Bonus Round 3: Gift Tags

[referees]

Feeling generous? In this round, you get to give creative gifts as prompts.

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

RULES

• Submit prompts as a gift tag in the format below. You can specify the size and a characteristic of the gift, who the sender is, who the recipient is, and a one or two sentence note from the sender to the recipient. Descriptions of the package and the included note don’t have to be explicit, see below.
• Package: medium sized cube, rattles
  From: Kageyama Tobio
  To: Hinata Shouyou
  Note: These will help you get better.
• Envelope: manila, 12''x17'', very thick and heavy
  From: Tezuka Kunimitsu
  To: Kinjou Shingo
  Note: Enclosed - Play without regrets!
• Your prompt MUST include a relationship. Platonic relationships are indicated by an "&" between the names (e.g., Riko & Momoi). Non-platonic relationships use "/" (e.g., Riko/Momoi). Please don't say "Any pairing," either.
• Fill prompts by leaving a responding comment to the prompt with your newly-created work. Fillers can get creative with how to interpret the prompt: your fill can be about the character receiving the gift, one or both characters using the gift, what prompted the sender to send the gift—the physical gift itself can even be excluded from your fill. What’s important is that the gift tag is clearly the inspiration for your fill.
• 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, 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) NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and use clear tags in your comment. Written/text fills should be hosted at AO3 ONLY as a new, unchaptered work. 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, as explained in the rules 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 as a new, unchaptered work. 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

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.

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 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.

If you're hunting through the prompts looking for what to fill, a good trick is to view top-level comments only.

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

Comments

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[tempestuously]

Nanase Haruka/Matsuoka Rin, Free
no tags

Package: What appears to be packaging paper wrapped around a very long and squishy object almost the same height as a person
From: Rin
To: Haru
Note: Well look what I found when me and Makoto were cleaning out your closet. You didn't even hide it! What am I supposed to think?

FILL: TEAM MATSUOKA RIN/NANASE HARUKA, G

[biotiful]

NO MAJOR TAGS



Rin was really turned on lol
Also, iwatobi-chan is on the backside of the dakimakura

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[tempestuously]

Nanase Haruka/Matsuoka Rin, Free
no tags

Package: Just a picture of a mermaid tail
From: Haruka
To: Rin
Note: You asked.

(this is a belated bday prompt btw)

Re: PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[alder_knight]

omfg

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[tempestuously]

Matsuoka Rin/Ryugazaki Rei & Hazuki Nagisa, Free
no tags in prompt but fill might require tags

Package: An envelope with a bunch of questionable photographs
From: 🐧
To: Rin
Note: Rei-chan and Rin-can had a really special night. (ღˇ◡ˇ)~♥

Prompt: Team Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou

[doxian]

Tendou Satori/Tsukishima Kei (HQ!!)

no tags

Package: a big paper envelope filled with what feels like books or magazines
From: Tsukishima
To: Tendou
Note: I'm returning these. When I said I liked dinosaurs I didn't necessarily mean I wanted to read manga of them.

Re: Prompt: Team Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou

[horchata]

snerk

Prompt: team Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei

[hqqt]

Kuroo Tetsurou/&Kenma Kozome or Oikawa Tooru/Iwaizumi Hajime (haikyuu)
No tags

Package: A weapon in the shape of a key. Very sharp. Sticking out of a gift bag with Mickey mouse ears.
To: the keyblade master
From: your friend
Note: figure it's about time I admit this is yours.

Prompt: Team Chihayafuru

[rosebrook]

Yukihira Soma / Tadokoro Megumi Food Wars

Package: A medium sized box wrapped in veggie print wrapping paper.
From: Tadokoro
To: Soma
Note: You've helped me so much so now it's my turn to help you.

Re: Prompt: Team Chihayafuru

[intricacies]

OH NO THIS IS TOO CUTE

PROMPT: TEAM KUROO TETSUROU/TSUKISHIMA KEI

[prillalar]

Inui Sadaharu/Kaidoh Kaoru (Prince of Tennis)
no tags, or up to the filler

Package: small plastic bag with pet store logo
From: Daddy
To: Mittens-chan
Note: Be good for Inui-senpai while I'm away!

