Drabble fest!: Hokuto Cup

[troisroyaumes]

It's Friday! As promised, that means it's time for our biweekly team competition.

How It Works

- Leave prompts in the comments. You can request anonymously if you prefer.

- Reply to prompts with any fanwork of your choice. (Fic, art, icons, FSTs, vids, etc.--all are eligible.) You can also answer anonymously if you prefer.

- When you fill a prompt, please specify your chosen team somewhere in the comment. In this round, you can choose to play for Team Japan, Team China or Team Korea.

- Each time you fill a prompt, you win a point for your team.

- (optional, but highly encouraged) Go back to your journals and recruit friends for your teams! Cheer your team on, here and elsewhere! Leave feedback!

- The team that gets the most points wins the competition! Each member of the winning team will receive 20 Dreamwidth Points as a prize.

Rules

- Fics may be of any length. Although we anticipate most people will write drabbles or short fics, if you want to write an epic AU in the comments, feel free.

- Prompts can have multiple fills. Members of the same team can fill the same prompt, and any individual can fill a prompt more than once.

- This round will end on Friday, May 28, 6 PM PST. ETA: Deadline extended to Friday, June 4, 6 PM PST.

Fight-o, everyone!

Comments

[lacygrey.livejournal.com]

Prompt: Ogata & Kurata: Attitude

[lacygrey.livejournal.com]

Prompt: Akari: The taming of Akota (Wig man)

[troisroyaumes]

Suyeong and Yeongha, days as a yeongusaeng (= kenkyuusei, Korean version of insei)

Go Team Korea!

[raikushi]

From the corner of his eye Yongha noted, walking into the Korean Go Institute study room, the dark-haired youth at the corner table. He recognized in passing the diminutive form of Hon Suyong, head bowed over a goban, intensely studying the black and white stones laid before him. But the older kenkyuusei's attention was on his own forthcoming match, and he crossed the room without another glance at the corner.

It was only when he was leaving, five hours later, that Yongha really paid attention. Because Suyong was in the same exact position as when he had arrived, focus entirely on the table before him, the game still on the goban.

Yongha admitted his curiosity and stepped over to see. He stopped next to the table to look down at the board. Seconds passed; neither of the young men moved. Suyong's gaze slid slowly left and right, moves and countermoves passing behind his eyes. Yongha swept over the layout of the stones, deducing the way of the game. After a few minutes, his eyes widened.

"Who played this game?" he asked, breaking the silence.

If Suyong was startled by his presence, he didn't show it. "Myself and Shindou Hikaru," he murmured, still studying the board. "An insei I played in Japan."

"Shindou Hikaru?" said Yongha quietly, committing the name to memory. "That's interesting."

Suyong only looked up when Yongha turned and left, footsteps clicking quietly on the tile floor.

[love]

Prompt: anyone doing anything that isn't related to go (or any board-game).

[esmenet]

Akira does, in fact, have a life outside go. Not that anyone outside his immediate family would believe it -- except Ogata, who has known Akira since ever, and maybe Shindou, who is Shindou -- but sometimes the constant nineteen-by-nineteen grid hovering behind his eyes, potential moves considered and discarded a hundred times a minute, gets just a little tiring. Sometimes he just wants to do something else for a while.

So far, he's burned out on shogi, painting, sketching, bread (if he wanted to wait two hours for something to happen he'd go watch one of Zama's matches), and seventeenth-century European literature. He picks things up, does them near-constantly in between games, then sets them down again when he gets tired, which is often. Sometimes he goes back to one or two (he still makes cookies once or twice a month) but that's rare. Once he's decided on something, it fills him to bursting until he starts seeing it when he closes his eyes, when he sits down at a goban -- and then he has to stop, because he only has room for one all-consuming obsession and he already has it.

Today he's going to learn to play the piano, and he's going to go out for coffee with his sort-of friends, who laugh at him good-naturedly and call him "Akira" like he's just another teenager. Mari-san is going to tease him for getting tired of Italian cooking so quickly.

