#Block & Burin

[uwmspeccoll]

And Again -- Another Wood-engraved Feathursday

LESLIE EVANS

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is known to spear many things in our local ponds and waterways -- fish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and even some small mammals -- but rarely cards with numbers on them. This wood engraving is by Watertown, Massachusetts artist, printmaker, and letterpress printer Leslie Evans (b. 1953), and it was one of the prints selected for inclusion in the Fourth Triennial Exhibition 2020-2022 of the American wood engravers society, the Wood Engravers’ Network (WEN), and the image is from the catalog for that traveling show.

Evans is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, where she was introduced to letterpress printing on the Vandercook proofing press. After stints working for artists and design studios, she founded her own press, Sea Dog Press, and came to wood engraving through annual workshops sponsored by WEN. So why the heron with the number 59? Because this engraving serves as the cover illustration for Block & Burin No. 59, Spring 2018, the official publication for members of the Wood Engravers' Network.

View more Feathursday posts.

View more posts with women wood engravers.

View other posts with engravings from the WEN Fourth Triennial Exhibition.

View more engravings by members of the Wood Engraver’s Network.

View more posts with wood engravings!

[try-set-me-on-fire]

@buckactuallys @leothil @shitouttabuck @rewritetheending @devirnis and @thewolvesof1998 tagged me for fuck it Friday! Let’s see, hows it going nurse Eddie? Oh, badly? What a surprise…

The steady whine resolves into a pattern. If whatever autopilot system Eddie’s operating under hadn’t made him take a step back when the defibrillator went off, he thinks he might have just kept going, might have lived on that gurney forever pumping dead blood until his arms turned to jelly. He stares at the little green line of mountains on the screen and doesn’t understand them. People are saying words around him and he doesn’t understand those either, but at least he’s sort of shuffled in with the tide of medical personnel and not left standing lost in the ambulance bay. Evan Buckley- Buck, Buck is wheeled off to trauma two, and Eddie should be following along to do his fucking job but, the thing is, his muscles feel like they’ve all locked up, and he can’t get a breath in, and even instinct has now abandoned him and he’s alone, all alone, standing in a hallway he shouldn’t be blocking. Please god, he thinks, feverishly, hysterically, let me move two feet to the left. I can have a breakdown, I just need to do it two feet to the left. Don’t block the hallway.

“Eddie?”

He’s not sure if he moved, he’s not sure who’s asking. A woman’s voice. Maybe he’s home in Texas and only a child and everything’s all just been a nightmare, and his mother is here and going to make him hot chocolate even though it’s late at night and he shouldn’t have sugar before bed except just this once and she’ll wink about it and he’ll giggle at having this secret between just them and he’ll fall asleep on the couch with her and wake up in his own bed and it will seem like magic, but Eddie is full grown and knows the weight of his own sleeping child on the path between the living room and the bedroom, and when he blinks to clear his eyes of rushing static it’s Pat who’s standing in front of him, in a hospital, in California, right in the middle of the goddamn hallway.

“Eddie,” she says, eyes all wide and startled, “Are you okay?”

He can’t even begin to know how to answer that question. It doesn’t feel like the right question to be asked. Okay is a word so absolutely distant from anything happening right now it’s functionally useless to define himself in relation to it. “I know him,” he says, and his voice comes out strange. And then there’s a cracking, bubbling feeling and a sound, too, something like laughter tearing up out of him because no he fucking doesn’t. He has met — and met only by a generous stretch of definition — that man eight times, and only actually talked to him on slightly more than half of those occasions. They’ve talked, maybe, all added up, for about 20 minutes. “Oh fuck,” he says, a stupid little squeak of a sound, and then Pat is putting her hand on his arm and leading him, awfully gently, towards the break room.

Tagging @forthewolves @rogerzsteven @bigfootsmom @burins @wildlife4life @lover-of-mine @jeeyuns @homerforsure

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Tarot Cards

I disagreed with some of the choices for the official DC tarot deck, so this is who I'd choose. I did limit myself to superheroes and the major arcana unlike the official deck.

The Fool - Beginnings, innocent, spontaneity, free spirited, naivety, foolishness, recklessness, risk-taking Color: pale yellow Crystal: Tourmaline, turquoise Animal: eagle, man, butterfly Plant: aspen, grapes, peppermint Weapon: Dagger and fan Characters: Starfire

The Magician - Power, skill, concentration, action, resourcefulness, manipulation, poor planning, latent talents Color: Yellow Crystal: Tiger eye, citrine, fire opal, agate Animal: Ibis, ape, swallow Plant: Marjoram, palm, vervain (cerebral excitants) Weapon: Wand, caduceus Character: John Constantine

The High Priestess - Intuition, higher powers, mystery, subconscious mind, hidden agendas, need to listen to inner voice Color: Blue Crystal: Moonstone, pearl Animal: Dog Plant: Almond, pomegranate, haze, moonwort (emmenagogues) Weapon: Bow & arrow Characters: Dr. Fate

The Empress - Fertility, femininity, beauty, nature, abundance, creative block, dependence on others Color: Emerald green Crystal: Emerald, rose quartz Animal: Sparrow, dove, swan Plant: Corn, myrtle, rose, clover, cypress (aphrodisiacs) Weapon: Girdle or belt Characters: Mary Marvel

The Emperor - Authority, father figure, structure, solid foundation, domination, excessive control, rigidity, inflexibility Color: Scarlet red Crystal: Ruby Animal: Ram, owl Plant: Oak, tiger lily, geranium Weapon: Horns, the burin Character: Batman

The Hierophant - Religion, group identification, conformity, tradition, beliefs, restriction, challenging status quo Color: Red orange Crystal: Topaz, carnelian, lapis lazuli Animal: Bull Plant: Mallow, sugar cane Weapon: Labor of preparation Character: Captain Marvel/Shazam

The Lovers - Love, union, relationships, values, choices, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values Color: Orange Crystal: Alexandrite, agate Animal: Magpie Plant: Orchid, rush, LSD Weapon: Tripod Characters: Green Lantern(Stewart) and Hawkgirl(Shayera)

The Chariot - Control, will power, victory, assertion, determination, lack of control and direction, aggression Color: Orange-yellow Crystal: Amber, chalcedony Animal: Sphynx, crab, turtle Plant: Lotus, olive, watercress Weapon: Fiery furnace Character: Red Hood

Strength - Strength, courage, patience, control, compassion, weakness, self-doubt, lack of self-discipline Color: Yellow Crystal: Cat's eye, topaz, chrysolite Animal: Lion Plant: Sunflower (carminatives) Weapon: Disipline Character: Miss Martian

The Hermit - Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance, isolation, loneliness, withdrawal Color: Yellow-green Crystal: Peridot, bloodstone Animal: Rhinoceros, dog Plant: Snowdrop, aspen, narcissus (aphrodisiacs) Weapon: Wand & lamp Character: Raven

Wheel of Fortune - Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point, bad luck, negative external forces, out of control Color: Royal violet Crystal: Sapphire, amethyst, lapis Animal: Eagle, sphynx Plant: Hyssop, oak, poplar, coca Weapon: Scepter Character: Red Robin

Justice - Justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law, unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty Color: Green emerald Crystal: Emerald, coral, jade Animal: Elephant, crane Plant: Aloe, tobacco Weapon: Cross of equilibrium Character: Booster Gold

The Hanged Man - Suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice, martyrdom, indecision, delay Color: Deep blue Crystal: Beryl, aquamarine Animal: Snake, eagle, scorpion Plant: Lotus, ash, water plants, fermented grapes (purges) Weapon: Cup & cross Character: Nightwing

Death - Endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition, resistant to change, unable to move on Color: Blue-green Crystal: Jacinth, amethyst Animal: Wolf, beetle, crayfish Plant: Cactus, yew, aspen, myrtle Weapon: Evil eye, pain of obligation Character: Green Lantern(Hal)

Temperance - Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning, imbalance, excess, lack of long term vision Color: Blue Crystal: Jacinth, amethyst Animal: Horse, dog, centaur Plant: Rush Weapon: Arrows Character: Green Arrow

The Devil - Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism, detachment, breaking free, power reclaim Color: Indigo Crystal: Black diamond, jet, obsidian Animal: Goat, ass Plant: Hemp & marijuana, thistle, fig, orchis root Weapon: Evil eye, lamp Character: Arsenal

The Tower - Disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation, avoidance of disaster, fear of change Color: Scarlet Crystal: Ruby, garnet Animal: Bear, wolf, horse Plant: Absinthe, rue, tobacco Weapon: Two-edged sword Character: Robin(Damian)

The Star - Hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity, lack of faith, despair, discouragement Color: Violet Crystal: Turquoise, rock crystal Animal: Peacock, man, eagle Plant: Silver fir, olive, coconut (diuretics) Weapon: Censer Character: Superman

The Moon - Illusion, fear, anxiety, insecurity, subconscious, release of fear, unhappiness, confusion Color: Violet-red Crystal: Milk opal, moonstone, pearl Animal: Dolphin, fish, scarab Plant: Poppy, hazel, opium, nettle (narcotics) Weapon: Magic mirror Character: Green Lantern(Jessica)

The Sun - Fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality, temporary depression, lack of success Color: Orange Crystal: Diamond, heliotrope(bloodstone) Animal: Sparrow-hawk, lion Plant: Laurel, sunflower, heliotrope Weapon: Bow & arrow, spear Character: Flash(Barry)

Judgement - Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution, self-doubt, refusal of self-examination Color: Red Crystal: Fire opal, malachite Animal: Lion Plant: Hibiscus, red poppy (nitrates) Weapon: Wand, lamp Character: Green Lantern(Guy)

The World - Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel, lack of completion, lack of closure Color: Blue-violet Crystal: Onyx, jet, lapis lazuli, black pearl Animal: Crocodile, dragon Plant: Cypress, hellebore, yew, nightshade Weapon: Sickle Character: Wonder Woman

[sheltiechicago]

Delicately Carved Wood Engravings Are Transformed into Dreamlike Paintings by Matt Roussel

Characterized by the use of specialized tools called burins, gravers, or gouges to carve thin, elegant lines, wood engraving developed in the late 18th century to produce more precise detail than earlier techniques. For French artist Matt Roussel, the linear forms created on the surface of linoleum or wood are just as compelling as the prints that can be made from them. In his series of mounted printing blocks, he highlights the curving textures of lilies sprouting from a scarab beetle or leaves emanating from the body of a trotting horse.

