Tea Bowls for Rikyu

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Tea Bowls for Rikyu was a virtual representation of one of Fujibayashi Naoe's and Yasuke's genetic memories, relived through the Animus EGO.

Description

Naoe meets tea master Sen no Rikyū after their previous meeting in Sakai.

Dialogue

While in northern Kyoto west of the Imperial Palace, Naoe met the tea master Sen no Rikyū in a residence.

• Sen no Rikyu: Ah, a familiar face.

Naoe approached him.

• Sen no Rikyu: Ah! A pleasure to see you again, my child.

The two bowed to one another as greeting.

• Naoe: I remembered your lesson, Master Rikyu.
• Sen no Rikyu: Yes. We meet as equals. As we are all equal under heaven.
• Naoe: I owe you a proper introduction. My name is Naoe. What brings you to Kyoto?
• Sen no Rikyu: I am advising a friend who is building a tea house. It has turned out to be a larger undertaking than first assumed. But the potential for wabi in this space is particularly enticing to me.
• Naoe: Wabi? The... poverty of the space?
• Sen no Rikyu: Yes. Humility, simplicity. Almost unfinished. Do you see?
• Naoe: I do see a very humble and simple space before me.
• Sen no Rikyu: Well, perhaps a touch too unfinmished, at any rate.
• Naoe: Your knowledge of tea surely extends to teahouses.
• Sen no Rikyu: Hm. Tell me. Did Sokyu appreciate the gift of the Shutoku ladle?
• Naoe: When he heard it came from you, he promised to repay you for your act of generosity.
• Sen no Rikyu: Is that so.
• Naoe: You were very kind to help me, Master Rikyu.
• Sen no Rikyu: Then I have a favor to ask in return. A teahouse is not complete without tea bowls. Would you find me some on your travels?
• Naoe: I found this tea bowl. It is simple bur clearly has an identity.
• Sen no Rikyu: May I see it?

Naoe took out the tea bowl she acquired after killing Yaita Wakasa.

• Sen no Rikyu: If I didn't know any better, I would have thought this came straight from the collection of my teacher, Takeno Joo!
• Naoe: I'm glad you like it.

After putting the bowl away, Rikyu returned to speak to Naoe.

• Sen no Rikyu: The other day I came across a beautiful bowl. Repaired in the kintsugi fashion.
• Naoe: I know kintsugi. My father's tsuchibue was repaired this way.
• Sen no Rikyu: So you know the damage is not treated as something to conceal, but rather as part of an object's story.
• Naoe: The imperfection makes it even more beautiful. It has a past.
• Sen no Rikyu: And becomes all the more profound. Have you anything more for me to look at?
• Naoe: Not at the moment.
• Sen no Rikyu: Come back when you have found any that will intrigue me. Think simple and refined. That is what I seek.

Outcome

Naoe recovered bowls for Sen no Rikyu for his friend's teahouse.