[dancing_serpent]

Ogata/Ashiwara, just convenient or something more?

Team Korea!

[blue_cage]

Oh Ogata. How come making fsts for you is so easy? D:

David Archuleta - Crush
Where this thing could go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it really just another crush?

Gackt - Vanilla (unplugged) : Ashiwara to Ogata
You're cool like plastic
With hot looks like an ecologist
Those burning kisses are irritating

Usher - Red light : Ogata to Ashiwara
It was supposed to be just a one night
In and out and I'm out the door
But she's got me sittin here, at the red light
Drivin round lookin out for her

The Spill Canvas - Himerus and Eros : Ogata/Ashiwara, pretty much what they are sort of. ^^;
Yes, it's true
You've brainwashed me and now I'm more confused
I still somehow hope I end up with you

Yuya Matsushita - Foolish Foolish : Ashiwara to Ogata, to the end!
so I thought you were the one
I should have listened to my head I should have listened to my head
but the voice inside my heart took hold instead but the voice inside my heart took hold instead

Matchbox 20: You won't be mine : Ogata, about the possibility of Ashiwara/Saeki
Over the lies, you'll be strong
You'll be rich in love and you will carry on
But no - oh no, no you won't be mine

Actually, I wouldn't have started this EP if I hadn't heard Vanilla on my ipod. So yay for Gackt being the inspiration of this?

P.S. I would love to make a Korean kenkyuusei fst except that apparently, in Korea they all sing love songs, so I was like. Awkward making a kenkyuusei fst. So, so very awkward. It doesn't help that most of the artists I know I heard of from Music Bank on KBS. =_=;

[troisroyaumes]

Shirakawa, professionalism.

[troisroyaumes]

Shindou teaching his mother how to play go

Team Japan!

[qem_chibati]

The Safe Path


"Mum!~" Hikaru drawls out in that irritating manner that only teenagers can truly master. "I've told you, and I've told you again, you can't be afraid of invading my territory. Go's not a safe game, you have to be prepared to take some risks!"

Being told to take risks, is not something new - but actually taking those risks seems so frightening. You don't know where Hikaru gets it from. You've always taken the safe path, with the safe decisions, like completing school, working for just a little while, finding a nice dependable husband and raising a son to support you in your old age. Your husband too, takes the safe path and continues to do so, by working long and hard hours and staying in Japan.

But Hikaru always turns that all around, as he shows you in this game - by laying traps the assembled territory you've amounted is lost. He lives such an odd lifestyle - but he's making a solid living with teaching games, and tournament money.

You smile though as he rambles through different strategies and take comfort in the fact that he's still teaching you. He always brushes it off as "well if I can't teach my own mother what chance do I have with some of these punks", - steadfastly ignoring the fact that he would be classified by most as a punk.

But he still thinks your worth teaching - as opposed to your own father who refuses to deal with beginners.

You still worry for him - if there's a depression surely that will affect the people willing to spend money to learn how to play a frivolous game. If there's a better player, then the chances of him winning a tournament are in turn smaller as well. It's not a safe path that he's chosen - but he's happy and you guess that counts.

"Really mum, I don't know what your so worried about - it's not like this game will affect the next, other than with what you learn from it - so you should always try to make the most of the experience!" It contradicts his first point about Go not being a safe game, but you smile and nod and get ready to start anew.

[ariadne_chan]

Akira/Hikaru are preparing for the second Hokuto cup in Akira's home

Team Korea!

[raikushi]

Man I've rewritten this like five times and I'm still completely annoyed with the middle part. But because of the deadline being tomorrow, I'm leaving it as is for now. It might get turned into a longer fic at some point if I can figure out what the heck my muse is trying to make me write out here. Anyway, I hope it is somewhat satisfactory for your prompt! ^_^

***********************************************


In retrospect, the vodka was possibly a bad idea.