PROMPT: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru

[kiyala]

Oikawa Tooru/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Haikyuu!!

Package: envelope, containing photos
From: Oikawa Tooru
To: Ushiwaka-chan
Note: I'm kinkshaming, Ushiwaka-chan ;)

Re: PROMPT: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru

[kayable]

Jshaisb

Prompt: Team Aldini Takumi/Yukihira Souma

[nyatsuuuu]

Yamazaki Sousuke/Kirishima Natsuya, FREE
No Tags

Envelope: manila, 8"x11", stamped: Private & confidential
From: Yamazaki Sousuke
To: Kirishima Natsuya
Note: Please sign on the dotted line

Re: Prompt: Team Aldini Takumi/Yukihira Souma

[alder_knight]

o_o

Prompt: Team Aldini Takumi/Yukihira Souma

[nyatsuuuu]

Yamazaki Sousuke/Kirishima Natsuya, FREE
No Tags

Envelope: Gold trimmed White Envelope
From: Kirishima Natsuya
To: Yamazaki Sousuke
Note: RVSP

FILL: TEAM TENNIS NO OUJI-SAMA, G

[clearlykero]

i am sad now...

[446 words]

“I’m not going,” Sousuke says, before Haru has even opened his mouth. Haru looks at him narrowly, and he just looks back in silence, because at this point there’s nothing left to say.

“Okay,” is all Haru ends up saying in the end, and that’s that.

Makoto, on the other hand, isn’t so simple. The thing about Makoto is that he cares more than Haru does, wants to see the people he cares about get along. He doesn’t know how to give up on a lost cause. Still, when Sousuke sighs and says, “I can’t, Tachibana,” Makoto reluctantly lets it go.

Rin doesn’t even bring it up, because he’d been there for the fallout and there to pick up the pieces afterwards.

Funnily enough, the only one who actually gets it is Kisumi.

“You say that, but you didn’t reply and say you’re not going,” he says, when Sousuke insists that he won’t go. They both look at the coffee table, where the envelope is sitting, pristine white and gold. On top of it is a handwritten note that only says RVSP - Natsuya. Sousuke smiles a little. Natsuya still can’t spell to save his life.

“See!” Kisumi points at him, “you’re just drenched in residual feelings.” Sousuke looks away immediately.

“If, if I went, what would that even do?” He rubs a hand through his hair, frustrated. “I don’t want to mess up his— I don’t want to fuck it up.”

“You can say wedding. Wed. Ding.”

“Kisumi,” he says, with an edge in his voice. Kisumi takes the hint and shuts up. “He’ll cry if I show up. I know he will. He probably knows it too.”

“People cry at these kind of events, it’s not going to—”

“I don’t want to fuck it up. His— she didn’t do anything to me. I can’t ruin things for her.”

He doesn’t even know the girl, won’t let himself look at the name. Part of him wants to think it’s just an impulse, just a rebound, but it’s been four years and Natsuya would never get married on a whim. He’s not going to even think about if she means more to Natsuya than he does, because down that road lies nothing good, but. She means something. Enough for commitment.

Isn’t this what he’d wanted? Natsuya had been lonely, and Sousuke—

“I couldn’t give him— I hope she loves him,” he says, tightly, “I hope she loves him ten times more than I do.”

Kisumi kindly ignores his slip into present tense. “You gave him enough,” he says instead, touching Sousuke’s shoulder softly. Sousuke leans back on the sofa, closing his eyes.

“Yeah. I guess I did.”

PROMPT: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru

[kiyala]

Himuro Tatsuya & Kagami Taiga; Kuroko no Basuke
no tags

Package: a box of painkillers
From: Taiga
To: Tatsuya
Note: You should have called me. You know I'd always have your back in a fight.

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, G

[chiharu]

Kagami/Himuro, no tags, 439 words, G


Kagami doesn't hear the news until his shift ends. Instead of heading to the grocery store, he goes directly to Himuro's current safe house on the edge of the city. It's rusty on the outside with a newly furbished interior, and someone has the gall to point a gun at Kagami's head until Murasakibara says, "it's just Kagami."


