#yo this poem TODAY?

[httpskuzuu]

Please, Fedya

idk why, but I'm very embarrassed to publish this

Yandere!Fyodor x Reader

English is not my mother tongue, sorry for the mistakes.

tw: kidnapping, yandere, mention of: broken bones, abuse, isolation, bad mental health, punishment and escape attempt (nothing explicit really), stockholm syndrome, fyodor is a general tw

Your life with Fyodor had been good, as good as a life with a kidnapper could be, but you would never admit that out loud, it would be too hard a blow to your dignity.

At first everything was hell, Fyodor was the definition of cruel, it took you months to be able to get out of the 4 walls where he locked you up, in complete darkness. It screwed up your eyesight, your sleep and your overall health, physical and mental. He at least fixed those problems, paid for your eye surgery, gave you vitamin D supplements, helped you by fixing your sleep schedule, etc.

It wasn't so bad, except that not all the issues could be fixed, your mental health was horrible, it still is, you doubted he could fix that.

Before you had all that help Fyodor gave you, you had to change your behavior, you were always a fighter and with Fyodor it would be no exception. The turning point of your behavior was the night you tried to escape. He caught you, as punishment he broke both your legs and your fingers, he also left you in complete isolation, you don't know for how long. Since that punishment, you never disobeyed Fyodor again, not intentionally at least.

As time went by, and when he saw that your meek behavior was not a lie, he began to give you more liberties. One of the most important for you was the freedom to go outside, obviously accompanied by Fyodor.

Also, with that freedom to go out, you realized that Fyodor liked to treat you like a doll. Every time he allowed you to go out he was the one who dressed you, you had no voice or vote in that.

On those outings, you realized that the place you were in was Russia, you didn't know specifically which part. Before arriving in Russia, you had never seen snow in person, so it was beautiful the first time.

Today was one of those days that Fyodor allowed you to go out.

He dressed you in warm clothes and took you to a coffee shop. It was nicer than you thought it would be, not only because you went outside, but because your talks with Fyodor were pleasant.

By the time you left the coffee shop, it was getting dark, but you convinced Fyodor to go to a local bookstore and buy some books. It wasn't for you to read it (you didn't understand Russian and Fyodor had never tried to teach you so you couldn't communicate with others), it was for Fyodor to read it to you, it was an activity that, surprisingly, you enjoyed very much. You left the bookstore with a book of poems whose cover caught your attention.

Walking on your way home you heard high-pitched meowing coming from an alley, you stopped your steps and, consequently, to Fyodor, who was holding your hand.

"What is it, милый?"

"I heard meowing." Your gaze did not move from the alley.

You let go of Fyodor's hand and headed down the alley, Fyodor followed you closely until you reached a cardboard box lying on the ground.

You bent down and opened the box to find an orange furred cat, it was about the size of your hand and very thin. You wondered what kind of horrible person had abandoned such a cat.

You petted it and the cat reacted affectionately, rubbing its head against your hand. You laughed at the action and turned your head to see Fyodor standing behind you, still standing. "Please, Fedya, let's keep him."

Fyodor wasn't a big fan of cats, or animals in general, it wasn't that he hated them, but he preferred not to have pets. But there you were, begging him for an abandoned cat, and, well, you were being on excellent behavior, so he needed to give you a reward, right?

"Okay, but you'll be the one to take care of it." You nodded quickly as you grabbed the cat, pulled him against your chest, and covered him up as best you could with your coat.

The two of you walked out of the alley, you were petting the cat's little head as you smiled. Fyodor just looked at you, appreciating how cute you looked when you were happy. He thought that, perhaps, he could do more things to see that smile of yours more often.

[hiraeth-sonder]

Maladroit Admirer - Rongguo

Danheng x Reader - University AU

Becoming entranced with the most plain looking guy in your tutorial classes leads to a series of very bad, not good fumbles

//So so so so enamoured with the idea of just NPC looking Danheng, short little thingy that I had to get out. Poem is  寄人 by 张泌.

别梦依依到谢家， 小廊回合曲阑斜。

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

You don’t think there’s a difference between a crush and love at this point because being in university and adamantly staring at what might be the most boring looking man in this entire sea of people certainly can’t just be a momentary attraction. Short dark hair, dark eyes, decent fashion style and in a business unit, he wasn’t anything special, and yet you just couldn’t, for the life of you couldn’t, take your damned eyes off him. 

It was ridiculous, you’ve never even spoken to him, looked at him in the eyes even, but here your heart was, pounding against your ribs begging for more. Every time you walk into that horrifically cold room, freezing your shoulders off because if you brought a jacket you’d be sweating from the journey, you see him already there at some table you won’t sit at because you’re afraid of him. Because you’re a nervous wreck and you know that if you had to talk to him during discussion, all you’d do is hum and agree and have no opinion on your own. Which, you’d like to keep some part of your dignity still, so no thank you. 

There has been no man, woman even, that has rendered you so stupid. It must be some kind of witchcraft, there was no other explanation for the grip this man had on you. 

You try your best, your absolute best, to focus on the question ahead of you, not like it was actually hard. However, seeing as you were in a small table of three, had an ethics question and you were hyper-aware of every action you made because of that damned man, you certainly weren’t at your peak performance today. 

With your table’s assigned question out of the way, the two of them went on to discuss the rest, or rather you and the person next to you since you two were the only ones who attempted the exercise. The discussion didn’t go bad, merely boring and strained seeing as you’ve never actually talked to anyone in this class, so when the exact same person asked to see your graphs. You, of course, took that as a very bad chance to make a joke. 

“Just to warn you, I bullshitted my graphs, so if they’re wrong don’t blame me,” You joked, raising your hands in mock-guile.

Somehow, some-god-forsaken-how, despite being in a room speaking at a normal conversational level surrounded by other people talking, everyone heard you. And everyone is staring at you. Great, absolutely great. Ducking your head, you pretend to type something else on your computer. You can only pray that you never see anyone in this class ever again, or have to talk to them (which wasn’t going to happen but you could pretend).

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice his eyes glancing between you and the rest of his table, a kind of vacant stare if you will. Your ears grow hot at this revelation, he must think you’re a total idiot, or a buffoon, whichever one because you might as well be all the ways you could refer to someone as stupid. How you longed to return to the cold dark earth, maybe you wouldn’t say things that made you sound like some brainless highschooler. 

By the time the tutorial ends, you’ve already debated ending it all at least three times. With your computer and singular pencil packed up, you absentmindedly head towards the exit, weaving through strewn chairs and the awkwardly placed tables. It is then you notice a familiar someone’s form standing at the door. 

Your eyes slowly shift up and who else could it be but the very man who rendered your brain mush, holding the door open and gesturing for you to go. 

You barely meet his eyes, bowing your head and quickly scurrying off, at least not before blurting out a quick “Thank you.”

With the speed of a falcon, your footsteps scamper off, hefting your heavy tote bag you now wonder why you brought. Tucking your earphones in, you try your best at nonchalance and it works, for about six steps until the tip of your shoe catches against some crack in the path and you have to walk off the even more public embarrassment. 

In the distance, he watches you trip on your own feet and your shoe almost gets stuck on the carpeted pathway. An amused breath escapes him and he wonders what exactly about you is so endearing to him. Danheng swears he has never met someone as oddly appealing even with your little fumbles, and by now he’s given up trying to figure it out. 

He’ll find some way to approach you later, when his palms aren’t trying to sweat the skin off of them and his head isn’t going at a thousand thoughts per second. He only hopes you didn’t notice his continuous staring, or the fact that his hand slipped and missed the first time he tried to grab the door handle.

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

多情只有春庭月，犹为离人照落花。

[amphitriteswife]

📓Ror/ SnV characters as teachers/subjects pt2📓

🌸Tag list🌸: @miss-seanymph-pani @viostar2095 @nicasdreamer @vilereign @tinyy-tea-cup @monstertreden

Qin Shi Huang:

🧧he teaches Chinese (it’s a subject where i live).