"That's a ridiculous move, Shindou!" declared Akira, who decided the stuff in his glass might very well be gasoline judging from the taste, but wasn't going to let Hikaru get away with his declaration that Akira couldn't accomplish anything a normal teenage boy could do.

"YER ridiculous!" snarled Hikaru, who was proud of himself for his perfectly normal young male ability of sneaking alcohol into the house of a friend who really needed to relax once in a while (even though he knew Akira would never have agreed if they didn't have a week left to practice before the tournament).

Akira drained the rest of his small glass just so it would be empty and done with, setting it down with a hard clink beside Hikaru's on the table beside the goban. "I'mma not going to have this discussion with you if you're not serious," he sniffed.

"I'mma?"

Akira turned bright red and gave the goban a frosty glare, as if it were at fault.

Hikaru grinned in triumph as he cleared the board with a sweep of his hand. The move really had been ridiculous; he could tell he wasn't working at full capacity at the moment. But neither was Akira, and Hikaru had a feeling that he could keep it together longer than his straight-laced rival if they kept drinking.

"Ah, Shindou--" Akira started to object, as the dual-toned hair leaned across his vision, Hikaru filling up the bottom of his glass again.

"S'fine!" Hikaru insisted, splashing more into his own glass too. "Night's young!"

Akira was giving the table with its two glasses a dubious look, so Hikaru placed his first black stone on the clean board and announced, "Upper right kosumi."

Pale blue eyes snapped to the goban, brows furrowed. A white stone hit the board with a sharp pachii. Hikaru chuckled and placed his next stone.

~ ~ ~

"FINE then! I'mma GOING to BED!"

"Okaaaay, Touya! You DO that!" Hikaru began to meticulously pick up the black and white stones from their scattered positions on the carpet, placing them in their respective goke one by one with fierce concentration. By the time he finished and stood up, lurching slightly, he wasn't sure exactly where Akira had gone.

Maybe we did drink too much, he thought as he made his way down the hall of Akira's home with that same fierce concentration, watching carefully where he placed his feet. But it wasn't like they had to be up early tomorrow. He didn't see the harm in being a little fuzzy-headed.

Hikaru found Akira's room and pushed open the door, just to make sure his rival hadn't fallen over and collapsed somewhere in the house. For a moment he had an alarming mental image of Akira face-down in the pond in his front yard, but thankfully that was immediately replaced with the actual image beyond Akira's bedroom door as it swung open.

The dark-haired pro raised his head and gave Hikaru a fuzzy glare. "Your futon's not in here," he informed him primly, hiding any confusion on his face with a scornful flat look.

"I know that!" Hikaru snapped. "I wuz making sure you weren't inna pond!"

Akira blinked several times. "The pond?"

"Pfft. Never mind." Hikaru looked around Akira's room. Like the rest of the home, the room was set up in the traditional Japanese style. Unlike Hikaru's own room with its western bed, Akira had pulled his futon out of its storage place and had it half-rolled out on the floor.

Hikaru had been to Akira's house many times before for games of go, and he felt at ease here. Now, with his thoughts wrapped in a warm fluffy blanket thanks to the vodka, he decided Akira's room was as inviting and comfortable as the rest of the place. He decided Akira was comfortable too. The guest room at the other end of the hall suddenly seemed cold and lonely.

"Um, can I... set up my futon in here?" He hadn't planned to say it, but as soon as the words left his mouth he felt like it was a stupendous idea.

Akira looked at his guest with suspicion. "Why?"

"Uh... Cuz yer pretty drunk! I'll make sure you don' sleepwalk and fall inna pond tonight."

Akira snorted. "Ridiculous." Hikaru expected to be subsequently kicked out, but then his rival studied the floor, as if perhaps trying to calculate the space of a futon beside his own. After a moment he muttered a quiet affirmative.

