driftfleet | Tea Ceremony

Entry tags:

Tea Ceremony

Who: Kogarasumaru and you!
Broadcast: Yes
Action: The Dojo on the Iskaulit
When: 8/2

Broadcast

[The pretty sword appears on the screen with a smile on his ever polished face. Politely, he bows his head before speaking.]

Greetings. I would like to host a tea ceremony for those interested in attending. If you do then I will be holding these ceremonies in my dojo on the Iskaulit. There is no requirement for dress code aside from the removal of your shoes when you enter.

[Lowering himself down, he bows where he is kneeling, hands brushing the floor.]

I look forward to seeing those of you who are interested.

The Dojo

[For those who are interested in coming, the dojo looks the same on arrival. The same traditional Japanese setup. In the center of the room Kogarasumaru can be found kneeling, bowing politely to the ones who enter before rising to his feet.]

Please come in. I will get you a cushion to sit on.

[He is not going to expect anyone to kneel like he will. It can be terribly uncomfortable for most.]

Have you ever attended a Japanese tea ceremony before?

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[He appreciated that Kogarasumaru was showing him honestly about the culture. It had bothered him how easily the Galran military swept through entire systems and disrupted the cultures of those they conquered. Those who agreed to support them were left better in tact, but still that meant nothing to the wrong commander.

While he couldn't necessarily do anything to help that, especially given his state back home, he could at least appreciate the opportunity to learn when it came up.

Funny though. Kogarasumaru doesn't know the Galra determination. Discomfort was nothing they'd frown at so when Kogarasumaru indicates where he will be "sitting" and kneels, he kneels as well, copying the position]

It is common where you are from to kneel like this?

I would say it is traditional more than common. Particularly in ceremonies like this one.

[Leaning forward, he rests a piece of cloth before him, folded so perfectly and beautifully clean.]

This will be for later.

[Kogarasumaru then moves to where he has the rest of his supplies neatly laid out.]

The nature of this ceremony is to appreciate the craftsmanship of not only the tea but the efforts one puts into presenting it. It is considered an honor to present as well as to be served.

[As he speaks, he gracefully begins to clean the tools he will be using.]

I see.

[He watched intently and with curiosity as Kogarasumaru put that cloth down and began to gather the supplies, making note of each one. He couldn't be faulted at least for not paying attention to the ceremony]

I'm honored you would show me.

The honor is one bestowed on me.

[He smiles at him then continues.]

Now the tea can be prepared. This is matcha. It is a powder of concentrated flavor of green tea. Small portions of this powder are put into the bowl then whisked to create the tea.

[And he demonstrates, tilting the bowl slightly so that Ulaz can see the green of the tea he is creating.]

[At that statement, the faintest of smiles crossed Ulaz's face. He's come to appreciate hearing that he was wanted around. He had spent more time than he cared to remember isolated either physically or emotionally from others. He'd been here such a short time and still...

He leaned forward a little more to watch what Kogarasumaru was doing. It was all so fascinating]

It certainly is green.

[So yes... green tea]

Matcha is the only tea used for this?

It is a flavor that is strong and allows one better appreciation of the tea.

[He adds more water to the paste before whisking again. When he is finished, he sets the tool down and presents the bowl to Ulaz.]

Lift the bowl and admire the craftsmanship of it without spilling the tea.

[Ulaz continues to watch Kogarasumaru work. He was by no means a tea aficionado so he will trust his word that matcha is the best tea for this. Not like he would attempt something like this anyway, but it was fascinating to watch.

He's noticing how much appreciating small things is valid. Starting the ceremony from even before the tools were placed (chosen, yes) and now admiring the tea. When the bowl is presented to him, Ulaz takes it, bring it closer to his face examining the tea. It had a nice color and seemed to be perfectly whisked as far as he could tell.

After looking at it for a few long moments before lowering the bowl]

And now?

Rotate the bowl like this...

[He demonstrates the motion with his hands so Ulaz can see how it is done.]