All images © Matt Roussel

[kaiyeti]

Ruby: Gods this mission is so damn weird!

Weiss: I have to agree. Why post a Grimm hunting job when there is no grimm?

Blake: Maybe the post was outdated. The villager or another huntsmen or huntress always came and killed the grimm.

Yang: Yeah but that old lady from the shop said we were the first visitors they had in a year and the the help wanted post was at most a few months old.

Ruby: Maybe she just miss remembered. She is pretty old.

Blake: It’s possible. Lets just check this last house before we head back to the inn.

Weiss: With this home being so far out from the others I wouldn’t doubt if they... were... the...

Yang: Whoa. *Before Team RWBY as they stood up top the hill they climbed, the shadow of the tree above them blocking the little sun light on this cloudy day, they find an old run down house and barn in the distance surrounded by lifeless fields. Completely burin if not for slightly larger than normal poses which upon  each hold frightening scarecrows.* Sooooo just to make sure we are all on the same page here. This is a horror movie we are about to walk into, right?

Blake: After reading so many in my life. I have to agree.

Weiss: I mean, This place is clearly abandoned so we don’t have to check. *a bit of fear in her voice.*

Ruby: Hold that thought. *Ruby said with squinted eyes before placing out her sniper rifle scythe and looking through its scope.* ... Well the bad news is someone is in that house.

Yang: What’s the good news?

Ruby: *Opens her weapon completely.* Unlike most horror stories we have weapons and aren’t afraid to use them. *Yang and Weiss both draw and activate their own weapons.*

Blake: *As Blake reaches for her’s, her cat ears perk up and she looks towards one of the scarecrow poses.* Guys. we have a problem.

Weiss: Oh gods. what? 

Blake: One of the scarecrows are missing. *As Blake speaks those words, the rest of the huntress look over to the empty cross.* 

Yang: Make that two. *Yang said as she looks out to the field to their right to find the other scarecrow missing.*

Ruby: Everyone circle up. *Ruby stated as the four huntresses make a small circle, each at the ready to fight.* We know there are at least two grimm here that are very fast or very good at hiding. We can either head toward the house or back into the village to regroup or we try to find and kill these grimm.

Weiss: There is no way I am going into the haunted house!

Yang: uh, Guys.

Blake: I think that is our only option because otherwise we may lead the grimm back to the rest of the village.

Yang: Guys.

Ruby: Blake’s right. Even if its just two grimm, they moved with us barely noticing.

Yang: Guys!

Weiss: What is it Yang!?

Yang: One is touching my hair. *The other three froze in place for unbeknownst to all except Yang, hanging from the branches above each them all is a long stick thin arm with five scythe like long claws. One gentle twirling some blond locks on the top of its old blood stained claws.*

[aangussca]

A brief history of printmaking - from Amy Haney’s ‘History and Techniques of Printmaking’ (2015) (17.4.23)

Relief printing

“Was implemented in many cultures for both education and decoration.”

“Relief was developing and progressing along with the evolution and migration of papermaking.”

Techniques: 

“Using carving tools to remove sections of the surface area, artists can create either positive or negative based images or designs.” 

“The sections not meant to hold ink are cut away, and the raised surfaces that are left are inked and printed.”

“Wood engravings and linoleum are printed in a similar fashion, and both fall under the relief definition. Relief prints are made with one or many blocks and can be printed in black and white or color.”

“Literature and education developed because of relief printing.”

“… repetitious and consistent images could be printed for an extensive amount of time.”

“Once the technique was structured and learned, it was used in multiple ways to illustrate and educate through text and image.”

“… accessibility to literature. Stories and knowledge were spread with printed text instead of storytelling.”

“Before books and text, relief prints were used for aesthetic properties.” 

Example: Ajrakh woodblock prints (Pakistan and Western India)

“Brightly printed patterns adorned fabrics, and these colorful textiles were part of daily clothing as well as ritual attire.”

“The word ajrakh is translated to “keep it today” and came from the Arabic word asrakh or indigo…” 

“Ajrakh woodblock prints use patterns of flora and geometrical designs found in Islamic décor and architecture.”

“The concept of interlocking and continual patterning was consistent in fabric printing and dyeing, and was carried over into the progression of printing on paper.”

Example: European woodcut prints during 1337-1453

“These prints started off as fundamental practice and were used for playing cards and religious imagery.”

“Each country in Europe had a different idea of what should be represented on their deck of cards.”

“… prints made in Germany were handbills (flyers) of veneration sold for one cent to pilgrims visiting holy sites or fairs. These images were hung in homes to protect residents from evil.”

“Tarot cards were invented in Italy; their main purpose was didactic and educational motivation.” 

“People viewed the cards as expressions of ancient thought, wisdom, and the esoteric tradition.” 

“Cards were changed and designed to fit any religion or purpose.”

“Card illustrators used images to create allegories, symbolism, and ethical lessons.”

Intaglio (etching, engraving, aquatint, etc.)

“Can be broken down into two categories: engraving and etching.”

“… sits apart from the relief process because of its different printing techniques and visual qualities. Ink is pushed into the lines and textures on the plate instead of resting on its surface.”

“…includes various printing techniques using metal plates made from zinc, copper, or brass.” 

“Drypoint, aquatint, soft ground, and spitbite are just some of the approaches found in the intaglio family.”

“Etching and engraving techniques have been used on decorative pieces such as jewelry and formal documents like maps. Both intaglio approaches reproduce images in a systematic and consistent way.”

History:

“… has gone through many different metamorphoses. Metal engravings began with details on armor and coins.” 

“Carved and casted metal was used for its sturdiness and strength. Artifacts made of metal have been found throughout centuries and cultures.”

“The first examples of engravings can be found in the Paleolithic era.” 

“Designs were cut into ivory, stone, and bone using flint tools made from volcanic rock or obsidian.”

“Engravings were being printed on paper in southern Germany in goldsmith’s workshops during the 1430s.” 

“Copper plates were used because it was easier and softer to carve with a special chisel called a burin.” 

“A burin is a narrow steel rod with a diamond shape, which forms a 45-degree point on the end.”

“Images were printed as needed instead of mass produced. Because the pressure from printing wore down the lines and marks on the plates, designs often needed to be reworked.”

“Pressure was difficult to maintain with uniformity, so the prints were often uneven with pockets of lighter areas.”

“Over time, intaglio developed and became a commonly used art form. It was used to illustrate biblical scenes, landscapes, and portraits.”

“Prints were a way to admire the national monuments, kings or saints.” 

“Printmakers had their own approaches in drawing that were translated to a print process.” 

“The knowledge of printmaking techniques gave their images a uniformity that was otherwise unattainable with painting or drawing.”

“The printing press led to an intellectual awakening. It effected political, economic, social, and philosophical movements. Books changed laws, language, and thought.”

“Hand drawn illustrations were replaced with woodcuts and engravings to ensure the continuity of text and images.”

Screen printing

“Most modern of techniques in printmaking even though it has some of the oldest origins.”

“Documented applications of stenciling developed in China and Japan between 500 and 1000 AD.”

“Stenciling color and pattern onto fabric was a form of decorative embellishment.”

“Because it is used to make posters, maps, advertising, and propaganda, screenprinting dances between fine art and commercial work.”

History:

“Stenciling is prefatory (an introduction) to screenprinting.”

“The caveman stencils were found in the Paleolithic caverns in Spain and France. 

“Stenciled images and text were used in Grecian mosaics and tombs in Egypt.” 

“Fiji islanders would cut stencils from leaves to decorate their clothes.” 

“The Chinese stenciled Buddhist images during 200-600 AD.” 

“It was the Japanese who created the silkscreen concept of weaving hair or silk into stencil sections to keep the image together.”

“Stencils of the 18th and 19th century were used to decorate household furniture and rooms.”

“Fabric, tables, and boxes would have elements of strategically placed designs.” 

“Country living was simple for farmers who could not afford expensive tapestries and wallpaper so stencils were used to add interest and color to their homes.”

“During the late 1800s, both the United States and the United Kingdom were working on silkscreening innovations.”

“Screenprinting, in its rudimentary approach, is a tightly woven mesh fabric stretched around a frame and hinged to a tabletop.” 

“Silk was expensive and hard to come by, so when a stable mesh was developed, it became a more common process.” 

“The idea of a hinged frame wrapped with silk emerged in 1890 and made the printing process easier.” 

“Attached to a wooden or aluminum frame, the mesh is taut enough to pass ink or paint through with a squeegee onto paper or fabric underneath.”

“Screenprinting was used on war equipment while simultaneously as a format to protest to war. Silkscreen prints lend themselves naturally to protest art.”

Techniques: “Printers use stencils or emulsion to protect the image.” 