🧧He isn’t serious at all and mostly just talks with his students about anything and everything

🧧Chinese is difficult tho so if you need extra help he has no problem giving you some extra lectures

🧧gets along great with most teachers….most.

🧧’where did you go on vacation sir?’ ‘China.’ ‘But you’ve been there like the last 16 years’ ‘yes.’

🧧he teaches his students Chinese curse words. He denies doing it tho, so if you get caught it wasn’t him.

🧧brings moon cakes and usually changes the lesson to a longer lasting lunch break

🧧legit sometimes forget to prepare lessons and just lets everyone go early.

🧧’oh mr. Poseidon gave yall a lot of homework? Don’t worry yall we’ll just watch some movies today.’

🧧 gives homework sometimes, but doesn’t get mad if u don’t make it.

🧧goes to all school events, trips, parties no matter what he’s always present.

🧧probably got in trouble with the principal. Doesn’t care. Why? He’s one of the most loved teachers and would be shame to let him go.

🧧’class i’m tired so imma let yall go early today’

🧧allows eating in his class, as well as phones. Man is addicted to his phone too so he don’t see a problem with it.

🧧good friends with budda and Hades. They usually combine classes for trips n stuff

🧧legit thinks that the school should have trips to China. Bro will have a whole meeting about it and won’t back down

🧧has like those learning posters in his classroom. It’s usually a map of China and some basic words or numbers.

🧧puts on some Chinese drama’s or series for the class to watch, even the mukbangs.

🧧He spends his lunchbreak in a restaurant, might flirt with the waiter tho. It’s a Chinese restaurant too.

🧧if he aint at the restaurant he’s probably buying things or just talking with student or his coworkers.

🧧gives his credit card to the students he trusts and asks them to but him something, yall ofcourse can get something for yourselves too.

🧧’sir, you just 3 lessons in a row. How do you have Starbucks? It’s a 15 minute walk’ ‘I have my ways…’

🧧Every time you see him he’s with another girl, man’s a player ok. He had like idk 4829173927293739 concubines, wives not included.

Loki:

🎭 surprisingly teacher literature.

🎭 ‘this text means that children are like monstors, if not, worse’

🎭 is either nice or very creepy. No in between.

🎭 makes a distinguish between students he likes and doesn’t like.

🎭 legit gets bullied by his students. ‘Sir who is Sigyn?’ ‘Oh that’s a very long and delicate story.’ He doesn’t want anyone to know his personal life cause it’s……personal.

🎭 ‘Romeo (Loki) was a fool for believing Juliet (brunhilde) would ever love him.’ The class probably knew about it and laughs at him.

🎭 bro legit ran out the room crying and shoved Hercules aside who was like ‘yo wtf just happend’ and just continued his day. Loki on the other hand was crying in the janitor’s closet about Sigyn.

🎭 Do. Not. Mention . Sigyn. His soul is to delicate to think about her.

🎭Has a picture of Sigyn on his desk and looks at it a lot. But tries not to show it.

🎭 Writes poems about Sigyn, sometimes some art or some flowers.

🎭If you spot some purple flowers on his desk it’s cause they remind him of Sigyn, if you ask he’ll lie about it.

🎭 Gives surprise tests, why? Cause he can. He only gives them to students who don’t do their homework.

🎭 If u like literature he sometimes asks you about your favorite poem and has a conversation about it. May include it in his lesson too.

🎭 ‘Can i use the restroom?’ ‘I don’t know can you?’ Type of teacher, only to students he doesn’t like. If you a good student he’ll let you go to the restroom.

🎭 He spends the entire 1st week after holidays just talking with students and not doing any work.

🎭 hates meetings. He never shows up for then what got him in trouble but he doesn’t care. He thinks that meetings are a waste of time and that all the stuff can be put in an email.

🎭he’s divorced ok. And Sigyn has the kids most of the time. So he is a mood swing, he doesn’t have them he just is one. The other day he all smiley and okay and the other he just depresso

🎭 needs therapy, maybe counseling, and meds. He’s over brunhilde tho, so now he tries to get Sigyn back,

🎭class, if bro is in good terms w his kids n ex wife bro can be the most chillest teacher, like buddha and qin level, but he first needs to be mentally stable.

🎭 one of his kids visited him at school and he started crying, so he spent the whole lesson with his kid and let the class go early

Brunhilde:

🪽 She’s the school’s psychologist.

🪽 Students as well as teachers can go to her with their problems.

🪽She has her own office where she talk with ppl

🪽doesn’t get along with the principal (Zeus)

🪽When you have an appointment with her she usually already sends an email to the teacher’s class you originally were supposed to be in so that you wont be marked absent.

🪽She is also present during the teachers’ meetings. She has a list of ppl who visit her and backs up those students.

🪽She also handles suspensions, especially if the student had talked to her before or visits her regularly.

🪽Her office had pictures of her sisters, some are also teachers and some are still students at the school.

🪽 She is happily engaged to Siegfried, who sometimes visits the school and helps out with functions.

🪽 Also tags along, but she usually tags along for amusement parks or museums, cause she doesn’t like being too far away from her sisters.

🪽 Sometimes takes students out of lessons to have a talk with them to make sure they’re alright.

🪽She also talks with ppl who have dyslexia or example autism so that she can make sure the student gets al the time they need

🪽She’s pretty chill actually, she likes hearing about her students doing better in school and is willing to do everything to ensure that.

🪽offers counseling, extra lessons and making sure that her students well beings aren’t neglected.

✨Note✨: hey yall its me again, i made a new one w other characterss, only i ran out of ideas so i may make some more though also thank yall for Reading this 🩷

[yuri-is-online]

Thinking about language barriers. I think twst has entirely different languages than Earth. Including the languages we hear them speak in the game, like Rooks French. I think it might be a language akin to French, but not actually French, you know?

Ok maybe not entirely differnet. Maybe TWST and Earth languages came from the same mother language but developed in completely different ways. Maybe the version of English took more influence from Latin so its more like a formal spanglish? Kind of? When an Earth language goes right, the Twst language goes left until they're completely unrecognizable.

Yo what if TWST had a language that was exactly like modern Arabic, but that Era for the language was thousands of years ago so it's since moved on and developed into a completely new arabic. It's like old English, 11 century English is completely unrecognizable to modern English speakers.

Bro imagine a Yuu who just pulls up speaking their language but their version of the language is like. From 5 thousand years ago in TWST. They just speak a long dead language that historians have been trying to translate for centuries .

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE FIELD DAY TREIN WOULD HAVE WITH THEM?

Sam probably has like a translater crystal in the back if his shop or something so they can be understood cause he's cool like that.

But bro.

Imagine Azul just asking Yuu to read this super ancient poem so that he can "check if they're lying about this skill of theirs".

But then Yuu is super confused and is like "Yeah this thing is just. Chalk full of grammar errors. Half these words would never be said with eachother in real life, where did you get this?"

Yeah turns out Azul wrote that poem. Bro thought he was all fluent and shit and then he just gets dunked on like that lmao. So now he and Yuu ate meeting up once a week so Yuu can teach him their language so Azul can maybe actually cast some ancient spells.

"-so she took her coom-"

"comb"

"excuse me?"

"It's pronounced 'comb'"

"...but I thought...so this word would be 'tome'?"

"No that 'tomb'"

"..."

"... break time?"

I'm really feeling this today ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡) locked myself out of my house while a pot was on and was super stressed, life and language is bulllshit Azul I agree

Can you imagine if Azul thought he was gonna be slick and make a connection with Yuu on a spiritual level because he wrote this lovely poem but instead he just fumbles. He's in the middle of hyperventilating when inspiration strikes and he realizes he can swing this towards his advantage to have Yuu around him more. He doesn't fully realize what he's signed up for, but at least Yuu is fully aware of how much bs the rules are and is willing to comfort him.

So he was able to make a connection after all. Maybe he'll be able to rewrite this poem with some extra inspiration some time.

