sportsanime | Bonus Round 5: Myth & Lore

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Bonus Round 5: Myth & Lore

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!

Threaded | Flat

no major content warnings
Kousaka Honoka & Sonoda Umi

apollo and artemis

Kominato Ryousuke/Tanba Kouichirou, Daiya no ace
tags: graphic depictions of violence, attempted human sacrifice
wordcount: 1529
demon au

Kouichirou sometimes thinks about how differently his life would have gone if the summoning had gone the way the cult had intended. He would be dead, for one thing. It had been pure misfortune that they had managed to get ahold of him, and the thought that he had only gotten away alive thanks to a stroke of luck still chills him sometimes.

Well, maybe not pure misfortune. Getting lured around the side of a grocery store by the sound of a crying kitten is a little too deliberate for just bad luck, but it could have happened to anyone, really.

link to ao3

Imaizumi Shunsuke / Naruko Shoukichi, Yowapeda
mild sexual content, transformation, obnoxious fade-to-black sorry ;v;
502 words, "Imaizumi wears a bunny shirt because he is like a bunny"

Naruko is the one who notices first.

“Hey hotshot, why are you--” but Naruko has no words; he laughs obnoxiously instead, gesturing at where Imaizumi has the carrot gripped between his front teeth. They’re sitting together in the tall green grass behind the engineering building; summer has been particularly sweltering this year, but today the heat and humidity had let up just enough that the shade under the old cedar tree was cool and pleasant. Eating lunch together has become a sort of small, quiet ritual for them in the midst of their crowded, busy lives.

Imaizumi frowns at the finger in his face and it’s such a perfect duplicate of the cartoon rabbit on his shirt that Naruko loses his shit completely. “Are you doing this on purpose? Are you messing with me?”

Imaizumi just scrunches his nose in vague distaste and brushes his cheek with the back of his hand. It’s been itching for the last few days; he wonders faintly if he’s allergic to something.

--

“I think I need to get new gear,” Imaizumi says. He just spent the last five minutes trying to pull his cycling shorts up around his hips. It’s late afternoon and they had agreed to meet up after their last class to bike together through the newly opened bike path that took them past their university’s green and down to the lake shore.

Naruko tries not to stare at the blue spandex stretched tight across Imaizumi’s ass. Has it grown bigger? Somehow… rounder? “Uh, yeah. We can do that tomorrow. You have the day off, right?”

Imaizumi’s hips wiggle a bit as he zips up his jersey.

--

“Now you’re definitely just messing with me.”

Naruko is sitting upright, futon covers kicked off in the middle of the hot summer night as Imaizumi tosses and turns in his sleep. But that’s nothing unusual, Imaizumi never did do well in the heat, but Naruko is now just staring at the little black furry tail that peeks out from Imaizumi’s boxer-briefs, and--

“Are those real,” Naruko whispers as he reaches for the long silky-furred black ears that seem to have sprouted from Imaizumi’s head during the last few hours. “Is this revenge because I asked you to dress up as a bunny girl for me?”

Imaizumi jolts at the fingers running lightly along his bunny ears; his breath comes out almost as a whine, over sensitive to Naruko’s touch. “I have no idea, but I’m blaming you anyway.” He’s propped up on his hands, panting slightly in the heat; he feels all kinds of too warm right now, and he’s not sure how much longer he can resist before wanting to strip every piece of clothing from his burning skin.

“Holy shit, they’re so soft,” Naruko says as he continues stroking Imaizumi’s ears, and Imaizumi shivers.

“Naruko--”

But then Naruko’s hands are everywhere else, and Imaizumi moans lightly against the sheets, and they find out that Imaizumi is much like a rabbit in many, many other ways.

Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, daiya no ace

kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu:

su au

i thought about making miyuki to be steven bc of Dead Moms lmao buT WHATEVER

canon atypical supernatural stuff
718 words.

It was a bad idea. Sawamura knows that much.

But he wanted to try it anyways.

“What’s this?” Miyuki crosses his arms and bats his eyelashes. “You want to fuse with little ol’ me? What’s this, The Sawamura Eijun wants to pop his fusion cherry with a gem he’s just met? Oh, goodness gracious, what is this world coming to? If only Rose Quartz could see you now—she’d be scandalized.”

“You wouldn’t be popping my fusion cherry,” Sawamura retorts, face flushing red with that terminology. “I’ve already fused with someone.”

“Really now,” Miyuki puts his hands on his hips and shifts his weight, skeptical. “You never told me. When was this, partner?”

Sawamura tries to resist the urge to bare his teeth. He fails. “I’ve been a fully functional gem before I met you, I’ll have you know.”

“Alright then,” Miyuki snorts and extends his hand, as if he wants Sawamura to kiss it. “Lead the dance then.”

Now, Sawamura thinks as he stares at Miyuki’s hand, this is where it gets complicated. Is it possible to discreetly wipe his sweaty palms on his thighs or will Miyuki notice? Miyuki will probably notice. That means the first impression will be his sweaty palms.

“Hm,” Sawamura grimaces, “it doesn’t feel natural.”

They’re sitting on the couch of their base in the mountains. There’s half-eaten pizza lying on a paper plate, courtesy of Sawamura himself, and the atmosphere feels heavy.

Miyuki raises an eyebrow and stares at him, like, hello, you’re the one who wanted this.

“I’ll figure it out later,” Sawamura decides, “what kind of dance I want to do with you. I want our first time to be special.”

“A true romantic,” Miyuki says dryly and abruptly stands up. Sawamura doesn’t know if he should vouch for the validity of those romantic comics that Wakana’s been giving him or just let Miyuki go.

He chooses the latter because it’s easier. Miyuki leaves on the warp pad.

**

Miyuki’s cooking him something because that’s Miyuki, making Sawamura question his every move.

Sawamura watches him cook, methodical and precise, just like the way he battles, when the thought occurs to him. He quickly hustles his way upstairs to his room and grabs his stereo, popping in one of his dad’s tapes.

Soon, smooth jazz with his dad’s voice floats throughout the room. Perfect.

Miyuki doesn’t acknowledge the music until Sawamura sways to the beat behind him, his hands on the other’s hips as he gently pushes the other to swaying as well. Humoring the other, Miyuki allows himself to move, his hands still on the frying pan as he cooks the fried rice. Sawamura hums along to the tune while Miyuki rolls his eyes and turns off the heat.

As soon as he does, Sawamura spins him around and suddenly they’re chest to chest, Miyuki looking down slightly as Sawamura grins up at him.

“May I have this dance,” Sawamura asks and Miyuki snorts.

“How selfish,” he scolds and taps Sawamura on the nose. Sawamura huffs and sways, his hands on Miyuki’s shoulders. Miyuki allows his hands to drift down to rest on Sawamura’s hips and Sawamura’s grin widens.

It takes roughly ten more sways for Miyuki to calm down and then—

They become one and Miyuki can feel Sawamura’s emotions—predominantly excitement—flow through him and someone that’s not him lifts up his hand and touches his own face.

“We did it!” Sawamura shouts and god, is that their voice. “Quickly, find a mirror—we have to see what we look like.”

They take a single step and fall to the ground. Sawamura says oof as Miyuki takes over control of their mobility.

There’s no way that they’re going to stand up. Miyuki crawls them over to the bathroom and they grip the sink with gold hands, lifting themselves up.

“Woah!” Sawamura says and the reflection opens their mouth, revealing white teeth surrounded by dark gold lips. Their hair is croppy, a swirling mixture of browns and golds and creams that blend in the most intrinsic way, and their entire body looks like they’ve been made out of glowing brown. “We’re so—wow! Where are our irregularities! I thought we were going to have more arms than just these two.”

Same, Miyuki thinks. Sawamura laughs because he knows.

Imaizumi Shunsuke / Naruko Shoukichi, & Hakone, Yowapeda
no tags other than lmaooooo, bye chiha
736 words, sports swap + superpowers

“Is that even allowed?” Onoda asks nervously. The entire Sohoku basketball team is crowded together in the stands watching the quarterfinals play out; they would be facing whoever wins this game, and when Teshima and Aoyagi had passed the captaincy to Imaizumi and Naruko, they had stressed the importance of understanding the way your opponent moves, the way they chase; the way they could break apart under the pressure.

(Imaizumi had shouldered a lot, that day, and Naruko had been uncharacteristically quiet at his side.)

They watch in fascination as Hakone’s small forward sprouts something that looks like insect wings and it powers them fast and angry with the buzzing of a thousand hornets as they drive the final point home. The match is called to the crowd going wild for the home team, blue banners dancing from hundreds of hands, and Imaizumi thinks he hears the faint strains of a Spanish guitar somewhere in the distance.

(“I mean, if they let Aoyagi use his antlers, I’m sure this is allowed,” Kaburagi says from a few seats down, right before someone slaps him beside the head with a hissed “You call him Aoyagi-senpai.”)

Naruko sitting at his side hasn’t moved, but his voice is fierce. “This time we’ll win for sure, hotshot. We have to. We made a promise with Onoda.”

--

“Hotshot, you gotta--”

“It was a bad order. It was a bad order, and I’m not good enough, I--”

They’ve called a timeout; they’re watching the numbers steadily climb toward a Sohoku loss, and Imaizumi is sitting on the bench with a towel draped over his hair, bunny ears drooped low and sweat dripping steadily under his chin. Naruko thinks faintly that they’ve come so far, that Imaizumi can voice this to him; but they still have so far left to go, as Naruko watches the steady stream of droplets that splash against the floorboards between Imaizumi’s trembling feet. Imaizumi’s hands are clenched together too tightly, white at the knuckles.

They need their captain; they need him even more now that Onoda is on the bench, Miki pressing an ice pack against his swollen ankle, Aya right by her side jotting down notes for reconfiguring their lineup. With their quickest playmaker out indefinitely, it’ll come down to how well Imaizumi and Naruko can play together.

“Fuck,” Naruko breathes softly.

--

“In a contest of height, it's clear who the winner is always going to be.”

Naruko laughs at the taunt, loud and cutting, and when he smiles, he smiles with all his teeth; he can feel a fire behind his eyes, and it lights him up as his feet move fast around the infamous Hakone giant that’s moving in to block him, and Naruko’s hands move even faster as he dribbles tricks around those long, long legs.

But something breaks his rhythm; Naruko can suddenly hear the ticking of something like a metronome, and each beat that echoes to the rafters seems to slam into the floorboards, warping the wood and splintering it, knocking his feet out from under him. “What the fu--”

The steal is easy, the points scored even easier. Naruko can only stare in disbelief as the Hakone giant smiles gently as he accepts a high five from his captain, whose black sleek tail curls out from his shorts in a little flick of satisfaction.

“Not again,” Naruko grits out, and as the buzzer sounds and he finds himself facing Kuroda this time, who smiles his little cat smile, Naruko feels something in him snap, feels light tingle into the tips of his fingers as he sees Imaizumi looking at him from across the court. There’s a fierce thing inside his chest, the love of this game, the love of his team, the need to be the brightest and the best, and Naruko watches Imaizumi’s eyes widen and his head look around wildly as the first notes of an opera finale send the crowd into a frenzy.

