#oil paper umbrella

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

repairing a chinese oil-paper umbrella/yóuzhǐsǎn by 是猫猫猫

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Oil Paper Umbrella / Parasol

The history of these umbrellas goes back about two hundred years in Thailand

Thought to originate from China but you can find these all over Asia with their own distinctive styles.

I'll confess to having a soft spot for them every time they appear in film and dramas so I wasn't going to resist the opportunity to put them in my story.

Sharing an umbrella can be so romantic.

Even in a modern setting

[dragonji]

spent 90% of my day remaking some of my tgcf fandragon outfits to better match donghua designs. effective use of my time definetely for sure👍

[purasvagancias]

oil-paper umbrella | 番傘 por Swiftblue Por Flickr: Mt.Takao, Hachiōji, Japan

[kaipanzero]

Song Ci: Red Oil-Paper Umbrella

宋慈之紅油紙傘 (2022)

[braxlrose]

things i imagine 2023 bf bill does

cw: oral (f! and m!recieving), fingering, etc

• if you've been together since the 2000s, he's so so so happy that you never judged him for how he looked and that even though his style changed you still stuck with him. he knows that's the bare minimum but he's experienced first hand how some people treat him because of how he looks and he loves that you're not like that

• obviously, yall still go shopping together like in the 2000s and it's tons of fun. he loves it when you two try on studded jackets together and when you pick out cute platform boots for him

• you two once had the greatest birthday sex in the history of birthday sex because you got him the "greatest platforms in the world!!". His words.

• and I mean it ^^, it went on for like 2 hours and by the time you guys were done you were ready to pass out. but he also had some other gifts to open 🤩

• his aftercare was literally amazing in the 2000s, but it's gotten even better with time. if it was super intense sex, he will not let go of you. even if you were subbing, with intense sex both doms and subs need aftercare.

• MATCHING HALLOWEEN COSTUMES 🗣🗣🗣 also you better hype of bill for whatever costume he does. like that year he did Ariel. If you didn't hype him up 😒 what are you even doing?

• going out and buying costumes with him for concerts

• he said in a tiktok live once that he does out to restaurants for every meal. breakfast, lunch and dinner. so you two do that basically everyday and you guys always order too much food and end up having left overs

• ‼️BAKING WITH HIM‼️

• you guys know how he loves his cheesecakes so you two make him all the time. and he teaches you how to bake some of his family recipes. but it always ends up with you guys a total mess because you were fooling around.

• also the mf is still a massive tease 💀 like bruh back off for two goddamn seconds

• like while you're kneeding dough he'd come up behind you and press his crotch into your ass and act like he was just grabbing a measuring cup. and the mf would just be smirking his ass off if your face got red

• tiktok lives all the time and you two bake together on those two. and sometimes tom comes in and helps you guys.

• cockwarming on tiktok lives 😍😍😍 (someone has gotta write that because oh em geeeeee I'm squirming and squeezing my thighs just thinking about it)

• he bites in bed. like when he's fingering you he'll bite your boob or literally any squishy part of you. and will get horny the next day if he sees you have bite marks on your body.

• he loves going to the beach with you. and you guys go with Tom and Heidi all the time too.

• now im very pale you guys. i hate tanning, I never want to be tan. It's just not for me, so if you're like that too bill will literally lather you in sonnencreme and bring an umbrella for you to stay under

• now if you're not like me and you like to tan then bill will buy you tanning oil and that mirror thing (I hope yall know what I'm talking about bc idk what its called)

• he gives you head scratches all the time because he always has long nails and it feels so good

• ON THAT NOTE, bill rarely fingers you because of his nails, but on the days he doesn't have any acrylic nails, he'll finger you like no tomorrow. but other than that he sticks to eating you out

• bakes you a cake all by himself for your birthday 🎂 he makes sure to get whatever flavor you like the best. strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, whatever you want he'll do it. he decorates it himself and is very proud

• talks about you all the time in interviews and is smiling his ass off every time

• doing skincare together is a must!! you two have so much skin care stuff it's insane. serums, face masks (peel off, paper, clay, etc), lotions, moisturizers, oils, lip masks. literally everything.

• HE LOVES DOING YOUR MAKEUP and he gets so happy when you let him do it

• date nights with him are so much fun because you get to get all dressed up in a sexy outfit and go out to a fancy restaurant. plus the night usually ends in sex

• he loves it when you play with his rings on his fingers

• living room dance parties and karaoke happens all the time and you always end up on the floor laughing your asses off

• he buys Polaroid cameras and takes pictures of you guys all the time. at the mall shopping, on the beach, making sandcastles, you eating, baking together, him dicking you down with his cum all over your chest (who said that⁉️)

• showering together and doing hair masks

• loves pre and post concert head from you 😉

• binge watching TV shows together is something you two do a bunch. he gets all pouty if he found out you watched an episode without him.

