Bonus Round 1: AUs

[referees]

SASO 2017 is over, but this round is perpetually open to new fills (no new prompts).


This popular round is back once again! To begin this year's SASO, we encourage you to let your mind run wild with alternate ideas and settings.


Please read this whole post before commenting to ensure that your team gets the most points possible. (There are changes from last year!)

RULES

• Submit prompts by commenting to this post with an alternate universe idea, along with a ship from one of our nominated fandoms. There's a comment template below for your convenience.
  • Your prompt MUST include some kind of relationship. (This is not the sports anime gen olympics.) Platonic relationships are indicated by an "&" between the names (e.g., Izumi & Sakaeguchi). Non-platonic relationships use "/" (e.g., Izumi/Sakaeguchi). Please don't say "Any pairing," either!
• An AU can be a canon divergence, e.g. "what if [character] was the Team Captain instead of the canon captain character?", or a completely different setting altogether, e.g., pop idol AU, coffee shop AU, superheroes AU, etc.
• Fill prompts by leaving a responding comment to the prompt with your newly-created work.
• Remember to follow the general bonus round rules, outlined here.

FORMAT

Bonus round shenanigans all happen in the comments below. Brand-new works only, please.

Required Work Minimums:

• 400 words (prose)
• 400px by 400px (art)
• 14 lines (poetry)

There is no max work cap.

Format your comment in one of the following ways:

If PROMPTING:	If FILLING:	If FILLING as a TEAM GRANDSTAND participant:
PROMPT: TEAM [YOUR SHIP] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to. Any way you format it is fine. Copy/paste/fill out the following form into your comment box. Delete the guidance text that's in parentheses. Make sure you use tags. Here is a BR Template Creator for your convenience if the textarea is confusing. (Please delete all text in parentheses as you go. LEAVE THE HTML ALONE or the bonus round scoring program can't parse your comment. Don't forget a comment subject!) <strong>Ship:</strong> (the ship your prompt is focused on. "&" indicates a platonic relationship, "/" is non-platonic. Format the ship name any way you want, but clarity is more likely to get you fills.) <strong>Fandom:</strong> (what fandom the ship is from) <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; these apply to content *in the prompt itself* and is NOT an implication of what you're looking for in a fill. If your prompt doesn't require tags, write "None" here.) <strong>Other Tags:</strong> (anything else that you feel requires tagging; can include jokey tumblr-style tags here; may also pull from the "Additional Tags" list from the URL above, if applicable; otherwise, write "None" here.) <strong>Prompt:</strong>	FILL: TEAM [YOUR SHIP], [RATING] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to. Any way you format it is fine. Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Copy/paste/fill out the following form into your comment box. Delete the guidance text that's in parentheses. Make sure you use tags. Here is a BR Template Creator for your convenience if the textarea is confusing. (Please delete all text in parentheses as you go. LEAVE THE HEADER HTML ALONE or the bonus round scoring program can't parse your comment. Don't forget a comment subject!) <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; otherwise write "None".) <strong>Other Tags:</strong> (anything else that you feel requires tagging; can include jokey tumblr-style tags here; may also pull from the "Additional Tags" list from the URL above, if applicable; otherwise, write "None" here.) <strong>Word Count:</strong> (if applicable; otherwise write "None") (Place any author/artist's notes BEFORE the asterisks. Leave the asterisks alone or you may not get points!) *** (Place your fill here. You can use HTML after the asterisks. FOR NSFW FILLS, please cross-link these fills and use clear tags. Refer to the body of the post above for more information. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" alt="DESCRIPTION OF YOUR IMAGE"/>. Consider posting only a thumbnail if the image is large. For more info, visit http://referees.dreamwidth.org/5647.html#images ) NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and tag them clearly. saso_afterhours is open to all NSFW fills. Written/text fills can be hosted on AO3 or saso_afterhours ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere; you may include a small safe-for-work thumbnail of the fill in your comment.	FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, [RATING] Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Copy/paste/fill out the following form into your comment box. Delete the guidance text that's in parentheses. Make sure you use tags. Here is a BR Template Creator for your convenience if the textarea is confusing. (Please delete all text in parentheses as you go. LEAVE THE HEADER HTML ALONE or the bonus round scoring program can't parse your comment. Don't forget a comment subject!) <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; otherwise write "None".) <strong>Other Tags:</strong> (anything else that you feel requires tagging; can include jokey tumblr-style tags here; may also pull from the "Additional Tags" list from the URL above, if applicable; otherwise, write "None" here.) <strong>Word Count:</strong> (if applicable; otherwise write "None") (Place any author/artist's notes BEFORE the asterisks. Leave the asterisks alone or you may not get points!) *** (Place your fill here. You can use HTML. FOR NSFW FILLS, please cross-link these fills and use clear tags. Refer to the body of the post above for more information. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" alt="DESCRIPTION OF YOUR IMAGE"/>. Consider posting only a thumbnail if the image is large. For more info, visit http://referees.dreamwidth.org/5647.html#images ) NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and tag them clearly. saso_afterhours is open to all NSFW fills. Written/text fills can be hosted on AO3 or saso_afterhours ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere; you may include a small safe-for-work thumbnail of the fill in your comment.

Posts not using this format will be understood to be unofficial discussion posts, regardless of what they contain. They, like all comments in this community, are subject to the code of conduct.

If you see anyone breaking the code of conduct (e.g., causing drama, being rude) anywhere (not just DW), please contact the mods immediately.

SCORING

These numbers apply to your team as a whole, not each individual teammate. Make as many prompts/fills as you want!

