Bonus Round 5: Myth & Lore

[referees]

Summer's a time for swapping stories around the campfire. With that in mind, this round draws inspiration from the stories humanity have told each other over the centuries.

This round is CLOSED as of 7PM on August 4 EDT. Late fills may be posted, but they will not receive points.

RULES

• This round does not have prompts. Instead, we ask you to draw inspiration from the wide pool of mythology, fantasy, folklore, and fable. An urban fantasy or supernatural AU? A re-imagining of your favorite folk tale? Characters swapping ghost stories or playing D&D? As long as your fill in some way incorporates the fantastical and/or supernatural, it's welcome here.
• Your fill still has to be about a ship from one of our nominated fandoms. What ships you create work for is up to you, though.
• To submit your fill, simply leave it as a comment as a reply to this post.
• 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.

Remember, this is a NO-PROMPT round. Format your fill comment in one of the following ways:

If FILLING:

If FILLING as a TEAM GRANDSTAND participant:

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 (without brackets) 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) If no major content tags are applicable, make sure to state this-- even if including other additional tags 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 If no major content tags are applicable, make sure to state this-- even if including other additional tags 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 fills as you want!

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

FILL: TEAM IWAIZUMI HAJIME/OIKAWA TOORU, T

[sotongsotong]

Iwaizumi Hajime/Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei/Oikawa Tooru, Haikyuu!
tags: mature language, sexual references, mentions of dragonfucking & tentacle porn
593 words, the crack SASO AU nobody asked for lmfao


It is a calm Sunday morning when Tooru suddenly pushes his laptop aside and bangs his hands on the table, effectively catching the attention of the boyfriends lounging in his room; with a pokerface that could rival even a constipated Ushijima’s, he poses a question as important as the birth of Plot-What-Plot (PWP) in fanfiction.

Tooru asks, “Is dragonfucking better than tentacle porn?”

Silence reigns the air for all of twenty seconds before a cushion, adorned with the words ”E.T GO HOME”, sails through the air and clocks Tooru directly on the face.

“Which damn gutter did that even come from, Kusokawa?!” Iwaizumi demands, to which Hanamaki and Matsukawa both reply in bland unison: his brain. His other hand is armed with a Predator dakimakura, and despite how red his face is right now, Iwaizumi seems set on throwing it no matter what answer Tooru gives.

“An open mind is the key to a fulfilling fandom life, Iwa-chan!” Tooru sniffs, then, quickly amends himself when Iwaizumi raises the life-sized hugging pillow higher. “Okay, okay, I just don’t know what to write for this fan event I joined, and I’m in need of some critical direction!”

“You want direction?” Iwaizumi points towards the room door. “There, get out.”

“Not that kind of direction, you jerk!” With that, Tooru leaps onto Iwaizumi and they proceed to grapple like baby monkeys fighting over a lone banana.

Matsukawa clears his throat, helpfully pipes up, “Do dragons knot? Because that’s a definite game changer.”

“How do dragon dicks even fit inside in the first place?” Hanamaki muses. “What kind of magical lube do dragonfuckers use, honestly?”

“Idiocy, “ Iwaizumi grits through clenched teeth, making Tooru gasp in offence and promptly squish two fingers into Iwaizumi’s nostrils. The other boy grunts and, in retaliation, loops a leg around Tooru’s waist to kick his butt.

“I think the true idiocy here is you two re-enacting the foreplay to a — 2008? 2009?— lemon without us joining to make it a 4P,” says Matsukawa, sagely, as he snaps a picture of Oikawa straddling Iwaizumi for not just their posteriors, but also posterity.

Both of them squawk in surprise and flush red, quickly pulling away from each other to Hanamaki’s great amusement. He smirks and cracks his knuckles, gleefully claiming, “Well, we can always correct that now, can’t we?”

They fall on top of a yelping Oikawa and a desperately-trying-to-escape Iwaizumi, snickering at their expressions when the two boys finally realise that Hanamaki and Matsukawa are just using this as an excuse to squash them to the floor.

“Let me up! I’ve got a writing Olympics to win!” Oikawa snarls, irate. “Plus, Tobio-chan’s in one of the competing teams so I need to crush them!”

Iwaizumi groans, letting his head fall back down with a loud thump. “What are you? The Hades to his Hercules?”

“That’s just the Disney movie’s portrayal,” quips Hanamaki who shifts to sit harder on Iwaizumi’s torso. “Actual Greek mythology was a whole lot wilder than that.”

“I got it!” Suddenly, Matsukawa brings a fist down to his palm in revelation, sleepy eyes currently wide with what appears to be enlightenment. “Tentacle porn’s like those really old aunts you see at family gatherings but you still love them anyway, because they never fail to give you money. It’s the gift that keeps giving.”

Oikawa gapes. “So, how does that make it better than dragonfucking?”

Matsukawa’s answering grin is the very depiction of shit-eating. “Beats me. Both involve things going up asses anyway, and that’s already a victory in itself.”