• you guys manicures and pedicures all the time and you're always giggling and laughing with eachother the entire time

taglist: @hearts4kaulitz @burntb4bydoll @spelaelamela @bored0writer @fishinaband @billsleftnutt @tokiiohot @bluepoptartwithsprinkles @saumspam @5hyslv7

[sukunas-wife]

I love Gojo to en extent but I can’t write him for anything 😭🤧

Master list

In this moment you looked like the perfect future bride. You had inherited your mothers graceful and soft features, your fathers stubborn heart and his ambition. Yet here you stood under the cherry blossom orchid with your oil paper umbrella blocking the sun from your eyes. Your Kimonos silk was glowing under the son. Vibrant Red with gold, the only colour you had long ago fell in love with.

That was until you stepped off of the guzei onto one of the small islands and you heard a voice call after you.

It was a boy without a doubt, you stopped looking back over your shoulder with an unamused expression. There he stood, Satoru Gojo, he broke out into the biggest smile, “Here I thought you were going to ignore me.” His head tilted to the side when you rolled your eyes with a smile.

”If you would have been any other man I would have gladly neglected you and have kept on walking. Even then, you are the most self assured, persistent and stubborn man I have ever met. If I had chosen to walk away there’s no doubt in my mind you would not allow me to do so peacefully.” Your words were like the fine notes of a Koto on summer nights played to appease and impress your fathers guests.

“A long time has passed since your last visit, Satoru. I assume you enjoy keeping me waiting like a pet waiting for its master's return.”

His strides were long and elegant as he approached you, he held his head high and his chest out, constantly looking like he was walking with purpose. That was one of his favourable attributes. You turned completely to face him, your paper umbrella twirling slowly behind you in your fidgeting fingers. He stood before you, leaving minimal space, leaning forward at eye level with you. He wore a special pair of spectacles hand crafted for him, they were dark and blocking the view of his face. Your hands came up, finger tips grazing the sides of his face, before they moved slowly over his cheeks to the frames of his glasses, he hummed, “hmm?”

Your lips were parted slightly but the words were caught on your tongue. Satoru brought his hands up over yours guiding them to pull his spectacles down. Looking into his eyes would never not be accompanied by a foreign feeling. Pools of glistening crystal waters under the sun couldn’t compare to his cerulean eyes, the sky in its finest blue would forever be overcast compared to his eyes. It was unworldly how his eyes always seemed to gleam and sparkle. His eyes were ethereal, a capture of heaven, he was a true blessing incarnated to live amongst men.

You didn’t look away from his eyes until you felt his hands slide down your side to hold your waist. You turned your head to look down when he pulled you closer, you didn’t miss the exhaustion in his eyes before you were held against his chest, resting his chin on your head as he crossed his arms over your waist keeping you firm against his chest.

“Now, tell me everything you have done while I was away. I want to hear every detail and every word of your past days, I’m sure you were lonely without my company.” You could hear his heart covered by his cheeky laugh, he was warm and smelt like spring. Still you felt the heat on your cheeks, how could you tell him while he was away you weren't too lonely because you had the company of another man? You hadn’t committed any form of scandalous action, yet even having the red eyed man sneak into your chambers at night to share a bottle of stolen sake accompanied by hushed conversations. You remember the feeling of his lips on yours, trailing over your jaw and down your neck with hot kisses, the feeling of his heat and the way he’d nip at your neck, spreading your Junihitoe open just a bit further so he could kiss your collarbone and shoulders. As much as he loved to bring hell to earth, you were one thing he wouldn’t dare cast into the fires, so he would always settle for bruising and nipping at the skin of your shoulders, and the lowest part of your collar bones that he knew you would never show so freely to anyone.

“I..” you hesitated, “my days were vast and uneventful. I was visited to be fitted for new robes for the summer season, I was given many things to bless our future…” Satoru hummed when you leaned your head against him, you closed your parasol holding it down by your side. “I know Satoru, that in tradition, you would spend days out and nights by my side. But, I really wish you would take some of these gifts to your own family's garden, for when you are unable to return to my side you will have me in memory.” He stayed silent, swaying you ever so lightly. “Choose any gifts you wish for me to take when I depart in the morning and I assure you I will find the perfect place for you to admire them when the chance comes for me to take you to my family home.” You pulled away to look up at him, he smiled down at you, “I will choose the best ones that remind me of home.”

one of his hands ran up your back in a comforting manner, “Let me take you inside, in all this fabric you are sure to faint under the heat of the sun.” You nodded, taking the hand he offered you, letting him walk you back. You smiled, staring at him with admiration as he told you his stories of convincing other nobles that if they were to rise up it would immediately become their downfall.