[selarina]

Ghosts in Love

-> Kageyama Tobio x Reader (ft. Suna Rintaro x Reader)

Chapter 2: Ill-Fitted Bonds

Summary: Amidst shared streets and familiar alleys, chance encounters with your ex at grocery stores or parks evolve into shopping together and sharing park benches.

Loosely inspired by the poem "Ghosts in Love" by Carl Sandburg

Content Warnings: post-breakup, childhood friends, pining, fluff, hurt/comfort, love triangle, implied sexual content, angst, eventual smut

Word Count: 1.9k words

Taglist: Open

Author's Note: I apologize...BUT who’s side are you on? I need to know

Read on AO3 | Series Masterlist

You don’t see Suna Rintaro for another 4 months, and you think he may have really taken you up on the offer to move. But you think you know him enough to know he would not put in the extra effort to do all that. He may simply be avoiding you, and for once, you find yourself thanking him for it.

You do see him on social media though, just the brief updates on his matches, and the occasional less-than-welcome selfies. Less than welcome because they make room for themselves in your head sometimes, not leaving for days on end. But it’s been 4 months and you realize today that you haven’t opened to check his account in two months. You smile, sipping on your tea. The taste is a bit more bitter than usual, but you kinda like it today. 

Your phone rings, and you put down the tea, a bit of it falling to the tip of your thumb. You hiss, as you reach for your phone, sliding and answering it. 

“Hey,” you answer. “Are you ready yet?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m on my way,” he says, sounding out of breath yet somehow still yawning.

“Are you really, Tobio?” You ask, already aware as you deadpan.

“Okay, I haven’t left yet but I’m leaving soon, okay? I’m sorry — the alarm.” You fight the urge to groan but his voice comes out again, a little sheepish and a little ashamed, “I slept through it.”

“It’s okay,” you’re quick to reassure him because it really is, you haven’t got much to do today. “Call me when you leave, and I’ll leave too, okay?”

“Okay, thank you. Leaving soon,” he says.

You cut the call, and decide to book a cab to the cafe, deciding on waiting there for him to come. You wanted to finish your tea, and finish this crossword anyway, you think.

—

The crowd bustles a bit loudly for your liking, it’s usually that the cafe provides a sort of white noise effect wherein the voices get unanimous at some point, blurring things out for you to focus but it’s not working today. You groan, but dissolve into a smile, when you catch Tobio coming your way.

“Hi,” you say, going up to him and engulfing him in a hug. Per usual, he smells good, a bit like bergamot twined with notes of cedar. 

“You smell good,” you say, allowing yourself to rest your head on his shoulders for a moment.

“You always say that,” his voice reverberates through his body, and you can feel it against your own. 

You pull away, smiling, “Well, you always smell good.” You smooth down your clothes as you sit down. “I ordered your usual, it should be done soon,” you add.

“Thank you,” he says, sitting stiffly, but a bit slouched.

“You’ve been sleeping in a lot lately,” you say, referring to not only today’s delay but yesterday’s and the day before that, and the entire week before that.

“I don’t know I’ve got myself into a cycle, and I can no longer sleep on time,” he sulks, pouting very visibly. You feel the urge to pinch his cheeks, but you fight it. “It’s annoying.”

“Ah, is it because of that one day you stayed up?” 

“Yeah,” he replies, “I should never have done that,” he mutters.

“It’s not that hard to fix,” you say, and he perks up just a bit.

“And?” He asks, a bit impatient as he’s suddenly pulling in closer to you.

“Just tire yourself out, and you’ll sleep soon as you hit your bed,” you say. 

“Guess I’ll gym a bit harder?” He says.

You frown, raise your brows, and clear your throat. “Or we could go out?” 

He looks at you, a bit studded, but not entirely shocked. “Okay,” he responds.

“What?” You ask, startling him a bit with your loudness. You turn to the lady sitting behind you, “I’m so sorry. Yes, I know. I’m sorry. Of course.”

You turn back to face him, raising your brows. “What? I’ve been meaning to ask anyway,” he says. 

—

You find yourself walking hand in hand with Tobio, into the restaurant. You’re not sure how this will tire him out into sleeping in early, but you do suppose it was merely an excuse to ask him out on your part. Why he’s agreeing to this is beyond you, but you walk beside him as though it isn’t.

You’ve known Tobio for almost his entire life — sometimes distantly, sometimes closely. It changes on and on over time, but you remember always thinking of him as someone you would want to be. Chasing his dreams with endless fervor, how he was at playing ball, even when you were all merely 4 years old with no real concept of winning or losing. It was and is rather inspirational, moderation notwithstanding. But it’s rarely easy to be around him without feeling like you’re wearing ill-fitted clothes all the time.

“It’s under Kageyama Tobio,” he says. “Of course, sir.” The uniformed man smiles warmly at him and turns to smile at you. You mirror him stiffly, almost like a well-practiced routine. “Right this way, please.”

Tobio smiles, his hand coming to squeeze yours before he pulls you to walk in tandem with him as the two of you follow the host, and that’s more than enough to break you out of your stupor.

You haven’t noticed it but Tobio Kageyama is unlike you, as you’ve mentioned but he is also very much like you. He walks stiffly like he doesn’t necessarily belong in this restaurant like you’re his only tether to this place as he tightly grasps your hand. You suppose it’s why he’s the only childhood friend you have retained. The thing about wearing ill-fitted clothes though, is very much who he is sometimes. In whispered conversations on his balcony, he tells you this, bears his heart out, and you find that you had misunderstood, or just half-understood him. And since that day, you’ve kept each other at arm's length.

You joke that he’s afraid you’re going tell people about all his vulnerabilities and that is the sole reason why he keeps you close. He jokes about the same. But you think what you’ve come to find is an attachment of some sort. You smile. 

Contrastingly, when the host asks a myriad of questions about preferences and allergies, he answers deftly, like a well-oiled machine, oozing confidence, and a little charm as he chuckles, a chuckle that reverberates deeply within you. You hold your breath, as he gently pulls your chair out, takes your coat, and helps you place it neatly behind your chair, pushing your chair, before he goes on to sit opposite you.

The restaurant is big, but the tables are small. More intimate you suppose, his face is only a feet away. 

“So,” you drawl. “Is this where you charm all your dates Kageyama Tobio?” You smirk, “Pretty neat, I must say.”

“Stop,” he softly blushes. You smirk harder. “Charm? Are you stupid?” 

Your raise your brows, as he continues, “I can’t charm…” He looks away.

“Hm? I think the list of very beautiful and talented women you’ve dated suggests otherwise,” you smile. It’s not hard to figure out a public figure’s dating history, you’re not sure how much of these are true but you would tease him regardless.

“Well, that’s only because I’m good-looking,” he says with a hard pause. It comes off cocky, but you smile you know him, and because he states more like an observation. A fact, one you can’t help but find yourself agreeing with as the night passes. “I mean, t—that’s what I’ve been told.” He blushes harder, and you almost want to make it all stop, but he’s just so cute like this. 

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop,” you chuckle. He stares blankly as you continue to ease into a smile.

“You like the place?” He asks.

“Yeah, it’s really nice. Very…” You look up from the menu to see he’s looking at you intently, the soft yellow from the candle hitting light onto his ocean-blue eyes. “Intimate.”

His brows raise, just barely, you think you should change the topic. “Have you been here before?” 

“Uh, yeah. I come here alone, sometimes the team comes too.” He says, his eyes flitting down to the menu again, flipping the page. “But also, with Miwa whenever she’s in the city. She really likes this place,” he adds.

“Ah?” 

“Yeah, a celebrity once showed up at the same time we were here, and ever since then — she always drags me here hoping someone will show,” he looks up, his face comically blank. 

You smile. She would do that, wouldn’t she? It’s been so long since you’ve met his sister, you remember only being able to stand her before you started to understand how Tobio really worked, you think maybe without her you wouldn’t be here with Tobio.