Murasakibara doesn't bother with pleasantries as he leads Kagami to the back room, where someone is patching up Himuro's arm.


"Hello, Taiga," Himuro says pleasantly, despite the blood marring his bandages. "Sorry for the mess."


"Don't give me that," Kagami growls. "I heard over the radio that your main base caught on fire. Are you okay?"


Himuro dismisses the physician and the two underlings guarding the room. "Dandy. We moved most of the goods out last week, but I still suffered a loss. They're going to pay for this."


"Tatsuya," Kagami says. "Stop risking your life."


"It's an occupational hazard." Himuro smiles and leans back into his chair. "No one was injured in the fire. Did your station get called in?"


"No."


Himuro nods. "Good. I don't want to make it hard on you."


This was the understatement of the year. "Your job makes it hard on me. Am I supposed to just do nothing while you get yourself killed in turf wars?"


"Don't worry about me. You're a part of law enforcement now."


Kagami throws his arms into the air. "I'm a firefighter, not a cop." He knows, that Himuro knows, that Kagami would quit his job in an instant if Himuro needed him back in the crew. Yet, Himuro clung onto some grand notion about separating their day jobs to minimize collateral damage. Kagami doesn't say any of that. Instead, he reaches for Himuro's face. "Are you sure you're okay?"


"Yes." Himuro hums and leans into Kagami's hand. "Just a little sore."


"Are you coming with me for the night, or do you need to stay here?"


Himuro opens his eyes. "Do you miss me already?"


"No, you dumbass." Kagami stands up to stretch his back. His last shift at the firehouse had been brutal, and he'd been looking forward to sleeping for 12 hours, preferably with Himuro in his bed. "Since you're obviously fine, I'm leaving."


"I'll come home later," Himuro says, which means he'll probably stay at base until the crack of dawn and slip into Kagami's bed as Kagami is getting up for work. It's not the love affair Kagami imagined, but it feels right for them.


"Hey," Kagami feels the need to say. "You know I have your back."


Himuro smiles. "I know."

PROMPT: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru

[kiyala]

Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimira Shuuzo; Kuroko no Basuke
no tags

Package: An email, with photo attachments
From: Tatsuya
To: Shuu
Note: Because we haven't seen each other for a while. Send some back, okay?

Re: PROMPT: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru

[chiharu]

I WISH I HAD A HIMURO WIG

Prompt: Team Aldini Takumi/Yukihira Souma

[nyatsuuuu]

Yamazaki Sousuke/Kirishima Natsuya, FREE
implied NSFW

Envelope: Small paper bag
From: Yamazaki Sousuke
To: Kirishima Natsuya
Note: Wear it tonight

FILL: TEAM TENNIS NO OUJI-SAMA, T

[clearlykero]

its not nsfw www its just.. implied... www

[731 words] + 1 image ahaha

There are a lot of things Natsuya could say about Sousuke. For instance: he’s surprisingly awful at poker;

(“Raise,” Sousuke says. From the waist up he looks completely cool, not a hair out of place. Waist down, however.

“You sure about that?” asks Natsuya, touching the tips of his fingers to Sousuke’s knee. It stops shaking immediately. He doesn’t even get to rub it in— Sousuke’s already putting his cards down with a supremely resigned expression on his face.

“Fold.”)

and he absolutely adores children;

(They’ve run into Kisumi and his little brother at the cinema, and this is where Natsuya finds out Sousuke and Kisumi are childhood friends. They spend some time catching up, during which Natsuya has to remind himself he’s the adult here, jealousy is so unbecoming.

Kisumi’s little brother seems like he hasn’t yet hit his growth spurt. He’s sort of adorably sticking close to Kisumi’s side. Natsuya occupies himself drawing the kid out of his shell instead, ignoring Sousuke’s eyes on the back of his neck.

Later, after they’ve had a tiny argument and then had make-up sex, Sousuke says: “I just really like how you look with kids.”

“Do you want kids?”

Sousuke rolls over, pins him to the bed. “A whole baseball team.”)

and he hasn’t a shred of romance in his soul.