—- —- —- —- —- —-

You stood by your moms side, yawning and looking around, you looked up at her. You were waiting at the entrance of your family's home. You were tired from having tracked down the fireflies you had set free the night before. Your mother kept her hands tucked away in her sleeves, you still had no idea why you were here, or what was going on until you heard the approaching steps. A group of guards, a Palanquin, Lady servants, another Palanquin, another group of guards. They set the palanquins down, the first one opened, out came a tall man with pale blue eyes and white hair, he was elegant. A handsome man, he turned offering a hand to the Palanquin, a dainty hand reached out to take his, she was a beautiful woman, she had pale blue eyes with long black hair. She was very slender, but looking at her you knew she had an air of confidence, maybe a bit much. She let her husband's hand go; they both did a courtesy greeting. You did the same following your parents' example. Finally the Second palanquin opened, out came a pale boy, white hair and blue eyes, he stood there looking around unimpressed, before he introduced himself in a way that was supposed to be respectful but came off as arrogant, you looked up at your parents and didn’t miss the eyes they gave each other. He was interesting in your eyes, you’d never met someone your age to talk so casually and open in that manner to adults. As if he were in the same ranking as them, maybe even superior. None the less you were intrigued but you couldn’t even get him to look in your direction to wave or smile.

“Thank you for allowing us to host your family Lord and Lady Gojo, it’s an honour to have you congregate within our estate walls.” The palanquin holders were quick to move out of the way at the announcements of a new arrival.

In the eyes of every grown man and woman the sight was an ominous warning. It was a massive shining black palanquin, casting shadows where it passed. It was shaped like a shrine with gold accents. It was held up by 12 sturdy looking men, 6 samurai in black armour with gold trim lead, 6 samurai with black armour and gold trim followed from behind. You couldn’t help but stare in awe, the former family had entered gracefully almost quietly. But this family, they entered boldly, almost demanding attention, as if proving how powerful they were.

Your little heart was beating against your chest, the large black doors were slowly pulled open showing the bright red and gold interior. Finally a large frame came out, You swallowed seeing the intimidating figure. He was tall, broad, he looked as if your father neither Lord Gojo would be able to handle him in battle. He had pink hair loosely slicked back, he had markings on his face, but the right side of his face had scarring around his eye. His robes were black loosely tied, his expression was blank, calculating, casting judgement until he saw your parents, his eyes landing on you, those vibrant red eyes... You hadn’t realised you had moved to stand behind your mom peeking around her. His stare did not move from you, you felt a wind of confidence and moved from behind your mother and smiled at him. The edges of his mouth twitched up slightly in amusement, a sound like a satisfied scoff escaped his chest.

He turned his head to look back at the palanquin, out came a familiar face, long white hair, lifeless black eyes, tall and scary. You ducked your head not wanting to see the man again until you saw a second head of pink moving around. You quickly took your moms hand tugging on it when you saw him, Sukuna. He stepped out and stood by his father, eyeing Imuzu to move away. Imuzu looked displeased but stepped aside, giving Sukuna more space. Your mother was right that night, he was a mini version of his father. He managed to lock eye contact with you, you smiled giving a small wave. He looked a little bi longer, he didn’t wave back but you wanted to say you saw him smile even if it wasn’t noticeable. He was quick to follow his fathers when he greeted your family in a courteous manner. Your father gave them the same greeting adding on “I am grateful to your family, to you, and to your son for helping my daughter return home. You saved us from what could have been grief, anguish, and years of sorrow. For that we are grateful, should you have any request in which I am capable of assisting, please, bring it to my knowledge and I will do all in my power to assist you. Thank you Lord Sukuna and Thank you Young Lord Sukuna.”

Tag: @sadmonke @bumbles277353 🤍

[blueberry-cheese-pizza]

Another favourite scene from the Double book 墨雨云间 -

OK, so I am lazy to go by order for my favourite scenes haha. There is this part after they got married in the book... Yep, the author was nice enough to actually include post-marriage scenes because I would have died if she had just left it at the end when they got reunited.