“There are three types of stencils that may be used: hand cut, painted, and photo stencil.”

“Allowing it to harden and dry, the ink is blocked by the drawn or painted fluid.” 

“This material can also be used to fill unwanted holes or pockets in an image or stencil.”

“Emulsion is essential in many screenprinting techniques.” 

“Emulsion is light sensitive so when exposed, it hardens.” 

“Both the stencil and emulsion techniques need to withstand the printing process and be impenetrable.”

(Not mentioned but printmaking also encompasses monoprints, collagraphs, etc.)

[rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world]

“The US State Department needs to go farther than simply condemning Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for his genocidal language. The US State Department should revoke his visa immediately and deny him entry.

Two days ago mobs of settlers set ablaze and terrorized the Palestinians villages of Huwara, Burin, and Za’atara. Only a week has passed since Israeli occupying forces committed a massacre in Nablus, killing 11 Palestinians and injuring over 100 in broad daylight in a busy market.

And today, the Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich said, “The [Palestinian] village of Huwara should be wiped out... I think that the State of Israel needs to do that - not...private individuals.”

This is a clear, unabashed call for genocide. And it makes clear once again that while they may disagree on the methods, both Israeli politicians and the settlers we saw burning down homes this week agree on the goal.

In just two weeks, Smotrich is traveling to Washington, DC to speak at the Israel Bonds conference and raise money for his genocidal project.

Will you sign our petition demanding the US State Department block Smotrich’s travel to the U.S.?”

Please join me in signing and sharing.

[salaamagain]

an odd day to wake up to...

Yesterday we said goodbye to our Icelandic women, this morning to our Swedish friend.  We have not a great deal to do, olives are finished and the house winds down, much socialising with our local friends... tomorrow I go to Al Khalil and leave this house.

We woke up to news of olive trees being burned by settlers in the fields of Burin where we pick so often, to three Palestinians kidnapped by the army in Jenin, to an invasion by armoured vehicles of the old city of Nablus where a sixteen year old was killed.

And then we hear news of two bombs in Jerusalem set by Palestinians, killing one and injuring nineteen. Little detail as yet: what happened to the bomb setters? is this part of a resurgence of resistance? But the most pressing thing is to find out if Susanne can get through road blocks to Jerusalem this morning (don’t be surprised: this is what Palestinians have to think every time they try to go somewhere - can I get there? is it safe?)

And the horror of the coming retaliation across the West Bank.

Now I go tomorrow to Hebron where I will have horror stories that I need to nerve myself to hear.  Poor battered damned Hebron is the epicentre. 

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Shaw’s Creative Date

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 创意之约, which has not been released in EN! 🍒

This date features S2 Shaw, but contains no spoilers for S2!

[ This date was released on 13 May 2021 ]

Removing the VR headset, I rub my slightly sore eyes. Seeing the familiar modern furniture leaves me in a momentary trance.

MC: I finally cleared it - this game about the ancient times is pretty immersive.

Aside from completing missions, the game also has a rich plot written in a classical literary style. As a “workshop apprentice”, I successfully created a string of wood carved persimmons.

Rotating my aching wrists, it’s as though the sensation of carving products is still lingering on my hands.

MC: It’s a shame that I could only do that in the game...

Just when I’m about to continue grumbling, my phone suddenly rings.

Tapping the answer button, a familiar voice drifts lazily to my ear.

Shaw: Not a sound from you even during the weekend. What are you up to?

MC: I just played an immersive game, and it’s pretty fun.

At the other end of the line, Shaw makes an “oh” sound, then continues asking.

Shaw: Are you planning to stay at home today?

MC: Mm. I finally finished a big program, so I’m pretty comfortable playing games at home.

Hearing my response, Shaw’s tone lifts slightly at the end.

Shaw: It’s just a game. You can play it anytime, can’t you? The weather outside is great. Staying at home is such a waste. Why not take a stroll outside?

My gaze sweeps over the VR headset. While I’m hesitating whether or not to agree, a thought suddenly flashes across my mind, and I have an idea. 

MC: Shaw, why don't you accompany me somewhere?

Shaw pauses for a moment, his subtle breathing drifting over the phone along with the electric currents.

Shaw: Where do you want to go?

MC: I’ll keep it a secret first. You’ll know when you get there. It’s definitely a place you wouldn’t expect.

Shaw chuckles softly, and he seems to stretch.

Shaw: All right. Since you invited me with such magnificent hospitality, I’ll reluctantly keep you company.

-

Soon after, the both of us stand at the entrance of a wood carving studio. Shaw tilts his head, looking me up and down.

Shaw: You sure we’re not at the wrong place?

I nod my head.

MC: How is it? I already said you definitely wouldn’t expect it. 

Shaw arches his brows, a somewhat surprised expression in his eyes.

Shaw: When did you get a new hobby?

Not giving Shaw a direct response, I lift my hand, raising my phone to his face. The picture on the screen features the string of wood carved persimmons I made in the game.

MC: Look at this string of persimmons. I carved it bit by bit in the game. Looks good, doesn’t it? I plan to carve a replica based on this later.

Shaw leans closer to give it a sweeping glance, his expression a little subtle.

Shaw: ...the object in the picture isn’t too bad. But do you like it that much that you must carve a string of persimmons?

MC: Don’t underestimate this small string of persimmons. Slow work yields fine products. The smaller something is, the more patience and carving skills are tested. Also, this is the first wood carving I made in the game. Furthermore, “everything will go according to one’s wishes” is a wonderful message and well-wish. Making it myself will feel very meaningful.

[Note] For the translation of “everything will go according to one’s wishes”, What MC says is “柿柿如意”, which is a pun based on the popular well-wish “事事如意” (“everything will go according to one’s wishes”)

“Persimmon” is 柿 (“shi”). “Everything” is 事事 (“shi shi”)

Shaw: But based on the level of complexity, you can’t make it without having a foundation in carving.

Predicting that Shaw would say this, I make a fist, lifting my head up confidently. 

MC: Don’t underestimate me. I think I’m naturally talented in handwork. If I can make it in the game, I might be able to in reality.

Hearing my “lofty aspirations”, the corners of Shaw’s lips hook upwards, and he elongates the tail of his sentence coolly.

Shaw: Fine, I’ll wait and see. 

-

Probably because it’s the lunch break, only the boss is in the shop.

After telling the boss my purpose in coming, he very quickly prepares the wooden block and burin, then comprehensively explains some matters I should take note of.

[Trivia] A burin (刻刀 - “ke dao”)  is a handheld steel tool used for carving metal or wood

MC: Draw a design first, then trace a copy onto the wooden block, then...

Hearing me mumble to myself, Shaw can’t help but arch his brows.

Shaw: It’s no use simply memorising the steps. You’ve got to get started to get the feel of it. 

...that make sense.

Very soon, I successfully draw a design based on the picture. However, I keep sensing that something’s missing when I look at the picture of the string of persimmons in my hand.

Darting a glance at Shaw, who occasionally looks at the drawing paper in my hand, I turn my body to the side, displaying the drawing paper in front of him.

MC: Shaw, didn’t you brag about being the “best in hand-drawn sketches” in your department? Want to take a look and make adjustments for me?

[Note] For those who are unaware, Shaw is the only graduate student in the archaeological department of Loveland University, so... of course he’s the best in everything LOL

Shaw’s brows arch slightly. Grabbing a pen on the table casually, he starts making amendments quickly.

Shaw: Done.

Unexpectedly, with just a few strokes, the fullness and lushness of the persimmons are outlined, and the entire picture instantly becomes much more vibrant.

Once all the preparatory work is done, the next step is to saw the sides of the wood carving. Placing the wooden block on the machine, I test out suitable positions.

All of a sudden, Shaw presses on my hand.

Shaw: Didn’t the boss mention that it’d be safer to place it a little beyond the peripheral line?

While saying this, he pulls on my wrist, causing the wooden block to shift to the side slightly. After verifying that it’s in the right place, he releases my hand.

Wood carving in real life is much more difficult than I imagined. The more I tell myself to be calm, the more my hands refuse to obey.

I take a deep breath - 

Shaw: Tch, aren’t you going a little too fast?

Right after he finishes speaking, my hand suddenly trembles, and I saw a small hole into the wooden block.

Shaw pauses for a few seconds, then bursts into laughter mercilessly.

He leans over, pointing at the small hole, his eyes gloating over my misfortune.

Shaw: Heh. Did someone take a bite out of the persimmon? It’s actually pretty creative.

Faced with Shaw’s mockery, I pout without saying anything. Then, I mimic his usual tone and glare at him.

MC: Why are you laughing so loudly? My hearing is good, okay.

Shaw casually props himself on the table with his elbows. He turns his head to the side and watches me, eyes filled with interest and a smile.

Perhaps because we’re too close in proximity, I seem to feel his warmth encasing my surroundings.

Smelling the scent of peppermint at the tip of my nose, I subconsciously turn away, muttering softly.

MC: Stop crowding over here... it’s a little warm.

The corners of Shaw’s eyes lift upwards slightly, and he sweeps a gaze over my face. He chuckles, sitting down on the chair behind in a wilful manner.

Not long after, I painstakingly saw the overall outer shape of the wooden block. After that, I start using a chisel to carefully craft the outline and thickness.

Probably because I’m unfamiliar with the techniques, the thickness of both sides of the wood carving are very different despite me putting in a lot of effort into correcting it.

I steal a glance at Shaw who is behind. After some hesitation, I clear my throat.

MC: Erm, could you help me with a little something?

Shaw loosens his shoulders.

Shaw: You want my help?

MC: Since you look like you don't have much to do, why not adjust the thickness of the outline with me?