For prompts: 5 points each (maximum of 50 prompt points per team per round)

For fills:
First 4 fills by any member of your team: 20 points each
Fills 5-10: 15 points each
Fills 11-20: 5 points each
Fills 21-50: 2 points each
Fills 51+: 1 point each

All scored content must be created new for this round.

Etc.

If you're hunting through the prompts looking for what to fill, a good trick is to view top-level comments only (see the line of links below this post).

Have a question? Check The FAQ first. If you still need help, feel free to contact the mods. Happy fanworking!

Comments

FILL: Team Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, G

[horchata]

Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None
Word Count: 897




Rising feelings (Oh yes!) Rising wishes (Oh yes!)
We're starting here, I'm sure
Rising prayers (Oh yes!) They're rising, you know (Oh yes!)
Something's… starting!

I want to move more and affirm my strength
Go go!
Tomorrow!


***


Umi's in the grass waiting when Honoka sees her.

Even after all this time, Honoka's feet walk to the beat of the music around her. Her earbuds are in. Her eyes are shaky, Umi can tell, but her feet pound steady on the walk home. Umi looks up and catches her eye. Honoka's mouth is askew, probably from her chewing the insides of her cheeks. Umi smiles a little, but they're both in the same place in their hearts. It's a hard day, today. It's an anniversary.

Honoka sits in the grass next to Umi and offers an earbud. Umi gingerly lifts the bud from Honoka's fingers and replaces it with her hand. She leans in and kisses Honoka's cheek. "Her song?"

"Yeah," Honoka says. Umi lifts it to her ear and hears the bright bouncy middle before Honoka pauses and restarts the song. She fidgets their hands so their fingers are laced, and then tugs Umi a little closer. Umi moves so Honoka can lean herself halfway in Umi's arms, resting against her chest and shoulder.

"Can you imagine this was how she felt?" Honoka asks.

Umi leans her cheek against Honoka's temple. "This was how she felt trying to give herself a chance."

Honoka's breath hitches. She squeezes Umi's hand. In one ear each, Kotori sings to them about courage, about anxious dreams moving forward, about a future where she can become strong. Kotori had always been someone who asked many people before choosing a path, but this one was a future she had dreamed of herself, something she practiced to do, something she planned for, ached for.

Honoka's free hand comes up to her face to wipe at her eyes. "I feel so bad, Umi."

Umi turns again to kiss Honoka's head. "Have you talked to her yet?"

"Not yet," Honoka says. "No. I'm so embarrassed I didn't understand!"

Umi hums a little. "I think you should tell her, Honoka."

Honoka shakes her head.

"It's been a long time," Umi says. "She misses you."

Honoka sobs a little at that. "I miss her, too, Umi. I wish she never left!"

"I know," Umi says. She lets her arm wrap around Honoka's middle while 'Wonder Zone' starts again from the beginning. "But, Honoka... I know you, too. You want all of us to follow our dreams."

"Sometimes... sometimes I don't. Sometimes I wish she had given up and stayed here." Honoka takes a deep shuddering breath. "But, then -- then I feel horrible thinking that."

Umi closes her eyes. Sometimes Honoka can be very selfish. Sometimes she has a vision so bright it keeps her from really thinking of and seeing the visions of others. But at the same time, her heart is so full of light and determination, Umi understands. Honoka saw a beautiful vision of Muse together, of everyone standing united in bright lights in beautiful harmony. Everything Honoka wanted for them was something good.

It just wasn't the dream Kotori had for herself.

There's so much she feels like she could tell Honoka. All the costumes Kotori did for them were part of her portfolio. She sketched every one, and the picture she took of each member of Muse were the glossy inserts. When they performed 'START: DASH,' even though she'd long been accepted to her school, Kotori sent in those costumes, too. Kotori's fashion magazines took up a whole shelf of her room at home; they were all in different language, and her mom hadn't moved them, had forwarded the subscriptions to Kotori's room at the boarding school.

Kotori asks about Honoka every time she calls over Skype, no matter who calls her. She asks after Honoka from her mother, from Maki, from Nozomi, from Umi. Kotori was one of the first people to download their singles. Kotori was one of the first people to encourage Hanayo to take her parts, to let her voice sing high and free, even as silly as it might be sometimes. Kotori still listened to Maki's demos and sketched the beautiful outfits she saw when she heard her songs. She still loves Muse, will probably always love them all.

But, oh, when Umi thinks of Kotori now?

"She's so happy, Honoka," Umi says. Her fingers absentmindedly move against Honoka's bare forearm. "More than I've ever seen her or known her to be. She's so happy.

"When she got on the plane she was chasing her dream. That's -- that's what Muse is about, right? That's what you meant from the beginning. Following your heart."

Honoka nods against Umi's cheek, turns so she could face Umi and hug her tight. Umi's earbud falls out into the grass as Honoka gathers herself. Umi cradles the back of Honoka's head. "I miss her," Honoka says.

"I'm." Umi hesitates. She looks at Honoka's phone and, seeing the screen, gently tugs on Honoka's ear bud. "Honoka, I'm -- I call her, about this time."

Honors leans back and looks Umi in the eyes.

"Come with me this time?"

Honoka is worried, Umi sees; she chews the inside of her lip again and rubs the material of her skirt between her fingers, but. She also looks so tired and so determined. She nods once, just a little, and then again, and then a lot. "Yes, yes, yes. Yes, let's -- let's -- okay."

Umi smiles, stands, and offers Honoka a hand. "Together?"

She takes it. "Together."