During a morning on their trip with Ji Heng's friends, Jiang Li discovered upon waking that Ji Heng left early to queue for famous red bean cakes at a local shop... The best part is at the end 😍😍😏

Scene:

前生的她，作为妻子，一直在“付出”，如今的她，却一直“被付出”。有时候姜梨从一觉醒来，都会恍惚觉得这是一场梦，世上哪有这样好的良人，偏偏被她遇到了。两人契合无比，他对她的宠，似乎毫无底线。

In her previous life, as a wife, she had always been the one "giving". In her current life, however, she was the one "receiving". Sometimes Jiang Li would wake up and feel as if it were all a dream. How could there be such a wonderful partner in this world, and how had she been so lucky to find him? They were perfectly compatible, and his affection for her seemed boundless.

正说话的时候，外面有人的脚步声传来，姜梨抬眼看去，就看见冰天雪地里，他的红衣格外显眼。他从外面进来，大氅上还带了未曾融化的雪花，从怀中掏出一大串油纸包，这本来有些滑稽，但姜梨此刻的心里，却只有感动。她踮起脚，拂去姬蘅肩头的雪花，道：“你怎么这样早就出去了，也不知道打把伞。”

As they were talking, footsteps were heard outside. Jiang Li looked up and saw his red clothes standing out vividly against the snowy landscape. He came in from the cold, snowflakes still clinging to his cloak. He pulled out a large bundle wrapped in oil paper from his arms. The sight was somewhat comical, but Jiang Li felt only moved at that moment. She stood on tiptoe and brushed the snow from Ji Heng's shoulders, saying, "Why did you go out so early without even taking an umbrella?"

“你喜欢的。” 他把油纸包轻轻贴着姜梨的脸颊，姜梨就觉得脸上传来一阵温热的感觉，还是热的。想来他来去都匆匆，又放在怀里，就是怕回到客栈后红豆糕凉了。

"You like it." He lightly pressed the oiled paper against Jiang Li's cheek. She felt a gentle warmth spreading across her face, the heat still lingering. Knowing he had hurried both ways, clutching it close to his chest, he must have feared the red bean cakes would cool down once he returned to the inn.

~dialogue with one of Ji Heng's friends about his past~

但姜梨看向姬蘅，姬蘅挑眉，道：“怎么不吃红豆糕？”

But Jiang Li glanced at Ji Heng, who raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why aren't you eating the red bean cake?"

姜梨拿起了红豆糕，尝了一口，甜甜的，递到了姬蘅嘴边，姬蘅就着她的手咬了一口，差点舔到了她的手指头，桐儿和白雪羞得满脸红透，转过头去，姜梨瞪了他一眼。

Jiang Li picked up a red bean cake, took a bite, and found it sweet. She brought it to Ji Heng's mouth, and he ate (took a bite) from her hand, his tongue nearly brushing against her fingertips. Tong'er and Bai Xue standing nearby, blushed deeply and turned their heads away in embarrassment. Jiang Li glared at him.

[thevagabondexpress]

weird tangent of the day: witchcraft has a finance problem

I think there is a high probability that I would be a witch if I liked spending money. I've been leaning in a kind of witchcraft-y direction for about four or five years now. I currently attend a Quaker meeting but it's a very kind of new-agey, universalist sort of group where that kind of synchretism wouldn't be completely unheard of.

The problem is, modern witchcraft as a group of religions (I use it as an umbrella term that includes Wicca & others) is a religion that implicitly requires you to have things. To do a spell you need to have all sorts of items: candles, oils, crystals . . . things that I don't want to be spending money on when I could be buying other things I need and/or want. Even if I did have endless money to throw around, I live in a loft that's about twenty feet wide, and I have to go downstairs to get to the kitchen. I don't have space to store all of the things you're told you need to have to be a witch.

The things you need to be a witch have been a severe barrier to taking up the practice for me. And the more I sit in this, the more I explore also the thought processes of occultists like Osman Space who put forth systems you can use with only pen and paper, the more I have come to realize that motern witchcraft is a religion that, even if unintentionally, gatekeeps the poor and those living in high density situations. It's something I think modern witches need to reckon with.

Because I'd like to be one of you. But I can't if it means being told implicitly over and over again that I need to have all these things.