Shaw doesn’t respond immediately. He folds his arms and leans against the wall, both legs placed casually.

Beneath the sunlight of the scorching afternoon sun, the corners of his lips tilt upwards, revealing a mischievous smile.

Shaw: Someone made a solemn vow earlier that she could do it by herself. So, in order for you to experience this fully, I refuse.

I don’t even spare Shaw half a glance after this, heart sinking as I lower my head in silence, focusing on the wood carving alone.

Perhaps grasping some tricks, my actions are gradually much more proficient than before, despite slow improvement.

The doors to the shop are suddenly pushed open. A parent walks in with a little boy.

The boss greets the new customers. Shaw suddenly lifts his arm and waves, walking over to the boss.

Shaw: Boss, give me a burin too.

Thinking that Shaw was suddenly “pricked by his conscience” and is planning to help, I lift my head to look at him in anticipation.

Unexpectedly, after getting the burin, Shaw picks up the leftover linden wood that I had sawed off earlier.

He stands near the window, lifting his hand leisurely. Against the light, that head of bluish purple hair is even more eye-catching.

Shaw: It’s boring to wait. I’ll try it with you, and give you some competitive motivation.

He reveals a confident smile, his tone not at all humble.

Shaw: I’ll also show you what it means to be “naturally talented”.

Shaw deliberately sits down at a table that’s further away from me.

Seeing that my gaze continues to linger on him, Shaw lifts his eyes, asking teasingly.

Shaw: Why are you staring at me?

MC: ...you already know the answer. Also, you’re pretending to be mysterious. What exactly do you plan to carve?

Shaw: You want to know? All the more reason not to tell you.

With this, he lowers his head, the tip of the pen making rustling sounds. He’s likely drawing a design on the rough paper.

Pursing my lips with a “hmph”, I decide to throw myself into crafting the wood carving.

Just as I strive to painstakingly carve the appearance of the wood carving, the little boy who accompanied his parent here seems to be restless.

He runs around the shop, and finally scuttles to Shaw’s side.

Little Boy: Big Bro, your hair’s really cool!

Shaw releases a “hmph”, paying no attention to the boy. But the little boy is fearless, and continues curiously.

Little Boy: Big Bro, what are you carving?

Unintentionally hearing this, I hurriedly perk up my ears, turning my body towards Shaw secretly.

Shaw glances at the boy from the side, placing the prototype wood carving on the table and leaning it from side to side.

Shaw: Make a guess.

The boy stares at it for a while, then exclaims excitedly.

Little Boy: I see it now - it’s a fish! Big Bro, did I guess correctly?

Shaw doesn’t deny it, revealing an expression which says “you’re pretty knowledgeable”.

Shaw: [aww he sounds so affectionate] Little Imp, your eyesight isn’t bad.

Little Boy: But why do you want to carve a fish?

The boy doesn’t seem to understand, and is also slightly disdainful.

Little Boy: Fishes are so unimpressive. If it were me, I’d carve a big tiger. It’s the king of all creatures, and it’s so impressive!

While the boy speaks, he chuckles in satisfaction.

Shaw laughs, then purses his lips.

Shaw: A wooden carved fish is much more interesting than your big tiger.

The boy has an expression on his face which reads “nonsense”. Shaw casts a sidelong glance at him, scoffing softly.

Shaw: Forget it. You wouldn't understand even if I told you.

Little Boy: Who says I wouldn’t understand? I’ve already learnt many things!

The boy grumbles in dissatisfaction, his arms akimbo, pestering Shaw unflinchingly.

I try my best to control the smile at the corners of my lips, and suddenly have an idea. Clearing my throat, I pretend to be a bystander, inserting myself into the conversation.

MC: What this little boy said is correct. Young man, you can’t look down on others just because you’re older by a few years.

Little Boy: Hmph! That’s right!

My “encouragement” enables the boy to be even less willing to back down, and he purses his small mouth.

Shaw: Oh?

Hearing my response, Shaw lifts his eyes, a mischievous smile curling the corners of his lips upwards.

Shaw: What is it? You also want to know?

MC: Since you started it, it’s only right for you to talk about it more.

Shaw: Since the both of you are pretty eager to learn, I’ll broaden your knowledge.

-

Next to the window, the rays of light are bright. Shaw arches his brows wilfully.

Shaw: To put it simply, this is related to the history of “fish culture”. Since ancient times, fish have represented auspicious signs and well-wishes.

Little Boy: I know about this! Is this how people wish each other “may you have abundance year after year”? I heard my teacher mentioning it before. It’s because “鱼” and “余” are homophonic!

[Note] The well-wish the boy is referring to is “年年有鱼”, which is a pun based on the proper saying “年年有余”

“Fish” is 鱼 (“yu”), while 余 (also “yu”) means abundance

Shaw: In that case, your teacher only told you half of it.

Shaw fiddles with the burin in his hand, spinning it casually.

Shaw: Fishes are an embodiment of luck. Patterns of fish can often be seen on antiques.

MC: What’s the origin of wooden carved fishes then?

Shaw pauses for a second before responding.

Shaw: Over seven thousand years ago, the most ancient wooden carved fishes were in the Hemudu culture. Based on conjectures, they were likely used for praying and well-wishes.

[Trivia] The Hemudu culture was a Neolithic culture spanning from 5500 BC to 3300 BC, located south of the Hangzhou Bay in Jiangnan in Zhejiang, China

Shaw speaks indifferently, but the boy listens at the side, his eyes wide.

Little Boy: Big Bro, you really know a lot! You’re even more incredible than my teacher!

The corners of Shaw’s lips hook upwards with pride.

Shaw: I guess so. Little Imp, remember to read more books and learn properly.

The boy runs away contentedly. My gaze lands on the wooden carving in Shaw’s hand that I can’t see quite clearly yet.

I didn’t expect the wooden carved fish to have the same symbolism as the string of persimmons. I tilt my head, feeling slightly emotional.

Time flows by as the seconds and minutes pass. Before realising it, the sky dims, and the studio lights are bright.

Swinging my hands which have almost lost all physical strength, I release a long sigh.

At the other side of the table, Shaw lifts his chin towards me.

Shaw: Progress isn’t going smoothly? 

Looking at the half-finished product with uneven contours next to my hand, I shake my head a little despondently. 

MC: Looks like I won’t be able to finish it today, and would have to come back next time. Also, the actual wood carving is light-years away from what I expected...

Hearing my soft grumbling at the end, Shaw arches his brows.

Shaw: Just by looking at it, the string of persimmons isn’t easy to make. But you dug this pit yourself, so I’ll wait and watch you fill it up.

Ignoring the teasing tone in his voice, I purse my lips.

MC: I definitely won’t give up. What about you? Are you done with the carving?

Shaw has an expression which reads “of course”, and he nods unhesitatingly.

Shaw: It was done a long time ago.

I’m stunned for a moment, both surprised and curious.

One hand supports Shaw’s cheek lightly. With a stretch of his long arm, the wooden carved fish is brought before my eyes.

This is a bright coloured wood carving of a fish. It has a roundish head and a chubby belly, and looks extremely adorable.

I lift up the wooden fish sculpture with both hands, as though instantly struck by its adorable shape.

Shaw: Excellent workmanship with profound symbolism. Your goal has been overtaken by me.

Behind the table, Shaw arches his brows in satisfaction, casually twisting the burin, his pose utterly flamboyant.

Even though his carving is indeed not bad, the moment I lift my eyes and see Shaw’s insuppressible pride, I can’t help but remain silent.

With the sudden impulse to sing a different tune, I deliberately purse my lips, speaking calmly.

MC: It’s just like this I guess. In terms of exquisiteness, I’d give a passing mark at most.

The smile on Shaw’s lips retracts slightly. While looking at me from the side, he releases a “hmph” from his nose.

Shaw: You have the nerve to criticise me? Why don’t you look at your own standard. Also, this is my exclusive design. It’s much more creative than you making a duplicate from the game.

Hearing the unwillingness to back down hidden in his tone, I can’t help but smile secretly.

Shaw glances at me indifferently. He seems to catch the secret smile on my lips, and an indiscernible light flashes across his eyes.

Shaw: Hey, shouldn’t you return it to me after touching it for half a day? You don’t like it anyway.

MC: Who says-

Almost making a slip of the tongue, I hurriedly change my words.

MC: Actually, on closer inspection, it seems that your carving is pretty okay.

Shaw: Just “okay”?

MC: ...I’ll add one mark for its symbolism and origin then.

Pleased with this, Shaw rolls his shoulders, chuckling softly.

Shaw: You still have some taste.

He crosses his leg over the other, his eyebrows suddenly furrowing. He seems to blurt out what’s in his mind.

Shaw: But the head of this fish seems a little too round... Hm, it’s a little irksome. Looks like I need to make some corrections.

MC: No it isn’t? It looks just right like this!

Afraid that Shaw would snatch it back, I hurriedly fold my hands over the wooden carving, and notice a hint of slyness in his eyes.

He leans closer abruptly, instantly closing the distance between us.

Shaw: Looking at your posture... What is it? Can’t bear to return it?

Specks of bright light reminiscent of daytime dance on Shaw’s bluish purple hair, outlining his expression and making it look even more triumphant.

I blink my eyes.

MC: Since you’re already done, I think I should observe it for a while longer, and have some “luck” rubbed off on me. I might even be able to quickly and successfully finish my wood carving too.

Shaw turns his head, the corners of his lips turning upwards relaxedly. A pondering smile surfaces in his bright eyes.

Shaw: You’ve got taste. If you really like it, it’s not that I can’t give it to you.