Ha! Thank you, alcohol! Hikaru grinned and hurried out to retrieve his bedding from the guest room, managing to get it back to Akira's room with a minimal of tripping and dragging most of it behind him. Teeth were brushed, lights were turned off, both young males arranged themselves in their respective beds.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea, Hikaru thought, sliding closer to Akira's futon.

~ ~ ~

In the morning, Hikaru's head and stomach were at war to see who could make him feel more sorry for himself. Listening to sounds of illness coming from Akira's bathroom, he thought the vodka was probably a bad idea after all.

[takemyrevolution]

Ogata/Touya/Shindou, this is why we can't have nice things.

[raikushi]

Man I've been poking my muse over and over because I think this prompt is hilarious, but nothing is coming to my mind. If I think of something later, I'll totally write it and let you know. XD

[qem_chibati]

Akari/Akira - rivalry!

Team China!

[lacygrey]

Strangers

There’s no one left here but her. Alone in the science lab, Akari places stone after stone on the goban. Tsutsui has gone to see a friend and Hikaru has followed that Mitani to a Go salon. So, with lines of flasks and bunsens as her only audience, she experiments. First, she makes neat little corrals of each color, like the ones Tsutsui showed her for counting territory. Then, once she’s gotten the goban mapped out in black and white, she tries sliding the stones to change the shapes. She keeps the territory the same though (not like that Mitani), but makes the forms ever more jagged and encroaching, working backwards toward an imaginary game.

Does she only want to play Go to be with Hikaru, she wonders. Or could there be something more to this game, these patterns? How would it feel to actually play someone for real? She’s wondered about asking her friends to join the club, but she knows the reactions she’ll get: “Boring.” “Totally uncool.” “You’ve got to be joking!” Then she thinks about volleyball girl.

“Can you really play go?” she’d asked. In truth, Akari had bee, surprised that there were girls who played Go. But mostly she’d just been jealous: because Hikaru brought the girl to the club, because he’d paid attention to her and not to Akari, and because he did all this because volleyball girl played Go. She stops herself. Doesn’t this mean that she could play Go too? And if that girl had stayed, then perhaps they could even have played together. sAkari knows that’s still impossible because she knows hardly anything about Go yet. She still doesn’t like the idea of losing to that girl though. She’ll have to get better first. Then she’ll go ask volleyball girl for a game.

A steady drip, dripping comes from one of the taps at the sink, but she’s too absorbed to notice. She’s peering at the entwined shapes she’s created when she hears a gasp from behind her. She turns.

‘Tseut-?’ But it’s not Tsutsei. Its that boy from Kaio who was here before. He must be looking for Hikaru again, to play more Go. He’s looking past her, staring at the board, his pale uniform out of place here where she’s so used to seeing traditional black ones.

“Excuse me,” he says dragging his eyes from the goban and looking at her. He murmurs a greeting. This is Touya Akira she remembers. Then he says exactly what she’s expecting:
“Im looking for Shindou Hikaru.”

“I’m sorry, he’s gone to recrute for our club.” She smiles proudly, but Touya’s eyes have already sanpped back to the goban. He approaches it and, with a hand hovering over the stones, starts to trace shapes that aren’t there, as though trying to work out what strategies this pattern had grown from.

“So strange, the formations there…How?” he finishes. Its more of an exclamation than a question. “Is this one of his games?”

“Um, actually…” She looks at his serious expression and feels rather embarrassed. “This isn’t a game that actually happened. I was making it up.”

His face goes drawn in disappointment for an instant, he nods and then, looking back at the goban again smiles weakly and says, “Of course. Its just, I really thought for a moment it could have been...You made this up?” She nods.
“I do that too, sometimes.”

That’s strange she thinks. This boy already plays go, probably better than Hikaru - given how Hikaru reacted on his last visit - but he still makes up games.

“Are you good at Go?” she asks. It feels as if she’s being rude again, like with volleyball girl.