“Tell her I said hello,” you say as you beckon the waiter, seeing that you’re both ready to say your orders.

—

You both start walking out of the restaurant, with your coat snugly wrapped around you by Tobio, you stroll out just as you had entered the establishment, hand-in-hand.

“The food was so good,” you say. “Very filling. I can definitely see why after practice version of you loves showing up here.”

He doesn’t say anything, simply walking in step with you, a beat later and you’re both waiting for his car. Your hand comes up to loop through his bicep, using him as you place weight onto him. He remains barely fazed. You’re tired, and you’re about to entirely lean on him as you notice him. His hands are pocked in his pants pockets as he talks to a couple of people around him,

Your eyes flit back to him as his hair sweeps across his face with the night. He’s cut his hair, and you have to say he looks better than he did during your very last encounter. You feel better somehow. He appears to chuckle mutedly at something his friends have said and you can almost hear him chuckle, right up from behind you, right into your ears, as his hands begin wandering all over your body. You hold your breath, sweeping that thought away.

He turns just in time, his eyes falling onto your face as his eyebrows twitch in recognition. You let go of your breath, but you’re not sure what you should ideally do. Raise your hand, and wave at him. And then you realize your hands are looped through Kageyama’s. 

Oh.

You stare at him, as he smiles. There isn’t a hint of emotion on his face that suggests anything but you feel guilty for some reason. It doesn’t last long because a lady in a purple dress — attractive, swoops through breaking both of your eye lines. She falls, as he reaches quickly to hold her by her waist. She swoops her hand through and over his neck, and that’s all you see before you force yourself to look away.

“That was him?” Kageyama’s soft voice comes from right beside you in a hushed voice, like he’s almost telling you it’s okay if you don’t want to tell him. You can blame it on the night air eating his question away. “Suna Rintaro, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” you admit, feeling guilt all over. It’s okay, you think but it’s only that you’re not sure what exactly it is that you’re feeling guilty over.

Your car swoops through right in front of you, your coat rising, as Kageyama notices, and placates it with his hand. “You okay just leaving?” He asks.

“Yeah, just take me home.”

Taglist: @alienvarmint @sagejin

[kililvr]

VALENTINES DAY ;

a/n : without spoiling too much, this isn't a romantic fic, and you will read why. just fili and kili being cuties. thank you for the idea @mossthebogwitch. this is rather short but i wanted to get it posted, it's not proof read and it has a few khuzdul words used. also, for the sake of the fic, we are going to roll with the idea dwarves celebrate valentines day, okay? okay.

×××

losing a loved one was always going to be hard. losing your best friend, husband and father of your children was something dis could relate too on a heartbreaking level.

it was true what they said : it did get easier with time. though there were days set to celebrate love that reminded her of her loss.

today was one of those days. valentines day had arrived faster than she hoped, and her heart broke a little more. she sighed, her hand rested against the empty cold side that once belonged to her husband. her fingers softly gripped the material, eyes stinging with tears as the memories flooded her.

the silence inside her room was a contrasted difference to the noise of her two son's outside. the sun was blaring down on them harshly but it didn't not stop them from their mini missions.

“just braid them together kili, it's not that hard” fili scolded as he watched his younger brother try to make a flower crown. he didn't want to seem so harsh, but he had to make their amad happy. he knew today was a day she dreaded, and he hoped to ease just a fraction of her pain.

“i am trying,” kili huffed as he narrowed his eyes even more, “the stalk keeps breaking instead of piercing” the complaint was ignored by his older brother, who was preoccupied with his own item.

he had crafted his mother four wooden figures, one to resemble each member of the family. seeking the aid of bofur, who helped him ensure the figures were crafted to a beautiful standard, fili was now adding the final touches. he was nervous, his hands shaking slightly as he inhaled a deep breath, trying to remain focused.

“aha!” fili jumped at the sudden loud cheer from his brother. he turned to look at him, who was now holding the flower crown proudly in his hand, a soft smile rising on the eldests face.

“beautiful kili” he complimented, before refocusing on his own task. when he had finished, he gently gathered the figures in his hands before standing up. the two headed inside, walking straight for the kitchen area.

the wooden table in the middle was now being used as their mothers surprise table. fili placed the figures down in order : the two taller ones in the back whilst the two smaller ones stood in front of them. it resembled fili, kili, their amad and adad.

the poem that fili asked his uncle to get from ori had arrived in time, thankfully. he placed that flat on the table too as kili watched over the food they started. when kili winced, burning himself somehow, fili took over. dishing up the breakfast, he instructed kili to light the candles without burning himself for a second time.

a bouquet of flowers rested in the middle of the table, tied together with their adad's old rag, a sentimental touch. the two brothers took a step back to admire their work, and though it all went perfectly, fili still shuffled nervously, rummaging through the intricate details. it took kili pulling him back for him to stop, exhaling a deep breath he didn't know he was holding.

satisfied, they both made their way up to their amad, softly knocking on the door. dis wiped away the stray tears, sitting up in bed properly as she softly called for her sons to enter.

“hey amad,” kili cheerily greeted as he wasted no time jumping into bed beside her when she opened her arms for them, fili climbing in on the other side as she wrapped her arms around their shoulders, holding her sons close.

“what have you two been up too?” she questioned, knowing the silence of the house meant they'd been off doing other things.

“you'll find out,” fili mumbled as he embraced the comfort of his mothers hold, “but we need you to come downstairs” he finished.

her eyebrow quirked as she turned her head side to side, “oh, you best not have made a mess of my kitchen” her words serious but the entertained laugh that followed indicated she was joking.

“of course not amad,” kili stated as he got up from the bed, “come!” he excitedly held his hand out for her to grab. fili removed himself from the bed as dis accepted her youngest's outstretched hand.

kili ran on ahead, to ensure nothing had caught fire from the candles. fili stepped to the side when he entered, leaving the view clear for their mother. as she turned the corner, she halted in the doorway with a surprised gasp.

she hadn't even realised a tear had fallen from her eye until she felt her sons engulf her in a hug. she embraced them both, happy tears in her eyes, but an ache in her heart.

“you did all this for me?” words failed her, stumbling over them as she spoke. she sniffled as she pulled away, walking over to the table. she gently picked up the flower crown before placing it on her head. her eyes gazed at the items, a longing smile on her face as she stared at the wooden carvings that she knew represented their family.

“you deserve it amad,” fili spoke from behind her, “adad would be disappointed if we didn't make you happy”

a soft smile remained on her face as she turned to face her boys, who were now stood side by side, “your adad would be so proud of you” she reached both her hands out to caress one of their cheeks, triumphant smiles on their faces.

“happy valentines day amad”

“happy valentines day my inùdôy”

[unconsiousppldontwanttea]

quite literally the best thing i've made

just Jotette @the-arcade-doctor

Italics - Jotette

Bold - Jay

Bold + Italics - Suit

- - - - Dashes -

( ( ) + Italics - Anon )

Welcome to our meeting!

- Are you into reading? -

No need for being coy!

We'll improve your uptake!

Have a friggin' cupcake! And must you bring an anon?

Time to write some poems!

Don't be scared to show 'em! The festival's days away!

You could help with baking!

- Or with banner making! -

And I'll walk home alone today...

Maybe we're friends, maybe we're more

How could they love a simple boy next door?

I'm just not the type they’re looking for…

Hey, Jay, are you doing okay?

I'm having a difficult day...

I'd say you seem pretty lonely!

(I wish I could make him grin)

(All he wants are things back the way they've been)

He’s depressed and stressed and he’s feeling blue, 

So I don't want our dear Jay hanging around you!

Just Jotette, just Jotette, just Jotette, just Jotette

Just Jotette, just Jotette, just Jotette, just, just Jotette

Manga is my passion, don't you dare be bashin'!

The writing's got finesse!

Maybe you should borrow these until tomorrow

Were you looking up my dress?! (LITERALLY HOW WOULD I DO THAT YOU AREN’T-)

- Let's go read a story! -

(The writer is barely fitting in rhymes jfc)

Let's talk about me instead!