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

[hqqt]

ah the things that we make when we've read SO MUCH TAMORA PIERCE

(I like it, it's good)

Fill: team Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, T

[hqqt]

Tags: Injury (burns), pain, implied semi-captive situation, kuroo is a demon. This was tricky to rate so proceed with caution if any of this sounds sus to you?
Kuroo Tetsurou/Yaku Morisuke (haikyuu!!)
Word Count: 516

I said I was writing body horror but then I just did this instead. I might do that later, perhaps. But for now!

_

Kuroo stretches out in that boneless way of his, smirk taking up most of his face.

"You're going to blow it up," he says, not sounding overly concerned about the possibility.

"The hell I am," Yaku snaps back. This is the third time he's tried this spell, and he's not going to blow it up this time. Not that he really blew it up the first times. The ingredients only caught on fire, a little.

"M'hm," Kuroo replies, and reaches out to wipe a finger around the rim of the bowl, then licking off the residue he picked up. "Cut back on the arsenic."

Yaku kind of wants to try breaking Kuroo's horns off and shoving them down his throat. But he restrains himself to grinding the ingredients more finely, if with more force than necessary.

A lot of the time, it feels like Kuroo's magic lessons are him tossing Yaku into the deep end and telling him to swim, with the problem of Yaku not having a trace of innate magic to keep him afloat and Kuroo regularly forgetting that. When he'd brought the matter up, Kuroo had whined and claimed that he can't expect him to remember such insignificant details about humans, then draped himself around Yaku's shoulders and made him forget about the problem for a while.

"Fuck!" Yaku shouts as the bowl of ingredients ignites. It slips from his fingers as his body reacts to holding fire before his mind does. He jerks backwards, feet knock the stool he was sitting on to the ground and he fumbles for the bowl, a split second too late as he remembers the number of very explosive things contained in it.

The bowl hits the floor.

Yaku's breath catches behind his teeth. He holds it there. Waiting.

The pain sinks in like fire. Kuroo chuckles as he ducks down to scoop up the bowl and the mix with his fingers, flicking it back in.

Yaku grits his teeth. Kuroo has to know that it hurts, and he can stop the pain and help Yaku if he so chooses, but Yaku can never tell what he's going to do.

Right now, Kuroo is watching him. His eyes cold and observant. He always looks somewhat monstrous, with his fanged teeth, black tongue and crown of horns, but Yaku tries to see the parts of him that are almost human - the parts that he can relate to. Right now, he's not seeing those things. Right now, Yaku feels like a rat trapped in a cage that's filling with water as Kuroo watches.

He doesn't scream. White spots are building behind his eyes and he can't focus through the pain, but he stays quiet. You're adorable when you're stubborn! Kuroo had said back when they first met in the human world and Yaku made him pay for their meals rather than bewitching the guy at the counter to let them walk out. Well, he's still stubborn. So he doesn't scream.

Kuroo breaks the silence with a cluck of his tongue. "I told you it was too much arsenic."

FILL: TEAM IWAIZUMI HAJIME/OIKAWA TOORU, T

[sotongsotong]

Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Haikyuu!
tags: wing fic, self harm, blood, crumbling bones imagery
734 words, angels!AU which is a loose combination of Haibane and Good Omens


Hajime catches Tooru tearing off the dark feathers that dot across the white expanse of his wings.

Each removed feather swirls slowly, meeting the floor crumpled and unwanted. They steadily form a sea of black downy, lapping at Tooru’s feet, but their owner doesn’t stop, and his fingers continue to drip red with every complete detachment.

“It’s inevitable, “ he states, calm in the face of his own self-destruction.

“How long do you have left?” Hajime asks, instead of reproaching the other angel, because it’s useless to try break down walls set in resolve.

Here, Tooru pauses, and his eyes flash crimson for a split second when he looks up. It is unnerving. “Want me gone so soon, Iwa-chan?”

Hajime averts his gaze, fists clenching by his side. “Whatever, just tell me the truth.”

“The truth will be ugly.” His companion resumes plucking. “Are you ready to accept it?”

“I’ll try, “ he replies as sincerely as he can while being realistic.

Tooru closes his eyes. Smiles.

“I’m Falling tomorrow.”


*


The thing that hurts Hajime the most isn’t Tooru’s choice of leaving Heaven.

It’s the fact that Tooru hasn’t asked Hajime to come join him.


*


When dawn follows the farewell of night, Hajime jerks awake and reaches out to feel if Tooru’s still beside him on their cot of cumulonimbus.

He isn’t.

Hajime bites his tongue, just barely stopping himself from Swearing at the very beginning of morning, and bounds off in search of the angel— if he’s still one, that is. And he’d better be, because Hajime doesn’t want his last image of Tooru to be a lone figure sitting in a pool of his own blood and ruined feathers.

(At the very least, he wants it to be of his smile, whether it’s sad, happy or broken, he’ll burn it to the back of his mind.)

When he reaches the Pearly Gates, breath heavy with exertion, he finds them already open, and this is it: it’s a race against Time.

The sentries posted there— Hajime registers Matsukawa’s thick eyebrows and Hanamaki’s pinkish-brown hair— wave him through with whispers of hurry, hurry, you’d better hurry, so Hajime does hurry and nearly trips when they clap him on his back as he passes.