“I used to think I was.” She notices that drawn look again, accentuating his sharp features. “I’ve played Go almost as long as I can remember.” Now she’s puzzled. Why would someone like this challenge Hikaru?

“Why won’t Shindou just play me?” he asks her. “It would be so much simpler.” Much simpler than what, she wonders. She moves to the goban and starts to tidy away her non-game.

“I don’t kno-” she stops herself, thinking of her own situation and says: “Perhaps he wants to get better first.”

Touya shakes his head. “It’s me that needs to get better.” He moves to help her. “Do you know Shindou Hikaru well?”

“I’ve known him almost as long as I remember. He lives in my neighbourhood so we kind of grew up together. There’s not much I don’t know about him, except for the Go of course. I wish I understood more. When they play for a long time I can’t follow or when they talk, I don’t understand the names of the moves.

“I can tell you about Go.” he says suddenly.

“What, you’d teach me?”

“Take black” he affirms, pulling a stool up to the bench where the goban is sitting. She thinks of Hikaru’s attempt to teach her, her utter failure at a simple move and his scathing reaction. Hikaru is not a patient teacher. And even if he were, he and Tsutsui are preparing for the tournament now and don’t really have time to help a beginner. The tournament, she thinks with a start. What would they say if she got help from a boy from Kaio.

“I really do want to get better at Go and I really do want you to help me but...but you can’t tell anyone, okay. You wouldn’t tell Hikaru, would you?”

“Of course not.”

“That’s good.” she says, accepting the goke of battered black stones. “That way I can surprise him!”

[qem_chibati]

Akari->Nase - I wanna be like you!

Team China!

[lacygrey]

There’s a girl in a high school uniform tagging along after Shindou as he crosses the Ki-in foyer; a slim girl with bright eyes and gallons of hair. She’s talking to him but he seems to be more or less ignoring her. Nase wonders who she is, a friend or a fangirl. Whoever she is, she looks head to toe like a model high school pupil. It’s not the uniform itself that does it, as much as way it fits to her to perfection and the way she wears it as though she’s proud of it.

Nase loathes her own high school uniform. She changes it the instant she gets home every night for clothes of her own that make her feel like herself, not like she’s playing some role. And she has never, never, ever worn her uniform to the Ki-in. High school is an obligation, something she’d be glad to get out of the way so as to concentrate on Go. And uniforms? They yell “I conform” and Nase doesn’t. Not that it’s an overt rebellion; its simply by that being a woman who takes Go seriously, she’s made herself unusual.

Looking good in a school uniform is something that Nase thought that was a contradiction in terms. But here’s somone who carries it off. ‘High school girl’ has clearly made an effort, though if it’s for Shindou’s sake it seems to have been wasted. He’s avidly examining the list of names posted for the Meijin preliminary matches, while high school girl is gazing about her with the curiosity of a first time visitor. Nase wonders if Shindou is this impervious to all girls.

This one’s probably just a non-go playing fan of Shindou’s. Looking at the perfectly pressed uniform and neat stockings, Nase pictures the assured future ahead of this girl: toeing the line all though high school, and possibly college, right into a comfortable job. She’ll get an office job or perhaps a job in public relations; she is, after all, very pretty. When Nase thinks to her own future there is only uncertainty. Excitement, exhilaration, yes, but genuine fear in every competition: each with its chance for advancement and its threat of defeat. She knows that Go is not a comfortable job.

She’s about to turn from the scene when the girl’s eyes light on her and she gives a little cry of recognition. She comes running over and greets Nase like she’s someone she knows. “Nase Asumi! Nase Asumi! Wow! I saw you in Go Weekly in the Young Lions, you did so well! All the girls at my go club admire you so much.” She stops, blushing slightly. “Oops. Sorry. I’m Fujisaki Akari, I went to school with Shindou Hikaru. Im in a high school go club now and Im so glad I got to meet you ‘cos were getting ready for the city championships now and knowing there’s girls like you there motivates all of us, and I just wanted to tell you that I wanna be like you!”