“Fastest power forward in Naniwa,” Naruko grins, and as he gathers all that extra quick time around him, he looks into the next few minutes, and all it takes is for him to know Kuroda’s gamble, know the step-and-turn he will take, and Naruko takes them instead.

Kuroda hasn’t moved; and then Kuroda falls to the ground in shock, and when Naruko looks down at him, taller in this final moment, Naruko’s eyes are glowing red.

Edited 2016-07-29 18:22 (UTC)

Imaizumi Shunsuke / Naruko Shoukichi, Yowapeda
nsfw.... uhh a bit of choking, excess body fluids, dragon dick
764 words

so Naruko is a dragon

(link on AO3)

Edited 2016-07-28 22:36 (UTC)

Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, haikyuu!!

kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu:

twewy au

canon atypical supernatural stuff, graphic descriptions of violence/death
666 words.

“How sad,” the girl says with a twirl of her hair, smiling from her perch atop of the building.

“Car crashes like this happen all the time,” the boy sighs.

“Yes, yes,” the girl agrees, “but they just came from the country into the city. Seems like it was their little getaway for a weekend.”

The scene below them is brutal. A car slammed into another, crumpling the metal underneath its weight. There’s two men: Iwaizumi Hajime and Oikawa Tooru.

Iwaizumi is gasping hot sticky crimson despair against Oikawa’s cheek, their bodies impaled by the same spike; Oikawa’s heart had been pierced while Iwaizumi’s right lung had been punctured.

“Tooru,” he says and cups the other’s face with bloodstained hands, “Tooru—Tooru, answer—“ he vomits blood, tilting his head to avoid damaging Oikawa’s face, “—me. Too—“

“Ah,” the girl hums as she tilts her head, “the second one is gone.”

“I guess that means we should collect his entry fee,” the boy smiles.

**

“What,” Iwaizumi says flatly when he wakes up and he’s floating; there’s a silver-haired boy across from him with his legs crossed, his head perched on a fist.

“Here’s how it goes: you fight for seven days, and if you don’t die, again, you get another chance at life.” The boy smirks. “Your friend already accepted since you didn’t die yet, so—“

“Yes,” Iwaizumi agrees instantly, the fact that Oikawa’s trying to brave this game alone pushing him over the edge, “I’ll do it.”

“Alright,” the boy laughs, “I’ll need an entry fee.”

“An entry fee,” Iwaizumi hollowly responds.

“I’m kind enough to give you a second chance at life,” the boy chuckles, “don’t you think you should give me something in return?”

Iwaizumi grits his teeth, clenches his fists, and holds his tongue.

“Charity doesn’t come cheap.” The boy singsongs as a cartoonish visual of him opening up Iwaizumi’s head pops up in front of them.

“Oh my,” the cartoon shows a miniature cartoon rowing through the depths of Iwaizumi’s mind, eventually coming across a treasure chest. The boy opens it and inside is—

Memories of Oikawa Tooru.

“What are you doing with that,” Iwaizumi knows he can’t just punch the cartoon, but god does he want to.

“Keeping it for later,” the boy laughs. “You’ll get it back on the seventh day, don’t worry.”

Iwaizumi wants to shout or do something, anything, to make him stop. Instead, he feels an unnatural tug to his mind and then.

Fade to black.

**

“Hey.”

Iwaizumi groans against the asphalt

There’s a brown haired boy with windswept hair talking to him. Gingerly, he places a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

Iwaizumi gets up as easily as he can, dizziness leaving him stumbling for a few seconds. His head throbs.

“I’m good,” he mumbles, “thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” the boy smiles and extends his hand, numbers etched firmly into his palm counting down. “You’re the first one that I’ve met. I’m Oikawa Tooru.”

“Likewise,” Iwaizumi huffs a laugh and reveals his palm as well. “Iwaizumi Hajime.”

“Well,” the boy tilts his head, “do you want to forge a pact?”

“Oh, um,” Iwaizumi furrows his brow, recalling the term. “sure?”

“Thanks,” Oikawa flashes a bright smile of straight white teeth is aimed directly at him, and the two of them are surrounded by swirling lights. “Noise are behind you—I don’t want to be erased.”

Iwaizumi stiffens and Oikawa presses a pin into his palm.

“Let’s go, partner,” he says with a wink.

“Sure,” Iwaizumi hesitates, briefly, because his gut is telling him that something is wrong but he knows that he already paid his entry fee—he’s not sure what it was—and that he has to get a partner—done—and survive until Day 7 for someone.

Whatever, he thinks as he clenches the pin in his hand and flames erupt from underneath the frog threatening his very existence. He has more important things to focus on.

Sanada Shunpei/Todoroki Raichi, Daiya no A
no major tags, werewolves
words: 534

If Shunpei hadn’t watched the scene that just unfolded in front of him with his own eyes he wouldn’t believe it. If anyone had come up to him wide-eyed and panicked, telling him that his coach and team’s third baseman and best batter were werewolves he would have laughed and looked for the hidden camera because they must be playing a joke on him but this, this seems very real.

He didn’t sleep well the night before; worried about a test he needs to pass next week if he doesn’t want to miss practice trying to do make-up tests. He’d tossed and turned for hours under the bright moonlight trailing in through his window, finally deciding to get up with the sun and find a snack in the dining hall. What he hadn’t expected to find in the dining hall were two beasts, bent double and groaning as their fur seemed to melt away, elongated faces shrinking and fearsome teeth withdrawing, bodies trembling as they became more human until Shunpei recognized them as the Todorokis.

Fear and amazement keeps his feet planted firmly in the doorway, his mouth slack and heart pounding when they finally look at him. They’re both naked and shivering, Raichi more so than his father, sweat glistening on both of their bodies.

“Well shit,” Raizou says and Shunpei snaps out of his stupefaction, his jaw shutting with an audible click of teeth. “I didn’t want anyone to know about our little problem,” he scratches his cheek absently. “I don’t suppose there’s any way you could keep quiet about this, eh Sanada? It would be a pain in the ass to find a new job and place to live.”

“No problem,” Shunpei says automatically. He doesn’t even have to think about it; how could he betray his coach and teammate after everything they’ve done for the team, for him?

“Sanada my boy, you never disappoint do you?” Raizou laughs heartily and Shunpei can’t help but grin back at him.

“Dad,” Raichi finally speaks quietly from where he’s sitting on the floor, his knees to his chest, arms wrapped around them, head lowered. “I’m hungry.”

“Right, right,” Raizou says, “Sanada, open that cabinet and get our clothes will ya?”

Shunpei nods, doing as he’s told and only feeling mildly light headed and shaky legged. There’s a blanket in the cabinet by the door as well and he grabs it, draping over Raichi’s shoulders, who looks in no condition to be going anywhere.

“I have to say Sanada, you’re taking this surprisingly well,” Raizou says as he heads to the kitchen, still pulling on clothes.

“Not much of a choice, is there?” He says, pulling the blanket tighter around Raichi. He can see Raichi’s body still trembling, his heart aching for him. “You OK Raichi?” He ruffles the slightly dirty looking mop of black hair.

“Sanada-senpai,” Raichi whispers, the tips of his ears turning red. “Aren’t you scared? I’m a monster…”

“No way,” Shunpei says, the fierce protectiveness he feels often over Raichi taking hold in his chest. He reaches out for the smaller boy, pulling him against Shunpei’s chest and wrapping his arms around him. “You’re still the same Raichi to me.”

Makoto/Sousuke, Free!

Cussing, Angst, Depression, Blood?

Fantasy world with Paladin!Sousuke & Healer!Makoto~

Word count: 754

“Fu-!”

The full curse never made it past his lips due to a sudden coughing fit stopping him –blood along with it. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He really fucked up this time.

But then he should have known better before attacking this dragon. Sousuke had been acting without thinking as always. Even if he had managed to kill it, his wounds would not let him enjoy his loot. At least it wouldn’t bother the nearby town anymore. That was all he had thought when he remembered those kids telling him about this fire monster. They should not live in fear in this kingdom.

The paladin was all by himself. And that was his greatest mistake. With another person along with him, he would have survived that was for sure! He had deadly wound the dragon by himself, with another person he wouldn’t have a single scratch!

Yet… If he was alone, there was a reason behind it…

What an honor to be dying on the cold ground and that rain pouring down on his body! That just couldn’t be worst. Who would have thought this was how the Great Paladin Yamazaki Sousuke would have died?

Just don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes… The pain was so unbearable that the normally calmed and composed face was now torn by pain and rage. Just my luck to be out of potions…

The teal eyes glared at the dark clouds above him. Sousuke would normally try to fight more, to crawl if he had to so that he could survive. But he lacked of motivation. He had lost his kingdom, he had no home, no one to help him. Why would he want to fight any more for this misery life…?

“Are you all right?!”

Sousuke hadn’t even realized he had closed his eyes until he had to open them to look up at whoever disturbed the smoothing sounds of the raindrops. A panicked face greeted him. Green eyes. Angel wings. A healer.

The incoherent thoughts of the paladin stopped the moment he noticed the glowing light from this stranger’s hands. He was about to heal him, to save him. However, this wasn’t what Sousuke wanted. He wasn’t a mercenary, his job was not to kill creatures for money, for life. He was a paladin. His purpose in life was to protect his kingdom, its rulers, his home. What was the point to live in a world where he hadn’t any of those anymore?

“St—o—p… Ngh…” The groan barely made it through his bleeding mouth. Obviously the healer didn’t get it as his sides were progressively hurting way less than before, his chest as well.

“Please hang in there! I don’t want to fail in saving someone ever again.”

Those words were able to stop any more struggle or resistance from Sousuke. This man… Had he suffered the same fate? How could he still try so desperately to save him even if he explicitly told him to give up? The raindrops falling on his face were now having a salty taste, this stranger above him was crying.

Despite they had never met before, Sousuke wanted to dry those tears. A healer should never shed a tears for those they couldn’t save because they had already saved so many by their presence. In his case, he was a killer, someone who would bring peace by his strength. A paladin was not so innocent.

Once most of his injuries were cured, the black haired fighter was finally able to move as he wished. His hands cupped this healer’s face tenderly. He could feel the brush of the little wings against the back of his hands as well as the heat of his cheeks. How long had Sousuke been under this rain? His skin was freezing if not for that man’s power to fuel him in health.

“You’ve become my reason to live. I would do everything to no longer see tears in your eyes ever again.”

Makoto -as he would know later on- had changed his life that day. Giving him a new breath, a new beginning. Destiny had brought them together so that they could finally start living again and not just survive. Sousuke would make sure the healer’s nightmares would disappear as Makoto would give a reason for the paladin to be alive.

And Makoto’s nightmares were replaced by dreams with a strong paladin by his side.

And Sousuke’s reason to live was to be by this marvelous healer.

Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou; Haikyuu

Word count: 643
Tags: Demons, betrayal

The power flickers and goes out, and the gym plunges into darkness. Bokuto hears the rattling sigh and feels the chill in his bones and knows that it’s a demon.

The first thing that comes to mind is a simple, two-word thought: protect Akaashi.

Akaashi, simple human that he is, doesn’t feel the shifting in the planes like Bokuto does, but he can clearly tell something’s wrong, because his normally composed face is uneasy and he steps a little closer to Bokuto. “Power outage?” he asks softly, and Bokuto shakes his head.