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

i was just reading a fic where someone said they needed to set aside their pasta dough "to rise", and that made my eye twitch badly enough that i would like to give you all a quick lesson about dough for all your writing needs.

without getting into fussy details, there are four basic types of dough/batter. yeasted doughs, quick breads, laminated/pastry doughs, and unleavened doughs.

the only one of those that ever needs to rise is yeasted dough.

yeasted doughs are, as the name suggests, leavened with yeast. yeast is a microorganism that, when activated in water, feeds on sugars to produce gas. that gas, when trapped in dough, creates bubbles. most breads are yeasted, as are things like bagels, rolls, pizza crust, soft pretzels, english muffins, etc. yeasted doughs are also typically made by kneading, a process that develops the sticky gluten in wheat and makes the dough strong enough to hold onto itself and gives a pleasantly chewy result. (sourdough is also yeasted, but it's made by capturing wild yeast from the air rather than using prepackaged yeast.)

quick breads are leavened with baking soda and/or baking powder. these agents do not need rise time, as the chemical reaction happens when they are introduced to water/acid and heat. muffins, pancakes, cake, and sweet breads like banana, pumpkin, and zucchini are quick breads, and not only are they not kneaded, they shouldn't be overworked. overworking activates the gluten in the wheat, which isn't desired in these soft, tender breads. cookies and brownies would go under this umbrella as well.

laminated/pastry dough is leavened by thin layers of cold butter reaching a quick boiling point and releasing a steam that separates the layers of dough. this effect can be most clearly seen in something like a croissant, though croissants are also yeasted. pie crusts, most biscuits (the american kind), scones, and many other types of pastries are made this way. any time a recipes instructs you to "cut" butter into flour, this is what you're doing. phyllo, the type of dough used to make baklava, uses a similar process where oil or melted butter is brushed between paper-thin sheets of dough.

unleavened dough is exactly that, unleavened. there is nothing in this dough that makes it rise. pasta, many crackers, some flatbreads like tortillas - they don't rise at all. you do, on the other hand, typically have to let it rest for at least fifteen minutes, as the mixing of the dough creates elastic gluten strands that will resist attempts to roll it out.

special mention: whipped egg whites. when eggs are whipped into stiff peaks, they become filled with air, and some recipes use whipped egg whites folded carefully into batter as a leavener. angel food cake, for example, is leavened with nothing but egg whites. many cake recipes use this technique, as it creates a very light and delicate result.

SO. please take this knowledge and incorporate it in your writing as you will. thank you. <3

ps: things that are gluten free never require kneading, as there is no gluten to develop. gluten free baking is an alchemy which i do not pretend to understand.

[talesofedo]

Image and text from this page.

Throughout the Edo Period, Japan was largely closed off from the rest of the world, relying solely on its limited domestic resources. As a result of this, reuse and recycling were a natural part of life with almost all daily items experiencing multiple life cycles. At the forefront of this 250-year period of sustainability were professions that centered around repairing and repurposing everyday goods and materials, giving new life to items that would today end up in landfills. In his book, “Just Enough,” Azby Brown introduces a number of the professions that led to this period of sustainability and we’ve listed some of our favorites below.

Tinkers

Tinkers were local craftsmen who repaired damaged pots and kettles. Often found carrying portable forges and bellows on their backs, they used scrap metal to repair holes and cracks that would otherwise render these essential household items useless.

Scrap metal dealers would purchase unrepairable items from tinkers and exchange candies and toys with local kids for nails and other usable metal scraps they found while playing.

Paper lantern and umbrella repairmen

While most umbrellas in modern-day Tokyo are quickly lost or broken and disposed of, the raw materials that made Edo Period umbrellas often saw multiple lives with umbrella repairmen carving out a fairly lucrative niche for themselves.

These repairmen would buy used umbrellas, assign a price based on the condition of the bamboo frame then disassemble, repair and resell them to new buyers.

Discarded materials, such as the waterproof oiled paper would pass onto local butchers for wrapping fish and miso.

With umbrellas and paper lanterns sharing essentially the same materials, umbrella repairmen would also cross over into the realm of lantern repair and often sub-contract this work out to low-level samurai.

Used clothes dealers

If you thought Shimokitazawa was overrun with used clothing dealers these days, Brown says there were as many as 4,000 of them in Edo.

With new clothes being unaffordable for the average family, when it came time to update the wardrobe, old garments would be washed and taken to a dealer to be exchanged for refurbished items at a small fee.

These dealers would take apart kimono, dye them and reassemble them for resale, a task made easier due to the way kimono are designed.

As clothes would begin to wear out, they found new life as aprons, diapers, pouches, cloths and eventually kindling before becoming ash which would also be repurposed.

Barrel repairers and recyclers

If you knew your way around a bamboo barrel hoop in the Edo Period you could make a steady living for yourself repairing the various types of shoyu, sake, miso or vinegar barrels found in the average home.

The more experienced itinerant barrel hoop makers could also find work as barrel recyclers, a specialized craft that saved reusable barrels and casks from early disposal.

After collection, recyclers would inspect, grade, refurbish and resell them onto brewers and liquor shops who would choose from new, new-looking, slightly used or worn barrels depending on their intended use.

Ashmen

Most daily items in the Edo Period were made from burnable plant-based materials such as wood, bamboo, straw and cotton.