He goes through with their well wishes.


*

Hajime finds Tooru at the very tip of the Passage of Eternity and lets a dam inside him break loose.

“Why are you going,” he spits out, “without even the courtesy to say a proper goodbye?”

Tooru whirls around, eyes wide and guilt-stricken, clearly not expecting Hajime to be there at all, and the sight of that ignites a heat welling through the cockles of his heart.

(It burns to not be missed.)

“I didn’t want to say it,” Tooru answers simply, “because you’ll cry.”

“Well, damn that!” Hajime has had enough of keeping to Niceties. “I’d have still cried either way, and I’d rather do it to your face, not to your fading back!”

With that, he surges forward and embraces Tooru tightly. Hajime’s shoulders suddenly feel wet; he sighs as he pulls back to cup his companion’s face, gently wiping Tooru’s tears away.

“I’m—I’m sorry, Iwa-chan!” Tooru sobs. “I didn’t want to make you sad. I thought it was better to go quietly, but--“

He pinches Tooru’s nose, stops him from saying any more. Leans in to whisper a secret into his ear: guess what, you’re not going alone anymore.

And tips the both of them off the edge, down, down, into Damnation.


*


The faster they Fall, the faster the feathers on their wings stream off in dark rushes, sending constant sparks of pain through their changing bodies, and despite that, Tooru’s laughing into Hajime’s mouth, wild and happy.

Tooru unfurls his wings for the very last time— there’s nothing left on them by now, just a frame of protruding bones and growing sins— and flaps them just for the heck of it. Hajime looks up, watching in silent awe as each metacarpus detaches itself, setting off a symphony of raining bones beginning from the basal phalanx all the way to the crumbling ends of both humerus from Tooru’s scapula blade.

(The beat a triple meter: together, together, always together)

“This is forever, Hajime,” reverently Tooru breathes.

They link fingers, leaning their foreheads against each other’s.

“Then, we’d better make it last,” comes Hajime’s hushed answer.

FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, E

[knights_watch]

Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru Haikyuu!!
tags: dragon au, dragonfucking
1467 words

"Why do you have to be,” Yahaba's hands dig into his shoulders, pushing Kyoutani harder back against the stone wall behind him. His arms are shaking, and there's the tiniest of wavers in his voice. “So fucking reckless?"

Re: FILL: Team Aldini Takumi/Yukihira Souma,G

[horchata]

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

FILL: TEAM KYOUTANI KENTAROU/YAHABA SHIGERU, G

[knights_watch]

Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru Haikyuu!!
Tags:Witch!Yahaba, Cursed!Kyoutani, no warnings
955 words

Yahaba Shigeru was always taught to avoid the forest.

He's been taught many things over his life. That's how he came to be living on the very edge of the woods, a mixed sense of curiosity and a foolish lack of fear. It would be pointless to try to avoid the forest entirely, it lurks at the edges of the map like an animal waiting to strike.

What he doesn't expect is for something to come out of the forest to meet him.

That something comes in the shape of a cursed, confused wolf, who stumbles out in an unfortunately human shape. Naked, of course, and terrified of letting Shigeru anywhere near him. He spends days lurking in what amounts to Shigeru's yard, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.

For his part, Shigeru mostly ignores the creature. He figures this is the kind of behavior that led to a witch hexing him in the first place. And if he throws extra food scraps into his hard, who's there to see him do it?

Kyoutani, as he comes to learn the wolf calls himself, isn't as bad as he seems. In the end, when he calms down enough to actually come inside Shigeru's small cottage and speak, he's interesting. Frustrating, hot-headed, too quick to make choices and not patient enough to listen.

But, not as bad as Shigeru might expect. They get along, in their way.

* * *

The curse is a complex chain of runes scarred into Kyoutani's back. The skin is red and angry like the curse was freshly laid and not nearly a year old by this point. Kyoutani is sitting on a cushion in the middle of the floor. He settles his shoulders, then rolls them, shuffling his position nervously. Shigeru can hardly blame him; breaking curses is messy and painful at the best of times.

With a sigh, he returns to the mortar in his hands. It's mixed already; lilac to calm him, rowan and hazel to nullify the magic, rose oil to break the bonds holding the spell together, white tea to help restore him. The mixture in his hands smells sweet and earthy, and he kneels behind Kyoutani, running the pad of his thumb over the scars and setting the mortar by his knee. There's a small brush in his other hand, and he sets it into the mixture. "Are you ready?"

Kyoutani shrugs. Shigeru huffs at that, pausing in stroking his back to shake his head. "We don't have to do this if you aren't."

"I'm fine. Just get on with it," Kyoutani growls, ducking his head quickly. Shigeru rolls his eyes at the attitude, drawing his thumb down the line of Kyoutani's spine.

He doesn't want to think about what happens when the curse is broken and Kyoutani returns to the forest. He's a wild thing, it's unlikely he'll ever come back to Shigeru and their small cottage.

