Subject: [FFML] Re: [oneshot][Hikago] Illumination
From: "DB Sommer" <sommer@3rdm.net>
Date: 8/2/2004, 10:10 AM
To: "Aishuu Shadowweaver" <mbsilvana@yahoo.com>
CC: <ffml@anifics.com>


Back from Otakon, and boy, am I exhausted. Damn it was fun. Anyhow, here's
some stuff I managed to do before it started,

Wee. HnG. Can't wait to see Hikaru and Guu in action. :)


When Shindou Hikaru passed me by, I knew it was time
to quit.

Hmm. Sounds like  one of the  Go school guys that didn't make the cut.


>From the beginning, I was better than my father had
ever been. I was strong, strong enough to win the
Young Meijin Tournament at nine,

Not coming back to me, but it has been a while.

Becoming an insei was a natural step. I could see the
road before me; I would spend a few years honing my
skills, then past

pass


Nase knew how to laugh, and while she was as serious
as I was while playing, she had the ability to live
outside of Go, something I has never had learned how
to do. She was a teenager and knew how to enjoy life,
and I was a geek. Being around her made me nervous,
but I camouflaged this by discussing the one thing we
had in common: Go. But Go was the central focus in our
lives, so that was okay. We would laugh, and she would
listen to me. It was nice to have the attention of a
pretty girl.

Hmm. The one with the glasses? I remember him not making the cut and not
returning the next year.

willing to support each other, because he led us.
The only one who didn't like Isumi was Mashiba.
Mashiba was hard to like,

That was because he was an asshole, and wanted to be one.


"You know, some people seem to always be coming in
first, though. Isn't it a bit unfair?"

Yeah, there's that whole 'he's better than me' thing. They should just stop
keeping track of the score and play. That way everyone's a winner.

What's amusing is, some people really feel that way about competitions and
such.


We both made it to the Young Lion Tournament, but it
did me little good, because I managed to get knocked
out in the first round to a low-level player who I
knew most people considered mediocre. I knew I
shouldn't have been bothered, but of course I was. It
was my nature to be bothered by things.

Sure he should have. If he couldn't beat a wuss, he'll never make the real
cut.


Classes continued, and my ranking remained about the
same. My game was getting better, but so was
everyone's . The person who was rising was Shindou,
and he rose with a speed, which while not unheard of,
was certainly worth remarking on. There was something
about him, something that made people step back and
pay attention to him.

It's the ghost man, the ghost. :)

The game wasn't masterful, but it was good. Maybe I
can take some pride in the fact that I was his first
stepping stone on the road to the pros. I had been
wrong, to dismiss Nase's question if Shindou was a
genius.

Shindou was a genius - and I was honored to be allowed
to play him.

Though it didn't feel like it, then.

Yeah, I remember his reactions back then. :)


I returned his bow. "I will," I promised. "It's been
an honor to have you for a teacher."

He gave me one of those smiles which I had learned to
expect from him over the years, the one he shared when
he was about to say something profound. "It's been an
honor having you as a student, Iijima-kun. Just
remember, nothing we do in this life is ever wasted.
There is always a reason behind every move that is
played, and though we may not see the pattern that is
evolving now, there is one."

Heh. I rather think it's largely random, since there are some many infinte
possiblities. But  something has to happen so it does, but it's only a
pattern in hindsight, rather than a collection of chaos given the illusion
of order.


I told her in February and her response made me angry.
She blew it off, and mentioned that she might quit
herself - like all the years we put in had meant
nothing.

More like hiding her insecurities. She sure seemed enthused when she ousted
Honda from the test.



The crowd, whose eyes swung around at the sound of the
bell on the door, seemed to perk up at the sight of
Nase. "Look, cutie's back!" one of them said happily.
"Ieyesu, go get her a soda... Tomakazu, get out of
that chair so she can sit there!" said the biggest
one, who looked like he'd spent more than his fair
share of time in fistfights.

Heh. Not the sort of place I would expect her to hang out .


"You... want to see me, after I'm gone?"

Her fingers laced through mine, and but she didn't
look at my face as she spoke. "I can't imagine my life
without you."

Heh. They didn't seem that close to me, especially since she didn't mention
seeing him to the others, but oh well



The smoke from his cigar, a intoxicating

an

would be covering. "Do as you like," I said brusquely.

He wasn't offended. "Did you know that Shinoda and I
were insei together?" he asked.

"No, sir." I hadn't realized that Amano had ever been
an insei at all.

Heh. He probably he thought Amanon was born a teacher. :)

"Have you ever considered a career in journalism?"

Heh. Becoming a hack journalist? That's almost as bad as becoming a
politician or lawyer.

Nice introspective piece on one of the more blank slates in the series. And
a very interesting story you did with him. I enjoyed it much.

DB Sommer





             .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'