[hostilecrayon.livejournal.com]

Akiko - She has her own private Go world, and she shares with her husband - only when he's been good.

Team Japan

[jetsam]

When Kouyou comes home in the evening, when he's not thinking about it, he retreats into his study and Akiko can hear the clack of stones on kaya wood all evening and into the night, a narrow glow of light escaping under the firmly closed door. As the years pass, Akira starts to join him and the door is a firm barrier between her and a world she cannot enter. Such is the life of a professional go player and she has never protested - she knew Kouyou's nature when she married him and would not change him for the world.

That does not mean her smile isn't that little wider when he comes to sit with her on the sofa, Akira curled up with a book in the armchair nearby, as Kouyou puts an arm around her shoulders and they sit very still for a while. Perhaps itt lacks the black-and-white serenity of Kouyou's other life, but she can feel some of the tightness leave his shoulders and knows he loves this game just as much.

[troisroyaumes]

(I'm taking these prompts from the "tag lines" for each character that came with the manga rerelease.)

Suyeong, "the pursuer"

Team Korea!

[ariadne_chan]

Suyeong was in the airplane, and he knows what he wants. He wants to crush the guy.
Nobody will ever believe him if he say the truth, there was a Japanese, who actually can play, and he mess up with him. So he decides to make up his mind and get his pro exam done to challenge him in the nearest opportunity.
He works really hard, he makes his comeback in the study lines and finally he was rewarded with his pro ceremony. He knew the Japanese was a pro too, he keeps inform, he follow his every step... He learns Japanese, if anyone asks he say he wants a hobby, nobody needs to know his real purpose.
He works hard and finally the news arrives. There will be a cup between the Asian Go countries, with pro champions who were under eighteen years old.
Suyeong, will have his way, the opportunity to crush him, so he works and he won, and finally he wins his place in the trio who will go to Japan for the cup.
Suyeong was in the airplane, and he knows what he wants. He wants to crush the guy.
Destiny had a not so pleasant surprise Shindo was away of his reach in the cup, but his team will win, so he works harder, for his country, for his next chance. Korea won, really there could be another outcome?
After the cup Suyeong wonder if he must ask the guy for a match. In the end maybe destiny was in his favour, because Shindo himself ask for a game.
The Game was outstanding; they play against each other with brilliant moves, but Suyeong lost again only for 2 and a half moku. They part ways and promise to fight each other in the next Hokuto cup. Suyeong wasn’t really upset, He knows he must to work harder because 2 and a half moku were only in a hand, and he will make his comeback from it.
Suyeong was in the airplane, and he knows what he wants. He wants to crush the guy, and he will.

note: i couldn't find a beta, but i hope i was ok, if you find too much grammar issues i hope you can pointed out so i can fix them thanks!

[troisroyaumes]

(I'm taking these prompts from the "tag lines" for each character that came with the manga rerelease.)

Ochi, "the little king"

[troisroyaumes]

(I'm taking these prompts from the "tag lines" for each character that came with the manga rerelease.)

Nase, "the challenger"

Team Japan!

[qem_chibati]

There is absolutely nothing that stops a girl from playing Go.

There's no physical strength required other than the endurance of maintaining concentration for a long match. It's not an "un-lady like" game, with long history of women playing and a woman's tournament too.

But stupid dumb boys always act surprised when Nase plays, she finds. So at the grand old age of seven, she always has to challenge someone else into playing her, rather than having them seek her out.

It's an attitude that she carries as she grows older, of challenging better players and seeking to grow stronger.

And now as she sits, challenger to the Meijin title, she smiles. Proud of how far she's come and how far she has grown from a tiny midget that challenged her father to, "Another game Tou-san, another game!".

Also well, as her smile changes to a smirk - next year, it's definitely going to be people challenging her.

[troisroyaumes]

I'm taking these prompts from the "tag lines" for each character that came with the manga rerelease.)