There was a time Shigeru was fond of the peace that came with living alone. Now it just makes him feel empty, lonely already even with Kyoutani still there.

"Alright," Shigeru responds, taking a moment to center himself and brush away the negative thoughts. He can dwell later, he supposes, when he doesn't have the delicate work of actually breaking the curse to attend to. He picks the brush up, wiping the excess on the side of the mortar so it drips back in, before tracing the shape of the first rune, painting it over.

Kyoutani's breath comes in a single sharp gasp before he relaxes again, and Shigeru watches the scar go from red to black. He continues on to the others, tracing each mark carefully so he can remove each one. Kyoutani hisses softly on occasion, but other than that he remains quiet and still as a statue. Shigeru sets the brush down when each rune is black,

He lifts his hand to touch Kyoutani's shoulders, surprised to find that his fingers are shaking. "Just a bit more."

The murmur is meant to be encouraging, but Kyoutani does nothing to show he's even heard Shigeru speak. The runes peel away from his skin with quick pinches and pulls of Shigeru's fingers, and he sets each one to the side. Beneath them, the skin of Kyoutani's back is clean and unmarked.

When he sets the last one to the side, Kyoutani drops his head into his hands and groans loudly, his back arching. Shigeru's fingers hover inches away from his skin, wondering if he's done something wrong.

Kyoutani pushes himself quickly to his feet, eyes wide as he turns, sprinting for the door. Yahaba's heart sinks, even as he stands to chase after him.

What he finds on the green spring grass of his lawn is not a wolf, but a bronze dragon, stretching his wings in the sunlight and shaking himself. Shigeru hesitates in the doorway, staring, eyes like silver coins.

"K- Kyoutani?" He asks, voice trembling. The dragon turns to face him, and the only thing Shigeru recognizes of his friend is the eyes. Kyoutani turns around, his steps careful, lowering his head to touch his muzzle to Yahaba''s forehead.

"Thank you," his voice is soft, and warm air blows over Shigeru's face.

He wants to ask Kyoutani to stay. He watches his wings unfurl, the light of the sun shining golden through the membrane, watches his strong muscles bunch just before he leaps into the air, beating his wings hard to gain altitude.

He wants to ask, even as Kyoutani becomes a golden shape in the sky to equal the sun. Instead, he turns back to his small cottage and sweeps the cursed runes outside for the wind to take as well.

Re: FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

[dynamite]

I can't believe this is Dark Chiha's final form

FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Tachibana Aya, G

[luckycricket33]

no major content warnings
Inui & Echizen



I picked 2004 because that's when fire red and leaf green came out

FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Tachibana Aya, G

[luckycricket33]

no major content warnings
Tatara & Chinatsu



gaju: oh yeah, that thing.
hyoudou: they say really good dancers can feel it sometimes. like you have four legs.

Re: FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Tachibana Aya, G

[luckycricket33]

:') i couldn't just draw a gift to wes without making it a saso fill too. bonus rounds have taken over my life. send help.

FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, T

[kiyala]

Yamazaki Sousuke/Pyusuke; Free!
interspecies relationship, transformation; based on the frog prince, kind of
word count: 1089

It all starts with a dream.

He's at his family home for the weekend, sleeping in his own bed, enjoying the comfort of it, when the dream startles him awake with how strange and vivid it is.

It leaves him disoriented for a moment, blinking up at his ceiling as he remembers where he is, and then remembers the dream. He shuts his eyes, and he can still see it clearly; the can recall the handsome stranger standing incredibly close to him, gorgeous and dark-skinned, with messy black hair and a golden crown perched on top of it, embellished with elegant decorations including, most prominently, golden prongs that stick up like—

Like antlers, he thinks to himself, sitting up in bed. Like a stag.

Turning to his windowsill, he looks at the small bottle he took from Momotarou, with the stag beetle inside. He reaches over, picking it up and looking at the mandible, marvelling at just how much it looks like the decorative parts of the crown from his dream.

"Weird," he mutters to himself, holding the bottle a little closer. The beetle inside stands against the glass, as if it's looking right back at him. "Pyunsuke, huh?"

Instead of taking the bottle out and releasing the beetle into the wild, he ends up keeping it. At first, he just thinks about keeping it at home, but when he's packing to return to Samezuka, he picks the bottle up without thought, carefully tucking it into his bag.

Momotarou is more than happy to help Sousuke set up a proper terrarium for Pyunsuke. He bombards Sousuke with information, giving him far too much at once. Sousuke ends up having to sit down and read about it online for any of it to actually sink in. He learns about how to feed stag beetles, how to keep them clean and healthy, and how to make sure their habitat is comfortable for them.

He's surprised at just how easy it is to take care of Pyunsuke, and Sousuke finds himself slowly getting attached. Rin thinks it's hilarious, but he doesn't seem to mind at all when Sousuke develops a habit of taking Pyunsuke out of his tank to let him wander around.

The dream from before returns, after a while, and this time it doesn't leave. Sousuke dreams of the same man several nights in a row, but it's not entirely unpleasant. There's a sense of familiarity to them that lingers even once Sousuke wakes, but he doesn't really know where to start figuring out what it could possibly mean, so he doesn't try.

