written on the back of the sheet of paper on which the previous manuscript was written.  The poems were composed by Rikyū, and inscribed with his own brush⁵.)

_________________________ ◎ As with the previous document (on which they were written), these poems are probably spurious, since the first utilizes the five-kane system (that was, in fact, favored by Rikyū), rather than the eleven-kane system that was mentioned in the document to which these poems were supposedly appended)*; while the language of the second one conflicts directly with details that are found in several of Rikyū’s own densho. ___________ *This does not necessarily preclude this poem’s having been composed by Rikyū.  Indeed, writing a poem that was commonly believed (at that time) to have been written by Rikyū would argue for the authenticity of a forgery.

¹According to the postscript appended to this entry, the poems were attributed to Rikyū by Tachibana Jitsuzan, apparently based on the handwriting, and the fact that they were written on the back of the letter (or densho) explaining the different kinds of kane-wari -- that was translated in the previous post.

²This entry was not provided with a title in the Enkaku-ji manuscript (or in any of the other versions of the text).

    The use of the waka form was intended to make the details easier to remember.  This is why teachings (especially those that were important for the beginner) were often stated in poetic form.

³The first poem reads:

chigai-dana・ō-toko・shoin・wabi-zashiki     moto ha daisu no itsutsu-kane nari

[違棚・大床・書院・ワヒ座シキ     モトハ臺子ノ五ツカネナリ].

    “The chigai-dana, the ō-toko, the shoin, [and] the wabi-zashiki:  the foundation of these are the five-kane of the daisu.”

⁴The text of the second poem is:

ko-zashiki mo sen-jō-shiki mo mono-kazu no     moto ha daisu no nanatsu-kumi nari

[小座鋪モ千疊敷モ物數ノ     モトハ臺子ノ七ツ組ナリ].

    “Also in the small room*, also in the thousand-mat room, the number of objects is based on the nanatsu-gumi of the daisu.”

    Mono-kazu [物數] means the number of objects, how many things.

    Nanatsu-gumi [七ツ組] is a machi-shū term, used in the Nampō Roku†, that refers to the “complete” arrangement of objects on the daisu:  on the ji-ita, the furo, mizusashi, shaku-tate, koboshi, and futaoki; and on the ten-ita, the chaire and chawan.

    In other words, the arrangement of objects on the chigai-dana, in the ō-toko, on the dashi-fu-zukue [出し文机] (the built-in writing desk, sometimes referred to as the tsuke-shoin [付書院] today), as well as in the wabi setting, all of these are based on the idea that the numbers should be yang (odd)‡ -- since yang numbers are auspicious.

    About this poem, Tanaka Senshō writes**:  “The number seven is a yang [i.e., an odd] number.  Such numbers as seven, five, three, and so on, are auspicious numbers. For this reason, even in the small room, the toko, tana, and [things placed directly on the floor of the] room, the total number of objects displayed should follow the same pattern as the seven [utensils] that are displayed [on the daisu]. (It is important to point out that this [use of the number seven] has nothing to do with the seven-kane system that is employed in the inakama; therefore, one should be careful [not to confuse the one with the other].)

    “But, having said that, the nanatsu-gumi of the daisu, and the seven-kane that are employed on the inakama-daisu:  both make use the auspicious number seven.  Likewise, this number seven is also found in the mitsu-ori [by adding the four interstitial kane], in the four seasons††, and so forth.

    “When divided into two parts, [seven] yields three and four; or two and five.  The number of objects can also be broken down into sets that have an auspicious meaning:  one, two, three; or, seven, five, three, and so on.  When you think about it, the root number is always the seven objects arranged on the daisu:  from this [example of the daisu] comes the teaching that is described in this poem.”   

    However, the difficulty in accepting the authenticity of this poem has less to do with the meaning (which may well be authentic to the point of being a truism -- assuming we do not take the number “seven” too literally -- at least during the daytime), than with the terminology used in this poem -- which pointedly deviates from the usages prescribed, in detail, in several of Rikyū’s own densho‡‡. __________ *Ko-zashiki [小座鋪] is another way to write ko-zashiki [小座敷] that seems to have been favored (in certain circles) during the Edo period.

†This is used as an example used in the support of the argument that the Nampō Roku was written by Tachibana Jitsuzan by those scholars (who are by and large not affiliated with any of the modern tea schools) who prefer to hold that opinion.  (Often these people prefer to keep this opinion to themselves, since publishing such things, in Japan, would be tantamount to committing professional suicide -- as can be attested by the repeated attacks that have been made on this blog, initiated by people affiliated with a certain modern school.)