My heart stirs, eyes widening as I look at him. But I have the feeling that there should be a second half to his sentence.

Shaw leans back relaxedly, stretching casually.

Shaw: But I need to make up for the costs.

...just as I guessed.

Cradling the wooden carving in my hand, I lift my chin towards Shaw.

MC: Go on, what’s the “fee”?

Shaw lowers his head, pretending to deliberate for a few seconds. Then, he lifts his eyes, meeting mine.

Shaw: When you’re done with your wooden carving...

Shaw: It belongs to me. 

[Note] There are actually two ways one can interpret this line because it’s kept purposefully vague. It’s simply “归我”, which means “belong to me”. This means we can’t be sure if he’s asking for the wooden carving or MC herself :>

Shaw: How is it? Isn’t it very fair?

Light falls on the tips of Shaw’s hair, reflecting a bright and sly smile in his eyes.

Before I can react, he has already stood up.

Shaw: All right, that’s how it’d be.

🐟 Phone call: here

🐟 Support the cafe by dropping by the tip jar!

[uwmspeccoll]

Wood Engraving Wednesday

The great Czech American wood engraver, illustrator, and type and book designer Rudolph Ruzicka (1883-1978) began to do a series of color wood-engraved city scenes in the 1910s: Newark, New York City, Prague, the fountains of Papal Rome. He began his series on Boston and its environs beginning in 1911 as annual New Year’s keepsakes for D. B. Updike’s Merrymount Press, and would continue the series until a year after Updike’s death in 1941. These would be Ruzicka’s last set of multi-color wood engravings before he turned his attention mainly to type and book design.

The selection of Boston-area views shown here are reproductions drawn from the original blocks at the Boston Athenaeum and published in 1975 by David R. Godine as Boston, Distinguished Buildings & Sites Within the City and its Orbit as Engraved on Wood by Rudolph Ruzicka, printed by the Meriden Gravure Company in Meriden, Connecticut. In the introduction, Walter Muir Whitehill, former Director of the Boston Athenaeum, who also wrote commentaries on each plate, offers this epigraph about Ruzicka and his engravings of city scenes:

HE PUT BURIN TO BOXWOOD & PRESERVED CITIES.

Click on the images to view the captions. Our copy of Boston is another gift from our friend Jerry Buff.

View more posts related to Rudolph Ruzicka.

View more posts with wood engravings!

[cma-prints]

Paris under Snow, Auguste Louis Lepère, 1890, Cleveland Museum of Art: Prints

Wood engraving was perfected about 1770 in England by Thomas Bewick (1753-1828). Since the end grain of a hard wood is used, the block can be engraved with a sharp instrument called a burin, making closely set lines possible and producing a great range of textures and tones. The surface of the block is inked and printed so that the engraved lines appear as white areas. The strength of the block meant that numerous impressions could be printed. Wood engraving thus became a principal method for illustrating books and newspapers in the 19th century. Lepère developed an extraordinary mastery of wood engraving, which he used to effectively describe a snowy view of central Paris. The confetti-like snowflakes silhouetted against the dark river, and the overall blurring effect caused by the snowfall in the distance, are a tour de force. Size: Border: 30.2 x 45.4 cm (11 7/8 x 17 7/8 in.) Medium: wood engraving

https://clevelandart.org/art/1947.138

[zhaosenwang5270992]

Week 7 Studio Tutorial – Physical Model Making (foam)

In this week’s tutorial our goal was to make a model of our redesign concept sketch of the Olay moisturizer bottle by using the foam.

For part 1, I chose one concept of the thumbnail sketches and made an orthographic drawing and made some templets.

Then move to part 2, I used a saw to cut a rectangular block of foam for further steps. One thing that really important was it is necessary to keep some extra space of the overall scale when cutting the foam, that could not only provide you some room for error, but also you can use the sandpaper to make your model accurate. Next, I sticked only the bottle’s body template on my foam block by double side tape, and I used ruler to make sure it is centered horizontally and aligned to the bottom edge vertically, then I began to cut.

Actually, it was quite difficult to cut, I used a small burin and sometimes I can’t control it goes vertically when sculpting the basic outline, and the cutting surfaces were not smooth, pieces of foam splashed everywhere. After I finished the outline, I started to polishing edges and faces by sandpaper, make them rounded enough to achieve what I desire and this process took me a long time, but I found that was very interesting to polish the foam because I do see the changes on that, all the faces get smoother, looks pretty good. Finally, I made another cylinder shape foam and glued it on the top of the bottle’s body foam to represent the lid of the bottle.

Overall, this week’s tutorial was quite funny, it practiced our hand craft techniques. I felt very accomplished when I finished my bottle. However, I believed that I breathed in a lot of practices and dusts because I forgot to wear a mask. I will keep that in mind, take precautions next time.

[love-fireflysong]

mayhaps... 40 in ur outlast/until dawn au :] interpret that however u will (mainly askin this cause i wanna read More about it)

(Wait. You, you want to read more about my shitty ass au that’s just like 3 different au’s in a trenchcoat?????? Yeah, yeah, um, okay. I think I can do that! Maybe. Possibly.)

You can pick and choose your own kiss prompt to send in here!

Five months, three weeks, and six days. Five months. Three weeks. And six days. The three of them had last been in the same room together five months, three weeks, and six days ago. One hundred and seventy-six total days, and they had learned to savour every second-long glance they managed in narrow hallways and spotted across courtyards through windows ever since.

Four months, one week, and two days ago marked the day that Josh had heard Ashley’s voice for the first time since they had been forcefully separated. It had been weak—an echo so faint that he was convinced at first that he had just imagined it—but after going nearly forty-eight days unable to talk when they used to never go more then two, the two of them had latched onto it all the same.

Thirteen days later, Chris’s confused and hopeful voice finally joined the two of theirs. Ashley had been so overcome with their combined relief and the overwhelming realization that they could finally at least talk to each other again, that her sobbing had almost gotten them caught right away. Three months, three weeks, and three days ago they were allowed to be together at least like this.

Two months since the day Josh had discovered Chris’s face looking back at him in the reflection of the bathroom mirror, discovering that they could see what the others did as well. The amount of time they all spent staring into mirrors with that revelation probably wasn’t the first hint that the Morphogenic Engine had finally birthed something in them, but it was likely the most damning. They had hoped that the doctors would just assume this to be nothing more then a case of exceptional narcissism, but luck was not on their side (not that it had ever been in this place). It didn’t matter. They were so desperate to even just look at each others faces—tired, worn down, and abused as they all were—that they would accept any consequences that would come from this.

And consequences there were. 

One month and three days ago, after the tests and ‘therapy’ sessions had only become longer and more frequent, the next pathological birthing revealed itself. It seemed that not only were they of one mind and eyes, but now their bodies were connected as well. A wound delivered to one of them would be felt just as terribly by the others with no mark to mar their skin.

The last month had been spent with even more work put into making sure they were kept apart, housing each of them in different areas of the asylum so they would never be allowed catch a glimpse of the others again. Believing that this separation would only exacerbate the trauma of not being allowed to contact each other except through the use of their new ‘gifts’. Well, it certainly exacerbated the discovery that this new connection of theirs meant that they were now connected in more ways then one. The further the distances between them, the less of themselves they became. 

Josh felt unable to speak, his tongue fat and useless in a mouth full of cotton. Chris swearing that he had been submerged and forced to move in a room of syrup, and his hands too shaky to hold onto anything larger then a penny. And Ashley’s poor brain filled with fog and running on novocaine all at once, unable to string words or thoughts together that she had loved oh so much.

Up until two days ago, there had been discussions had between doctors and scientists that more tests might reveal more connections; taste, smell, and true hearing being added to the sensations they all now shared—until they were molded into not three individuals, but a single being that had been slowly stripped away and finally ripped apart into three bloody pieces of the same heart. But decisions were made, and it was agreed upon that the three of them were to be prepped and connected to the Morphogenic Engine together. The three of them had become so intertwined after all, that maybe having all three of them hooked to the Engine at once would cause them not only to share the same lucid dreaming state, but enter the same lateral ascension needed to become host to the Walrider.

The first time the three of them would be together in the same room in five months, three weeks, and six days. And they wouldn’t even be awake for it. 

And a day ago—informed that they should be honoured to have finally reached this important milestone in Project Walrider—all three of them had requested, begged, pleaded that they be allowed to spend even ten minutes together again beforehand. Each of the doctors sent to talk to them had rolled their eyes and simply stated that they were under no positions to be making demands. But, seeing as they had been such good and educational guinea pigs, they would maybe consider it.

They would never know what the final answer would be, because a little over two hours ago good old Billy had reached lateral ascension and everything went to shit.

And now, they had all managed to escape the rooms that had been holding them apart from each other—Ash and Chris from their respective rooms in the Female and Male Wards and Josh from his cell in the Prison Block—and were in the process navigating the maze that Mount Massive Asylum was quickly becoming. And with blood caked between their toes, screams of the dying—patients and staff alike—echoing down every hall and in every room, and the taste of freedom becoming stronger with every step closer they got to each other, they didn’t have time to be doing this. 

They shouldn’t be doing this. Both of them knew that they shouldn’t be doing this. Hell, technically all three of them knew that they shouldn’t be doing this. But well, it had been five months, three weeks, and six days since the three of them had been in the same room. So as Josh had shoved Chris up against the wall in one of the little alcoves in the Male Ward’s basement to make up for all one hundred and seventy-six days apart, everybody else could fuck right off because they needed this.