(“Seriously?”

It’s Valentine’s Day, the bed is strewn with rose petals, and there’s a cake-scented candle lit because Nao had suggested it, and Nao is always right. Sousuke, however, just looks mildly irritated.

“This is going to be such a pain to clean up.”

Natsuya looks at him, wounded. “I was trying to be romantic!”

“Yeah, well. I’m not with you for romantic gestures. I like you fine on your own.”)

Okay, maybe he is a little bit romantic. But not properly. And anyway, the point is— Natsuya could say a lot of things about Sousuke, but he never thought he’d be able to call Sousuke a cosplay fetishist pervert and actually have it be completely factual. So this is what he says immediately upon Sousuke’s return home, but Sousuke just looks him up and down and smirks.

“You’re wearing them anyway,” he says, and it’s true. He is wearing them. Them being a leather collar (hot) and cat ears (questionable).

Natsuya is not and has never been one to be shy about his body, having been on the swim team for years, but it’s different when Sousuke looks at him. It burns. Like how the sun feels on his skin at the beach on a hot day— like the way Natsuya used to get when racing someone really good. And something altogether different, that makes liquid heat pool low in his stomach and his mouth go dry with wanting.

“You said I should,” Natsuya replies, leaning against the back of the sofa. The leather sticks to his bare thighs uncomfortably. “So I did.”

“It’s not my birthday, Kirishima-senpai.” As Sousuke speaks, he moves closer to put his hand on Natsuya’s cheek. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Natsuya grins, pushes into Sousuke’s hand. “Can’t I be nice to my dear junior once in a while?”



Sousuke is absently caressing the side of Natsuya’s face with his thumb. He has a fond look on his face that Natsuya rarely sees, his mouth tilted in a half-smile.

“Natsuya-san.” Rough, a little louder than a whisper. Natsuya tilts his chin up for a kiss, and Sousuke does; just a chaste peck on the side of his mouth. “I need to shower.”

“Now?” It’s been ages since they’ve done anything, since they’re both so busy with university and part-time jobs. Today is a rare Saturday that they’re both at home before 7pm, and Natsuya doesn’t really want to waste any time showering that can be spent in more pleasurable avenues.

“I won’t take long.”

“But—”

“Natsuya-san,” Sousuke says again, and kisses him properly this time, his fingers tight in Natsuya’s hair. When he pulls away they’re both slightly flushed.

“Please get started while waiting,” says Sousuke, pressing something into his hand before he disappears to the bathroom.

Natsuya looks down, opens his fingers.

“The collar doesn’t have anywhere to attach a ring,” he calls in the direction of the bath.

“Put it on yourself, not the collar,” comes back over the sound of water running.

It takes a moment, and then— “Sousuke!!”

Prompt: Team Aldini Takumi/Yukihira Souma

[nyatsuuuu]

Bokutou Koutarou/Akaashi Keiji, Haikyuu
No Tags

Envelope: Post it note
From: Bokuto Koutarou
To: Akaashi Keiji
Note: Will be back late tonight, don't wait

FILL: TEAM [AKAASHI KEIJI/BOKUTO KOTAROU/KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU], [G]

[mypolyshippingass]

no tags 505 words

Akaashi woke up to a cold futon.

The space beside him, usually occupied by his very hyper boyfriend, was empty.

He sat up and rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, the small apartment was quiet, too quiet. It was unusual for Bokuto to wake up before him, it was even more unusual for him to leave their place without demanding a kiss. Akaashi had no idea of what he could be doing.

When he heard a crash and a loud cry, coming from the other side of the bedroom door, Keiji almost smiled, that’s more like it.

“Bokuto-san, what is this?” Kotarou was sitting on the floor, pouting. He was covered in milk and cereal while the two smashed bowls on the floor were completely empty.

“I wanted to bring you breakfast” Bokuto mumbled, “I tripped” he added and crossed his arms over his chest.

Akaashi considered pointing out how many times he had told the other not to run inside, or how much he hated finding crumbs in their shared futon, but Kotarou’s lip was now shaking, so he just sighed and crouched next to his mess of a boyfriend, it was way too early to deal with a crying man-baby.