Rather than have worn-out rope, sandals, hats, raincoats or baskets end up in landfill, these items could be burnt to provide heat and turned to ash, which is where the ashman comes in.

Rather than discarding of ash, households and businesses such as public baths would collect their ash and sell it to local ashmen.

With ash from straw and cotton cloth containing large amounts of potassium, it was in high demand as an additive for fertilizer or for use in ceramics, dyes or sake production which created a lucrative business for motivated ashmen.

[adolescentarchives]

Inheritance

I have found your secrets

Your crushed velvet pill bottles and glass eyes

Your wood oil and your paint thinner

The dried dragonflies and iridescent scales

In your will, you leave it all to me

The executor comes on a rainy Sunday

He carries a broken umbrella and a rusty pocket watch

The hair sticking to his forehead paves the way

For the drops of water down his cheeks

He tells me several names

I offer him tea and work hard not to poison it

He sits on the couch and his knees come up too high for comfort

The items arrive on the table and papers arrive in my hand

The nib finds the line and in a moment it's over

All that you have built is mine

All you collected 

All you gathered

What a weight to inherit.

[indilaras]

10 | 100 days of drawing Fu Hua

ID: a drawing of Fu Hua from Honkai Impact 3rd in her Azure Empyrea battlesuit. She is standing by the edge of a cliff while holding an oil-paper umbrella, facing the side, looking ahead with a small frown. The background elements are done in a different linework style than Fu Hua herself. There are mountains behind her, and the sky is dark with some red light from the direction she's facing. End ID.

<- Day 9 | Day 11 ->

[darkeningclouds]

Hanfu Accessories 👑

Accessories

Miansha/Mianlian (face veil)

Yingluo

Xiangquan

Maoling

Doupeng (cloak)

Qiuyi

Pibo (shawl)

Yaoqun

Panbo (string to tie the sleeves back)

Youzhisan (oil paper umbrella)

~~

Sleeves

Water Sleeves

Huwan (arm guards)

Bangshoudai (hand wraps)

Yuxiu

Pipaxiu (pipa-shaped sleeves)

~~

Waist Accessories

Weichang (short outer skirt)

Weifu (shorter outer skirt)

Zaju

Bixi (decorative strip of fabric)

~~

Yaopei (Waist Ornaments)

Jinbu

Hebao

~~

Fans

Tuanshan (stiff round fan)

Bianmian (stiff semi-circle fan)

Zheshan (folding fan)

Yaoshan

Pushan

~~

Hats

Mili (long veiled hat)

Weimao (veiled hat)

Humao

Douli

Tiger Hat

Futou

~~

Hair Accessories

Guan (crown)

Xiaoguan (topknot crown)

Lianhua Guan (lotus crown for taoist priests)

Furongguan (lotus crown for women)

Mianguan (emperor’s headdress/crown)

Zanhua

Chanhua

Ronghua

Juanhua

~~

[fromevertonow]

This is a paper I wrote for one of my courses about media and materiality. I will use any excuse to write on The Hunger Games. My instructor actually liked it, asking why I didn't write anything on Snow lmao. Maybe for part two, David. Don't encourage me. I also want to say that the responses on my post regarding the names in THG helped so fucking much. Thank you to those people who interacted with that post!

Disclaimer: this assignment was meant to be informal for us so we wouldn't feel too overwhelmed with the studyload, so there is some non-academic register in here.

Panem et Circenses: The Forecast of a Mass Culture Storm

In a world long ago, the Roman poet Juvenal critiqued the people of Rome for discarding their responsibilities as citizens. While Sejanus tried to overthrow the Emperor Tiberius, Juvenal claimed that the people only cared to lavish in food and frivolities, saying that “the mob / That used to grant power, high office, the legions, everything, / Curtails its desires and reveals its anxiety for two things only, / Bread and circuses” (Juvenal ll. 78-81). Juvenal’s phrase “bread and circuses” is often referenced in relation to “mass culture to denote a process of social decline” (Brantlinger Bread and Circuses 22). The Roman Empire had a method of appeasing the masses to avoid uprisings: keep them fed and offer them entertainment (23). Similarly to Juvenal who disapproved of this manner of ruling, socialist scholars and avant-garde artists criticized mass culture for subjecting civilization to this numbing of critical thinking (Brantlinger “Mass Media” 99). The twentieth century knows an incredible rise of technological developments and mass production of consumer goods which has led to several social developments, e.g. the blurring of class distinctions and an increase in literacy (100, 103). Although these may seem as positive effects, mass culture threatens to silence individuals into commodification, as happened to the Romans (Dubord 14). Juvenal had forecasted the enslavement of people to mass-produced consumable goods and, looking at contemporary times, it seems we are left standing in the rain without an umbrella. Yet, this is not the worst mass culture has to offer. A flood of dystopian stories in the literary world has predicted and warned us for far crueler storms, depicting oppressive governments that have gradually dominated their citizens through bread and circuses.