I've been learning piano!

And I sing soprano! And I can't get you out of my head!

- Can't look away, can't help but blush -

- Where did I get this overwhelming crush? -

- It's sharp as a knife and twice the rush! -

Yo!

There's something I think you should know! I've never seen Dashes so-

- Sane and chill and still kinda sweaty.. -

- And I don't mind cutting to the chase, -

- I'm in love with you and you're gorgeous face! -

That's a sentiment I can't allow-

So my darling Dashes is getting the point now!

- Just Jotette, just Jotette, just Jotette, just Jotette -

- Just Jotette, just Jotette, just Jotette, just, just Jotette -

Could you have guessed? Maybe you knew? The suit there is next

I'm deleting him too!

We don't need scythes, no, or hoodies or tees, I only need you to love me!

Hey, there's no one else in our way

So look at me and just say, right here, my dear, that you love me!

And we'll sit here 'til the end of time 'cause I've earned this and

You're finally mine!

And I'm sorry what you've had to see, but it

No longer matters, 'cause now you belong to me!

Forever! Forever! Forever! Forever!

Forever! Forever! Forever! Forever.

[orpheuslament]

Yo! I'm at one of my favorite bars in Paris rn, and it reminded me of your latest poem! It's kinda empty today, but it's usually a lot of fun! The whole decoration theme is based on Christian idols, mostly the Virgin Mary; and the bathroom is covered in pornographic illustrations from various magazines ❤️.

Hope you had a nice day, I just felt like sharing this with u!

OH MY GOD IM OBSESSED need to know how this place is called so i can go next time im in paris

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #569

Yuri!!! on CONCERT pamphlet, Symphony no. 9

Matsushiba Taku commentary

Beethoven: Symphony no. 9, 2nd Movement "Advent" - Genesis Edition -

Part 4.

Back to what I was talking about before - when we were debating writing lyrics for Symphony no. 9, I was hesitant to give it lyrics in Japanese. It would be something similar to writing new lyrics for "Kimi ga yo" [Japan's national anthem, but the lyrics are a 10th century waka poem] - an extremely offensive thing to do.

And then, because Ode to Joy has lyrics in German, we decided to give the 2nd Movement German lyrics, too - I asked Horiuchi Takaaki-san, who understands very well the relationship between music and words, and knows German very well to write the lyrics for me. As it was the case of the CD recording, for this concert, too, I entrusted the choir and pronunciation to Horiuchi-san.

In "Yuri!!! on ICE" music, we hear lyrics in Latin, Italian, English and German - four foreign languages. Five, if we include the fictional foreign language in "Terra Incognita". I'm really impressed, how international the music is.

When we had the lyrics, the image of the music crystalized. The work on this piece started from that place, where the music team was at loss about what to do with it, so when it was finished, we saw some deep emotions and some tears. It wasn't featured in the anime in that many scenes, so at the concert, we will give our best to show you the founding of a country.

You will have a chance to hear Komeda-san's track live, so please experience the "doon!!" sound with your own body. This piece is really huge, so I think you will able to experience the feeling as if an enormous destroyer ship just appeared in front of your eyes. Please, enjoy all our resources [that is the size of the orchestra].

[babybratzmaraj]

Who The Fuck Are You?

Poem of the Mad Black Woman, Part Three

A/N, this poem shows the mad part in poem of the mad black woman, all my friends saying that this is one of my brutal pieces but it wouldn’t be a poem without emotion! so TW: hood shit. happy nigga month!

Taglist: @megamindsecretlair (my only one😔 if you wanna be added just comment n allat jazz!

Who the fuck are you? To be spazzing in my face, Who the fuck are you? to be popping my bubble with words you know cut like daggers into my heart and through my back, Who the fuck are you? to tell me im something i never was!

who. the fuck. are you.?

the scum on the bottom of my shoe that’s what the fuck you are. the bitch of a man who sucked his mama's nipples for too long— and she ALLOWED it!! the degenerate that dont got no respect for someone who been having your back for a while. when all I did was love and care, you uno reversed with hate and abuse, not caring who was there, blood or not.

if it was up to me? id have yo whole block painted, painted with your blood, and whoever loved to ride yo sack and cup the kid holder too, if it was up to me? id beat you and watch you plead and beg and apologize for the shit you've done but id never stop, if it was up to me id blast your shit like my name stood for TMZ.

but I can't, even though I still love you and choose to protect you, I can't show my child this side of me. but goddamn I wouldn’t be the mad black woman I am today. I remove the kids, covering their ears with headphones that played soft melodies to soothe the heartbreak that was inflicted, but not by me, heartbroken due the the war that was preceding the house, caused by two hurt children trapped inside of adult’s bodies.

those days of protecting you are done, protecting your Betty white image but when I'm finish they'll look at you like Bill Cosby. fingertips dug into my back, pushing, shoving, forcing my hand. well, you did it now motherfucka,

because damnit im mad.

[daydream-cement]

can you please write some larissa x reader where the reader has scoliosis and is super insecure about how their back looks since their shoulder blade sticks out and their rib cage is crooked and is in a good amount of pain from it. i’ve been feeling super insecure and bad about my body and i just want some comfort from her.

Beautiful Bodies

Larissa Weems x student!reader

Authors Note: I hope this can make many of my readers feel comforted in the fact that you all have beautiful bodies. I apologize if I didn’t encapsulate scoliosis in a meaningful way. I tried my best.

I used a poem by a creator named Lydia as a part of my inspiration. Here is the link to her poem. I also used inspiration from Amy Poehler’s book and a favorite poem by Amanda Lovelace.

“Good afternoon, Y/n.” Your ever-professional Principal sat next to you as you studied in the library. You were actually pretending to study, but who cares either which way. You looked up and over to her, looking away from your computer screen, even seated she was much taller than you.

“Good afternoon, Principal Weems.” You give her a light smile, unsure of why she was seated with you. Typically, Principal Weems didn’t see students for the fun of it. She wanted to talk to you about something and you didn’t think that you had committed any infractions.

“The school nurse came and talked to me about your most recent visit to see her…” Larissa gently prodded around the topic, wanting you to speak freely rather than her pry it out of you. She wanted yo to want to speak about your scoliosis and how it makes you feel rather than making you uncomfortable.

You take a deep breath and shift your body so you could speak to her, “I’m okay really. I think I was just having a hard day so I just broke down. I’m better now.”

Your response wasn’t reassuring to Principal Weems. She smiled gently and tilted her head at you, “You can talk to me, honey. It’s just us in here.”

“You don’t know what it’s like.” You tried shutting down the conversation before it could truly get started, but Principal Weems persisted

“No, I don’t, but I do know what its like to not feel beautiful.” You sat there in silence, a little upset with her that she decided to bring up your deep insecurities. You shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to look at her any longer.

“I hated my height growing up and my peers even made it clear that I was a little too tall. When I still dated men, most thought I was too tall. It’s hard trying to fit into the beauty box that others want us in. For a long time, I shape-shifted to not be myself. I’ve never regretted something more.” Principal Weems began sharing her experiences with you.

“When we are young, especially young women, there is a little demon of sorts that begins walking with us. He will tell us all of these horrible things that we sometimes may begin to believe about ourselves.” Principal Weems wisdom was beginning to make some sense, you listened, but you remained skeptical of her words, “Now, with good friends or an even better therapist, we begin to tame the demon, making him smaller and smaller until we can relegate him to a shelf in the back of our closet. Every so often mine comes out of hiding now to tell me my height is strange for a woman or that my stature inhibits my femininity. And I tell him, ‘I am far too busy for your funny business today.’”

Her joke made you smile, but you still weren’t feeling exactly better about yourself. Principal Weems reached out tenderly, placing a hand on your shoulder and rubbing it gently, “As a brilliant poet once said, you don’t need to look a certain way to earn someone’s heart, no matter your shape, no matter your size, be proud of all the space your body dares to take up.”