“Thank you, Bokuto-san” the other lit up immediately, Keiji almost smiled again.

“Happy birthday, Akashee!” he shouted, “Sorry for the mess, I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow!”

“Maybe you should start by cleaning said mess” Keiji deadpanned, but his cheeks were bright red.

-

“I’m home” Akaashi called, as he closed the front door and took off his shoes. Classes had gone on forever and he was truly exhausted.

The lights were all off and the apartment was silent. Keiji put his bag down in the hallway and walked into the kitchen. It didn’t take too long for him to spot the bright yellow post-it note on the fridge.

’Akaashi!!! I know I said I’d take you out for dinner, but the coach called us in for an unplanned practice match!
I’m very, very sorry!!! I was looking forward to our date too 
I’ll probably come home late so don’t wait up!
Love, Kotarou <3

Akaashi tried not to be disappointed, he really did.

-

Keiji woke up to the sound of the front door opening. His neck was hurting, he probably fell asleep on the couch.

“Akaasheee!” Bokuto was staring at him from the entrance to the living room “I thought I told you not to wait up!”

I thought you told me you’d take me out for dinner “I didn’t, lectures were so boring today, I decided to take a nap” The bitterness in his voice was poorly veiled, but the other didn’t seem to notice.

“Did you eat at least?” Keiji shook his head “Good, me neither!” and before he could register what was happening, Kotarou was already dragging him out of the apartment.

They ended up eating crappy combini bento on a park bench, cold wind blowing in their faces, but Akaashi was smiling.

PROMPT: TEAM KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU

[hapaxlegomenon]

Hinata Shouyou &/ Hitoka Yachi &/ Kageyama Tobio &/ Tsukishima Kei &/ Yamaguchi Tadashi; Haikyuu!!
AU

Package: A large, flat box that rattles when shaken
To: The Paladins
From: Princess Shimizu
Note: These are your bayards, the traditional weapons of the Paladins of Voltron. Please report to the training deck at 0600 hours tomorrow morning.

Re: PROMPT: TEAM KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU

[underscored]

YOOOOOOO

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[mother_herbivore]

Kinjou Shingo/Makishima Yusuke & Tadokoro Jin
no tags

package: an email with a .zrk file attached
from: Fukutomi Juichi
to: Kinjou Shingo
note: The terrible troll raises his sword.

hi has anybody else watched chuck

PROMPT: Team Chihayafuru

[horchata]

Kageyama Tobio &/ Nishiura (pick your favorite, if you need to!) Haikyuu!! Oofuri
no tags

Package: a book on baseball technique, a few CDs with plays and games
From: Momokan
To: Kageyama Tobio
Note: Kageyama-kun, look these over and see what you think of practice tomorrow. I know it's not Kitagawa Daiichi, but there's no sense in watching from behind the fence for so long when we know we want you for our team.

Fill: team Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, G

[hqqt]

Tags: mention of minor (now healed) sports injury, minor bullying

Word count: 985

Kageyama scowls at the message on the note. He's not sure what to make of it. We know we want you on our team. He hasn't mentioned the note to his mom, because then she would ask questions about Kitagawa Daiichi that he doesn't want to answer. He's pretty sure she would hug him, but he doesn't want a hug because of this.

He scowls harder. Then puts the game CD into his player, turning on his TV and pulling a pillow onto his lap that he crushes between his chest and his knees.

"We don't want you!" Kindaichi had snapped. "Why would we want a selfish king like you?" He had breathed heavily, and turned away. "No one else will want you either, not now."

He had glanced at Kageyama's knee with a sliver of genuine remorse in his eyes before he left Kageyama alone.

"It's healing fine," Kageyama had muttered to the empty room.

But Kindaichi was right, no one wants a selfish king.

He crushes the note from Momoe in his hand. He doesn't understand all the rules of baseball, but Momoe had laughed and said that hardly anyone does.