            One of these stories is The Hunger Games (THG) by Suzanne Collins. Set in a futuristic United States, renamed ‘Panem,’ THG depicts a picture of mass culture at its extreme. Panem is divided into twelve districts, each responsible for the production of a specific good. These products are the sole reason the districts are still considered as relevant for the Capitol, the oppressive government. While the majority of the districts suffer from poverty, the Capitol lavishes in the districts’ importations of food and other materialities. Collins depicts the duality of abundant, capitalist consumerism with the contrast between the riches of the Capitol and the scarcity of the districts. The Capitol has managed to keep the districts sedated through fear; they are coerced into complacency through strict regulation and the annual Hunger Games. Seventy-four years before the original events of THG, the thirteen districts rebelled against the Capitol but were violently defeated. As punishment, District Thirteen was completely obliterated and the remaining twelve districts were forced to send a male and female tribute between the ages of twelve and eighteen to the Games where they would have to fight to the death in an arena as entertainment for the Capitol. The twenty-four tributes are randomly selected and can place their name in the reaping multiple times in exchange for tesserae, a year’s supply of grain and oil. Households that could not afford food could make bread from the tesserae. Collins draws a connection to ‘panem’ in Juvenal’s phrase through the tesserae system which is a method for the Capitol to keep the districts dependent on the government’s supply of basic needs, like bread.

Juvenal’s ‘circenses’ is apparent in two elements in THG. The first is the Hunger Games themselves which are meant to entertain the Capitol’s citizens. Before the Games there are interviews with the tributes and various television segments. The coverage of the tributes has two purposes: to show the Capitol’s citizens how well-fed the tributes are in the Capitol, a kindness offered to them by the very institution that places them in a position of death, and to obtain sponsors during the Games who will send necessities to the tributes in the arena, e.g. medicine or water. The second reference to ‘circenses’ is the character Peeta Mellark. Peeta is the male tribute from District Twelve and the baker’s son. His first name is a reference to pita bread, and as the baker’s son, he is also a clear connection to ‘panem.’ Moreover, he once gave bread to Katniss, the female protagonist, when she and her family were at the brink of starvation. The loaf of bread symbolized hope and sparked a new motivation in Katniss to live again (Collins THG 37). His surname is a shortened version of ‘malarkey,’ meaning “silly behaviour or nonsense” (“malarkey”), similar to the contents of circuses. Peeta is not a seasoned fighter and his chances of winning the Games are low. However, the Games can be played either through fighting or entertainment. Peeta is incredibly charismatic and uses that to his full advantage whenever the cameras are around to gain sponsors (Collins THG 158). He is, like the Capitol, both a provider of food and entertainment.

            Where the Capitol symbolizes fear, Peeta represents hope. As an oppressive government, the Capitol’s goal is to silence people into complacency so they do not rise against the authorities, as the Roman Empire. This is the opposite for Peeta who, in the sequel Catching Fire, uses his likeability among the citizens of the Capitol to defy its very government (Collins 289). Throughout the trilogy, he has consistently used his abilities to both provide and perform for noble causes that concern the people, not the government. When Peeta gave Katniss the bread, he gave her renewed hope to live again which was more sustainable than the Capitol’s tesserae supply that merely lasts a year and is only given in exchange for a bigger chance at death. Peeta’s hope was free. THG serves as a warning for a future that is ruled by mass consumption and production which blinds citizens to the dictatorship they are governed by. Juvenal’s faraway world of the Roman Empire is not so far away after all, it has always been here and is gradually taking over our future. But, we know what is coming and we can prepare for the storm and find shelter. As Peeta’s character shows, there is hope, a possibility, to provide for each other rather than depend on authorities that prefer to see us as commodities, to use the government’s very own methods against it and become individuals once more.

Works Cited

Brantlinger, Patrick. “Introduction: The Two Classicisms.” Bread and Circuses: Theories of Mass Culture as Social Decay. Cornell University Press, 1985, pp. 17-52.

---. “Mass Media and Culture in Fin-de-Siècle Europe.” Fin-de-Siècle and Its Legacy, edited by Mikuláš Teich and Roy Porter, Cambridge University Press, 1990, pp. 98-114.

Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. Scholastic Ltd, 2011.

---. The Hunger Games. Scholastic Ltd, 2011.