They could claim this as an personal experiment later, not that Ashley would believe them then, cause she certainly didn’t now. The two of them could sense her exasperation and unsurprised acceptance amid her own want just as clearly as she and Josh could feel the red-hot throbbing of Chris’s still bleeding arm, the long and deep gash burin hot and painful where Trager had caught him with the edge of his bone shears. His hands had been too shaky to firmly grasp the door knob, and his reflexes too slow to try and fully evade the blades in time.

Not that anyone would be able to guess that now. Thankfully, it had seemed that the closer the two of them had gotten, the more their own personal afflictions had faded. Chris couldn’t remember the last time his grip had been so firm as he held Josh as close as he was able, and Josh was dimly amused that the first thing he was doing with his now more mobile tongue was shoving it as far into Chris’s mouth as he could.

The two of them felt like they could have stayed in that alcove for ages, hiding from other Variants who had become so lost and absorbed by the Engine’s touch that they would have been killed without a thought. Slowly becoming reacquainted with a body that had once been as familiar to them as their own, that they had only been allowed to touch and remember in dreams, but they needed to move on.

Need. Move. Please. Miss you. Please.

That was all that was needed. As closer to completion that Chris and Josh were feeling, Ashley was still out there. Alone. And as fogged as ever. From her eyes, they could see the dark shapes of doorways and tossed bedframes as she scrambled through wreckage so frantically and desperately that they could feel the phantom stones and glass digging into the soles of their bare feet. The two of them reluctantly separated, and there was no denying the fact that despite having Josh next to him, Chris’s hands still shook as though going through withdrawals. Not that it would be far from the truth of course, not having Josh or Ashley in his life had definitely been akin to stopping an addiction cold turkey.

“Well, let’s get a move on, hey Cochise?” Despite the ease of the lopsided smile on his face, the voice that came out was raw with disuse and the words felt fat and wrong on his tongue. “Don’t wanna run in to Big Debbie now do we?”

If Chris Walker wanted to kill them like he had everyone else so far—heads ripped off their bodies as easily as popping the top of a dandelion from it’s stem—then he could goddamn wait until they met back up with Ash.

They had been apart for five months, three weeks, and six days. They refused to add on even one more day.

They refused to make it six months.

[chanoyu-to-wa]

Nampō Roku, Book 5 (12):  the Display of Two [Utensils] on the Nagabon.

12) Nagabon futatsu-kazari [長盆二ツ飾]¹.

[The writing reads:  (between the ten- and ji-ita) shita jo-jō (下如常)²; (below the daisu, from the right) nagabon (長盆)³; nagabon ryō-te ni te koko ni tori-orosu (長盆兩手ニテコヽニ取オロス)⁴.]

_________________________

◎ This is the last of the present block of arrangements that were found only in Shibayama Fugen’s teihon [底本].

¹Nagabon futatsu-kazari [長盆二ツ飾].

    The title means “nagabon, with two [utensils] displayed [on it].”

    The “two utensils” are a large [katatsuki] chaire, and a dai-temmoku.

    The title specifies “two,” in contrast to that of another arrangement, which is called nagabon mitsu-kazari [長盆三ツ飾], “nagabon with three [utensils] displayed [on it].”  (In the case of mitsu-kazari, the chashaku is displayed on the tray between the dai-temmoku and the chaire; while it is absent in the case of the futatsu-kazari).

    In the present arrangement, the chashaku* will be brought out on the kae-chawan, together with the chakin and chasen. __________ *Which either was made by the host, or is an “ordinary” piece of no special significance.

²Shita jo-jō [下如常].

    The kaigu on the ji-ita are arranged in the usual manner.

³Nagabon [長盆].

    This refers to what is called (in Book Six) the “ordinary” nagabon (tsune-no-nagabon [常ノ長盆]).  This tray was one of the original six trays discovered by Nōami in the shōgunate's repository, who brought it to Ashikaga Yoshimasa for use on the daisu.

    The original tray was made of guri-guri [グリグリ = 屈輪〰, though there are many other ways that this name has been written using kanji] lacquer*, though with the face of the tray left undecorated.

    The face of the tsune-no-nagabon measured 1-shaku 3-sun by 8-sun 2-bu; and, measured across the rims, 1-shaku 5-sun 2-bu by 1-shaku 4-bu†.

    It is important to mention that, while this arrangement superficially resembles the gokushin arrangement*, it is, in fact, not a gokushin temae.  During the temae the nagabon is oriented so that it primarily supports the dai-temmoku (though sometimes -- as in this case -- the chaire also rests on the right side of the tray)‡.

◎ The reader should always keep in mind that the various large trays came into use during that period in history when the guests were seated on the host’s left, as can be seen in the above sketch of Yoshimasa’s Dōjin-sai shoin (Ⓣ teishu, Ⓗ hantō, Ⓢ shōkyaku, ②,③ the other guests).  Because the utensil mat is always oriented so that a full me is on the side toward the guests, the side of the mat on which the chaire is placed** in the original type of room ends with a fraction of a me.  As a result the host is forced to estimate the placement, rather than simply counting the me (as he can do in a room where the guests are seated on the right), and it is here that the large trays are a big help, since they are much easier to position correctly -- while the chaire is simply placed in the middle of the tray. __________ *This is a variety of carved lacquerware in which alternating coats of red and black lacquer are applied to the object, with, in this case, the final coat having been black.  Then a repeating geometric design (with the individual elements resembling a “Ѡ”) was incised using a mechanical burin.  The face of the tray was left black, and without decoration -- since the incisions would invite the accumulation of dust, which would be difficult to clean.  The photo, below, shows a Ming dynasty guri-guri kōgō.  In addition to the carving on the lid, the reader should notice how the interior of the kōgō is finished, since the face of this tray was handled in a similar manner.  Only the sides of the tray (both inside and out) were carved.

    The name guri-guri is onomatopoeic, and said to be derived from the sound of the rapidly rotating mechanical burin carving the lacquer.  Various kanji combinations have been used over the course of the five or six centuries since this type of lacquerware first appeared in Japan (guri-guri lacquer first appeared during the Ming dynasty in China), though all of them should be understood to be hentai-gana (they are intended to represent the sounds of the name, rather than convey any real meaning).

†In Book Six, from whence the measurements of all of these trays have been taken, there is a discrepancy over the width of the rims.  It can be resolved by carefully studying the arrangements in which this tray was used (with an eye to the kane-associations of the objects arranged on the tray, and the location of the tray itself on the ten-ita or mat), combined with an understanding of the dimensions of the utensils that were being arranged on it.  (More will be said on this in the commentary associated with the entry in Book Six.)

‡In fact, the tray is too wide for it to be placed in front of the mizusashi.

    Were the host to attempt to do so, the chaire would not find its proper place (immediately to the left of the first kane on the right, as defined by the shiki-shi [敷き紙]); and neither would there be could the dai-temmoku (or any other chawan) be associated with the central kane, on the left side of the tray.

**Regardless of the orientation of the room, the furo is always placed on the left side, and the mizusashi on the right side, of the ji-ita of the daisu.  And, during the temae, the chaire is always placed in front of the mizusashi.  So, while the surface of the mat underneath changes (relative to the side of the mat that is closest to where the guests’ seats are located), neither the things placed on the daisu, nor their arrangement on the mat in front of the daisu, changes.  As a result, while it is implied that the sketches represent the way the daisu is arranged in a room where the guests are seated on the host’s right side, in fact nothing will be different (in so far as the sketches are concerned) when they are seated on his left.

⁴Nagabon ryō-te ni te koko ni tori-orosu [長盆兩手ニテコヽニ取オロス].

    “The naga-bon -- using both hands -- is lowered to this place” [which is indicated in the sketch*].

    This kaki-ire is a particularly extreme example of the kind of understatement that frequently plagues Edo period writings on matters that were considered to be “secret.”

    The way in which the various objects are handled prior to the nagabon’s actually being lowered to the mat is as follows:

- the nagabon is moved forward (so that its front edge is in line with the front edge of the ten-ita)†;

- the chaire is picked up, and placed on the ten-ita to the right of the tray;

- the temmoku is lifted off the dai and put in the spot just vacated by the chaire‡;

- the koboshi is lifted off the ji-ita and placed on the mat near the host’s knee;

- the chaire is lowered to the ji-ita, and temporarily placed in the spot just vacated by the koboshi**;

- the nagabon (with the temmoku-dai and temmoku arranged side by side) is lowered to the mat with both hands, and placed with the far rim touching the front edge of the daisu;

- the temmoku is rested to the temmoku-dai, and the tray is moved toward the right to associate the dai-temmoku with the central kane;

- the chaire is placed on the right side of the nagabon;

- the futaoki is picked up and put into the spot it will occupy during the temae††, and then all bow for the sō-rei. __________ *The position that will be occupied by the nagabon during the temae is inaccurate, at least if one attempts to extrapolate the kane from the spots in which they have been indicated beneath the ten-ita of the daisu.

    That said, when the tray is first lowered to the mat, it would be more or less centered on the ji-ita (as shown); but after lifting the temmoku-chawan onto its dai, and adding the chaire, it will be moved toward the right so as to associate the dai-temmoku and chaire with their respective kane, prior to the sō-rei.  (The tray will be moved even farther to the right later, after the tray has been cleaned, so that the chaire will be located immediately to the left of its kane, as explained below in the analysis of the arrangement.)

†The tray is always moved to the front of the ten-ita when the host has to manipulate the objects on it, before it is lowered to the mat.  This rule applies to all trays, not just the tsune-no-nagabon.

    Some people -- and this is especially appropriate for persons of small physical stature -- also move things like the chaire-bon forward first, before lowering them to the mat.  While acceptable when the host’s body makes this necessary, it might be better to refrain from adding this extra step when it is not really necessary.