On one particular afternoon, while Rin is out, Sousuke is sitting at his desk, letting Pyunsuke crawl across his fingers as he does his homework.

"What are you doing?" he asks with a small smile, as he feels Pyunsuke's legs tickling across his arm, climbing it. He stops writing, so he can just sit there are watch as the beetle climbs all the way up onto his shoulder, bumping its mandible against Sousuke's chin.

"Well, hey to you too," he replies, picking Pyunsuke up and bringing him closer, to eye level.

He moves without thought, leaning forward and brushing a gentle kiss over Pyunsuke's mandibles, and the very next moment, there's a loud crash.

Sousuke is sent sprawling onto the floor, and he's too busy trying to make sure not to land on his bad shoulder that he doesn't notice the man suddenly in his room. Not until said man falls on top of him.

"What the hell, get off me," Sousuke mutters, struggling against the weight on top of him before he looks up.

The moment that he does, he immediately stops struggling.

He knows the face looking back at him. He knows that dark skin, the black curls, the golden crown.

"Pyun…suke…?"

"That's my name, isn't it?" the man smiles. "You saved me. I knew that you would."

"You were a beetle," Sousuke says, and then a horrible thought occurs to him. "This isn't a true love thing, is it?"

Pyunsuke gives him a quizzical look, and Sousuke breathes a sigh of relief. He doesn't know how he'd even get his head around the fact that he's in true love with a beetle. Or a guy who used to be a beetle.

It's difficult enough getting his head around the fact that he's attracted to said man, and that every passing moment that he's still pinned underneath Pyunsuke, he's beginning to realise that he doesn't mind it at all.

"Your reward for saving me," Pyunsuke murmurs, and leans towards Sousuke.

He knows exactly what's coming, and Sousuke decides not to bother fighting it. He lifts his head up off the floor, meeting Pyunsuke's mouth with his own. They kiss deeply, and Sousuke winds his arms around Pyunsuke's shoulders, holding him close, until they're both breathless.

"I think," Pyunsuke murmurs, kissing along Sousuke's jaw, "I need to keep you."

"Huh," Sousuke says dazedly, chasing Pyunsuke's lips with his own because the moment they stop making out, he's going to have to deal with the rest of this situation, and he isn't quite ready for that yet.

"I could take you with me," Pyunsuke says. "Reclaim my place as the beetle king. I could have you by my side. Be my king-consort, Sousuke."

"Huh?"

Before Pyunsuke can speak, they hear the doorknob turning. Sousuke's stomach drops out.

"Quick. Before Rin comes in. Hide."

Rin opens the door to find Sousuke on his back, with Pyunsuke in beetle form, crawling across his chest.

"Were you just talking to your beetle while I was gone?" Rin asks, carefully stepping around Sousuke. "You must really like him a lot, huh?"

Sousuke laughs nervously. "Um. Yeah. I guess you could say that."

Pyunsuke nips Sousuke's finger gently—affectionately, Sousuke thinks, and he doesn't even know how he knows, but he does, and it makes his face go red.

"Are you feeling okay?" Rin asks with concern.

Sousuke doesn't even know where to begin. "Yeah. Everything's just fine. Absolutely fine."

"Convincing," Rin hums. "I'm going to go find Ai and Momo and see if they want ice cream. You should join us when you're done playing with your beetle."

With that, Rin leaves the room again. Sousuke is half afraid that Pyunsuke will change forms again, but he doesn't. Instead, he just crawls further up Sousuke's chest, bumping mandibles to chin in yet another affectionate gesture.

Sousuke strokes his finger over Pyunsuke's body, and wonders when, exactly, he lost control of his life.

Re: FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, T

[knights_watch]

Sousuke/Pyunsuke. Best Free! Otp

Re: FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

[chiharu]

lmao it's not even

Re: FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

[chiharu]

are you rly surprised tho

Re: FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

[chiharu]

I'M DETERMINED TO DROP A TON OF RARESHIP SHOKUGEKI FILLS

Re: FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

[underscored]

dude you look fucking hot

Re: FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, M

[chazyary]

kise!!!!!! bless your soul!!! eats my shirt

Re: FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

[chiharu]

bats my fake eyelashes at u

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

[chiharu]

Tsukasa/Rindou Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma
1237 words, animal death, T

Tsukasa knows it'll be a bothersome mission the moment King Senzaemon assigns him to look for General Kobayashi. As the White Knight, Tsukasa is privy to information on Toutsuki Royalty, but even he has heard little of the missing General and his family.

"Kobayashi is strong and untouchable" is all King Senzaemon says before launching into another unhelpful, nostalgic spew.

After a long trek to visit the smug Alquimista, Tsukasa learns the subject of his quest is flighty and was last seen in a town four days away from the castle. It seems less like magic and more like common intel, but Tsukasa still pays the hefty price for a glance at the Alquimista's crystal ball.

On the first day of his travels, Tsukasa meets a potion seller at an inn who has heard of Kobayashi. "What is he like?" Tsukasa asks after spending an unnecessary amount of coins to procure Miyoko juice made from the freshest pomegranate fruit.

