Adjustment Period

[der meister 3,246]

               What a difference a week makes. The last article I submitted in this ongoing expose of the career of defenseman Ryuji Sakamoto was to speculate on the possibility of next season being Sakamoto's last with the Toronto Legion. Before the piece even hit the press, however, Sakamoto was formally traded to the Seattle Bears, in a move that the young defender did not see coming.

 

               "Wait, for real!?" Sakamoto exclaimed upon receiving a phone call from Bears General Manager Blake Campbell. "I didn't even know Toronto was shopping me around!"

 

               Things in Toronto took a rather sudden and dramatic turn following the resignation of Legion General Manager Thomas Landry, an incident I've alluded to in recent articles. For Sakamoto's part, I could tell that something was amiss off ice, but it was unclear to both of us what was causing it. To paraphrase, it was as if millions of Legion fans screamed out at once and were suddenly silenced. With the benefit of hindsight, it is now clear that the proverbial rubble we were encountering leading up to the trade was, in fact, the byproduct of Landry's departure.

 

               Sakamoto's townhouse in Toronto is on the market. A few of his new teammates in Seattle offered to let him board with them while he settled into his new city, but Sakamoto politely refused, instead choosing to rent a small apartment in Redmond. As a longtime fan of the Shadowrun franchise, I was initially hesitant at the idea of living in Redmond – a destitute warren of boarded up windows and rundown shops known as the Redmond Barrens in the Shadowrun universe – but the Seattle suburb has proven to be rather accommodating, despite the general hustle and bustle of the shopping district. As a new arrival, Sakamoto is largely able to travel the streets of Redmond without hassle, something that I believe he finds secretly refreshing.

 

               On the ice with Seattle, Sakamoto is still struggling to adjust, however. His offensive production is down from where it was with the Legion, with the blueliner posting almost identical numbers at this point, but taking 9 additional games to reach said numbers. He has also taken a significantly higher number of penalties, likely a byproduct of the emotional and physical upheaval of the transfer. Still, Sakamoto is optimistic about joining the Bears, a team four spots higher in the standings than the Legion, good enough for third in the Conference. While making the playoffs is no guarantee for the Bears, Sakamoto certainly has a much better shot now than he did last week.

 

               There are more questions than there are answers at this point for myself, and for Ryuji Sakamoto. I had predicted this to be something of a breakout season for him, but so far that doesn't appear to be the case. He's productive, but in more of a journeyman way than I had anticipated. Will a time come where he settles into his role with the Bears and takes that next step forward? There are no guarantees in life, but I believe that time will come. For now, though, it's wait and see.

 

Literally the first image that came up when I searched "Redmond Apartments"

[Banackock 8,139]

SAKA SAKA SAKA BEAAAAAR

[der meister 3,246]

@Daniel Janser

[Daniel Janser 2,216]

19 minutes ago, der meister said:

@Daniel Janser

I just know that Seattle in the Shadowrun Universe has some dodgy neighbourhood called the Redmond Barrens. That is why I immediately made the connection when I read your other article.

Redmond | Shadowrun Wiki | Fandom

Edited December 16, 2022 by Daniel Janser

[der meister 3,246]

@Daniel Janser It's 100% why I chose Ryuji to live in Redmond and why the author in the article is nervous about it before seeing it in person

[Daniel Janser 2,216]

2 minutes ago, der meister said:

@Daniel Janser It's 100% why I chose Ryuji to live in Redmond and why the author in the article is nervous about it before seeing it in person

yeah only read this piece now, mea culpa. I once created a Orc-biker in Seattle with a Navajo background