Zhao Shi, "the naturalist"

[qem_chibati]

YANG HAI/WAYA - virtual boyfriends!

[love]

I'm so glad there isn't a quality filter on this drabble contest. *facepalm*



Team China:

At Yang Hai's approach, Waya looked up from his seat on the steps of the Institute. "Oh, it's you. Isumi's upstairs. When did you get here? Why didn't you give him any warning before coming over? He would have met you at the airport."

"I'm not here to see Isumi," Yang Hai said. He raised an eyebrow at Waya, wondering if Waya hadn't guessed. "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yes." Waya didn't elaborate.

"Who might that be?"

"It's none of your business."

It was really very entertaining watching Waya's face turn red. He was so like Le Ping it was uncanny. Yang Hai wondered if they reacted the same way to everything, and decided the only way to find out was to test it empirically. He sat down on the steps next to Waya.

"Do you mind?" Waya said, frowning. "I'm waiting for someone here."

"Not at all," Yang Hai said. He smiled at Waya. "I'm waiting for someone, too."

"Well, could you please go wait for them somewhere else?"

"No--besides, if I left, they wouldn't know it was me. Come now--I travelled all this way to meet someone. Don't make me miss my appointment."

"Argh." Waya looked ready to pop. "Yang Hai-san, please leave me alone."

Yang Hai grinned. "But that would be rude of me, 'Zelda'." The emphasis on Waya's online handle was playful and musical. "'Short black hair, Chinese, likes to play go, loves Japanese idols'... do I need to spell it out to you?"

Waya visibly blinked. "Wait, you know SheSellsSeashells?"

"I do indeed."

"You know-- Wait, she--"

Waya stopped, and Yang Hai waited as he watched the other's face. Oh, how interesting--Le Ping had nothing on Waya's rapidly widening eyes and the look of horror dawning on Waya's face.

"Oh shit," Waya said.

[qem_chibati]

Waya - timetravel

Team Japan! (Fight Fight Fight!)

[hostilecrayon.livejournal.com]

It was a strange feeling. One moment, he was reveling in his winning the third round of the Honinbou league, the next he was in a strange place he didn't recognize. Waya stared openly at the men in robes and the strange hats everyone seemed to wear. He probably looked pretty stupid gaping like he was, but it was kind of hard not to.

A man with long hair so black it was almost purple spotted him and smiled gently, walking towards him as if floating, his strange robes flowing behind him. "Are you lost?"

Waya looked at him, took in his strange surroundings, and found himself saying simply, "Yes."

The soft smile never left the man's face as he led him through the ornate garden. along the way, there was a single goban strategically placed amongst the flowers. Waya wasn't sure what possessed him, but he said, "Could we play a game?"

A look of surprise washed over the man's face, followed by an edge of excitement. "Oh, you play? There's always time for a game."

The man never told him his name, but as the last hand was laid and he felt the world close and open around him, he stared at the win he had stamped for himself hours ago, and whispered, "Sai..."

[jetsam]

Hidaka - ambition

[jetsam]

Ogata - a world on a goban

[issenllo]

He had heard that Shindou brat's description, but he had always sneered inwardly at the idea. The goban was a universe, and the stones were stars? It was the sort of sentimental drivel that overly enthusiastic Go commentators were wont to wax poetic on and Ogata had always prided himself on being more rational than that.

No, to Ogata the goban had always been a place to fight for territory, to conquer and to defeat one's opponent through superior strategy and insight. He could see the beauty of Go, but he believed that beauty was secondary to the satisfaction of a game well played on the goban. It was a playing space, that was all. There were no fanciful structures on a wooden board.

But now - it was as though he was six years old again and was seeing the game of Go again, and this time, he could see how the lines of the goban stretched out in four directions, further than his eyes could follow. He seemed to have shrunk, a small boy just beginning to find his way in a whole new world.