"Loud," Miyoko says with a tilt of her head, and Tsukasa feels his headache growing.

On the third day, Tsukasa replenishes his supplies at an armoury. The blacksmith is a short woman of few words. "You're looking for Kobayashi?"

"Yes," Tsukasa says and tries to keep the building irritation out of his voice. "What is Kobayashi like?"

Mizuhara simply shrugs while repairing the rig for Tsukasa's horse. "Meddlesome."

This is why Tsukasa is appropriately unenthusiastic when he arrives at his destination to find a village in the woods. He ties his horse to a tree and follows the single path weaving around the settlement, stepping through tall grass that leaves dark stains on his armor. Tsukasa knows it's magic to track unwanted visitors, and he's not surprised when the villagers regard him with uncooperative alarm.

Wearily, Tsukasa finds an area by the river to rest. He finishes his cheese and sheds his armor under the warm spring sun. Tsukasa lies down on the grass and thinks about how the King will respond to the disappointing news. Strip, probably.

"Hello!" A cheerful voice says, and Tsukasa opens his eyes to find a woman peering over him. She's kneeling on the grass, her dark red tresses pooling onto his tunic in waves.

Tsukasa stares back. "Hi."

"Who are you?" The woman asks, mischief dancing in her gold eyes.

Tsukasa considers his options: The White Knight, Envoy of the King, Tired Messenger. He deflates under her gaze and says, "My name is Tsukasa Eishi." He's surprised when the woman trusts out a hand in response. Tsukasa shakes her hand wearily and finds her palms surprisingly warm. When he looks up, he finds the woman staring at him, her face now unreadable.

"I'm Rindou. Nice to meet you!" Rindou flattens the skirt part of her wrinkled dress and stands up, pulling Tsukasa along with her. She picks up wrapped loaves of bread near her and turns back towards the village. "You can't stay here. Red Dragonflies appear in the afternoons, and you know they prefer to suck men's blood."

Tsukasa doesn't know that. Still, he gathers his belongings quietly and follows Rindou as she parts tall grass with a wave of her hand. "I'm looking for someone," Tsukasa says.

All he gets in response is a thoughtful hum as Rindou pops a piece of bread into her mouth. "Want some?" She doesn't wait for Tsukasa's reply before breaking off a large piece and throwing it at him.

On their way back to Rindou's home, they pick up flowers from a girl who wraps the stems tightly in brown paper. Rindou circles around Tsukasa as if gauging his reaction, asking him random questions about his sword and hair.

Tsukasa is surprised when they arrive in front of the cabin to find his horse roaming in a patch of grass by Rindou's garden.

"I moved him here," Rindou says with a small grin. She dumps her items into Tsukasa's arms while searching for her keys, and Tsukasa notices that her fingers are pale and uncalloused, even more so than the Princess's.

Once inside, Rindou prepares tea while Tsukasa examines trinkets lining Rindou's walls. The cabin is spacious, but there are no traces of anyone else having lived here. "I'm searching for General Kobayashi," Tsukasa says when Rindou serves him tea and cookies.

Rindou tilts her head at him. "How is your search going?"

"Unfruitful as expected." Tsukasa looks down at his saucer.

"Why are you searching for this person?"

Tsukasa considers lying, but it seems troublesome. "I was told that our families have history, and as the heir of my bloodline, I am the only one who can work alongside him." The idea of bonded bloodlines still seems unrealistic to Tsukasa, but there must be a reason the second seat in the Royal Council has been left empty and uncontested for so long. Tsukasa's father always said prophecy protected their family, even though not a single drop of magic ran through Tsukasa's veins.

Rindou nods and waves her cookie in the air. "You don't seem excited at the prospect."

Tsukasa looks towards the window, where a potted plant is hanging from the ceiling on invisible twine. The truth is that the kingdom is on the precipice of a great split. With the Princess too young to assume her position, the council has been split at a stalemate. They need Kobayashi to cast the vote reserved for the second seat, and the King has hopes that it will be in their favor.

"Perhaps my intel was wrong," Tsukasa says at last, feeling another wave of anxiety clawing at him. "I should stop imposing upon you and continue my search. Thank you for your hospitality." He's not surprised, really, to look down and find that Rindou has already stolen his cookie. It's not until Rindou escorts Tsukasa outside that something occurs to him. "Why do Red Dragonflies prefer men's blood if there are no men in this village?"

"Ah! You noticed?" Rindou grins like she had, indeed, expected him to notice. A gust of wind blows a shower of crepe myrtles into the air, but Tsukasa is painfully aware that not a single flower petal lands on Rindou.

Untouchable, the king had said.

“Please answer my question.”

Rindou taps a finger to her chin. "The truth would trouble you."

"Most things trouble me," Tsukasa replies honestly.

"Well," Rindou says as she snaps her fingers. On command, a bird flies down to land on her palms. It makes distressed calling sounds, as if pulled down by some invisible force. Immediately upon landing, it bursts into flames, and Tsukasa watches in fascination at the ball of contained fire in Rindou's hands. Eventually, Rindou ends the fire and gives Tsukasa a strange smile. "When I touch things, they tend to burn. Men, especially."

