[wonton]
by trixie_chick
Extremity
They learned to play go together, from their uncle. They were on vacation near the sea, and their parents had rented a house for the summer. Their uncle joined them for a week, and when they complained about being bored, he found a goban, and showed them how to play. His brother stopped playing once they got home, but Heihachi kept it up, and got really good at it. Meanwhile, his brother got into a series of ghost stories, and became obsessed with the spirit world.
Years after Heihachi had to give up his dreams of professional go, though, he went to his brother's for dinner, and found a goban displayed proudly in his brother's living room. His brother's tale of a tall-hatted ghost was a bit disappointing, as he'd begun to hope that they could, once again, play together, just like that one summer. However, it seemed that he was wrong to give up. The stories about seeing the ghost all took place during games, so his brother was quite anxious to play.
Once a week, every week, right until his brother's unexpected death, they played. There was no ghost - of course - but there were arguments, jokes, drinks, and go. His brother was not a great player, but he was Heihachi's first opponent. Maybe there was something special about that first person you played. Maybe it was just being close to his brother again.
His brother's wife gave him the goban, and he was glad to have it, but he found it unbearable to look at it. It wasn't just about go. That much was clear. One morning, it was no longer in the sitting room, and when he asked, his wife just shook her head and told him, Of course, I put it away. You were just torturing yourself with that thing, anyway. Which was true. Yes. But.
It didn't matter. His brother was gone.
The night after his grandson asked if he could have the goban, his wife was giving him looks as they were going to bed. He tried to ignore it, but when he said goodnight, she burst out, You'll never touch it again. Shouldn't... shouldn't it be with someone who could appreciate it? I know you're proud of him. He's going to live your dream, right? That was true, of course. He was terribly proud of that cocky little brat. Still.
That goban, and that silly ghost story, were the intersection at which he and his brother could meet.
Extremity
They learned to play go together, from their uncle. They were on vacation near the sea, and their parents had rented a house for the summer. Their uncle joined them for a week, and when they complained about being bored, he found a goban, and showed them how to play. His brother stopped playing once they got home, but Heihachi kept it up, and got really good at it. Meanwhile, his brother got into a series of ghost stories, and became obsessed with the spirit world.
Years after Heihachi had to give up his dreams of professional go, though, he went to his brother's for dinner, and found a goban displayed proudly in his brother's living room. His brother's tale of a tall-hatted ghost was a bit disappointing, as he'd begun to hope that they could, once again, play together, just like that one summer. However, it seemed that he was wrong to give up. The stories about seeing the ghost all took place during games, so his brother was quite anxious to play.
Once a week, every week, right until his brother's unexpected death, they played. There was no ghost - of course - but there were arguments, jokes, drinks, and go. His brother was not a great player, but he was Heihachi's first opponent. Maybe there was something special about that first person you played. Maybe it was just being close to his brother again.
His brother's wife gave him the goban, and he was glad to have it, but he found it unbearable to look at it. It wasn't just about go. That much was clear. One morning, it was no longer in the sitting room, and when he asked, his wife just shook her head and told him, Of course, I put it away. You were just torturing yourself with that thing, anyway. Which was true. Yes. But.
It didn't matter. His brother was gone.
The night after his grandson asked if he could have the goban, his wife was giving him looks as they were going to bed. He tried to ignore it, but when he said goodnight, she burst out, You'll never touch it again. Shouldn't... shouldn't it be with someone who could appreciate it? I know you're proud of him. He's going to live your dream, right? That was true, of course. He was terribly proud of that cocky little brat. Still.
That goban, and that silly ghost story, were the intersection at which he and his brother could meet.