Principal Weems scooted a little closer and wrapped an arm around your shoulders, giving you the lightest of side hugs, “Our bodies are incredibly unique. I’m sorry for the pain you go through. It’s certainly not fair in the grand scheme of things, but you should know that you, my dear, are beautiful.”

[candles-by-mokosh]

🔨🔥✨ Igniting the Forge Within: Embracing the Power of Hephaestus ✨🔥🔨

✨✨ Calling all seekers of craftsmanship, creativity, and inner strength! Today, let us embark on a remarkable journey to connect with the mighty energy of Hephaestus, the god of fire, blacksmithing, and invention. Known for his exceptional skill and resilience, Hephaestus invites us to delve into the depths of our creativity, harness our inner fire, and forge our own paths with strength and determination. 🔨🔥💪

💫✨ Who is Hephaestus? ✨💫

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus is the master craftsman and divine blacksmith of the gods. Born from the union of Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus embodies the transformative power of fire and the artistry of creation. With his unmatched skill, he forges magnificent weapons, exquisite jewelry, and wondrous inventions, symbolizing the power of craftsmanship and the ability to transform raw materials into objects of beauty and utility.

🔨🔥 Embracing the Essence of Hephaestus: A Ritual of Empowerment 🔥🔨

1️⃣ Sacred Space: Find a quiet space where you can connect with Hephaestus without distractions. Create an altar adorned with symbols of creativity and strength, such as a hammer, an anvil, or metallic objects that resonate with the energy of craftsmanship.

2️⃣ Invocation: Light a red or orange candle to symbolize the fiery essence of Hephaestus. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and envision a warm, vibrant flame igniting within you. Recite an invocation that resonates with your spirit, welcoming Hephaestus into your sacred space and inviting his guidance.

3️⃣ Offering of Creation: Choose an offering that represents your creative pursuits or aspirations. It could be a piece of artwork, a tool of your craft, or a written poem or story. Place this offering on your altar as a token of your commitment to harnessing your creative fire.

4️⃣ Meditative Connection: Sit in stillness, grounding yourself through deep breaths. Visualize a powerful, golden flame enveloping you, awakening your creativity, and infusing you with determination and resilience. Allow Hephaestus' energy to flow through you, empowering your creative spirit.

5️⃣ Prayer and Intention: Express your heartfelt desires and intentions to Hephaestus. Speak your wishes for artistic inspiration, innovative ideas, and the strength to overcome challenges on your creative journey. Open yourself to receiving his guidance and blessings, knowing that you have the power to shape your own destiny.

6️⃣ Gratitude and Farewell: Offer gratitude to Hephaestus for his presence and inspiration. Express your appreciation for his guidance and the transformative power he has ignited within you. Blow out the candle, symbolizing the end of the ritual while carrying Hephaestus' energy and inspiration with you.

🔨💪 Harnessing Hephaestus' Lessons: Infusing Creativity into Everyday Life 💪🔨

1️⃣ Embrace the Forge Within: Cultivate a dedicated creative space where you can freely express your craft. Set aside time each day to immerse yourself in your creative pursuits, whether it's painting, writing, sculpting, or any form of artistic expression that sparks your passion.

2️⃣ Embrace Challenges: Embrace the challenges and setbacks that come with your creative journey. Like Hephaestus' skill with the forge, embrace the process of refinement and growth. Persevere through obstacles, knowing that they shape you into a stronger and more resilient creator.

3️⃣ Collaboration and Mentorship: Seek opportunities for collaboration and mentorship within your creative community. Connect with fellow artists, share ideas, and learn from one another. Hephaestus' workshop was a hub of collaboration, and by joining forces, you can amplify your creative potential.

4️⃣ Craftsmanship and Attention to Detail: Embrace the meticulous nature of craftsmanship. Pay attention to the smallest details in your creations, infusing them with intention and purpose. Allow Hephaestus' precision and dedication to guide your hands as you bring your visions to life.

5️⃣ Inspiring Innovation: Embrace innovation and exploration in your creative process. Step outside your comfort zone, experiment with new techniques, and let your imagination soar. Channel Hephaestus' inventive spirit to push the boundaries of your artistry and bring forth truly original works.

🔨🔥✨ Unleash the Fire Within: Hephaestus' Blessing ✨🔥🔨

As you journey alongside Hephaestus, may his fiery essence ignite the forge within your soul. May his strength and creativity guide you to new heights of artistic expression and empower you to face any challenges that come your way. With each creation, may you leave your unique mark on the world, embodying the essence of Hephaestus' craftsmanship and resilience.

🔨🔥✨ May your creations burn brightly, dear souls, as you embrace the divine power of Hephaestus! ✨🔥🔨

Mokosh

[spiribia]

dunno where ur poem went but imo it's super impressive. I couldn't write like 14 yo u did today xd

SORRY i deleted it instantaneously but thank you O7

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Time for a Change: Bar/None Sampler #Two 1989 Alternative Rock / Folk-Rock / Singer-Songwriter / Alternative Folk / Folk / Indie Rock / Post-Punk / Indie Folk

I dunno, man, this early sampler from Bar/None Records—an indie label that ironically happens to be located in the American town that actually has the most bars per capita of Hoboken, New Jersey—kinda feels like what you might get if you ever made the mistake of letting the winking tongue-out emoji play an acoustic guitar around a campfire: really, really annoying music 😜.

Bar/None may have amassed themselves a pretty robust roster over the years that's included the likes of Yo La Tengo, The Feelies, Juliana Hatfield, Of Montreal, Poi Dog Pondering, 10,000 Maniacs, Alex Chilton, and even king-of-illbient DJ Spooky; but their first big, early signing was They Might Be Giants, and as a result, this sampler of theirs is loaded up with a simply intolerable amount of silly, irreverent, quirky, goofy, lighthearted, whimsical, and geeky alt-folk-rock-singer-songwriter-type stuff that, thankfully, I don't think many people make too much of anymore. No, I don't want to hear your stupid love poem about sushi or whatever!

There's nothing inherently wrong with alt-folk-rock-singer-songwriter music in general, but that shit can get really annoying really quickly when it feels like listening to the sonic equivalent of prop comic schtick 😫. Just extremely lame, groan-and-eyeroll-inducing music that more or less carries the same vibe as that one Animaniacs song where they sang the name of every single country. Fine to listen to for a few minutes, I guess, but loop it up for over an hour and, baby, you're gonna develop yourself some sort of psychosis 😵‍💫.

Never really listened to much They Might Be Giants before, either—mostly out of fear for what I might find—so I never formed much of an opinion of them; but now, thanks to this comp, I think that I might legitimately actively hate them??? I mean, I agree that we need self-aware irony as an antidote to the mad reality that this world so often chooses to give us, but for the love of god, could you and your ~zany~ cohort *please* tone it the fuck down?! You people are going to make me choose reality!

No highlights.

[brujitaadinbo]

And until yesterday I was just a lazy person. And, today, I am the guardian of your dreams of love (8)….

You can destroy everything you see. Because she, with a sigh, creates it again. As if nothing, as if nothing. (8)…

Y yo que, hasta ayer, sólo fui un holgazán Y, hoy, soy el guardián de sus sueños de amor La quiero a morir

Podeís destrozar todo aquello que veis Porque ella, de un soplo, lo vuelve a crear Como si nada, como si nada La quiero a morir....