“I don’t think so. I think it’s --” He’s cut off by a loud, grating roar. He grabs Akaashi’s hand and gets ready to run.

Akaashi gasps. “What is that?”

But Bokuto doesn’t have time to answer, because the demon passes through the crack under the door and starts to manifest in the gym, a swirling miasma of dark energy that Bokuto really, really does not want to see in a corporeal form. Unfortunately, the demon blocks their only exit from the gym and Bokuto takes their only other option and shoves Akaashi into the equipment closet.

He’s never been particularly good at thinking straight in a panic. Bad news for his magic.

Akaashi has lost almost all of his usual composure. He’s gripping Bokuto’s hand in a hold like iron, wild-eyed and whisper-shouting, “What is that, what’s going on, what the fuck is happening,” over and over and over.

Bokuto can’t focus. He needs to clear his head, to draw up his magic from the well of energy deep in his soul, but he can’t concentrate with Akaashi’s panic amplifying his own. He can’t focus. The demon roars again and they both flinch.

“Akaashi,” he says desperately, “Akaashi.” He grabs Akaashi’s chin with his free hand and makes Akaashi meet his eyes. “I need the amulet I gave you, give it to me.”

Akaashi looks at hims with an incredulous expression. “What? Bokuto-san, I really don’t think this is the time for your pretending --”

“My what?”

Akaashi’s jaw shakes. “Bokuto-san, I’m scared. I don’t appreciate you playing games.”

Bokuto goes still. “You think this is a game?”

“Magic isn’t real!”

Everything starts spinning around Bokuto, and his head is full of white noise. He has to shout to hear himself over it. “You think I’m pretending.” He sucks in a breath. “Akaashi. What did you do with the amulet?”

Akaashi looks at him like he’s grown a second head, apprehensive and starting to get impatient, and he says, “I don’t know.”

“I told you to keep it with you.”

Akaashi doesn’t say anything.

“There are powerful protective spells on that amulet. I gave it to you to keep you safe. There’s a piece of my soul inside it.”

“Bokuto --”

“I trusted you.”

Bokuto suddenly feels very calm. His head clears, and he thinks of nothing at all.

When he opens the door to the gym, the demon has manifested fully, dark and snarling, but Bokuto doesn’t falter. He closes his eyes, gathers his energy, and the spell bursts out of him in a spark of white-hot light. The demon screeches, high and agonized, the sound cutting off abruptly when the demon is vaporized.

Bokuto lets the spell drop away, now that the demon is gone. He feels the aftershocks of it singing through his body and he knows that his hair will be white for several long minutes while the leftovers from the spell dissipate into the air and across the boundary between planes.

His vision blurs. “I trusted you,” he says again, and the betrayal stings like a burn. Bokuto pulls his magic around himself like a cloak and he jumps into the between-space. He doesn’t know where he’s going, but anywhere is better than here.

Inui Sadaharu/Kaidoh Kaoru (Prince of Tennis)
mentions of blood, human and animal death (no main character death), vampires, prom
1866 words

Together

After 3.27 weeks of careful courting and 3 hours 2 minutes and 30 seconds of an exquisitely orchestrated date, Inui made his move.

He leaned in, slowly, looking into Kaidoh's eyes for the optimal number of seconds (4) and then a few more because Kaidoh had really pretty eyes and Inui kind of got stuck there for a bit. A faint blush rose up on Kaidoh's cheeks and that was the cue Inui had been waiting for. He leaned in even more, closing his eyes, and pressed his mouth softly against Kaidoh's.

When Kaidoh's mouth pressed back against Inui's, Inui opened his mouth a bit, teased out with his tongue, and soon they were kissing in earnest. So earnest, in fact, that Inui began to wonder why Kaidoh was so good at kissing already.

But that was a question for another time. The question for this time was just how far Inui could get Kaidoh to go with him. He had his moves all planned out but he'd neglected to compensate for how hazy his brain would be while all the make-out hormones were surging around and also just how aggressive Kaidoh had turned out to be.

But Inui rallied and ran one hand down the side of Kaidoh's throat, then down inside his shirt, just over his breastbone. Kaidoh kissed Inui's neck, pressing his face against it so his nose nudged Inui's jaw.

Pain seared through Inui's palm. He jumped back with a snarl, his fangs sliding out before he could stop them. He looked at the burn mark on his hand: a cross.

"Where's your fucking pulse?" Kaidoh yelled.

"Well, this is awkward," Inui said.

+

"How did you not know?" Momoshiro slid three daggers into his belt and picked up a shotgun. "You're a slayer, a fucking slayer. And that whole group of third-years are vampires."

Kaidoh kicked the shed door. "I don't know. Vampires are usually better dressed than Inui-senpai."

"I bet you did know, deep down." Momoshiro grabbed a box of silver bullets and shoved it in his bag. "You're always reading those vampire/slayer romances. That's not real life."

Kaidoh slumped down on the ratty couch. "Are you ever going to get this thing cleaned?" The worst part was Kaidoh really liked Inui. Most vampires only wanted to talk about darkness and pain and pose dramatically in the moonlight. Inui talked to Kaidoh about tennis and other normal stuff. And he'd really helped Kaidoh with his training.

"Kamio and I are going after a nest of werewolves over by Fudomine," Momoshiro said. "Come along, you'll feel better."

"I just do vampires."

"Yeah, I know one vampire you want to do."

"Shut up," Kaidoh said. "Anyhow, I have to go for a run."

But when Momoshiro had gone, Kaidoh just ate a pint of chocolate ice cream and read Fangs of Night, Stakes of Day for the third time.

+

"Maybe this could still work." Inui applied antiseptic cream to his hand.

"Does that cream do anything?" Fuji asked. "It's for infections, not holy burns."

"Not the cream, the dating." Inui flipped through a notebook. "I don't know how I missed the signs that he's a slayer!"

"We see what we want to see." Fuji took a drink from the neck of the victim they were sharing. "Want some more?"

"I could switch to non-human blood, that might make him like me more." Inui shrugged. "Okay, this is my last person." He drank, then dropped the body on the floor. Inui wiped his mouth. It would be hard giving up human blood, but it would be worth it if he and Kaidoh could make a go of it. And maybe make a doubles pair too; their play styles were definitely complementary.

"Are you sure you can keep from biting him?"

"I'm sure," Inui said and hoped that he was right.

+

Inui eased his hand over and put it down on top of Kaidoh's. Kaidoh didn't look away from the screen, but he did turn his hand so their fingers could slide together. Kaidoh's fingers were a little greasy from the popcorn and a little warm from the hot delicious blood pulsing through them.

Kaidoh squeezed Inui's hand and leaned over so their shoulders were together. Inui felt those hormones starting to bubble up again. A few more minutes and maybe they could make out some more. Kaidoh wasn't wearing a cross today, not that Inui could see.

Inui turned his head so his face grazed Kaidoh's hair. Kaidoh smelled like lemon shampoo and summer days. And blood, wonderful, amazing blood.

Inui sat back and sucked at his straw. Once he got enough of this inside of him, he wouldn't have those urges any more. He checked his fangs with his tongue, in case they were out, and took another swig.

"Kaidoh," he whispered. Kaidoh turned his head and Inui kissed him. Kaidoh grabbed Inui's thigh and leaned into the kiss. Then he jerked back.

"Are you drinking blood?" Kaidoh scrubbed his mouth with a napkin. "You said--"

"It's okay, it's not human!" Inui said. "I promise I quit that."

"Can you chew some gum before we... you know?" Kaidoh grimaced. "The taste."

"You know, I like the taste more than I thought I would," Inui said. "It's dolphin blood."

Next thing Inui knew, Kaidoh's knee was on his chest and a wooden stake was pressed over his heart.

A woman leaned over the row of seats. "Would you kids shut up? I can't hear the movie."

Kaidoh hissed once. Then he ran.

+

"You were right." Kaidoh dropped onto the couch. "Is that a new stain?"

"That's your fucking chocolate ice cream, thank you very much." Momoshiro ran his dagger along a whetstone.

"What's with him?" Kamio poured rock salt into a cartidge and licked his fingers.

"In love with a vampire," Momoshiro said.

"I'm not in love!" But Kaidoh wondered if he really might be. The way he felt when he and Inui held hands or kissed, just like his favourite passage in Dancing With Darkness, his pulse throbbed and his breath caught and he felt a powerful heat in his, um, loins. Even thinking about Inui made Kaidoh sad and happy all at once. Couldn't his heart beat hard enough for both of them? If he could only overcome his slayer instincts.

"It's because you only ponce around with vampires," Kamio said. "If you were a proper hunter like us, get your hands dirty with ghosts and shifters and werewolves."

"Yeah, we've still got all Ibu's gear," Momoshiro said. "Try on this bandolier!"

Kaidoh slipped the bandolier over his chest and looked at himself in the mirror. He did look pretty badass. But still... "Being a slayer is my mystic destiny."

"Ooh, I'm the Chosen One!" Kamio picked up a stake and struck a pose. "I pretend to slay vampires but all I want to do is suck their faces while they suck my neck!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Kaidoh shoved Kamio and he crashed into a shelf.

"Jeez, you're so touchy." Kamio untangled himself from a nest of amulets and charms.

Kaidoh pulled off the bandolier and threw it to Momoshiro. It was no use, no use at all. He yanked open the refrigerator. "Is there any ice cream?"

+

"So, I need your help," Inui said.

"We'll start with some aversion therapy." Yamato held up a photo of Kaidoh looking very fetching in a black tank top and green bandana. "Check your fangs, they're out."

"Yours are out too! And where did you get that photo?"

"Can you blame me? Just look at him." Yamato pressed a small black wand against Inui's side. It gave Inui a not-insignificant electric shock.

"Ow!" Inui jumped back. "Anyhow, won't this just make me afraid to be around Kaidoh?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I want us to be together but without him trying to slay me every time I take a sip of blood."

"Are you still drinking that dolphin blood?"

Inui nodded. "I think it's making me smarter."

"I seriously doubt that." Yamato put his hand to his chin and looked critically at Inui. "You might have to downgrade to rat blood. And wear a fang retainer."

"I tried one but it made me lisp. And his brother has a pet rat."

"Then there's only one thing we can do."

+

"So, you know," Momoshiro said, "prom is in a few days."

Kaidoh looked across the gym at the knot of third-years. Inui was there in the middle of them, writing in his notebook. He looked up and their eyes met.

He should look away, Kaidoh knew that, but it was like he was pinned, like Inui-senpai had the stake and was pressing it slowly into Kaidoh's heart. And it hurt just that much.

Inui smiled and Kaidoh wanted to run right over, put his arms around Inui, and kiss him. But his fingers were also twitching to pull out a stake.

"And since you can't be happy with a vampire, maybe you and I could..."

Kaidoh was being torn in two by love and destiny; he definitely wasn't happy. Then he remembered the ending of Blood Heart, Dark Heart. Maybe...he bit his lip. Maybe he could be.

"Like as friends or whatever..."

"I have to go," Kaidoh said. He pulled out his phone, texting Fuji as he ran back to the club room.

+

"It's prom, not Halloween!" Kikumaru poked at the high white collar Inui was wearing.

"Did you hurt your neck, Inui?" Oishi asked.

