Descending Stories

In this short scene, we learn that Kiku is in dire straits. He has no money, no clothes, no food, and no friends. He's been working as a boat keeper for a while, and he doesn't have a lot of friends. Kiku tells us that he's going to have to get his act together and find a way to make a living. He asks for a drink, but no one is going to give him one. He tells us he'll have to find another way to earn a living, and that's not going to be easy. He also tells us about his new name, which sounds a lot like the name of a famous rakugo poet . He says that he can't get along with women who don't like him, because they're going to walk out of his house because he looks "shabby" . That's just not true, he tells us. We're not sure what he means, but we're guessing it's a reference to the fact that he has a new name. We also learn that he bought a new kimono for himself, but it'll take a long time to get used to it. He adds that he won't be able to find a woman who likes him because she'll be wearing the same clothes as he does. We learn that the sea was the first snow on the ocean, and Kiku and his friends were at the bottom of the sea at that time. They're happy to see him, and they thank him for his kind words. They also tell him that the great masters of the meiji period were still alive, like gods among them . They talk about how Kiku's sleeping on the boat all the time, and how he always talks about the money, even in his sleep. They all agree that this is a bad idea, because the crew is off for the winter, so Kiku has no cash. He offers to give Kiku a tip for his trouble, but Kiku says he'd rather kill him first. He then tells Kiku that he saved his own life by sleeping with Kiku, and thanks him for the tip. But Kiku doesn'