Tsukasa looks down at his own hand, where he'd touched hers not long ago. He thinks about what it means to be born into coupling seats in the council, to be bonded from birth. Rindou had probably known that he was coming to find her.

"A storm is coming to Toutsuki," Rindou says, apropos of nothing. She takes Tsukasa's hand again and squeezes, and Tsukasa feels his normal state of apathy lit by something bubbling and raw.

"Yes," Tsukasa agrees quietly.

Rindou smirks at him like a cat who has caught a satisfying prey. "Perhaps I will come with you and ride the waves."

FILL: Team Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, T

[underscored]

416 words
character death (dead character?), graphic descriptions of violence (drowning)

Bokuto’s breath is cold on Akaashi’s face, like a gust of winter’s wind, but his touches are soft enough to light a furnace inside him. Their noses are pressed against each other’s, lips hovering so close together that they can almost touch. Bokuto grins, cupping Akaashi’s cheek with a wet, clammy hand. Most people would think it is strange. Akaashi decides he isn’t “most people” after all.

Bokuto smiles, and it is like sunlight has filled the room, infiltrating each and every corner with cheerful, radiant, warmth. Akaashi feels his heart skip a beat, and he closes his eyes. He swallows the lump in his throat, inching closer to Bokuto to press his lips against his.

Kissing a ghost, he soon finds, is enough to leave him breathless.

Bokuto’s corporeal form wraps around him, enveloping him in a misty blanket. Akaashi feels like the wind is being sucked from his lungs and his breath is being tugged from his throat; he lets out an involuntary gagging sound, but he cannot bring himself to tear away. Instead, Akaashi finds himself deepening the kiss, cupping the back of Bokuto’s neck with his hand, toying with cold silvers of hair and slight ethers of skin.

He tastes cold, but not unpleasant. It is like a fresh drink of water after going for so long parched. Akaashi moans softly as Bokuto laces his hands into his hair, tracing Bokuto’s bottom lip with his tongue. This is dangerous, he knows. He will soon run out of air, his system will soon collapse. Already he can feel his knees weakening and a sense of darkness cloying around him, a pain wrenching in his chest—another gagging sound escapes from the back of his throat, and Akaashi pulls away. His eyes widen as he lifts his hand to his lips. Bokuto’s brow crosses with concern.

“Are you okay—“ he begins, stumbling backwards with panic. Akaashi is too busy savouring the feeling of air and the coming to his senses to answer properly, but he manages to nod. Somehow, the feeling of asphyxiation just simulates how he’s felt about this entire affair. He’d practically drowned in Bokuto’s kiss, just as he’s slowly drowning in this love. Akaashi squeezes his eyes shut again, taking a long, deep breath. Life, breath slowly flows through his veins once more. He finally brings himself to smile back.

“I want this more than air,” he mutters, wrapping his arms around Bokuto once again and crushing their lips together.

Re: Fill: team Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, T

[yrindor]

I really liked the snarky/sarcastic/somewhat sadistic Kuroo you wrote here (plus, demon Kuroo is always a plus in my books). Also, stubborn-to-a-fault Yaku.

Re: FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

[yrindor]

This was so sweet and fluffy and adorable!

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, G

[chiharu]

Nakiri Alice/Kurokiba Ryou, Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma
507 Words, shapeshifting, G

Alice is already gathering her scrolls when Erina asks for a moment of privacy. "What would you like to talk about, dearest cousin?" Alice says after the last of the councilmen have left the meeting hall.

Princess Erina does not roll her eyes, but she does her best to look unimpressed. "There is a rumor floating around Court that the Duchess is conspiring against me with a demon. I've heard it described as a monster of the night."

Alice pouts in response. "How rude. You know I would do no such thing."

"You are too careless. Be careful with who you trust," Erina says with finality before leaving.

Alice just hums, gathers the rest of her things, and heads for the carriage that will take her back to the estate. Upon her return, she has tea with her mother and meets again with the Master of Arms to finalize her submission for the annual fencing competition. Alice handpicks the vegetables to be used for dinner and enjoys a small but well-crafted meal. By the time she has bathed and settled into bed, the moon is already high in the sky. She almost doesn't notice when the door to her suite is cracked open, and the sound of paws on her wooden floor is followed by the familiar dip in her bed as a large black dog settles himself near her feet.

"You must stop sneaking in like this." Alice hums while touching the dog's soft, black coat. "People are beginning to talk."

The dog raises an ear lazily at her.

"Won't you come to bed like a normal person?" Alice asks, smiling as she watches light fill the room. When Ryou resumes his human form, she takes a moment to appreciate the sharp lines of his body. It's a shame, really, that he's usually clad in that black tunic in public. Eventually, Alice sighs and throws a towel at him. "Go take a bath. The water should still be warm." She falls back against her pillow when Ryou obeys without a word.