"No," Inui said. He pulled at the collar. It was itchy. Plus he was already feeling clumsy and slow. And his suit was wrinkled. "I got it from Yamato-buchou. It puts out a suppression field."

"What does it suppress?" Kawamura said.

"My vampire-ness." Inui wasn't too sure how it worked; he was better with physics than metaphysics. "I eat food instead of drinking blood, have to sleep at night, that sort of thing."

Kikumaru laughed. "Dork!"

"It's for Kaidoh," Inui said. "I really like him so I'm going to do whatever I can to be with him." He looked at the buffet and shuddered. "No matter what."

"So, those basketball guys we invited to eat, can I have yours?" Kikumaru said.

"Inui." Oishi put a hand on Inui's arm.

"Sure," Inui said. "Do you think Kaidoh will like this outfit?"

"Inui," Kawamura took Inui's other arm.

"Do you think he might already have a date?"

"INUI!" Kikumaru grabbed Inui's shoulders and spun him around.

It was Kaidoh, walking into the room like he was floating on the air, a black cloak with a red satin lining flowing behind him, over a black silk shirt and slim black pants. He smiled at Inui. And the lights from the disco ball gleamed off Kaidoh's fangs.

Inui ripped the collar off and threw it on the floor. He ran over and took Kaidoh's hands. "Kaidoh," he said softly. "What about your destiny?"

"Inui-senpai." Kaidoh held Inui's hands tightly. "You're my destiny."

Inui's heart felt like it might almost start beating. He looked down into Kaidoh's pretty dark eyes. "Now we'll always be together."

"Always," Kaidoh said, and kissed him.

+

In the stag line, Momoshiro started sharpening a stake.

Edited 2016-07-29 04:03 (UTC)

no major tags
Makishima Yusuke & Kinjou Shingo, yowapeda
the Rahdue's Wheel

Makishima didn't look like most people would expect an oracle to. His hair was green and he dressed like he pressed a randomization button on his clothing every morning--nothing about him looked particularly mystical or magical. He lived in a modest house with a raised porch and a garden out front, and no one passing it would guess that it belonged to one of the most powerful seers in present times.

The old hinges on the screen door squealed as Kinjou opened it, announcing his presence so that he didn't have to. He closed it slowly behind him, taking care not to let it slam, and took off his shoes.

It was cool inside the house, a welcome relief from the day's heat and humidity. Makishima was waiting for him in the living room, the couch and coffee table already pushed aside to make room for the cards. He specialized in tarot, especially large, in-depth spreads that might tell clients more than they want to know about themselves. His readings were almost unnervingly accurate, and sometimes he saw things that no one wanted to know. Working with Makishima was not for the faint of heart.

Kinjou shuffled the deck and Makishima laid out the cards, all 78 of them, and gave Kinjou a calculating look.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Of course," said Kinjou.

Hours passed and the sun sank lower as Kinjou lost himself in the cards, and in Makishima's voice.

makishima is using the tarot de marseille deck by nicolas conver, i only picked it cuz it was labeled for reuse on google,,, i laid out the cards at random so don't look for any Real meaning
also makishima has alphonse mucha's pole star painting tattooed on his arm just because

Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, haikyuu!!

kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu:

twewy au

canon atypical supernatural stuff, character death, etc
566 words.

“It’s really unique when two people die with the same entry fee,” the boy laughs, “so I’ll just take something else. It must really suck to have two things taken away from you. Although, I guess it’s not really from you in this case.”

“What,” Iwaizumi says, “what does that even mean?”

The boy shoos him away.

**

“Iwa-chan,” the youthful boy, cropped short black hair with bangs that hang just above his dark blue eyes, tilts his head as he places a hand on the his shoulder. “You’re awake?”

Iwaizumi groans and holds his head, struggling to his feet. The other male holds him gently, almost too gently, and Iwaizumi’s eyesight refocuses as he stands.

“Kageyama,” Iwaizumi holds his head, squints suspiciously, “when have you started calling me Iwa-chan?”

“How rude!” Kageyama says and crosses his arms. Why was he acting like that? “Can’t you tell that it’s me—Oikawa Tooru, your one and only childhood friend!”

“Who?” Iwaizumi scowls. “I don’t know anyone named Oikawa Tooru.”

Kageyama looks as though Iwaizumi just slapped him—stunned, with eyes blown wide. Not his problem; Kageyama shouldn’t act like that and expect Iwaizumi to buy into his argument.

“Where are we anyways,” Iwaizumi says as he looks around, dizzy in the crowds of people in this crossing. Finally, his eyes land on the 104 building. “Oh, god,” he says and stumbles again—he remembers the boy talking about taking things and…

“I don’t,” Kageyama worries his lip between his teeth, “should we form a pact, Iwa-chan?”

“Sure,” Iwaizumi says because at least Kageyama is the only thing familiar in this entire mess. “Here—“ he extends his palm, the timer ticking down from 15:33, and Kageyama takes his hand in his own.

His eyes slide shut and then reopen, feeling new energy course through his veins as swirling blue lights surround the two of them.

**

Kageyama—well, no, Oikawa--explains the situation as they walk over to 104.

“Iwa-chan, I used to look really handsome,” Oikawa groans, “now I look like a buffoon.”

Iwaizumi huffs because he still can’t get rid of the other’s ‘Iwa-chan’ no matter how much he complains.

“You see, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa murmurs, “I don’t really know if I could say that my body was the most important thing to me for my entry fee, but Kageyama is objectively the better setter so I don’t know why I look like him.”

“Well,” Iwaizumi sighs as they approach the wall Reaper, “you were probably a good setter. When we get out of this mess, you should toss to me for a few spikes.”

Oikawa does this a lot in the ten minutes that Iwaizumi’s gotten to know him. He looks as if he’s in a faraway land, eyes misted over and his lips thin. Iwaizumi’s not one to ask details from a guy he barely knows but if it jeopardizes their safety, then he’s going to have to.

“Whatever,” Iwaizumi says as they reach 104 and the timer disappears from their hand. He reaches out to grasp Oikawa’s hand, trying to ignore that he’s essentially holding hands with Kageyama. “We completed the mission; soon you’ll go back to your original body.”

“I can’t wait for you to get your entry fee back too,” Oikawa sighs and their knees buckle at the same time, falling to a deep slumber as the city drums around them.

okay this is confusing but basically here's what the entry fees were:
oikawa: iwaizumi's memories of him
iwaizumi: oikawa tooru being oikawa tooru

Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, daiya no ace

kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu:

howl's moving castle au

canon atypical supernatural stuff
912 words.

Sawamura’s home is fairly clean, Miyuki can’t help but marvel as he takes the stairs up to the second floor. He half expected the inside to match the exterior, a cosmic mishmash that somehow fit together in ways previously thought impossible. But the inside is neat; boiling flasks of strange, luminous liquids are all lined up neatly, twisting vines climbing along the walls but never obstructing, large flowers blooming out of the cracks in the floorboards like a reminder to watch your step.

Even the bathroom has pastels swirling around in a chaotic artistic fashion with the water in the bathtub swirling with glittery pink and silver and purple and gold, each and every room having enough space to fit everything and still feel open and wide. Miyuki was impressed and relieved; he wouldn’t have to look at his naked self for long if the water wasn’t clear.

He takes the best bath in his life. The water washes him, which is weird but exceedingly useful because he can just sit back and relax. The polar bear comes by as soon as he’s finished with a warm towel and Miyuki thanks him pleasantly. When he hauls himself out of the tub, the polar bear turns its head around to give him his privacy. It’s weirdly touching.

Overall, it’s a pretty nice place. The polar bear also fetches him his staff and then leads him to an empty bedroom.

“What about the pink rabbit?” Miyuki asks, distinctively recalling that the furball had two long bunny ears sticking out from the top. The polar bear tilts his head and then smiles, moving slowly to the door to prop it open. Miyuki sees the ears before the rest of him, but he nods once, satisfied.

Sawamura comes back in the late of night, a loud bang shaking the ground like an earthquake. There’s some loud yelling from Kuramochi and the house groans as if to welcome back its owner. Miyuki awakens blearily, his eyesight unfocused as his round spectacles are on the bedside table. He reaches out to fumble blindly in the dim lighting and puts them on at the same time that the bedroom door opens with a bang.

A massive, hulking wolf peers down at him and Miyuki’s heart beats furiously fast. He gets the feeling that he’s not supposed to be here and he struggles to get up, not wanting to break eye contact with the beast.

“Miyuki Kazuya?” The wolf asks, canting its head. There are flecks of blood and its ear is cut painfully down the middle. Miyuki’s hand pauses, an inch from his cane, and wonders if his eyes are deceiving him. The wolf is shedding his fur, great clumps of black falling to the ground as a more human appearance begins to form.

“Sawamura?” Miyuki squints and the hybrid nods, finally regaining his more human form. This must be his room, Miyuki realizes with a start, and decides that he truly has overstayed his welcome. He’ll just hobble into another room and sleep on the floor, or even the wooden chair next to Kuramochi.

“Time for bed,” Sawamura yawns and climbs in, heedless of the person next to him. In fact, he wraps an arm around Miyuki’s waist and pulls him back. Reluctantly, Miyuki agrees. He’s mainly curious as to what else Sawamura is capable of.

“So, you’re a wolf?” Miyuki asks after Sawamura buries in between his shoulder and chin, blowing out soft puffs of air from the wizard’s nose against his neck.

“Mmmhmm,” Sawamura murmurs sleepily, “something like that.”

“Huh,” Miyuki wonders out loud.

“Something wrong?” Sawamura asks, the words murmured against his wrinkly skin.

“No,” Miyuki shakes his head briefly. “I just thought that if you were an animal, it’d be something else. Like a yappy dog or maybe a songbird.”

“What good would those do in combat?” The wizard laughs, a deep rumble from his chest that vibrates against Miyuki’s arm. Miyuki connects the dots together fairly fast and doesn’t say anything, deciding to drop that line of interrogation.

“Is it really fun to cuddle with an old man?” Miyuki snorts. Sawamura blinks in surprise. His gold eyes are bright in the dim lighting and it enchants Miyuki more than disturbs him.

“You’re not old though?” Sawamura stares at him, confusion evident in his voice. “You look like a stylish mid-twenties businessman.”

Miyuki wrinkles his nose. “Can you not see?” He lifts a hand to wave in front of Sawamura’s eyes, but the hand he lifts up is no longer the wrinkly one he grew to know since he woke up that morning. He sits up, gasping as he touches himself, clenching and unclenching his hands.

“You did this?” Miyuki asks, all too grateful.

“No?” Sawamura blinks. “You were like this after I touched you, but I didn’t do anything of that sort.”

“Right,” Miyuki falls back onto the bed, the giddy feeling being overlapped by comfortable snark. “I suppose I shouldn’t expect too much out of a no-control magician.”

“Wha—Miyuki Kazuya!” Sawamura’s voice is indignant. “I’m kicking you out in the morning,” he huffs, crossing his arms and rolling over so that his back is to him.

“If I’m eighteen in the morning, I’ll leave by my own free will,” Miyuki snorts, lifting the covers up to his chin. “There’s too many things going all at once in this house.”

“Duh,” Sawamura replies, colloquialisms slipping into his speech, “this castle is alive.”