His knee had healed — a product of adhering to the exercises the doctor prescribed and his mom squeezing him tight and asking every day whether he's been taking care of it. There were a few days he didn't. Once, when he ran into Oikawa-san in the convenience store, and had the story dragged out of him in fractured sentences and clipped words.

The worst part was when Oikawa's eyes had gone soft and wide, filled with an honesty Kageyama couldn't entirely trust and he had said, "I'm sorry, Tobio-chan. You can catch up, if you still want to play."

That Oikawa hadn't dismissed it out of hand or shoved him into anger with cutting words hurt the most.

The team is small, from what Kageyama can gather. Only one year old and rough around the edges, corners sticking out everywhere. The pitcher moves like a wind up toy unless he's sending the ball into the catcher's mitt and the other players laugh like they're really friends.

Kageyama's frown slips into its deepest setting and anger bubbles under his skin as the catcher calls a time out and pulls the pitcher's head towards him so they can speak without being overheard.

Momoe had found him by accident, nearly leading the team over where he was lying in the grass, taking a prescribed break during one of his light runs. He was tossing a volleyball up to himself, and trying to ignore the fact that he is the only one who will touch his toss again.

She had caught the ball and sent the team on ahead of her, one or two had turned their heads to look at him but most were busy keeping up with the pace she had set.

"What're you doing in the grass?" she'd asked, smiling and crouching down.

He'd tried to keep his expression neutral (because she's an adult) but he thinks he might have failed.

"Taking a break," he had replied. And, to his horror, and to hers, he'd started to cry.

She was nice to him. She pulled him up and dragged him to a vending machine close by, punched the button for orange juice before he could ask for milk. Then she'd bullied the whole story from him. The whole mess.

At the end, he could tell she was trying not to get excited, which definitely had made him scowl, but it was better than pity.

She'd told him he should try something new. Something he'd never done before.

He was replying that he only likes volleyball when she'd checked her watch and leapt up, exclaiming that she needed to go wrap up practice, but she left him with a card.

He would have left it at that, but his mom had seen it and lit up, asking if he was thinking about baseball and starting in on a story about how his father used to play.

He'd dialed the number on the card, and two days later she dropped the package at his house, already sure he will follow through and come and look at their practice.

The team wins the match, and though the score fell at 5 runs to 1, Kageyama gets the sense that it was a close game.

He watches the other disks until he's seen them all, fighting to keep his eyes open through the last one.

That night, he dreams of the Nishura players abandoning him during a baseball match played with a volleyball. He wakes to an image of Oikawa tossing a ball high over his head, covered in sweat and panting.

He showers and pulls on his clothes even though it's hours until he said he would take a look at Nishura's practice. He wasn't planning on leaving yet, but he finds himself out the door before he's realised what he's doing.

He scowls through the fence at the players. They're swinging bats with Momoe prowling between them, correcting this and that where she sees fit.

She spies Kageyama and they lock eyes as she grins wide and malicious. She reminds him of Oikawa in some ways.

She pulls him by his hand and marches him through the gate, introducing him as "Tobio-kun" and giving his hand a squeeze before throwing him into their midst.

"He's so tall!" the smallest of them says. "Are you sure he's a first year?"

"Hey, don't talk like he's not here," says another with a bandana tied over his head. "I'm the captain, go warm up and you can join in."

Kageyama freezes, ready to protest, but the wind-up pitcher pipes up with, "I-I-I'll help!" smiling as hard at he can, and tugs at Kageyama's hand like he's already a part of the team.

Kageyama thinks he might be.

PROMPT: TEAM KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU

[hapaxlegomenon]

Aoyagi Hajime/Teshima Junta; Yowamushi Pedal
No tags

Package: A square box, neatly wrapped with a ribbon and bow
To: Aoyagi
From: Teshima
Note: Happy birthday!!

PROMPT: TEAM KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU

[hapaxlegomenon]

Aoyagi Hajime/Teshima Junta; Yowamushi Pedal
No tags

Package: Plain envelope
To: Junta
From: Hajime
Note: You mentioned liking this band once. I hope you're free on Friday.