‡This is according to Kanshū oshō-sama, who explained that lowering the tray with the temmoku resting on the dai is dangerous.

    Shibayama Fugen, who states that his interpretation is speculative (since, his source apparently did not communicate all of the details), imagined something a little different.  While rejecting outright the idea that the tray could be lowered with the dai-temmoku and chaire remaining in situ, he supposed that, after the chaire has been moved off of the tray, the dai-temmoku should be moved to the center of the nagabon. (this idea parallels what we have seen in several of the preceding arrangements where, after the dai-temmoku was moved off of the tray, the chaire was immediately moved to the center of the tray).  Then, when the tray is subsequently lowered to the mat, the temmoku remains resting on its dai in that way.

**Note that what has been written here is only a skeleton of what might actually be done -- since the introduction of (logical) elaborations was what made one person’s temae different from the way his fellows served tea (and all of these approaches were acceptable -- so long as they remained faithful to the skeleton).

    For example, before lowering the chaire to the ji-ita, some people would dust the spot vacated by the koboshi with the habōki -- or, more commonly since the Edo period, a fukusa.  While it would not really be appropriate to use his temae-fukusa for such a purpose, most hosts traditionally prepared several (only one of which was tucked into the obi -- the others being kept in the futokoro, or sometimes the right sleeve), and so the fukusa used for this purpose would ultimately be discarded (into the host’s left sleeve) before it was time to clean the chaire and chashaku.  Some people used this fukusa to also wipe the tsune-no-nagabon at the beginning of the temae before discarding it (and immediately folding the fukusa suspended in the obi to clean the chaire). 

††In Jōō’s version of the daisu-temae, the futaoki is placed in the spot vacated by the koboshi; in Rikyū’s interpretation, the futaoki should be placed on the mat in front of the daisu (in much the same way as it is placed in front of the shiki-ita during an ordinary furo-temae).

——————————————–———-—————————————————

◎  Analysis of the Arrangement.

    The chaire is placed on the central kane, but not as a mine-suri [峰摺り].  The dai-temmoku is displaced from its kane by one-third.  And, as for the orientation of the tray itself, the temmoku-dai and chaire should be distributed equally across the face of the tray*.

    To begin the temae, the host enters from the katte carrying the kae-chawan (in which are arranged the chakin, chasen, and chashaku).  After taking his seat, he begins to lower the chaire and nagabon, as described above (see footnote 4 for the complete, chronological sequence of moves).

    When the futaoki has been moved into the place it will occupy during the temae, the host and guest bow for the sō-rei.  (Note that the chaire is located immediately to the right of the second kane†, while the temmoku overlaps the central kane by one-third; the right rim of the tray is immediately to the left of the right-most kane -- and so 9-me from the right heri.  This is the situation that was represented in the original sketch with the nagabon below the daisu.)

    After the sō-rei, the dai-temmoku is moved off of the tray and stood on the mat to its left (this position is indicated by the circle).

    Next the chaire is moved between the tray and the host’s knees, and its shifuku is removed (and put on the ten-ita, in the left-hand corner above the left-front leg of the daisu).  Then the nagabon is cleaned while lifting the left rim up while the right foot remains in contact with the mat‡.

    After the tray has been cleaned, it is moved a little more to the right, so that its rim is 6-me from the right heri.  Then the chaire is cleaned with the fukusa and placed on the tray (it assumes its usual position, 3-sun 5-bu from the front edge of the daisu, and immediately to the left of the right-most kane -- which is located approximately 5-bu from the place where the sidewall joins the face).

    Finally, the temmoku chawan is lifted onto the tray and its shifuku is removed**.  The dai is positioned so that it is also approximately 5-bu from the place where the left sidewall joins the face, and approximately 1-sun from where the front sidewall joins the face††.

    When cleaning the temmoku-dai (which is done immediately prior to the chasen-tōshi), the dai-temmoku is moved off the tray, and the temmoku-chawan is lowered onto the tray‡‡ while the dai is wiped with the fukusa. 

    However, it is important to understand that the chasen-tōshi, the transfer of the matcha into the chawan, and the blending of the koicha, should all be done with the temmoku resting on the dai.  Rikyū wrote that adherence to this matter is of critical importance***. ___________ *In other words, the distance between the left edge of the face of the tray and the left side of the temmoku-dai, between the chaire and the right edge of the face of the tray, and the space between the chaire and the temmoku-dai, are all equal.  The rim of the tray does not figure into this distribution.

†Because this is not a gokushin-temae, a certain degree of non-comformity is observed, and this is primarily due to the necessity of restricting the dai-temmoku and chaire to the confines of the tsune-no-nagabon.

    The chaire is located within the same panel of the shiki-shi (this is what is most important here), albeit immediately to the side of the opposite kane; and while the dai-temmoku is still overlapping the central kane by one-third, its bulk is located on the opposite side of that kane.  Developing an intuitive understanding of the rules of association will help the reader understand the idea of kane-wari.

‡In the early days, only the smaller trays were cleaned with the host’s fukusa: 

◦ the naka hō-bon [中方盆] (measuring 1-shaku square);

◦ the Gassan nagabon [月山長盆] (which measures 1-shaku 3-sun 2-bu by 9-sun 2-bu);

◦ and the Chōshō Rai-bon [趙昌雷盆] (a round tray measuring 1-shaku 1-sun in diameter);

◦ and, of course, Jōō’s and Rikyū’s chaire-bon.

◎ All of these trays were picked up and rotated while the rim was being wiped.

    The larger trays (that were lowered to the mat during the temae), were originally cleaned with the habōki (which, when not displayed on the ten-ita, was always present on the go-sun-ita, on the side of the daisu closest to the katte).  These trays included:

◦ the naka maru-bon [中丸盆] (which measures 1-shaku 2-sun 3-bu in diameter);

◦ the tsune-no-nagabon [常ノ長盆] (which, measured across the rims, is 1-shaku 5-sun 2-bu by 1-shaku 4-bu) -- this is the tray that is being used during the present temae;

◦ and the dai maru-bon [大丸盆] (which measures 1-shaku 3-sun in diameter).

◎ These trays were held stationary, with the right side of the foot remaining in contact with the mat, while they were cleaned.

    However, at some point prior to the beginning of the Edo period, it became customary to clean these trays with the fukusa as well -- though it remains unclear precisely how Jōō and Rikyū and their associates actually cleaned them when they were using the daisu.

**Originally, the long himo of the temmoku’s shifuku was hung over the corner of the furosaki-byōbu at the side of the mat (contrary to the teachings of many modern schools, the byōbu was opened around the daisu even when there were walls on both sides; and, when the chaire’s shifuku also featured a naga-o [長緖], it, too, was suspended on the byōbu) .  But nowadays the himo is usually coiled up and tucked inside the shfuku, and the shifuku is then folded in half along the center seam (to make it smaller).  It is then placed on top of the chaire’s shifuku (or, some scholars argue, it should be placed on the opposite side of the ten-ita from the chaire’s shifuku).

††The measurements of 5-bu and 1-sun are approximate because they depend on the actual sizes of the chaire and the temmoku-dai -- which are not fixed in the case of this temae because it is not a gokushin-temae.  (Or, to say it the other way, it is not a gokushin-temae because the dimensions of the individual utensils are not defined by the temae.)

    That said, if the right rim of the tray is 6-me from the heri, and the chaire and temmoku-dai are placed 5-bu (or 1-me, if you like) from the place where the sides join the face, the correlation will be close enough to achieve the proper effect.

‡‡The temmoku should theoretically occupy the same place, as if it were still resting on the dai.  That said, since the temmoku rests directly on the tray only for a matter of moments, absolute accuracy is not really critical.

    Nevertheless, when one performs this temae frequently (remember, as was said in a previous post, originally these temae were each created by one early chajin, to accommodate the specific set of utensils that he happened to own, and this, then, was how he or she performed the temae every time they served tea), ones hand and eyes develop a familiarity with where the temmoku is located when resting on the dai, resulting in a sort of muscle memory, and so this object naturally finds its proper place when temporarily lowered from the dai so that the host can clean the dai.

◎ It is only when someone constantly changes between different forms of temae -- precisely the sort of approach that is advocated by the modern schools, unfortunately -- that confusion, and its attending errors, become almost unavoidable.  The original idea was that the chajin amassed a collection consisting of one of each of the necessary utensils, and then arrived at a logical way to make use of them.  And once that temae had become fixed, he did not deviate from it ever again.  Paradoxically, perhaps, it is only when there is no choice, that the mind is truly free.