Inui Sadaharu/Kaidou Kaoru & Kinjou Shingo (Prince of Tennis & Yowamushi Pedal)
Tags: mentions of injury, implied life threatening situations, drakes/dragon-like creatures, magic/wizardry, nonverbal magic, SNAMILY AU
Word Count: 830

Inui clutched tighter into the scales of Kaidou’s shoulders. The terrain had become rocky and Kaidou was doing his best to keep an even gait, but even still Inui was finding it hard to keep his grip. Kaidou’s clawed hands were still wrapped firmly around Inui’s thighs, so all Inui really had to do was keep hold, clinging to Kaidou’s back.

Inui was still a bit frustrated at not being able to walk under his own power, but escaping the palace with two drakes in tow had drained more magical energy from him than he had accounted for, much worse with the hits he’d taken from the palace mages on the way out. Inui gave up even holding up his head and instead rested his chin on Kaidou’s shoulder.

Kaidou hissed comfortingly.

Ahead, Shingo was running over the rocks, lightning quick. Young drakes were known to be far more nimble before they bulked out in adulthood, and added to that Kaidou was still burdened down. Shingo hit the ridge ahead of them and peered over.

“There’s some tree cover down there, father,” Shingo said. “Should we hide there and camp?”

Kaidou hissed. “There’s no need to stop yet. We can keep going.”

Shingo rested on his haunches, setting a wide-eyed look onto Inui, then Kaidou.

“It’ll be night soon,” Inui said.

“Exactly,” Kaidou said. “We can travel at night more easily than they can.”

“You’ve been walking all day.”

Kaidou’s jaw clenched. “I can keep going.”

Shingo looked to Inui again, making a sign with his hands. Signed magic was made for humans, so the movement looks a bit different in Shingo’s hands, but Inui recognized well enough the sign suggesting a sleeping spell.

Inui chuckled.

Kaidou came to a halt, frowning as best as his reptilian mouth will convey the gesture. “I know when you two are talking about me, you know.”

“Kaidou, you sound paranoid,” Inui said. “Perhaps you should rest.”

Shingo quickly slapped both hands over his mouth to hide a smile, and looked away.

Kaidou sighed. “Fine. We can rest for a little while.”

Inui and Shingo shared a grin.

The campfire slowly began to fade, burning down to embers as the night only grew darker. Kaidou insisted on leaving it be. Better to deal with the dark than light a beacon for the drake hunters. Inui couldn’t argue with the logic of it.

Inui propped himself up against a tree, feeling no great urge to move. It was just as well, since as the dark closed in around them, Shingo seemed to inch ever closer to him, until eventually he was propped up against Inui’s chest.

Inui wasn’t sure if Shingo was afraid or just wanted to be nearby someone, but either way he didn’t mind.

“Is it nice where we’re going?” Shingo asked, his voice hardly higher than a whisper. Kaidou looked over at that, meeting Inui’s eyes.

“Yes,” Inui said, still looking at Kaidou. “Better than where we came from, though that’s a poor measurement.”

“They like drakes there?” Shingo asked.

“Well, they don’t hunt them for sport,” Inui said. Kaidou was giving him a stern look. Inui suspected that Kaidou wanted Inui to be a bit more optimistic, but Inui never lied when he didn’t have to, especially not to Shingo.

Inui reached out, his arms stretching out in front of Shingo. With a few gestures, the lowlight of the embers shifted and bled into the air above them. Inui shaped the light with his mind, and soon he’d built a city of light from the low, orange glow. Houses and shops, with streets running between them, miniature people are carts bustling by. Inui pushed forth a bit more effort and carved out a mountainscape behind it.

“Whoa,” Shingo breathed.

Inui smiled. Shingo had always been fascinated by magic, drinking in every detail that Inui would tell him, and more fascinated to see it in action. Inui secretly looked forward to seeing what that fascination might grow into, given the chance.

Inui turned his smile to Kaidou, who was glaring slightly at the light show, his face glowing orange with the reflection. He caught Inui smiling, and only returned a confused glance at him.

“There’s all kinds there,” Inui continued, ignoring Kaidou’s glance and nodding to his magicked model. “You won’t stand out.”

“What about wizards?” Shingo asked. “Will there be wizards there too? Like you?”

Inui nodded. “Some. Not many.”

“I guess you’ll be the weird one, then,” Shingo said. He turned to look at Inui. “You’ll stay with us when we get there, right?”

Inui looked back to Kaidou, and this glance Kaidou seemed to understand. (Inui somewhat wondered if younger drakes were more skilled at nonverbal conversations.) Kaidou’s eyes darted off to the side, sheepishly.

“I’d like that,” Inui said, still looking at Kaidou.

Kaidou hissed. “Of course he will.”

Shingo grinned, satisfied, and looked back to the model city with a gleam in his eye.

Imaizumi Shunsuke / Naruko Shoukichi, Yowapeda
(with background Onoda Sakamichi / Midousuji Akira and Kanzaki Miki / Tachibana Aya)
no tags
648 words, Alice in Wonderland AU

“I’m late, I’m going to be late, I’m--”

Naruko watches as a man in a sky blue waistcoat runs down the bike path; silky, black-furred rabbit ears poke up from his wayward black hair, and his eyes are open wide as he tries to keep his frantic pace while staring occasionally at the silver Rolex strapped to his slim wrist.

For some reason, leaning against his bright red Pinarello at the side of the road, Naruko feels very generous. “Do you want to borrow my bike?”

The rabbit man stops abruptly, and stares. “What?”

Naruko stares back. “What?”

“Wouldn't it be too short for me anyway?” The rabbit man frowns, but his long fingers are twisting together restlessly. It's a hot summer day and his brow is already shiny with nervous sweat.

“You know what, screw you!”

“That's enough from you two,” Queen Miki of Hearts says brightly as she bikes up the path in her full red skirts, and gives them both a quick shove into the rabbit hole that suddenly open up between them. “Sort it out, or I'll see you both in court!”

Her knight walks up and peers over the edge of the hole, watching Naruko and Imaizumi scream high pitched and shrill as they cling to each other as they tumble down the rabbit hole, and she snorts, completely unimpressed.

Queen Miki just laughs, and gestures for Aya to get on the back of her bike for the ride home.

--

“Um,” Imaizumi says as Onoda cheerfully pours him another cup of tea. It's not that he doesn't trust Onoda, especially when his little mouse ears are perked up so happily with the company of so many unexpected friends, but he trusts Onoda’s companion much, much less.

“Is the tea not to your satisfaction,” Midousuji hisses menacingly as he gently sets down a delicately turned display of petit fours and apricot-ginger scones. He’s wearing a very large purple top hat that’s sprinkled with sakura, and the table spread for high tea would make for a very charming scene if not for the fact that Imaizumi is convinced that Midousuji would try to poison him if Onoda had not been there.

“Don’t pick on hotshot here, he’s just like that,” Naruko says as he grabs for a scone. He eyes Imaizumi from where he’s sitting beside him, scone held firmly in his mouth as he grabs at another. “Why so fussy, these are delicious.”

There’s a pink flurry of sakura and a pop of purple smoke, and two little tiger ears suddenly poke out from Naruko’s red hair.

Onoda claps in delight as Midousuji mumbles something like, “I guess he might not be as gross as I thought he would be.”

“I think it’s time for you to go home,” Imaizumi says as he clenches his fingers tightly together to resist touching the very soft-looking tiger ears.

“I don’t know, I think it’s kinda cool,” Naruko grins as he finishes his second scone, and a little red tiger tail sneaks out of the back of his shorts in another puff of purple smoke.

“No, I definitely think it’s time to go home,” Queen Miki of Hearts says as she bikes up toward the table, Aya holding on for dear life on the back of her bike. “The sun’s about to set, and if you two continue sleeping in the grass by the side of the road like that, someone’s going to get sick.”

“Oh,” Imaizumi says as he jolts awake with Naruko’s head pillowed in his lap. The sun is indeed setting in a blaze of purple and red and orange, and there are no tiger ears poking out from Naruko’s head, but his bright red hair is just as soft slipping through Imaizumi’s fingers as he thought it would be.

Naruko jolts awake at that, too quick, and accidentally headbutts Imaizumi in the face.

Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, daiya no ace

kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu:

hogswarts au

canon atypical supernatural stuff
647 words.

One morning, Miyuki realizes with a startled yawn that there’s a whiteboard hanging in the Gryffindor Common Room that certainly wasn’t there before.

(To be fair, he only knows what a whiteboard is because of Muggle Studies.)

But since there’s a Muggle appliance in the common room, that can only mean one thing: Sawamura Eijun was back at it again.

He nears and it reads: It has been 0 days since Miyuki Kazuya has graced us with his cooking.

Miyuki rubs his cheek with his left hand as he reads it, taking in its implications slowly.

“Sawamura,” he says, because the writing is all too familiar and he saw the wizard hide behind the couch, “are you trying to guilt me into cooking for you again?”

“I dunno, do you want me to get the snitch again,” Sawamura looks like the cat that’s already gotten the cream and is giving him too much attitude at six in the morning. “Well, do you?”

“Do I want our uprising ‘star’ to leap off a broomstick and catch the snitch as he hurled towards the ground,” Miyuki flicks his hand and a book whacks the back of Sawamura’s head with an ‘ow’ from the younger male. “The answer is no.”

Sawamura grumbles.

“Besides,” Miyuki sighs and places a hand on his forehead, overdramatically, “muggle cooking takes too much energy out of this weary body of mine.”

“No it doesn’t!” Sawmaura yells.

“How would you know that,” Miyuki asks and Sawamura stiffens, as if he shot him with a spell pointblank. He might do that.

“Because!” Sawamura grumbles. “You seemed like you were having a good time.”

Miyuki rolls his eyes and walks away. He decides not to dwell on it.

**

“Aw man,” Sawamura yells one day, extra loud from atop of his broomstick. It startled nearly everyone because Sawamura hadn’t been talking that entire practice, so they were already conscious of the newly silent seeker.

“Can you believe it, Kuramochi? I sure can’t!” Sawamura calls out and dives down, slings an arm around Kuramochi and almost dragging the other boy out in a headlock. Kuramochi looks like he has no clue what Sawamura is talking about, which seems to be the general consensus of the entire team, but also wants to punch Sawamura in the face, which seems to not be the general consensus of the entire team.

“You have ten seconds to explain yourself before I start aiming bludgers at you,” Kuramochi demands.

“It’s been five days since Miyuki Kazuya—” Upon mention of his name, Miyuki rolls his eyes and turns around, “—has graced me with his cooking! Ah… I’m really hungry… if only there was someone on the team who could cook really well.”

“What a shame,” Miyuki sighs and opens the case that holds the bludgers, Sawamura eying them warily. “Too bad you can’t cook despite being our residential Muggleborn, Sawamura. Must require too many things you lack.”

“What!” Sawamura huffs atop of his broom. “I’ll have you know, I’m the best at cooking!”

“Oh really,” Miyuki drawls and unbuckles one of the straps that are holding down one of the bludgers. “You should cook for me sometime.”

“This is wildly unfair!”

Miyuki unbuckles the other strap and the bludger speeds out in a course straight for the Seeker.

Sawamura’s cry for attention ends in vain.

**

Miyuki wakes up early one morning, gets out of bed, and heads to the common room.