Alice is almost asleep when Ryou comes back to bed, clean and smelling of her soap. His chest is warm where it touches her back, and Alice makes a small, content noise when he drapes a hand across her waist. "I signed you up for the tournament," she says softly.

"Why?" Ryou asks, the beginning of a growl forming in his chest.

"I want to show the Kingdom that you're more than just a stray," Alice says.

"You want to show me off," Ryou replies, and Alice can't exactly deny that. "The tournament is pointless. You know I'm stronger than anyone training under the Master of Arms."

Alice presses her nose against his arm. "I hear there are some interesting people participating this year, perhaps even someone of your caliber."

Ryou takes a moment to digest this information. They both know that he’s been waiting a long time for a worthy rival. "I won't fail you."

"I know you won't," Alice say, and means it.

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, G

[dynamite]

Imaizumi Shunsuke / Naruko Shoukichi, Yowapeda
tags: cisswap (first years), minor violence; Onoda/Midousuji if you squint
880 words, Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU


Naruko’s hair is like a heart fire in the bright noon sun as they toss her into the sky.

Her yellow and red pompoms held proudly aloft are a victory signal as they celebrate another cheerleading win for Team Sohoku at regionals; the noise from the crowd surrounds her like the best welcome home, and Naruko feels like she can’t smile for them any brighter, a grin that’s all teeth lighting up her face as she readies for her signature dismount.

They always love how flashy it is. They love her, and Naruko feels like she truly is standing on top of the world, held up by the warm steady hands of her beloved friends and teammates, and she lets herself whoop with joy as Onoda and Kaburagi vault her off their hands into a complicated series of aerial twists.

“Hm,” Kinjou says, as he watches the cheerleading squad perform from the second floor library window. His hands pause over the open pages of the notebook where he was jotting down observations; they’ve been adding up in a very particular way, and he knows the answer long before he looks at them. “She’s so young. They’re always so young. Will she be ready for what’s ahead of her.”

Tadokoro looks up from where he is sitting with Makishima as they sort long knifes and a variety of wooden stakes into three duffel bags emblazoned with the school crest. The cheery yellow and red Sohoku colours seem incongruous with their dangerous contents, but something about them suits Tadokoro’s confident grin. “I’ll personally make sure she’s ready. We all will.”


--


“Of course Onoda-chan is off to The Akiba again,” Naruko cackles as she walks briskly home alone. They had parted ways at the fork leading up to the main road; Onoda had seen that tall gangly cheerleader from a rival school and had almost tripped running up to her, and Naruko had laughed herself sick watching the resulting bright explosion of enthusiasm (Onoda) and reluctant, dragging interest (the rival) go head to head. But they both had matching anime charms dangling from their sports bags, and when Onoda had bowed deep to Naruko for leaving her there, Naruko had just waved off her best friend with a hearty "Remember to use protection!" as if the two girls weren't just going to the local arcade to knock each other out of the top spot rankings.

The sun has long since set, and the weekend lies ahead, open and full of alcohol- and dancing-laced possibilities, and Naruko is head in the clouds thinking about the pretty girls that always seem to hang out at The Akiba when movement shifts the shadows to her left, close to the mouth of the alleyway she had just passed; hands dart out and grab at her, and she barely has time to keep her quick feet under her before she’s pulled into the dark.

“Don’t think so, you shithead,” Naruko yells as she jabs a pointy elbow into the person’s soft gut, or maybe that was their groin going by the particular pained wheezing she’s rewarded with, why is everybody so goddamn tall anyway, and the hands holding her go slack and start trying to slap her off with a muffled, “Stop that, I’m just trying to help you--”

They’re both slapping at each other when a heavy thump lands a figure directly where Naruko was just a moment ago, and something hisses in the dark and lunges at them both.

“Shit!” Naruko yells as she roundhouse kicks the attacking figure in the long glinting teeth; all she can see is a mouth wide open and teeth like knives and Naruko knows she doesn’t want any of that, no thank you. The attacking figure is a grimace of fury and looms over her, but Naruko is all sharp reflexes and she feels such strength in her bones in this moment, she thinks the world has changed somewhere in the last two minutes.

“Holy shit!” Naruko yells again as the person previously holding her pulls something out of the inside of their jacket and stabs it into the attacking figure. “Holy shit, you just killed a dude!”

“Can you just pay attention for one minute,” that person says, and that person turns out to be a very tall pretty girl with wayward black hair that sticks out in flyaways. She’s holding a wooden stake in one hand and is gently rubbing one breast with the other. Oh, that’s what I jabbed, Naruko thinks, and she can’t help but cringe a little bit in sympathetic pain, and she can’t help but flush a little bit in remembering how soft it had been.

The pretty girl almost looks bored as the attacking figure crumbles to dust at their feet, but something about the crease of her eyes looks nervous, like she’s waiting for the reprimand, the other shoe to fall, and Naruko fells fierce in that moment, puts a warm hand against the pretty girl’s arm in comfort.

“What the fuck was that,” Naruko asks.

When the pretty girl smiles at her, her eyeteeth grow long and white in the light of the rising moon, and Naruko can only stare wide-eyed. “That was a vampire, and I’m here to help you.”