It is said or rumored that this song came from a love poem dedicated to Maria Felix, from one of the many loves of the iconic Mexican actress… but I love it because the lyrics are very deep, as if it were an oath or a promise that he would love her until the end….damn! Like a certain oath that a Mandalorian made of silver beskar, I tell you, casual (lol)

The image is not mine and the credits belong to its true author… I wanted to share it because I love the dynamic that Grogu and Bo Katan worked on this season, from slowly beginning to know each other and treating each other as someone closer, Bo Katan always She has seen in Grogu, someone small but very skilled, with a lot of wisdom despite his age, determined and brave and despite having fears, she tells him "you must be brave" or also "don't worry, my father was like that too. " It is like if she always has those words to motivate him, to encourage him, to give him his space, to also take care of him and give him something that sometimes Din doesn't know how to give him, that emotional education that Din is also working on but that Bo already has in other aspects and knows how help Grogu. There are a lot of things these two worked on together this season and if you want don't frame it as motherly or anything like that, but it's obvious that there is good chemistry between Bo Katan and Grogu and he can be seen when he needs to be. You can see it when he smiles genuinely and coincidentally this is the only production where I've seen Bo Katan smile like that in such a pure and free way, happy for Grogu's achievements.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas, and a great start to the New Year. Team Bokadin, I send you many blessings. And while some of Twitter's favorite boat polls are very complicated or misleading, clean stuff always wins. This is the way…

[chanoyu-to-wa]

The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part II:  Poem 44.

〽 Sumi tsugaba gotoku hasamu-na jū-mon-ji          en wo kirasu-na tsuri-ai wo mi yo

    [炭次がば五德挾むな十文字          緣を切らすな釣合を見よ].

    “If [one is] adding charcoal, [two pieces should] not pinch [a leg of] the gotoku, nor [overlap to form] a cross or project beyond the perimeter¹; and [the distribution of the charcoal] should appear well-balanced.”

    The first several points that Jōō makes -- that two pieces of charcoal should not pinch the leg of the gotoku, nor form a cross, nor extend beyond the perimeter of the fire² -- are also mentioned in the Rikyū sanjū-go-jō ken-ki [利休三十五條嫌忌] (which was translated earlier in this series³), suggesting that they were part of the traditional teachings that had been codified during the first half of the sixteenth century.

    The final admonition (that the host should make sure that the distribution of charcoal is well-balanced) is important because it will help to prevent one side of the fire from becoming too hot⁴ -- which could cause the fire to burn out on that side before the service of tea had been concluded.

        There are two different versions of the first line of the kami-no-ku [上の句].  Jōō’s version begins sumi okaba [炭置かば], which means “if [one is] placing the charcoal....”  The later versions⁵ (including the one found in Hosokawa Sansai’s Kyūshū manuscript) begin with the words sumi tsugaba [炭次がば] -- meaning “if [one is] adding charcoal....”

    As these both describe precisely the same series of actions, there is no real difference between any of the versions.

_________________________

¹The perimeter (en [緣], which is a contracted form of enishi [緣]) of the fire was originally determined by the rim of the kimen-buro (which was mirrored by the shape of the ashes).  When Jōō first began to use the ro, he sculpted the hai-gata to serve as his guide.  And after he introduced the use of a gotoku* (as equivalent to the rim of the kimen-buro), the perimeter was thereafter defined by the ring of the gotoku.

    While the ring is now buried in the ash (and so has to be guessed at by the host), when Jōō first began to use the gotoku, it was oriented with the ring uppermost (this is why the tops of the three legs on antique gotoku are frequently shaped like broad feet that are often etched with parallel lines that act like skid guards, to give the feet traction so the gotoku does not slip on the ash when the kama is rested on top).  It, therefore, physically enclosed the space where the charcoal was to be arranged, much as does a fence around a flower-garden.

    This arrangement of the gotoku was based on the way that a kiri-kake gama rests on the rim of a kimen-buro (since this was the only precedent available for Jōō to adopt at that time).

    Originally the ring was always a complete circle, regardless of whether the gotoku was going to be placed in the ro, or (apparently only later) in a furo.

    The reason why the third of the ring in front was cut away on gotoku intended for use in a furo was something suggested by Sen no Dōan, following his creation of the Dōan-buro [道安風爐] (all of which occurred when he was a teenager†).

     Dōan made the Dōan-buro from an old lacquered clay mayu-buro [眉風爐] (mayu [眉] means “eyebrow,” and refers to the section of rim that extends across the top of the hi-mado, as can be seen in the left drawing)‡ that had been thrown away (some accounts claim that he brought it home from the local dump).  Regardless of its source**, the rim of this furo was broken above the hi-mado, which is why it could no longer be used for chanoyu.  Dōan cut away the remainder of the rim††, extending the sides of the himado up to the rim (as shown in the right sketch).  After relacquering the furo, he went to place the gotoku in it as usual, but the third of the ring extending across the front was disquieting (since it seemed as if it would potentially interfere with the sumi-temae); so he cut it away, thereby creating what we refer to today as the furo-yō no gotoku [風爐用の五德]‡‡. ___________ *This object was originally called a ko-taku [火卓], which can also be pronounced ko-joku.

    The name gotoku [五德] (which means “five virtues,” perhaps as a play on both the word ko-joku and jittoku [十德], the latter being the name for a monk’s black-gauze over-garment, which was sewn from ten pieces of cloth) seems to have been coined by Sen no Dōan, after he modified his gotoku by cutting off one section of the ring (so it could be used in his Dōan-buro, as described in this footnote):  the three legs, plus the remaining two sections of the ring means the gotoku is composed of five pieces.

†Dōan was born in 1544, around the time of Rikyū’s departure for the continent; and he likely created the Dōan-buro at some point during the 1560s, while Rikyū was working on rebuilding the family fortunes through the sale of the chawan and other objects that he had brought back from Korea.

‡As a result of the continuing trade embargo with the continent during the first half of the sixteenth century, the locally produced mayu-buro had largely replaced the (imported) bronze kimen-buro [鬼面風爐] and Chōsen-buro [朝鮮風爐] as the preferred furo for use on the daisu.

**The most common way that the rim above the mayu would break is through mishandling -- because someone had attempted to pick the furo up by holding it with the fingers through the hi-mado.  That it was broken, therefore, suggests that the person handling it had been extremely negligent.  Finding the broken furo in the dump would exculpate Dōan (and anyone else in the household) from blame -- and this may be why this detail was often emphasized in retellings of this story.

††This would have been easy to do, since this kind of furo was made of very low-fired clay (indeed, the lacquer is necessary to protect the clay, since it is so low-fired that it can begin to disintegrate if water drips onto it), which is easily cut with an ordinary handsaw.

    In those days, chajin also made their own mae-gawarake [前土器] (the semi-circular tile that is placed in the front of the furo, to protect from sparks shooting out of the kindling charcoal), by cutting off part of the edge of the low-fired clay sake-saucers that were sold for use in Shintō rituals (after use these saucers were thrown into a bucket of water, where they would eventually dissolve into clay again).  These saucers were made by the same craftsmen who made the clay furo, and were fired in the same way, so the idea of cutting low-fired clay objects with a saw hardly originated with Dōan -- indeed, the necessary skill-set would have been commonplace among the chajin of that day.

    Several years ago I witnessed the opening of the wooden box in which an old clay furo of this sort had been stored (the box had not been opened for many years, since the chajin of that house had died without a successor).  Water had somehow dripped onto the box, and the furo had completely deteriorated into a mound of clay on that side, despite its having been painted with lacquer.  

    Modern clay furo are fired at higher temperatures to prevent this kind of thing from happening.  (In the old days, clay furo were used only until the lacquer began to crack on the inside, and then discarded.  Those made nowadays, however, are sent back to the craftsman, and the old coat of lacquer is burned off in a kiln before they are polished and re-lacquered again.)

‡‡The idea of turning the gotoku upside-down (so the ring would be buried in the ash) was proposed by Rikyū, in 1582 or 1583, so that the small unryū-gama could be used inside the large kimen-buro (the kiri-kake gama for which had been lost in the fire at the Honnō-ji, while the rim of this iron furo was cracked above the himado when Mori Ranmaru threw it against the wall in order to start the fire that would consume the shoin, in order to prevent Akechi Mitsuhide from collecting and displaying Nobunaga’s head).

