sportsanime | Bonus Round 1: Memory

Let's start our summer by looking at the past—things that happened in canon, or maybe in an AU, or maybe just as wishful thinking...

This round is CLOSED as of 7PM on June 9 EDT. Late fills may be posted, but they will not receive points.

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! You prompt should consist of one scenario beginning with the phrase "Remember when", along with any ship/ot3/etc. from our list of nominated fandoms.
- Your prompts can take the form of recalling canon facts/events ("Remember when Nozomi and Eli got parfaits after school?"), non-canon events ("Remember when Megumi and Jin met at the Tadokoro Family Reunion?"), or somewhere in-between ("Remember when Bokuto and Kenma first met?"). Headcanons and AUs are welcome!
- 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., Rei & Nagisa). Non-platonic relationships use "/" (e.g., Rei/Nagisa). Please don't say "Any pairing," either!
Post fills by leaving a responding comment to a prompt with your newly-created work.
Remember to follow the general bonus round rules, outlined here.

FORMAT

Brand-new works only, please.

Required Work Minimums:

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

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, including Grandstand or Sports Teams Write it exactly as it appears on the team roster or your team will not receive points Place the prompt's relationship in the first bolded line of the comment. Including the canon isn't required, but it's nice. Below that, place applicable major content tags (when applicable; otherwise write "no tags" or "none") Visual example	FILL: TEAM [YOUR SHIP], [RATING] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to Write it exactly as it appears on the team roster or your team will not receive points Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Place applicable major content tags and word count before your fill (when applicable; otherwise write "no tags" or "none") NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and use clear tags in your comment. Written/text fills should be hosted at AO3 ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere. You may include a small safe-for-work preview of the fill in your comment. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" alt="DESCRIPTION OF YOUR IMAGE"/> Visual example	FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, [RATING] Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Place applicable major content tags and word count before the fill, where applicable NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and use clear tags in your comment. Written/text fills should be hosted at AO3 ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere. You may include a small safe-for-work preview of your work in your comment. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" /> Visual example

code of conduct

SCORING

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

First 3 fills by any member of your team: 20 points each
Fills 4-10: 10 points each
Fills 11-20: 5 points each
Fills 21+: 2 points each

All scored content must be created new for this round.

Etc.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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Word Count: 995

I hate that you trapped me into writing this. With all due respect: fuck you very much, Psiten.

-

Umi is early. She isn't expecting anyone else to be in the studio they've booked for their first reunion practice. It's not that she doesn't trust Nintendo or Gamefreak (that's a lie, she doesn't), and it isn't as if the studio doesn't have a good reputation (she checked, thoroughly, wielding her web browser as a blade), but mostly, she'd wanted to get a feel for the facilities before anyone else arrived.

She catches one glimpse of a blonde head that has never ceased being familiar, and knows she shouldn't have tried.

"Eli," she says, her voice carrying across the room to where the other woman has knelt in lacing up her shoes. They're a few paces apart, but she can easily see the deft motions of Eli's fingers pulling at the strings, each motion decisive, efficient, utterly sure.

It hasn't been ten years since she's seen Eli; she hasn't allowed for so long a gap to pass between them. But it's been... Too long, between managing her dance studio and with how often Eli travels for her work. They keep up over the internet, or through the occasional phone call. They talk. They still know each other. It shouldn't be so different, seeing Eli in person after enough months have passed that Umi is abruptly stricken with guilt over her failures as a friend.

It shouldn't be different, but as Eli rises from the floor, dressed in the sort of leotard that makes Umi imagine Eli has traveled back in time to her days as a ballerina, Umi can't help but think, it most certainly is not the same.

"You're here," Eli says.

Her voice is warm, the words more of a welcome than a question. They've known each other for ten years; Eli is more than familiar with Umi's punctuality. The fact that Eli knows her so well almost makes her smile.

"Have you warmed up already?" Umi asks, with a glance to take in Eli's practice attire. "I wanted to see how the studio was, before it came time to practice in it."

"Not yet," Eli says, and then her smile softens. "Although I was thinking about it, you're right. Have you seen the invitations for the performance?"

Umi's mouth twists, curling into a frown she isn't quite quick enough to push down. She isn't certain how it had happened, sponsorship by Nintendo, the messages from Gamefreak. If she'd told her younger self that one day she'd be performing at a pokemon-themed event with mu's, she's certain she never would have believed it.

"They're a little... Childish, don't you think?" she asks.

Eli only smiles a little wider. "They are attention-getting, with those bright colors. And someone put a lot of effort into those illustrations for the cards."

Umi feels her face flush, at the memory of the outfits mu's had been depicted in. "Don't you think we're a bit old for... For that kind of thing? Women our age shouldn't be wearing skirts like that, we should be setting a better example for the girls who come to see us than that."

"A bit old?" Eli echoes, so that Umi flushes again, this time without quite knowing the reason for it. "I don't know about that. And it seems fitting, in a way, that it's pokemon sponsoring our event."

"I don't know what you mean," Umi says.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Eli asks. Her lips twist, into that knowing sort of smile that makes Umi suspect she's being teased. "Pokemon appeals to everyone, from the youngest child just playing their first game, to the most loyal fans who have supported the company since the very first release. Pokemon fans are of all ages, living all kinds of different lives. Isn't that the same kind of audience we as mu's have wanted to reach with our music since the start?"

"Oh," Umi says. "Yes."

"Although I do admit," Eli continues, "the costumes seem a little silly. I'm glad it's Honoka wearing the mewtwo dress — I don't think I could pull that off. Honoka, though, Honoka will do it."

Umi laughs, and relaxes. "Honoka can make anything look good simply by loving that she's wearing it."

"Perhaps we should try and follow her example," Eli says, so that Umi coughs and glances away. "The rest of the costumes are cute, even if the skirts are a little short for your taste. It's too bad about the numbers. If we'd done this five years sooner, there wouldn't be those new eeveelutions for us to leave out."

"You're a fan of the games?" Umi asks, before she can think better of it. The sound of the jargon seems strange, rolling off of Eli's tongue in particular.

"They bring happiness to a lot of people," Eli says, with an unconcerned little shrug. "Who wouldn't be a fan of that?"

"I guess I just... Wouldn't have thought," Umi says. "You never seemed like the type of person to play games."

"Well," Eli says. "I'm glad that even after ten years, I'm still able to surprise you."

Umi has no response to that, so she looks instead across the room, finally paying some mind to the space she'd told herself she wanted to check out. She's aware of Eli watching her, with that steady, undemanding gaze which hasn't changed a hair in the ten years since Umi first met her. Eli might be a merciless dance coach, but when it came to anything else she always was endlessly patient, able to solve any problem when given the time to work. It's something Umi has always liked about her.

"Do you want to warm up?" Umi asks. "Since we do have some time before the others arrive?"

"Would you like to dance with me?" Eli counters, her eyebrows going up. She holds out her hand, clearly making the invitation. "I certainly wouldn't mind."

Umi takes it, accepting once it's through doing that their reunion performance will turn out right.

I have no regrets! This was beautiful, and totally absolutely charming (and wow can I see Honoka rocking the mewtwo costume with no shame). Umi's reticence and Eli's collectedness are just perfect. Thank you!

I love how you portrayed them-- they still feel like the same characters, but ten years older, they've matured so gracefully. Your prose is beautiful as always, Lira!

Bonus Round 1: Memory

FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, G

Re: FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, G

Re: FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, G