PROMPT: TEAM FURUYA SATORU/MIYUKI KAZUYA

[tsunderekita]

Arakita Yasutomo & Imaizumi Shunsuke & Furuya Satoru(/Miyuki Kazuya or Onoda Sakamichi for any of them, if you like) (Yowamushi Pedal and Daiya no Ace)
tags: character death (sorta)

package: roughly 500 zettabytes of uncompressed biometric data
to: AKT Mk II and AKT Mk IIβ
from: AKT Mk I (decommissioned)
note: download in progress . . . [████████████████] 100%

FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, T

[blueminuet]

Tags: character death, robots, robogore
Word Count: 545

“The download seems to be complete, but it’ll take a while to make sure all the data is filtering out correctly.”

Miyuki hums in acknowledgement, but doesn’t say anything else to the other tech. Miyuki fumbles for his name for a moment, before coming up with ‘Onoda’. It’s not uncommon for techs to play the same spots as the robots they work on, and it took Miyuki some time to pick up on the fact that Onoda was a cyclist. He looked to scrawny to be much of an athlete.

“It’s not every day we get in a robot with experience in more than one sport,” Onoda says, flicking through the data logs. “He was pretty incredible, wasn’t he, Miyuki-san?”

Miyuki pauses at that, something knotting at the pit of his stomach. He’d been trying to avoiding looking at the now defunct robot in the corner, but he slips at that, glancing at Arakita out of the corner of his eye. He’s in no less than three pieces now, propped up so that his data can extracted. And now, that’s done.

He’s no more than scrap now.

“Miyuki-san?”

Miyuki stiffens before shaking his head. “Sorry, Onoda, I guess I spaced out for a minute there. What were you saying?” He turns to the other tech, and sees Onoda staring at him. There’s something like pity in that look, and Miyuki wants to wipe it off his face.

“You played with the AKT Mark One, didn’t you?” Onoda asks.

Miyuki nods. “Yeah, I did. He was a good pitcher.”

Onoda smiles. “That’s good! I raced against him once. I was surprised to hear he was pitcher-bot though. His arms didn’t seem built for it.”

Miyuki’s stomach lurches again, but he doesn’t let his smile fall.

“Not that a cycling-bot needs strong arms,” Onoda adds hastily, clearly misreading Miyuki’s pause. “And I’m sure he did a great job for a Mark One. And now you can improve with your second model.”

Miyuki forces a laugh, grinning. “And so can you.”

Onoda’s smile brightens. “I’m looking forward to it. It was really fun riding with Arakita-san, even if he was a bit, umm… Abrasive.”

Miyuki laughs. “That’s one way to put it.”

“I’m sure his data will make Imaizumi-san a fantastic racer!”

“Imaizumi-san?” Miyuki looks over to the two Mark Two’s. Nearly identical, but if you look close it’s not hard to tell one from the other. Both of them are more specialised to their individual sports; the one built for cycling is clearly a touch sleeker.

Onoda nods. “That’s the name I picked for him. Have you picked one out for your new pitcher, Miyuki-san?”

Miyuki tries to smile, but in the back of his mind he’s still thinking about the heap of parts in the corner. He forces himself not to look at it again. “I hadn’t got around to it yet,” Miyuki says.

“Oh, I see,” Onoda says. “Well, don’t worry! I can help you come up with something! We still have some time to wait before the data will be sorted.”

Miyuki forces a smile. “Great idea, Onoda-kun!”

Onoda grins, and Miyuki can’t help but think that Onoda’s bot will have an easier time at things than any bot Miyuki has ever worked with.

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[mother_herbivore]

Inui Sadaharu &/ Fuji Shusuke, prince of tennis
no tags

package: a flashdrive
from: Kikumaru
to: Inui
note: Keep him safe until I can come back for him.
(PS: upload him to the mainframe ASAP. There's barely enough room for him on the memory stick.)

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[mother_herbivore]

Inui Sadaharu &/ Kaidou Kaoru, prince of tennis
no tags (up to filler)

package: an email
to: Inui
from: Kaidou
note: You still have that half-price defrag and optimization special going on?

FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, T

[blueminuet]

Tags: robots, robogore, non-explicit nudity, sexually suggestive content
Word Count: 535

Kaidou lays half-disassembled on Inui’s table, watching the somewhat unnerving process of Inui running fine tools across the insides of Kaidou’s tenuously attached arm. Most technicians won’t allow their android clients to be awake during maintenance. Most androids find it a bit too off-putting anyway. Kaidou is a bit contrary in that sense; he prefers to remain active, because he finds being shut down to be the far more unnerving part. That’s why he goes to Inui for all of his maintenance.

That, and one other reason.

Inui sets down Kaidou’s forearm, and quickly sets about reattaching it at the elbow. Inui works fast, his fingers working with quick precision, without any wasted effort. His work is machine-like in his efficiency; Kaidou sometimes forgets that Inui is human.

Inui runs a hand over the length of Kaidou’s arm, feeling at the tendons and artificial muscles. Kaidou can just hardly process the nerve impulses; his positronic brain is still hooked up with Inui’s computer, with scans and defragging running on it. He has to be kept in low-power mode for that, which means all of his sensory input comes in just a little fuzzy.

“How has your performance been recently?” Inui asks, his hands still digging into Kaidou’s arm.

“Good.”

“The snake shot is still effective?”

“Yes,” Kaidou says. “Though the last few matches it’s been a bit off.”

“Can you be more specific?” Inui asks, raising an eyebrow. “How far off? A matter of millimeters or centimeters?”

“Millimeters, I think,” Kaidou says. He wasn’t programmed for fine tuned measurements like that. Just to hit the ball and win.

Inui nods. “I don’t believe the problem is the arm itself. But some calibrations may need to be done on your internal systems to account for it.”

“Sure.”

Inui reaches over to Kaidou’s chest. Even some experienced technicians have trouble pinpointing the seams on the maintenance hatches on the first try, but Inui sinks his finger into the hidden groove without fail every time. He runs his fingernail under it, like a surgeon with a scalpel, until finally the hatch pops and releases with a hiss. Inui is quick to open it and get the chest plate out of the way, setting it aside.

The chest hatch is notorious for being hard to perform maintenance on, what with there being so many components and work has to be done, very often, at odd angles. It’s another reason most androids would prefer to be unconscious for the procedure. Inui doesn’t skip a beat before pushing himself up on the table, planting a knee on either side of Kaidou, and digging into the hatch with some of his finer tools.

Kaidou of course doesn’t have his uniform on, his artificial skin fully exposed. He can hazily feel the texture of Inui’s slacks slightly brushing his sides. More clearly, he can feel Inui’s hands as they run over his components, and the poke and prod of his tools as they very gently — considerately — work into his systems.

Kaidou looks up at Inui’s face, tense with concentration, focused singularly on his goal.

And Kaidou thinks that’s why he wouldn’t want to be unconscious for a single second of this.

PROMPT: TEAM FURUYA SATORU/MIYUKI KAZUYA

[tsunderekita]

Miyuki Kazuya/Arakita Yasutomo and Miyuki Kazuya/Furuya Satoru (Daiya no Ace and Yowamushi Pedal)
tags: polyamory/open relationship??

package: a nice cold bottle of officially branded Pocari Sweat™, hand-delivered because he wants to make sure you're taking care of yourself, cousin
from: Arakita
to: Furuya
note (said aloud): "You played like crap those last two innings! Here, take this, I'm gettin' you a new towel..."

Re: PROMPT: TEAM FURUYA SATORU/MIYUKI KAZUYA

[hapaxlegomenon]

cute, the heck

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[mother_herbivore]

Inui Sadaharu & Echizen Ryoma, prince of tennis

package: a verbal message
from: Ryoma
to: Inui
note: What's up, fuck mother? How's shit?

i still haven't watched this movie but this scene is already my favorite

PROMPT: TEAM KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU

[hapaxlegomenon]

Kuramochi Youichi/Miyuki Kazuya; Daiya no ace
Implied illness/injury

Package: Paper bag from a pharmacy
To: Miyuki
From: Kuramochi
Note: You idiot.

Re: PROMPT: TEAM KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU

[kazuyas]

EYEZOOMS SO HARD