***Which is not to say that the modern schools necessarily pay any attention to this teaching.

[gwendolynlerman]

French vocabulary

Les outils - tools

l'alésoir (m) - reamer

la boîte à onglets - mitre block

le burin chisel la - lime file

la clef - wrench

la clef à molette - adjustable wrench

la clef anglaise - monkey wrench

le clef à pipe - socket wrench

le clou - nail

la coupe-tube - pipe cutter

le couteau - knife

la douille - socket

l'écrou (m) - nut

les embouts de tournevis (m) - screwdriver bits

le fer à soudre - soldering iron

le foret - drill bit

le foret à metaux - metal bit

le foret à bois plat - flat wood bit

les forets à bois (m) - carpentry bits

le joint - washer

les lunettes de sécurité (f) - safety goggles

le marteau - hammer

le mètre - tapemeasure

le niveau - spirit level

la paille de fer - wire wool

le papier de verre - sandpaper

la perceuse manuelle - hand drill

la pierre à aiguiser - sharpening stone

la pince à dénuder - wire strippers

la pince coupante - wire cutters

la pince universelle - bull-nose pliers

le rabot - plane

le ruban isolant - insulating tape

le scie à chantourner - fretsaw

la scie à dosseret - tenon saw

le scie à métaux - hacksaw

la scie égoïne - handsaw

le tournevis - screwdriver

le tournevis cruciforme - phillips screwdriver

le ventouse - plunger

la vis - screw

[ciathyzareposts]

Missed Classic: Spellbreaker – Romancing the Stone

Written by Joe Pranevich

A few years back, I spent some time studying Shakespeare. I’m not going to claim some amazing insight into the bard, but as I read each play I was always struck by a moment of realization when I saw what he was up to. It’s not fair to compare Infocom with one of the seminal writers of the English language, but most of their games has similarly featured a moment of realization when you discover exactly what kind of game you are playing. For Spellbreaker, I think I hit that point in the last post. Here’s my prediction: we’re going to spend the game visiting largely disconnected regions and solving puzzles. In each area or so, we’ll find a white cube which will propel the narrative forward to another area. I don’t quite see the endgame yet, but some magic will allow us to access the blocked exits in each of the cubes to solve a final puzzle which will end the series. Let’s see how off the mark I am.

Honestly, I’ve already been off the mark once in this game. I expected it to be more of a chase as we constantly nipped at the heels of the orange-smoke assailant, exploring regions and solving puzzles as a means to get closer and closer to him. That hasn’t turned out to be the case, but I suppose there is still plenty of time to catch up to him.

Last week, we ended as I snagged a second white cube off of a hermit who lived on top of an avalanche. I climbed the rockfall by pausing time at just the right moment and scaling the boulders in flight. I magically fixed his hut and was rewarded with the cube. That led me to a “Soft Room” which is where I will start today. Let’s go!

This is a burin. Infocom games are great for the vocab!

Soft Room

Before I get too far into this post, I should talk about the featureless white cubes. One of the side puzzles in this game is that each cube is identical and it will rapidly become difficult to keep track of which ones lead where. This is a tricky puzzle, but also a famous one, and at some point over the last 30+ years I must have learned it and I was reminded of the solution as I was playing. I do try to stay unspoiled, but when your hobby is researching old games it can sometimes be difficult. At the start of the game, we are carrying a “burin” which is used to “inscribe objects with words or runes of magical import”. We’re also told that it can be used to write spell scrolls, which was my first thought for how we might use it. In actuality, we can inscribe a word on each cube to help keep track of which was which. I am going with a Greek alphabet naming scheme with my first two cubes now called “alpha” and “beta”. I’ll come up with something else if I run out of letters.

Unlike “Packed Earth”, the Soft Room has only two exits in the south and east. I try the east first and it is blocked, so there’s just the south.

Ragweed!

Heading out that exit, I am teleported to a meadow with blooming flowers everywhere, including a strange weed which is practically dripping with pollen. There is also a convenient pair of gardening shears in the meadow which I snag. My guess is that I will be able to use this to get past the ogre by causing him a sneezing fit. I can’t just pull the weed out of the ground so I snip it with my new shears and teleport back to the ogre’s cave. If that all seems too easy, it’s because it is. The weed itself bothers the ogre, but not too much, even when I wave it in his face. I cannot “throck” it to make it grow bigger because I’ve already killed it. I restore back and this time discover that I can get the weed out if I pull it multiple times! With that, the ogre still isn’t affected until I realize that I can plant the bush in the dirt in his cave and then “throck” it to make it grow. It’s very convenient that the ogre doesn’t bother to kill me while I play gardener in his house. The plant grows, the ogre is trapped in a never ending cycle of sneezes, and I can explore deeper into its lair.

Of course, this isn’t my first time down here. I was able to explore this far with time frozen last post, but now I am able to pick up the scroll and open the gold box. The scroll is the “espnis” spell, to put something to sleep, and I add it to my spellbook. The box is surprisingly unlocked and contains yet another white cube. I name it “gamma” and that is where I am going next.

Just like this but not in space.

Water Room

The “gamma” cube takes me to the “Water Room”, a bubble underneath some magical ocean. There are exits hidden as curtains of air bubbles to the north, east, and south. I try north first and find myself in an “oubliette”. I have no idea what that means so I look up the definition: “a secret dungeon with an opening only in the ceiling, as in certain old castles”. That seems about right: I’m trapped in a room with water running through a channel in the floor and unclimbable walls on all sides. At the very top, there is a trapdoor, but I see no way to reach it. I eventually have to “blorple” my way back out. East from the water room is the now-expected blocked exit. That only leaves south.

Heading south, I arrive with a splash. I’m in the middle of the ocean. The “gamma” cube has reappeared and is sinking, but since my spell book is now waterlogged I expect that is the least of my worries. Looking around, there’s also a large fish and a floating bottle. I grab for the cube, but the fish swallows the bottle and swims away. I restore and work out a plan to be more prepared next time. To keep my stuff safe, I’ll put the spell book and anything else that might be harmed by the water into the zipper. This also means that I’ll need to memorize any spells that I need before I take the plunge.

On subsequent attempts, I get closer. If you grab the bottle, you’ll always lose the cube and vice versa. I work out that I can feed the fish with the rye bread, but then I have to grab the cube and then the bottle. If you do it in the other order, the cube sinks too quickly. I’m also smart enough to not open the bottle until I “blorple” my way out of there so that I don’t damage the scroll inside. You might also recall that I was using my magical loaf of glowing rye bread as a light source, which I have now replaced with my magic glowing knife. A commenter (Lisa!) last week made a note that I could use “extinguish” to remove the glow and so lighting myself is a safe choice, but I didn’t know this when I was playing this bit and the knife seemed like a safe option. Inside the bottle is “liskon” to shrink a living thing. I memorize it and I think I know already where we need it. I have a date with a very large snake.

Shrinking the Snake

If you recall from last week, one of the obstacles was a large oroborus that is blocking the path north out of the Hall of Stone, the east exit from Packed Earth. I tried a number of ways to get past, but this time I was right: “liskon” causes the snake to shrink and become a regular-sized snake, no longer large enough to swallow its tail and fill up the corridor. That gives me both a passage north and the snake’s passage east-to-west. The fact that I could guess that solution immediately after seeing the “liskon” spell shows either that I have played too many of these games or that the solution was a bit too predictable. I’ll let you decide which. The choice of directions is an illusion because east and west just loop you around. I have to explore north.

In that direction is a temple to some long-forgotten rat god, as well as a large collection of bats. It’s just one room so there’s little opportunity for exploration, but in the center is a large statue of a giant rat. It’s mouth is slightly open, but I cannot see in it from the ground. Fortunately, the statue is easy to climb and before long I find myself staring into its one gigantic opal eye and mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Why did they bother to make the statue’s teeth sharp? On the rat’s tongue is another white cube, but there’s no way to get it yet. The game hints that I could get to it if the mouth was open, but I can think of no way to do that. I try to shrink myself so that I can reach in, but all that I gain by having an arm small enough to fit between the teeth, I lose by having shorter arms. The best option seems to be “malyon”, to animate the statue. I remember that we had to do that with a statue in one of the previous games. Will it work again?

This looks about right. (By “Beyond My Ken” from Wikimedia Commons)

The statue comes to life, just as I expected. It is very hungry and apparently not at all happy being a receptacle for hundreds of years of bat poop. Fortunately, I had the foresight to climb down but even so it finds me quickly enough and smashes me into goo. As long as I don’t do anything to attract its attention, I seem to be find and he turns back into a statue after a few turns. At this point, I try lots of things. I even discover that I can pry out its opal eye, but that doesn’t make it much less dangerous. We can shatter the opal on the ground to get an opal shard, but I’m not sure whether that isn’t a dead end for some puzzle later. I try to cause it to choke on things like my knife by placing it in its mouth before I bring it to life, but that doesn’t help.

Unfortunately, I get stuck here for a while. In between trying new things with the rodent and re-exploring the few rooms that I already discovered but didn’t solve, I eventually enter the “trying random things” phase. I discover that I can use the “espnis” spell to try to put the statue to sleep. Except, while the statue is too large (and made of basalt?) to fall asleep, it does start to yawn. After repeated attempts, I manage to time it so that he turns back to stone right in the middle of an open-mouthed yawn. At that point, I have no difficulty in grabbing the new “delta” cube and teleporting away.

With that, I am going to wrap up for this week. We’ve explored two more cubes and discovered a new spell, but there aren’t that many puzzles that I haven’t solved yet. Offhand, the only puzzle that I am sure about is the oubliette as I have neither a path up to the trap door, nor any idea what I am supposed to do with the flow of water. (Although now that I think about it, is that water connected to the water in the ruins room? I’ll have to check that out in a bit.) With that possible exception, I don’t really feel like I am “exploring” this game so much as going past one linear puzzle to another, one at a time. I want desperately to be able to explore this wide world that we can see glimmers of, but the game is keeping me on a tight and very frustrating track. I’m only a quarter of the way through the game by score so there is plenty of time for things to change significantly. Let’s see what happens next!

Time played: 2 hr 10 min Total time: 6 hr 00 min

Score: 160/600 (26%) Inventory: 4x white cubes (“alpha”, “beta”, “gamma”, and “delta”), gold coin, zipper, smoked fish, magic burin, knife, spell book, pruning shears, gold box, bottle, opal

Spell Book Contains: caskly, throck, blorpie, yomin, rezrov, frotz, gnusto, malyon, jindak, lesoch, espnis, liskon

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/missed-classic-spellbreaker-romancing-the-stone/