He checks the whiteboard.

Oh, he realizes, it’s so Muggle that Sawamura has to erase it by himself and then rewrite the number. How absurd considering what they can do, yet how Sawamura to keep a sense of Muggleness in their abode.

Miyuki picks up the eraser and erases the “3” and replaces it with a 0.

Sawamura Eijun wakes up to a still-warm plate of French Toast by his bedside.

Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, daiya no ace

supernatural
449 words.

He hears the music before he feels the healing but it comes, washing over his body like a soothing tidal wave. Miyuki shivers as his wounds stitch themselves closed, broken bones mend, his energy replenished. He’s ready to go again, he realizes, and takes up his bow once more.

The battle is gruesome and he’s glad for his long range and dodging ability; especially from those battleaxes being swung his way. Good lord, he thinks as he lets another arrow rip through the air into a monster’s skull, watching it turn to dust, get a grip.

Another song plays, this time with more urgency, and he feels like he’s moving faster than before. He nocks three arrows and lets them all loose, turning around just in time to see Tetsuya obliterate the final King with a well aimed punch. Dust scatters into the wind and Tetsuya wipes his brow, a fist to the sky.

“What was the music from?” Miyuki asks as he heads over.

“I’ve recruited a bard,” Tetsuya smiles, “that music—it gave you life, right?”

“Something like that,” Miyuki shrugs.

“What does he mean—something like that? Why I oughtta—!”

Miyuki turns around and that’s when Sawamura Eijun, bard extraordinaire, entered his life and turned it into a musical hell.

**

Sawamura heals Tetsuya with a mighty trumpet—it apparently adds a power boost along with closing knife wounds—and then turns to Miyuki, who’s suffered one too many blows from an axe.

“Oh,” Sawamura leers and pulls out a recorder, “boohoo.”

Miyuki listens to two minutes of possibly the worst rendition of a church choir while hating himself. His leg heals, which makes it all the worse.

This time, the fight is long and painful. They had to infiltrate a castle—all thanks to Kuramochi, who picklocked the way through seven doors and took three treasure chests along the way—and now they’re laying siege in the enemy’s stronghold. Sawamura’s in the back; there’s a healer who’s accompanying him because of his lack of defense—who’s going to defend themselves with a harmonica—and they move swiftly throughout the castle.

“Sawamura,” Miyuki calls out, “partner up with me.”

Sawamura looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Boost my arrows with the power of wind and we can clear out a room,” Miyuki explains in a sort of, this is obvious, please get with the problem, and Sawamura huffs and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Goodbye, Harucchi,” Sawamura mourns and then skips over to Miyuki.

“Follow the plan,” Miyuki sighs and Sawamura nods.

“Alright,” he shuffles through his satchel, “I’ve got the best wind instrument for you, right here!”

He pulls out a kazoo.

Kaidou Kaoru & Kikumaru Eiji (Prince of Tennis) (Also featuring Inui/Kaidou, Eiji/Oishi, AND Eiji/Tezuka)
Tags: threats of violence/murder, military SF AU (but with magic!), time loops
Word Count: 1488

“Inuiiiiiii, for the last time!” Eiji groans. “We were cursed by some dumb wizard and now we’re repeating this day over and over again and you have to teach us how to make the spell stop!!”

Inui, once again, stares blankly at Eiji. “I… I don’t know any magic spells… Magic isn’t real.”

“Last time you said it was probably some alien device complex enough to warp time,” Kaidou says, sighing and slightly deflated next to Eiji. For some reason, Kaidou has found himself in a profession where encountering alien devices is much more reasonable an explanation than magic; that’s what the containment division does. This is different though, Kaidou is pretty sure.

“But you couldn’t figure out how it works,” Kaidou continues. “So we’re pretty sure it’s magic.”

Inui frowns. “Just because I can’t figure it out doesn’t mean…”

“Whatever!” Eiji shouts. “It’s magic and you were teaching us the spell…”

“Translating the runes,” Kaidou offers as an alternative.

“That the wizard was reading from!” Eiji says.

“Maybe an alien wizard,” Kaidou says.

“Who made us relive this day again!” Eiji finishes.

“Yeah.” Kaidou nods.

Inui sighs. “Translating? From the pictures that the initial assessment team took?” Inui asks.

Eiji nods. “Yeah!”

“There were hundreds of pictures from that site,” Inui says.

“You can focus on the shrine that the wizard used to perform his spell,” Kaidou says.

“That doesn’t give the proper context to know how it works. In order to fully understand—”

“You have to understand the whole thing for context, blah blah blah! You said that yesterday!” Eiji interjects. He flops down petulantly on one of the office chairs in Inui’s workspace.

“No I didn’t,” Inui says. “We didn’t talk about this particular site yesterday.”

“Not your yesterday!” Eiji says with a sigh. “Our yesterday! Which was today!”

“The last time we went through the time loop,” Kaidou explains.

Inui wraps a finger around his chin. “I see… In that case, I’m sure that I — yesterday — explained that the only thing to be done is to have both of you help translate and remember what we did so I can pick up from there.”

“Yes, sir,” Kaidou says.

“So, where did we leave off yesterday?”

Kaidou looks at Eiji, who gives him him the most exasperated of sideways glances.

Kaidou sighs. “We should probably just start from the beginning, sir.”

Inui frowns, and Kaidou feels every bit of frustrations distilled into the small gesture. Inui doesn’t say anything though, just turns to his blackboard an gathers the pictures of the magical time-warping site. “Alright then.”

“Kaidou?”

Kaidou is watching Inui write on the chalkboard. Inui writes very precisely, without any wasted movement, just doing exactly what needs to be done to make a mostly legible mark on the board. He’s precise in everything he does.

Kaidou has been watching Inui write on that board for a long time. Kaidou feels like he’s been watching Inui write that same word on that same board for a small eternity.

Kaidou thinks if he has to watching Inui write that same word on that same board with those same, precise movements, he’ll…

“Yeah, Eiji?” Kaidou says, shaking his head to stop that train of thought. He looks to see Eiji half-draped over the back of his chair, staring dead eyed at the chalk board.

“How many times have we done this day over again?” Eiji asks.

Kaidou strains himself to count it. “Twelve,” he says. “Maybe thirteen… Or more… They all kind of blend together…”

Eiji spins his chair. “Because they’re all the saaaaaaaame…”

Inui’s sharp, precise, writing halts in its tracks, a letter only half written on the board. “It must be kind of freeing though, isn’t it?”

Kaidou raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“Well.” Inui stops writing altogether and turns to face the two of them. “You say the loop starts over again every day, and when it restarts, no one but the two of you remember what happened.”

They both give him equally blank stares.

“So, technically you could do anything, and no one but the two of you would know,” Inui explains. “If it works the way you say it does.”

Kaidou’s head whips to look at Eiji, and Eiji is giving him the widest-eyed stare Kaidou has ever seen.

“Maybe I… shouldn’t’ve said anything,” Inui mutters.

“Kaidou,” Eiji says, his voice suddenly very serious. “What happens in the time loop stays in the time loop, right?”

“Wait,” Inui says. “We should probably return to the translations, so we can stop the loop before it goes on for too long. After all, we don’t know how large of an area is affected. The rest of the world could be leaving us behind, and…”

Kaidou looks to Inui, then down to the stacks and stacks of books on the workspace desk. Then he looks back to Eiji, who’s staring at him with more excitement than Kaidou has seen out of him at all since they started looping.

Kaidou repeats the sequence one more quick time before finally nodding to Eiji. “Deal.”

Eiji’s grin widens while Inui’s frown deepens.

“So we’re taking this loop off?” Eiji asks excitedly.

Kaidou doesn’t answer. Instead, Kaidou looks down at the stack of books once again. He frowns, before sweeping them all to the floor in one swift motion. Inui starts to make some sort of noise of protest, but Kaidou doesn’t let him finish it. He grabs Inui by his lapels and pulls him over the desk to kiss him roughly.

Distantly, Kaidou can hear Eiji squealing. “This is the best time loop ever!”

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” Eiji says. “I mean, I like doing all the weird stuff that come with our job, but the regulations are dumb.”

Kaidou frowns, keeping pace with Eiji as they walk through the corridor. “Seems like a bit of a waste to me.”

Eiji frowns at him, and when Eiji frowns his whole body seems to reflect his displeasure; he nearly crumples the resignation papers in his hands. “Kaidou! Everyone has fantasies about quitting their job and telling their boss where to shove it! And this time I get to do it! And still come into work tomorrow… which will still be today.”

“You only want to quit because the regs say you can’t date Colonel Oishi,” Kaidou grumbles. “But that’s dumb, because the two of you have never paid attention to those regs.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want to give the general a piece of my mind,” Eiji says.

Kaidou shrugs. “It’s your loop, but I think you could think of something more fun to do than quitting and kissing Oishi.”

“You kissed Inui!”

Kaidou blushed. “Yeah, but I don’t do that every day.”

Eiji sighs. “I guess you have a point…”

They pull up next to the general’s office while Eiji is still frowning, seemingly thinking. Kaidou isn’t very surprised to see Colonel Oishi there (he’s usually with the general by this time in the loop, they’ve learned).

Oishi’s eyes are instantly drawn to the papers in Eiji’s hands. “Eiji… are those resignation papers?”

General Tezuka stands up. “Major Eiji? What’s the meaning of this?”

Eiji smirks. “You know what, Kaidou? You make a good point.”

Kaidou watches in slight awe as Eiji throws his resignation on the floor, climbs up on the desk, and pulls Tezuka into a kiss. The confused stuttering from Oishi adds a nice touch.

Kaidou nods slightly. “That’s more original,” he mutters.

Kaidou finds Eiji in the mess hall. He’s begun hoarding all of the condiments. The mess hall staff seem to be glaring angrily at him, but no one apparently wants to tell him to stop.

“Eiji?”

“Kaidou,” Eiji says slowly. He’s squeezing a ketchup bottle so slowly that the ketchup sputters out in a small, steady stream. “I can’t do it again, Kaidou. I’ve kissed every coworker I can think to kiss, broken everything I wanted to break, and tried every dessert in town.” He pouts. “I’m so bored and we still don’t know how to break the spell.”

Kaidou nods. “I know.”

“I’m going to go crazy because apparently we’re not smart enough to read Space Latin,” Eiji sighs.

Kaidou sits down across from him. He grabs a mustard bottle, tempted to add to the pile of condiments that Eiji has already squirted across the table. “I think I’m going to go crazy too,” he admits.

“What are we going to do, Kaidou?”

Kaidou frowns. “I think we need to kill the wizard.”

Eiji freezes and stares at him.

“Or maybe just punch him.” Kaidou shrugs. “A lot.”

Before Kaidou can say anything else, Eiji blots upright. “Come on Kaidou! Let’s go kick a wizard’s ass!”

They’re definitely going crazy, Kaidou is pretty sure, but suddenly it seems like the best idea he’s heard in an eternity of loops.

Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, daiya no ace

kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu:

heroes of olympus au

canon atypical supernatural stuff
491 words.

“We have to get away from here,” Miyuki hisses and Sawamura looks up from his lyre, the animals surrounding him in a fairytale-esque fashion turning to look at him in sync. Frankly, it’s creepy.

“Why,” Sawamura asks, “the animals were enjoying my song.”