‡Perhaps the full count should be yin (even) at night.

**此七ツの数は陽の数で、七五三抔と云ふて芽出度い数である。故に小座敷でも、床、棚、座敷、此合計の道具数を七ツ飾る事がある。是は田舎間の七ツ曲尺の問題とは何の関係も無い事である事に注意せねばならぬ。

    けれども、台子の七ツ組、田舎間台子の七ツ曲尺、共に七と云ふ数の吉数である事には共通の思想がある。又此七ツを三ツ折、四季抔云ふて、三と四に二分したり、二と五に二分して、一二三、七五三抔と祝意を表する数に分解するのも、考へて見ると、其根元の数は台子の七ツ組と云ふ故実から起源して居ると云へると云ふ歌意である。

††Perhaps Tanaka is referring to the seven classical “seasons” that traditionally governed the practice of chanoyu:

◦ shun [春], spring (the planting season);

◦ u-zen [雨前], the month or so before the rainy-season begins (characterized by increasingly frequent overcast skies and rain);

◦ u-chū [雨中], during the rainy-season;

◦ u-go [雨後], the spell of intense heat that follows the end of the rainy-season;

◦ shū [秋], autumn (the harvest season);

◦ shō-kan [小寒], early winter;

◦ dai-kan [大寒], the period of intense cold that occurs around the beginning of the new year.

     Or, perhaps (since he characterizes this as “the four seasons,” when, in fact, there are seven) he was not really clear about this ancient (and secret) series, and was simply relating something that his source (one of the last surviving of the Enkaku-ji scholars) had mentioned to him in passing (without that person’s having gone into the details).

    This series of seasons is extremely important, since it defines the way that we stage a gathering at any given point during the year -- including how we select the utensils.  Unfortunately, this is another teaching that has been lost to many of the modern schools.

‡‡According to Rikyū, nanatsu-kazari [七ツ餝] refers to the (1) kama, (2) furo, (3) mizusashi, (4) hishaku, (5) shaku-tate, (6) koboshi, and (7) futaoki (rather than to the (1) kama-furo, (2) mizusashi, (3) shaku-tate, (4) koboshi, (5) futaoki, (6) chaire, and (7) chawan, as used by the machi-shū).

    Furthermore, he continues that the word kazari [餝] should be used when talking about the things arranged on the ji-ita, while kumi [組] should be used when discussing the things displayed on the ten-ita.

    He then goes on to explain that this was all a secret teaching, the purpose of which was expressly to distinguish those persons who had been initiated into the orthodox teachings of the daisu, from those who had not -- the latter (he writes) being people who use nanatsu-gumi (to mean the furo and kaigu, plus the chaire and the chawan).

    The machi-shū affiliated with Imai Sōkyū appear to have preferred this later terminology, and that is why it is commonly used by the modern schools.

    It is because of differences such as these, between Rikyū's actual writings and what is found in the secondary sources (the Nampō Roku is, at best, a secondary source), that certain modern schools argue that Rikyū's actual writings are fake, while the documents that they cherish (which are largely the writings derived from the machi-shū tradition) are the only true representation of the ancient teachings.

⁵Kono uta ni-shu ha migi no kami no hiki-kaeshi tokoro ni ari.  Rikyū no ji-ei ji-hitsu [此歌二首ハ右ノ紙ノ引カヘシノ所ニアリ、利休自詠自筆].

    “With respect to these two poems, they were [found] on the back side of the page mentioned at the right.  [They were] self-composed [and] self-written by Rikyū.”

    The poems were written on the back side of the sheet on which the drawings of the various sorts of kane-wari were found.  Rikyū both composed the poems, and inscribed them there “with his own brush.”

    According to Shibayama Fugen, this note was appended by Tachibana Jitsuzan.  Tanaka Senshō, while he does not explicitly ascribe the authorship to Jitsuzan, notes that it was written in the margin of the page, in red ink.

[overlord-of-chaos]

Thank you for the tag!

Tagging @crikey01 @corvidiss @ouch-my-ghost-skin @dev-solovey @mossterious @skalman @myiliterallyhavenolifegoals @lost-hitsu if you want :)

i got tagged by @thinasadlme and i didnt know this was a thing but its so fun <3

ill tag @jacks-the-flower @latenightlurker hi besties <3