    Because the rim of the furo was no longer strong enough to support the weight of a kama, Rikyū made the cylindrical unryū-gama the diameter of the original kama’s mouth, with the intention of placing the kama on a gotoku.  But if the gotoku was oriented as usual -- with the ring uppermost, the ring would block the flow of air through the furo; so he came up with the idea of placing the gotoku upside-down, with the kama standing on the feet of the gotoku, which would allow hot air to rise freely all around the sides of the kama.

    Since arranging the gotoku in this way allowed for virtually all of the kama that had theretofore been usable only when suspended from the ceiling (and so almost always had been limited to being used with the ro), it was adopted so widely that, over the course of the Edo period, the idea that the gotoku had originally been used with the ring uppermost was completely forgotten.

    As for this original Dōan-buro, it is said that Rikyū held it should be used only in the most ultra-wabi of settings.  To emphasize this fact, during the sumi-temae, the habōki was supposed to be a single feather, originally without a handle (ordinary habōki are typically made from three feathers, and have either a wooden handle, or one made from a folded bamboo sheath tied with cord).  The rest of the utensils were also expected to be just as rustic as the habōki.

     The mind behind this approach to chanoyu remained a feature of Dōan’s style for the rest of his life (and culminated in his creation of the Dōan-gakkoi [道安圍い] style of room).  The reader should note that the doorway between the host and his guests is rendered as a kayoi-guchi [通い口], meaning a service entrance -- a door through which things are passed to the guests without otherwise disturbing them.

    The above Dōan-gakkoi is found in the Yodomi-no-seki [澱看席] in the Saiō-in [西翁院] of the (Jōdo-shū [淨土宗] affiliated) Konkaikōmyō-ji [金戒光明寺] in Kyōto.  (In this kind of room -- and contrary to what is seen in some modern photos -- Dōan, adhering to his father’s teachings, would have placed the furo on top of the lid of the ro, as in an ordinary mukō-giri room.)

    While today it is usually taught that the host should slide the door open immediately before the sō-rei [総礼] (at the beginning of the koicha-temae), so the guests can watch his temae, Dōan is said to have kept it closed until the bowl of koicha was prepared -- after which he opened the door and offered the tea to the guests.  Dōan seems to have taken his inspiration from the earlier o-chanoyu-dana [御茶湯棚], with the self-effacing humility that this inspires as the focus of his practice -- which, in turn, was based on the fact that the original kind of chanoyu was the offering of a bowl of tea to the Buddha, something that was done between the monk and the representation of the Buddha, with no other person present.

²Rather than en wo kirasu-na [緣を切らすな], which means (should) not project beyond the perimeter (of the grouping of charcoal), the Rikyū sanjū-go-jō ken-ki [利休三十五條嫌忌] alludes to this idea by way of hikozuri-basami [引すり挾み], which refers to the image of a formal court train that trails behind the rest of the wearer’s garments.  While the image is different, the ultimate meaning, with regard to the arrangement of the charcoal (and the fact that no piece should project outward beyond the perimeter of the group), is the same.

³Please refer to the post entitled The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 21.  The Rikyū sanjū-go-jō ken-ki [利休三十五條嫌忌] are translated, in full, in the appendix at the end of that post.  The URL is:

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/750434095968010240/the-chanoyu-hyaku-shu-%E8%8C%B6%E6%B9%AF%E7%99%BE%E9%A6%96-part-i-poem-21

    In the version of the sanjū-go-jō ken-ki translated there, the points dealing with the charcoal are numbered 31 to 35.  In addition to the rejection of situations in which two pieces of charcoal pinch the leg of the gotoku, form a cross, or extend beyond the perimeter of the fire, this list also includes chō-ji [丁字], which means placing two pieces of charcoal so that they form a “T” shape.  Since it is similar to jū-mon-ji [十文字], it was probably left out of the poem in the interests of syllabic structure -- thus allowing Jōō to cover everything he wanted to say about the charcoal in a single verse.

⁴Which could cause the lacquer coating on clay furo to crack on that side, rendering the furo useless*. ___________ *Not because it necessarily impacts the furo’s ability to perform its proper function, but because it is inauspicious.  This is why damaged utensils were not supposed to be used (during that period).

    The use of such “distressed” pieces was discouraged until the early Edo period, when the focus began to reflect economic considerations.

    It might be good to add that the way the ashes were arranged that was preferred in Jōō’s and Rikyū’s day was very different from that advocated by many of the modern schools.  Their hai-gata was shaped like what is shown below, and was relatively deep (the ash rose half way up the legs of the gotoku, or more).

    This way of arranging the ashes protected the lacquered sides of the furo.  The modern ni-mon-ji [二文字] ash-shape (and its “artistic” variants, where the host recreates the effect of mountains and valleys within the furo) focuses the heat of the fire on the left and right sides of the furo, invariably causing the lacquer to crack after not many uses.  As a result, many professional chajin in Japan have to send their furo back to be relacquered at the end of every furo season.  (Using a hotplate-style heating system helps, but does not completely alleviate the problem -- and, of course, it eliminates the sumi-temae and all of the teachings connected with that.)

    Jōō’s and Rikyū’s hai-gata are described (and illustrated) more fully in the post entitled The Three Hundred Lines of Chanoyu (Lines 51 - 60), under line 57.  The URL for that post is:

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/26906281437/the-three-hundred-lines-of-chanoyu-lines-51

⁵Somewhat curiously, the version found in the collection of the Hundred Poems that was given to Katagiri Sadamasa during his period of study (with the Sen family) agrees with Jōō’s version.  This suggests that the Sen family altered the contents of the collection preserved in their archives in deference to the version of this poem that was being disseminated by Hosokawa Sansai -- perhaps because, since Sansai was the last surviving of Rikyū’s personal disciples, they decided that his version must be “more accurate” than the one that they had acquired previously.  But the uncertain nature of Sansai’s very influential recollections (he was pressed to write his teachings down during the last years of his life) can be easily seen when his manuscript is compared with Rikyū’s own densho.  

    Indeed -- and most unfortunately -- it is not infrequently the case that Sansai declares as correct something that is the polar opposite of Rikyū’s actual teaching (as supported by Rikyū’s own densho).  The likely cause for why this version was given credence was because of another misunderstanding of Rikyū’s relationship to Sansai:  Hosokawa Yūsai [細川幽齋; 1534 ~ 1610], Sansai’s father, was Rikyū’s great friend, and the connection between the two houses may be found there.  The Sen family, nevertheless, interpreted Sansai’s visit to the bank of the Yodogawa, to bid Rikyū farewell as he was being sent back to Sakai (where he had been ordered to commit seppuku), as a sign, on a purely personal level, of the intimacy between these two men.  But, in fact, it appears that Yūsai had ordered his son to do this -- in his stead -- because he would then be in a position to defend his house, and his son, against Hideyoshi’s potential anger, should their lord take offense at this gesture; whereas Yūsai would have been powerless to do anything if, having gone himself to say goodbye to his old friend, Hideyoshi had then fallen into a rage.

    During the last eight or nine years of Rikyū’s life, Sansai was increasingly busy with affairs of state, so the time available for him to study with Rikyū would have been truncated to the point where, as we see in his writings, he ended up completely misinterpreting many of the things Rikyū sought to teach him* -- and so became guilty of misrepresenting them (whether deliberately or not†) to posterity.  Nevertheless, on account of the respect and affection in which the Sen family held Sansai, his pronouncements were deemed strong enough to cause them to completely rethink the teachings of Rikyū that had come to them from other sources. ___________ *One commonly mentioned difference regards the way to pick up the natsume and wipe it with the fukusa, as opposed to the way to do the same with the nakatsugi.  In his writings, Sansai completely reverses Rikyū‘s teachings on these matters.

†Sansai’s writings on chanoyu date from the period when the daimyō who were involved with chanoyu were becoming increasingly restive, as the conflict between those of Rikyū’s own teachings that were preserved in their family archives, and the teachings proselytized by the Sen family, came to diverge farther and farther.  But whether he wrote things that would knowingly differ from the Sen family’s teachings, or did this inadvertently (as a result of his misremembering things that had been said to him by Rikyū), is unclear.

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