Because there’s a monster on its way to kill you and I can’t protect you from that, feels a bit too long to say. He says it anyways.

Sawamura’s eyes widen imperceptibly.

“Alright,” he agrees, “but I need to say goodbye first.”

“Goodbye?” Miyuki says and Sawamura nods, lifting a hand to place it on one of the deer’s neck. “That’s—ridiculous.”

“It’s not,” Sawamura huffs, “I’m letting them know of the danger.”

Sawamura spends a tearful goodbye with a family of rabbits, all shivering furballs in his arms. He says goodbye to even the sparrows, okay, Miyuki thinks as he taps his foot against the ground, please hurry up.

“I’m done,” Sawamura turns and he’s glowing with his lyre hanging loosely in his hand. “How are we going to get away?”

“Do you trust me,” Miyuki replies instead and Sawmaura puffs his cheeks.

“Not at all,” he shakes his head.

“Really,” Miyuki says dryly, “you apparently trust me so much that the animals allow me to stay near.”

“Then why on earth,” Sawamura says, “did you ask?”

Fair enough, Miyuki supposes, and wraps a hand around Sawamura’s wrist.

“We’re shadowtravelling,” Miyuki says in a way that’s supposed to explain but based on the hollow look in Sawamura’s eyes, it explained absolutely nothing.

Well, whatever. Sawamura always was a guy who learned more through show rather than tell.

**

He probably should have told Sawamura to hold onto his lunch or something like that.

He rubs Sawamura’s back as he empties his stomach into a nearby trash receptacle. Some campers pass them by but Miyuki spares them no mind.

“Well,” Miyuki says eventually, “good news, the minotaur’s gone.”

“A minotaur,” Sawamura wheezes, “was it—was it after you?”

Yes.

“No,” Miyuki frowns, “must have sensed two halfbloods together and thought that we were easy prey. Hopefully us disappearing has confused it effectively.”

“Alright,” Sawamura nods. “Your cabin or mine?”

Miyuki hesitates because despite all of Sawamura’s efforts—and boy, did Sawamura try—his cabin was still the equivalent of a dusty coffin.

“How about yours,” Miyuki says, “I need to do more redecorating before the bed’s big enough for both of us.”

“We’re not that big,” Sawamura laughs, but takes his hand and leads him to the Apollo cabin.

“You roll in your sleep,” Miyuki counters, “and you’re a blanket hog.”

“No, I’m not,” Sawamura’s quick to reply.

“And you snore,” Miyuki can’t resist another jab.

“No, I don’t,” Sawamura scowls.

“You do!” Miyuki laughs. “And you drool all over the place. Are you sure that you’re not Poseidon’s child?”

Miyuki’s still laughing as Sawamura chases him around camp, the shouts of Miyuki Kazuya ringing loud and clear.

Kasamatsu Yukio/Kise Ryouta; Kuroko no Basuke
no tags; cardfight vanguard au
word count: 496

The entire planet is in disarray, and the sea is the first to feel it.

Kasamatsu can see it in the restlessness of the kelpies, tossing their heads nervously as their riders struggle to calm them. He can feel its presence in the current itself, and he knows that his people have been the first to fall to the darkness of the void before; he isn't about to let it happen again.

The sea nations are the easiest for him to access. He has enough clout, as a general of the blue storm fleet, his title opening doors for him that he knows would be shut in his face otherwise. The others who live in the sea have seen just how quickly the winds can change, out here. They've seen the way they build momentum, until they turn into something else entirely; something far beyond anyone's control. Kasamatsu has dedicated his life not only to keeping the sea safe, but making sure that such a storm will never lay waste to their world again.

The battle sirens guide him to their mermaid kin at the other side of the ocean and Kasamatsu arrives in a gentle wave, doing his best to make himself look respectable, without being too imposing. He wants to make negotiations to have their clans work together and he wants to be taken seriously, but he doesn't to put his potential allies off before he's even started talking.

As it turns out, this isn't even an issue. He's met with a merman—at first, Kasamatsu thinks he must be a siren, because of the microphone clipped around his ear, but then he realises that the entire mermaid convoy is wearing them too.

"Blue Storm General, Kasamatsu," the merman greets with a smile, taking his hand and holding it for a moment, rather than actually shaking it. "I'm Miracle Voice, Kise. I look forward to working with you."

"I assume you've read the letter I've sent you," Kasamatsu says, and he's glad that it's a merman he's speaking to, because he has enough trouble speaking to the battle sirens he works with; he doesn't know how he'd deal with a top idol mermaid. Still, even Kise's eyes are difficult to meet. "Do you think you'll be able to convince the rest of your clan to work with us as well?"

"Of course," Kise smiles. "My voice is incredibly persuasive. I can convince people to do anything."

"That sounds dangerous," Kasamatsu mutters, already on guard.

Kise smiles at him, bright and dazzling. That feels a little dangerous, too.

"I only use my powers for good, of course," Kise adds with a wink.

All of a sudden, Kasamatsu finds himself wishing that they'd just sent a top idol mermaid for him to deal with after all. He can't even look at Kise without his cheeks feeling warm. "R-right. I hope we work together well."

"Mm," Kise hums, and even that sounds melodious to Kasamatsu's ears. "Me too."

Kasamatsu Yukio/Kise Ryouta; Kuroko no Basuke
no tags; cardfight vanguard au (aqua force/blue wave Kasamatsu, murakumo stealth rogue Kise)
word count: 490

Kasamatsu doesn't remember much about getting injured.

He remembers the battle. He remembers the way that his own clan members turned on each other, splitting right down the middle because of a difference in opinion. Half want to shut their doors to the outside world and stay true to the way that they have always functioned; the other half have seen the way it's nearly brought about their own destruction once and refuse to let it happen again.

Kasamatsu is part of the latter. He's seen failure, he's seen despair, and he doesn't have any intention of letting it happen again. He takes command of his own force, leaping into battle after battle, refusing to lose ground, to lose the support that he has.

Fighting against sea dragons, however, is difficult at the best of times. It's even worse when the very survival of the clan is at stake.

He remembers the dragon in front of him and remembers watching it inhale.

He doesn't remember what happens next.

When he wakes, he feels two things; sore, and incredibly dry. He blinks his eyes open and realises that he's on the land. He tries to sit up, but his entire body protests and he lets out a pained whimper, feeling a hand on his chest holding him down.

There's a demon kneeling beside his bedroll, a mortar held in his clawed hand. "Don't move yet. You aren't ready for that, Marshal."

"Who are you?" Kasamatsu asks. "Where am I?"

"Your soldiers brought you to my lands through the river," the demon tells him. "My name is Kise. You're very badly injured, and the mana in your body is refusing any kind of healing magic."

Kasamatsu sighs softly, and even that hurts. He stares up at the ceiling. "Yeah. It does that."

"It's because you throw yourself into battle too often," Kise tuts. "You need to be more cautious than that. You need to plan your approach."

"You're a stealth rogue, aren't you?" Kasamatsu frowns, looking away. "Like you would know anything about honour in battle."

"Careful," Kise warns him with a smile, a clawed hand cupping Kasamatsu's cheek. "You don't want to upset the person making the only ointment that appears to be working on your wounds, do you? Besides, my clan has plenty of honour. It just operates differently to yours."

"You're all about making illusions. Copies. You overwhelm your opponents with the same attack until it lands."

"And you overwhelm your opponents with wave after wave of attacks without giving them room to breathe," Kise replies. "I don't see the difference."

Kasamatsu sighs loudly, then winces in pain as his side hurts for it.

"You're welcome, by the way," Kise says at length. "I'm making an ointment that tricks your body into accepting it. Unless that's not honourable enough for you."

Kasamatsu turns his head away, to hide the way his lips twitch into an amused smile. "…Thank you."

Kasamatsu Yukio/Kise Ryouta; Kuroko no Basuke
no tags; cardfight vanguard au (aqua force, vague references to Thavas!Kise)
word count: 506

There's something not quite right with the 555th generation of aquaroids, and it's obvious from spending a single moment in their presence. It's something about the way they're held together; enchanted water taking human form, like every other generation before and after, but there's far too much mana. A single drop of enchanted water from someone from the 555th generation contains more mana that all the water in an entire soldier from any other generation, and it's terrifying. They contain too much power, and most of them destroy themselves because of it, too unstable to hold themselves together.

Kise in one of the few who survive.

He's unsettling, when he joins Kasamatsu's unit. Everyone knows which generation he's from. Everyone knows exactly what to expect of him.

Kasamatsu doesn't care. He's the commander here and he's determined that things will work the same way that they always have; Kise is not Kise of the 555th generation here, but a soldier without a rank. He hasn't actively served in any real battles yet. He hasn't proven himself.

Kasamatsu tells Kise as much to his face, in front of the rest of the unit. It doesn't endear himself to Kise at all, but Kasamatsu's already annoyed, and he doesn't care.

If Kise wants respect, he's going to have to get it the same way that everyone else here does. He's going to have to earn it.

Kasamatsu isn't a fool; he knows that Kise will prove himself in ability quickly enough. His personality might need a bit of work, but Kasamatsu has no problem beating that into shape with prods and kicks whenever Kise gets carried away.

What he doesn't expect, however, is how well Kise fits into the unit once he finds his place.

He's the most skilled of all of them, and nobody is surprised by that. He's reliable, eager to do whatever he can, determined to improve on himself even further. He trains hard, pushing himself to his very limits, and Kasamatsu likes that. He likes the person he sees under Kise's cocky outer shell. He likes the fact that as the days pass, it's getting easier and easier to see that person.

"Captain," Kise says, swimming to his side one day as they train in the deeper parts of the ocean, where the light doesn't quite reach all the way down. "I want to show you something."

Kasamatsu waits, watching as Kise holds his hands outward, making sparks of colour float through the water, glimmering like the light on the waves at sunset.

"I hate that you have the mana to spare for showy things like that," Kasamatsu mutters, and he sees Kise's smile drop. With a sigh, he reaches over and runs his fingers through Kise's hair fondly. "But then I see you using it when we're actually in battle and it might be flashy and attention-grabbing, but that's part of the whole point, isn't it? You're pretty amazing, you know."

With a smile, Kise leans into the touch. "Well, so are you."

1973 words. Major Character Death, graphic descriptions of body decay and injury. Also spiders, supernatural elements, moderate angst and general body horror creepiness. :U

Makishima Yuusuke/Toudou Jinpachi, Yowapeda

_{I've always wanted to write necromancer Makishima x Jiangshi Toudou; I own the plush :) Anyway this AU is heavily inspired by Shaman King and Kekkaishi, two faves of mine~}

------

The glide of wet bristles against parchment was a soft whisper in the incense-laden air. Makishima's breathing was slow and steady, meditative, as his bony fingers expertly maneuvered the calligraphy brush. His shoulders were hunched high in concentration, green hair gathered in a messy ponytail to keep it out of the way. There were smudges of ink blotted on his pallid skin, but none on the paper – nothing could mar the symbols, or else the enchantment would fail.

With an elegant flick of his wrist, he added the finishing touches to the ancient characters. He slid the finished parchment onto the stack to his left. A hundred more tags tonight, and then his daily practice was over.