Debord, Guy. “The Commodity as Spectacle.” The Society of the Spectacle, translated by Ken Knabb, Bureau of Public Secrets, 2014, pp. 13-20.

Juvenal. “Satire X – The Vanity of Human Wishes.” Poetry in Translation, translated by A. S. Kline, 2001, https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/JuvenalSatires10.php. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023.

“malarkey.” Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/malarkey. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023.

[p5x-theories]

What We Know About Yuki

(last updated 8/3/24!)

Yukimi Fujikawa, codename Yuki, is a teenager who lives next door to Yaoling Li, and in the files, has been indicated as a second-year at Kosei High School. Her Arcana is listed in the files as Judgement. She joins the team as a "Phantom Idol", or cognitive teammate.

Her files are named with the codename "Tembin" (Japanese word for balance scales, like Libra) instead of her canon codename Yuki. The exact significance of this, if any, is unknown.

Yukimi is also notable as the only character besides the protagonist in the original Code Name: X trailer and promos.

At least in her Code Name: X profile, her birthday is April 22nd, and she is 17.

Her Japanese voice actress is Ayaka Suwa.

So far, Yukimi appears during Yaoling Li's Confidant, where Yaoling mentions Yukimi to be her next-door neighbor in Yongen-Jaya, and they seem to be on friendly terms. Yaoling sees the way Yukimi's strict mother treats her, and wants to help, so her Confidant pivots to spending time with both Wonder and Yukimi.

During one of these events, Yukimi explains that she appreciates the concern, but she understands where her mother is coming from, and believes it's most important to listen to her. Yaoling still thinks she was too strict, but Yukimi won't budge, even as she looks downtrodden. At Yaoling's prompting, she also mentions she'd like to be a lawyer when she's older, in order to help people.

There's also a text icon for Yukimi in the data, though she hasn't been found to send any texts to Wonder yet. It's unclear at the moment whether she will have her own Confidant in the future, have a side story focus on her instead, or neither.

In the third beta, Yukimi appeared in a Kosei uniform, but in the official release of the game she was switched to the kimono pictured above. It's unknown whether she still attends high school, or if she's still a student of Kosei if she does.

Yukimi's demeanor is friendly enough, as she makes sure to greet Yaoling when she walks by, even when she seems to be in a hurry. She's not overly friendly, though, and keeps an air of calm refinement as she talks. Her entire posture seems very traditional and proper.

Info on her has been translated as: "Her father died when she was young and since grew up under her mother's cold and uptight approach. She can't agree with her mother's ideas, but wants to respond to her mother's expectations, and this conflict and pain has made her a cold person on the surface, but soft on the inside."

In the third beta, she was described as looking beautiful but cold. She seemed to know a lot about the history of oil-paper umbrellas just off the top of her head, though whether this was indicative of an interest in history, an interest in traditional culture, or just being used to having to explain why she prefers something is hard to say from one conversation. This conversation is likely no longer canon itself, but may still say something about her.

Yuki's Persona Styx (based on the goddess of the river Styx; also an Oceanid and associated with binding, unbreakable oaths) is categorized as a Bless type, and resists Bless while being weak to Nuclear.

Similar to Yuki's codename, Styx is also referred to by an alternate name in a few of the files, Portia. Yuki is also shown with a different Persona, Pegasus, in one of the strange recolor variations found in the first beta's data. It's unknown whether this means anything.

Styx is a Defense Persona, meaning she’s good at protecting teammates and keeping them alive, and her trait creates an "oath" with one teammate on Yuki's turn, which gives them a shield at the end of her turn. Notably, her attack skills all deal damage based on Yuki's defense stat, rather than attack. Her first bless attack skill hits all enemies, and gives both Yuki and the teammate under oath a layer of blessing. Her support skill gives one teammate a shield, two layers of blessing, and an oath. Her second bless skill gains a level of charge each time Yuki gets a blessing, and if it has at least two levels of charge, it consumes all charges, does damage to one enemy, and gives all teammates an attack buff and shield based on how many charges she had. Her passive skills make it so that while under oath, a teammate receives a damage boost, and once per battle at the end of Yuki's turn, if a teammate is below 30% health, Yuki will give them a shield and a layer of blessing.

In combat, her melee weapon is a flail, while her ranged weapon is twin pistols. Her Highlight is shown from 2:55 - 3:05 in this video, and it deals bless damage to one enemy and buffs all teammates' defense.

Her recommended card sets are 1) 2 of Swords (Peace) + Page of Wands (Acceptance), 2) 2 of Swords (Peace) + Knight of Coins (Belief).

The game has no particular recommended teams for her at the moment.