For all around him were towers and walls, some black and others white, abandoned spaces, narrow territories and wide, castles besiged and defences scattered. A world had crashed down around him, and Ogata hadn't even seen it happening until now.

Across the goban, his opponent bowed in response to his admission of defeat.

[raikushi]

Shouji & Oka - rivalry outside of Go

[(Anonymous)]

Kaga => Tsutsui => Kaga : running hot and cold

Teeeeeam Korea

[raikushi]

This one feels like it's the start of a longer fic too...

Haven't really heard the phrase "running hot and cold" before but I googled it and I think I got the jist. I hope this is at least something like what you were looking for! ^_^

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"Yer a loser and you'll always be a loser! Do yerself a favor and jump off a bridge tonight instead a' comin' home!"

"Yeah, yeah! Damn drunk!" A door swung shut and clattered loudly against its frame overhead; footsteps stomped down the metal stairs of the apartment complex. Tsutsui froze like a deer. His startled eyes darted left and right looking for a place to hide, but he couldn't move.

The lanky form of Kaga Tetsuo stopped at the bottom of the stairs, surprised to see the person standing there on the street in front of his apartment building. "Tsutsui?" he grunted, eyes narrowing to hide any shock. "What're you doing here?"

"Um, ah, um...." Tsutsui looked around again for an escape. The uncomfortable moment stretched out as he tried to act like he hadn't heard the loud conversation that had just transpired. "Um, g-good evening, Kaga. I apologize for stopping by without calling ahead. A-are you on your way out...?"

"Whatever, come on," grumbled Kaga, starting to walk away.

Tsutsui hesitated, looked up at the apartment building. Then turned and trotted after Kaga. Awkwardly he tried to get up the nerve to explain why he dropped by, but everything he planned to scold Kaga about just seemed in poor taste now.

"Even you're not usually this quiet," Kaga said, glancing sideways at Tsutsui. "What's up?"

"Um, no, nothing."

The redhead wasn't one to avoid a subject because of awkwardness. "You heard my old man going off?" Tsutsui blushed and found the sidewalk needed close scrutiny, which Kaga took for a 'yes.' "It's no big deal. He's been worse since my mom took off."

"I-I'm sorry," stammered the shorter young male, who couldn't think of anything else to say.

Kaga snickered. Tsutsui frowned sharply. What, did Kaga find the apology or Tsutsui's embarrassment amusing? It wasn't his fault he overheard Kaga's home situation and now he felt bad for the guy! He didn't need to be laughed at!

"I brought you notes," he snapped, digging into his backpack and taking out a slim black notebook. He thrust it at Kaga's chest. "I'd appreciate it if you stop skipping last period, I have better things to do than come over here after cram school and give you copies of my notes."

Kaga took the notebook to keep it from falling to the ground. "No one said you had to," he retorted, tucking it under his arm without looking at it.

"I KNOW you won't ask anyone else for them," Tsutsui shot back. "Exams are coming up. I put a lot of effort into dragging you along behind me in class, so don't put it to waste by not passing."

The taller male didn't have a smart comeback right away, which surprised Tsutsui. He chanced a glance upward and found Kaga's expression was quiet and contemplative. Tsutsui blinked twice behind his heavy lenses, wondering what an expression like that on Kaga's face meant.

The moment didn't last of course. "Heh, we'll see," chuckled the redhead, reaching up and ruffling Tsutsui's hair. "Maybe I'll come over to your place, you can tutor me." When he grinned like that it always reminded Tsutsui of a shark.

Tsutsui coughed. He wasn't about to let his old schoolmate walk all over him now. "Maybe. If you ask me nicely."

Kaga laughed loudly, and the two boys continued on down the sidewalk in the dark, leaving the apartment behind them. Tsutsui thought to ask where exactly they were going but then decided it didn't really matter. He'd find out soon enough.

[raikushi]

Prompt: Mitani vs. Touya - Fighting over Hikaru! XD