His hand skidded out as his phone abruptly buzzed. Makishima cursed under his breath, drooping eyes glowering at the ruined calligraphy. He'd forgotten to silence his phone.

With a curl of his lip, he glanced at the screen, and was not surprised to see the notification of multiple texts from one Toudou Jinpachi. He slid the brush behind his ear and impatiently scrolled through the inane messages. The capslock and punctuation made his head hurt, as though he could hear Toudou's voice shrilling in his ear.

[MAKI-CHAN, I WANT TO SEE YOU TONIGHT!! ARE YOU BUSY??? LET ME KNOW ASAP!!]

[YOU HAVEN'T REPLIED YET, DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE TOO BUSY TO GO FOR A RIDE?? ;D]

[LAST CHANCE, MAKI-CHAN, BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN!!! DO YOU NEED ME TO COME GET YOU?]

Makishima scrolled past more of the same, rolling his eyes at Toudou's theatrics. It was the weekend and they had no prior plans together, but Toudou was still being dramatic as ever. He paused thoughtfully when he reached the bottom of the messages, fingers poised above the glow of the screen.

[I'M GOING TO BE THERE SOON, ALL RIGHT? YOU'D BETTER BE READY TO LOSE!!]

[MAK IDH? CH N) .. ]

Makishima frowned. Toudou was usually quick to correct his typos no matter how excited he was.

He half-expected to hear the doorbell at that exact moment, but as he squirmed uncomfortably in his chair, the empty house remained oppressively silent. There was no follow-up message forthcoming.

He set his phone aside and dipped the brush back in the ink well. If Toudou was showing up on his doorstep any minute now, he'd better hurry up with his spell tags. He couldn't resist the allure of a bike ride, and he wouldn't be able to practice the family business with Toudou hovering over his shoulder, so he'd best finish now.

-x-

After he'd showered and brushed his teeth, Makishima lay awake in the darkness of his bedroom. It had been a quiet evening, given that his parents were on a business trip in China, and his brother had already moved to his new flat in England. He was satisfied with his penmanship today, although he still had a long way to go before he trusted himself to attempt a reanimation.

He'd almost forgotten about Toudou. He rolled over to his nightstand and checked his phone on the charger, but there were no new messages.

Makishima frowned. A twinge of dread soured in his stomach. This was unusual behavior for Toudou. Even if his phone battery died mid-conversation, Toudou was more likely to just show up anyway, if not head home to send a flurry of chastisements about how fate always ruined his plans but it didn't count as a forfeit and they'd get their race next weekend, etcetera.

Makishima sighed, rubbing his temples at the onset of a headache. It was hard not to be a pessimist, but he was probably just being paranoid. Toudou was probably fine, because if anything had happened, he would have gotten five hundred texts about it. Right?

[hey. what happened today? you ok]

He waited until his screen went dark, then reluctantly rolled over to sleep.

-x-

Makishima dreamed of the family mausoleum. He was holding his brother's hand like he'd done as a child, peering at the collection of bones that they'd one day inherit together. He found the ossuary peaceful, a chamber for eternal rest, but something was calling his dream-self to walk deeper, to let go of Ren's hand and to seek something… what did he need to find?

He woke with a start to the sound of the phone ringing. Disoriented, Makishima fumbled at his nightstand, then realized dumbly that it wasn't his cell phone. Familiar icy dread stabbed at his gut, more insistent than last night, when he saw there were still no replies.

He staggered into his parents' empty bedroom to reach the landline before the ringing halted.

"Hello…?" he mumbled into the receiver, wincing.

Then his breath left his body in a slow sigh, eyes closing.

"…No. He never made it here yesterday. I haven't seen him."

-x-

The cicadas chirruped in the trees, thrumming as the morning sun climbed higher in the sky. Makishima moved with slow deliberation over the mountain, a wide-brimmed hat shielding his eyes from the glaring sunlight.

The police were doing a sweep of the forest roads, looking for any signs of a car accident from last night, but Makishima had his own method of searching. He drew a fistful of tags from the pouch at his waist, and with deft brushstrokes, painted his personal symbol on each one. He let the papers flutter carelessly to the ground and continued walking on.

They twitched and convulsed, ink rippling and branching into the shape of arachnid legs. Inky black spiders formed in his wake, the white tag of paper adhered to each of their many-eyed faces. They scuttled off with purpose, streaming into the shadows, peering, searching.

His heart sank when his familiars began to trickle back to him with findings.

A half-empty water bottle. A cracked flip phone. A battered headband.

The sun continued to climb over the mountain. Makishima rolled the headband back and forth between his idle hands as he walked reluctantly deeper into the woods.

-x-

Light flashed off the reflective surface of the metal. When the ink spiders led him to the tangled remains of the white Ridley bicycle dangling on the cliffside below the road, Makishima closed his eyes for a long moment to steady his breathing. Dreadful anticipation clenched in his gut. He knew what he would find next.

There was no point in hoping for anything else – he could already sense a lingering presence, flitting at the edge of his awareness. He was waiting.

(Of course Toudou was too stubborn to pass on quietly. He would never just disappear.)

The hairs on the nape of his neck prickled at the stare of unseeing eyes.
Makishima glanced upward, and heaved a sigh of resignation.

The spiders helped to dislodge Toudou's corpse – stiffened limbs splayed at unnatural angles, broken body cradled by the branches of the tree that caught him from his fall. Even in the warmth of sunlight, his mottled skin was cold to the touch. Bloodless lips were still parted on an unfinished word.

Makishima arranged him on the ground as best he could, and calmly surveyed the damage. He'd have to stitch a few holes shut where a crow picked at him, but luckily he'd been found before the summer heat sped up his putrefaction. This body could be preserved, he decided, and sat down to set up his enchanted ink well.

-x-

"Wanted to see Maki-chan," the airy voice whispered.

The corpse drew another rattling breath, learning how to form words on its stiff tongue. "Wanted to see you."

"Have I ever told you how ridiculous you are, Toudou?"

Safe in the cool darkness of his bedroom, Makishima's mouth twisted in a crooked grin. He sat cross-legged on the edge of his mattress, gazing proudly at the jiangshi standing in his doorway. He'd never tethered a spirit to a cadaver before, but so far, Toudou was holding together well.

Makishima continued, running a hand through his hair. "That, that's the reason your spirit lingered? Your dying wish was just to see me, sho? You could have just waited a few days for the race instead of getting yourself killed."

Toudou tried to muster a pout, but his facial expressions were less malleable than he was accustomed to. He raised an arm to paw at the obtrusive tag hanging from his forehead, but it was affixed with sorcery, and he could not remove it.

"Maki-chan," he whined, once he remembered to fill his lungs with air again.

"Don't complain, I gave you free will," Makishima muttered. "I could easily draw a new order that includes no talking. Make you hop instead of walk. Stick you in a less obnoxious body."

He waved his brush threateningly. Toudou glared with the great effort it took to furrow his brows.

"You never told me about any of this… witchcraft, Maki-chan," Toudou announced. "I had no idea you could do this."

"Guess it never came up," Makishima dismissed with a shrug.

His lips tugged into a guilty frown, drooping eyes glancing aside as he mumbled.

"Look, Tou… Jinpachi… I know I didn't exactly ask your permission to do this. To bring you back. If… "

He rose slowly from the bed, and moved toward Toudou with trepidation.

"If you don't want this existence… tell me, and I can end it. I'll let you go. I swear."

He raised a hand to touch Toudou's cold cheek, then dropped it back to his side again. Just because he could, didn't mean he should. If Toudou wasn't comfortable with this, lingering between life and death in a body puppeted by ink, then it wasn't Makishima's right to force him. (His family might disagree with this belief, but when had Yuusuke ever followed tradition?)

Toudou's hands moved, clumsy but sure, to stroke Makishima's hair back from his eyes.

"Maki-chan, when I went over the guard rail, I thought I'd never see you again," he exhaled. "It wasn't… instant, you know. I had time to try and use my phone. To let you know what you meant to me."

"Why didn't you call an ambulance," Makishima interjected.

"Don't ruin the moment," Toudou bristled indignantly. "I'm trying to be romantic here! And, it… was too late, I knew that much. I didn't have to wait long."

A cold chill run down his spine. Makishima was so accustomed to death, so used to what came after, that he hadn't even stopped to consider Toudou's final moments. He suddenly couldn't look Toudou in the eye, and turned his face away.

Toudou's cool fingers trailed down his cheek to trace the sharp angle of his jaw, to tilt his face back and find eye contact again. He leaned in close, then hesitated, waiting for Makishima to respond.

Makishima's hand strayed to brush the spell tag backwards out of the jiangshi's face, then leaned in awkwardly for a quick kiss.

Toudou's lips were cool to the touch. He withdrew almost immediately. It was a soft, gentle contact, a reassurance, a promise. The flush of embarrassment still reddened Makishima's cheeks, and he looked anywhere but at Toudou.

"I want to stay with you, Maki-chan, for as long as you'll have me. I'm so grateful I get to see you again," Toudou whispered reverently.

Makishima swallowed around the lump in his throat. It was only just dawning on him that he could have lost Toudou for good. This was borrowed time, now.

He nodded, not trusting his voice to respond, and wrapped his arms around the corpse, drawing him into his warmth. The jiangshi buried his face into Makishima's shoulder, overcome.

It was hard not to be a pessimist, to imagine all the ways this could go wrong. But for now, he still had Toudou, and that was all he needed.

Edited 2016-07-29 09:52 (UTC)

Tanaka Ryuunosuke & Nishinoya Yuu Haikyuu!!
151 words, 31 lines

Above the crashing of the waves,
Beyond the crevices of the rocks,
He waits.

In the darkness of the caves,
In the biting wintry air,
He waits.

Hungry and cold,
Tired and alone,
He waits.

The wayfaring stranger
Approaches with little caution.
With no fear in his heart
And a spring in his step,
He leaps inside.

Scales glitter in the light,
Reflecting off the golden treasures.
Ivory teeth are bared
And the dragon rears his head
To the newcomer.

“I’m Yuu,” says the boy.
His eyes are soft and warm
Reminding the dragon
Of the days of summer
When he would fly high in the sky
Soaring over green mountains and blue seas.

Yuu steps forward
And places his hands on Ryuu's scaly head.
With no fear in his eyes
And a grin on his face,
Yuu pats him and says,
“We’re gonna have great adventures, you and I.”

Edited 2016-07-29 13:40 (UTC)

Threaded | Flat

Page 9 of 24

FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Tachibana Aya, G

Fill: Team Furuya Satoru/Miyuki Kazuya, M

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, T

FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, G

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, G

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, E

FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, G

Fill: Team Furuya Satoru/Miyuki Kazuya, T

FILL: TEAM Tachibana Makoto/Yamazaki Sousuke, T

FILL: TEAM KOZUME KENMA/KUROO TETSUROU, G

FILL: TEAM KUROO TETSUROU/TSUKISHIMA KEI, T

FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, G

FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, G

FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, T

FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, G

FILL: TEAM IMAIZUMI SHUNSUKE/NARUKO SHOUKICHI, G

FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, G

FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, G

FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/MIYUKI KAZUYA, T

FILL: TEAM Miyuki Kazuya/Sawamura Eijun, G

FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

FILL: Team Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, M

FILL: Team Nishinoya Yuu/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, G