Then have a sip of the tea. When you are done, use the cloth to wipe where your lips touched. Were there more guests you would pass the bowl. As it is, you will hand it back to me instead.

[Ulaz watched the demonstration then did as he had been instructed, rotating the bowl before bringing the bowl to his lips and taking a sip, noting the flavors - vaguely sweet with what he would consider an earthy tone - before picking up the cloth and wiping the rim. With that, he handed it back to Kogarasumaru]

The tea is often too strong for those not used to it.

[Taking the bowl, he proceeds to start cleaning it and the tools he used.]

But now you witness the cleaning of that which was used for the ceremony. When I have finished, you will come to inspect them.

[And he waves to them when the time comes so that Ulaz knows he can come forward.]

It is rather strong, but not too much in my opinion.

[Galra may have had slightly different tastes then humans and swords or it just didn't bother him. Either way.

Ulaz watched as he cleaned the different instruments that had been used. So detailed even down to the washing of the tools. The artistry might have been lost on others, but that detail would have been appreciated by other members of the Blades.

At the invitation to inspect them, he leans forward more to look at them before sitting back and nodding]

[Putting everything back, he turns back to Ulaz again.]

At this point we bow to each other and you would part ways. The ceremony would be complete. However, if you wish to linger and ask any questions I would be happy to answer them.

[He rests a hand over his chest with a smile.]

A father should be one to educate others about traditions, after all.

[Ulaz gave a nod in response to the explanation that it was over, but he definitely did have questions about this so it was good to be able to stay and ask]

Are there any specific instances one would hold a tea ceremony like this?

It is something of a performance art in this age. People can go to tea houses to attend these ceremonies. Some are more complex than others. I did only the basic since I currently do not have access to the snacks one would serve. So, in short, one would hold this ceremony to offer the opportunity of appreciation to those who wish to partake.

[Ulaz gave a slight nod to show that he understood]

Does it take long to learn everything that must be performed with this ceremony?

I would say it does not take long to learn. However, to master it takes time. It is like a dance or the use of a sword. One can learn to do so in a single day but one will not master it in that time.

Of course. I would assume that it takes time to perfect it. It is very impressive. I'm sure at some point in our history, ceremonies like this were appreciated, but currently I don't think most of my kind would.

Artistry is very important in your culture, correct?

I would say perhaps more elegance and aesthetic actually.

[He makes small motions with his hand as if he's dancing though he's clearly staying in one place.]

There is a beauty in simplicity and that is what we have come to master.

Those are better words.

[There must have been something similar in the lives the Galra back before Zarkon had become the leader who had changed the universe's fate. But it was something that was so alien to him now that it fascinated him greatly. The fact that here he was able to learn about another race's culture made it even better]

I don't believe we had that thought of simplicity before, but I find that I like it.

One can forget that there is complexity to be found in the simplistic so one often forgets to appreciate it.

[Reaching up, he pulls a feather from his hair, resting it in the palm of his hand.]

When we see this, we see a feather. A simple thing that was once a part of a bird. However when you run your fingers along the edge, you find smaller parts like hair that weave together to help birds to take flight and to even stay warm or cool. A simple thing but so complicated at the same time.

[Ulaz leaned forward to look at the feather as Kogarasumaru pulled it from his hair and held it in his hand. He studied it the best that he could from a distance. After a moment, he nodded in understanding]

I can understand that. Much the same way living creatures are kept alive by the efforts of their bodies. It's easy to forget how much work is being done every tick.

Precisely.

[Bringing the feather back to his hair, he slides it back into place.]

Something that is simple like a cup of tea required effort to create it as you taste it now. The aesthetic is the admiration of all these things.

I believe I understand it a bit more with that description. It is an appreciation of the time that it has taken for the other master the skill. An exhibition of sort.

[He nods.]

We can honor our heritage this way. Remember a time when we did not have the conveniences we do now to speed through everything. It is an art but it is still very much a ceremony to honor the craft.

It makes me wish that more of our culture had been better preserved. Things rapidly declined when Zarkon changed. Many things have been lost to younger generations of Galra. Some don't care or are too busy with other things.

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