Bonus Round 2: Tic-Tac-Toe

[referees]

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

Get three in a row! That's the goal of this bonus round. Inspired by a fanwork event type called kink bingo, this round encourages you to create and fill out themed prompt cards.

Please read this whole post before commenting to ensure that your team gets the most points possible. There's a lot of text here, but if you read carefully and follow the instructions step by step, you will be okay.

RULES

Please refer to the first comment thread of this post for an example of how this round works.

PROMPTING

1. Select a ship to create your prompt card about. Platonic relationships are indicated by an "&" between the names (e.g., Haruki & Kazuma). Non-platonic relationships use "/" (e.g., Haruki/Kazuma). Please don't say "Any pairing," either!


2. Visit this card generator.
   • Here is a visual guide to using it.
   • The large text box is where you can list prompts if you have your own ideas. Please list at least 9 prompts; you can list more if you want. (The generator says you need at least 24, but it's lying.) Single words or short phrases are better than sentences.
   • Otherwise, you can use the dropdown menu found right below it. Note: some of these prompts lists are NSFW. (NSFW prompts are a-ok as long as you tag for it.) If you don't like some of the options that appear in a prompt list, you can delete them.
   • Text prompts only, please. Also, each card square must be unique—don't list the same prompt 9 times.
   • In "Configuration Options," make sure you select 3x3 and (Normal prompt). This is the most important step!
   • Leave the tic-tac-toe card with its default colors, so everyone can read it clearly.
   • Click the "Create a bingo card" button.
   • Scroll down to see the card that was created for you. If you don't like the prompts it picked, you can reroll by clicking "Create a bingo card" again.
   • When you're satisfied, scroll further down the page until you see a textarea box full of HTML.
3. Copy and paste the HTML from the box and into the body of your prompt comment, then post!

FILLING

Fill prompts by selecting an individual square to create fanwork for, then leaving a responding comment to the prompt with your newly-created work. (Optional:) If you can fill three squares from a prompt in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, you get a tic-tac-toe (and an additional point bonus)! You can also just fill prompts as you please and get standard points.

• Prompt squares are labeled as follows:

  A1	B1	C1
  A2	B2	C2
  A3	B3	C3

• If you're trying for tic-tac-toe, you cannot combine squares into one fill. If your fill can satisfy multiple squares, pick the most relevant square: e.g., one square is sailing and another is pirates and you make a fill about pirates sailing, it's mostly pirates so put down the pirates square.
• Each fill must stand alone as an individual piece, but all your fills can slot into a larger universe if you'd like.
• You cannot fill a prompt square more than once, but you can fill every square on a tic tac toe card if you want to.
• You cannot work with your teammates to get a tic-tac-toe. Only individually achieved tic-tac-toes get the bonus.
• Multiple people can fill the same prompt square. You cannot "block" others from getting tic-tac-toe.
• Remember to also follow the general bonus round rules, outlined here.
• Here is a prompt/fill index for your convenience.

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/images)
• 14 lines (poetry)

There is no max work cap.

Format your comment in one of the following ways:

If PROMPTING:	If FILLING:	If FILLING as a TEAM GRANDSTAND participant:
PROMPT: TEAM [YOUR SHIP] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to. Any way you format it is fine. Copy/paste/fill out the following form into your comment box. Delete the guidance text that's in parentheses. Make sure you use tags. Here is a BR Template Creator for your convenience if the textarea is confusing. (Please delete all text in parentheses as you go. LEAVE THE HTML ALONE or the bonus round scoring program can't parse your comment. Don't forget a comment subject!) <strong>Ship:</strong> (the ship your prompt is focused on. "&" indicates a platonic relationship, "/" is non-platonic. Format the ship name any way you want, but clarity is more likely to get you fills.) <strong>Fandom:</strong> (what fandom the ship is from) <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; these apply to content *in the prompt itself* and is NOT an implication of what you're looking for in a fill. If your prompt doesn't require tags, write "None" here. More info: http://sportsanimeolympics.tumblr.com/post/161707236774/tagging-and-you) <strong>Other Tags:</strong> (anything else that you feel requires tagging; can include jokey tumblr-style tags here; may also pull from the "Additional Tags" list from the URL above, if applicable; otherwise, write "None" here.) <strong>Prompt:</strong> (copy and paste the HTML of your prompt square here!)	FILL: TEAM [YOUR SHIP], [SQUARE], [RATING] Replace [SQUARE] with the specific square you're filling (e.g., B2). Click here to see a comment thread example of which square is which. Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to. Any way you format it is fine. Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Copy/paste/fill out the following form into your comment box. Delete the guidance text that's in parentheses. Make sure you use tags. Here is a BR Template Creator for your convenience if the textarea is confusing. (Please delete all text in parentheses as you go. LEAVE THE HEADER HTML ALONE or the bonus round scoring program can't parse your comment. Don't forget a comment subject, especially which square you're filling!) <strong>Ship:</strong> <strong>Fandom:</strong> <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; otherwise write "None"; if omitting tags to avoid spoiling, say "tags omitted." More info: http://sportsanimeolympics.tumblr.com/post/161707236774/tagging-and-you) <strong>Other Tags:</strong> (anything else that you feel requires tagging; can include jokey tumblr-style tags here; may also pull from the "Additional Tags" list from the URL above, if applicable; otherwise, write "None" here.) <strong>Square:</strong> (the theme of the square that you are filling, just copy and paste it from the prompt comment) <strong>Word Count:</strong> (if applicable; otherwise write "None") (Place any author/artist's notes BEFORE the asterisks. Leave the asterisks alone or won't get points!) *** (Place your fill here. You can use HTML after the asterisks. FOR NSFW FILLS, please cross-link these fills and use clear tags. Refer to the body of the post above for more information. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" alt="DESCRIPTION OF YOUR IMAGE"/>. Consider posting only a thumbnail if the image is large. For more info, visit http://referees.dreamwidth.org/5647.html#images ) NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and tag them clearly. saso_afterhours is open to all NSFW fills. Written/text fills can be hosted on AO3 or saso_afterhours ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere; you may include a small safe-for-work thumbnail of the fill in your comment.	FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, [SQUARE], [RATING] Replace [SQUARE] with the specific square you're filling (e.g., B2). Click here to see a comment thread example of which square is which. Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Copy/paste/fill out the following form into your comment box. Delete the guidance text that's in parentheses. Make sure you use tags. Here is a BR Template Creator for your convenience if the textarea is confusing. (Please delete all text in parentheses as you go. LEAVE THE HEADER HTML ALONE or the bonus round scoring program can't parse your comment. Don't forget a comment subject, especially which square you're filling!) <strong>Ship:</strong> <strong>Fandom:</strong> <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; otherwise write "None"; if omitting tags to avoid spoiling, say "tags omitted." More info: http://sportsanimeolympics.tumblr.com/post/161707236774/tagging-and-you) <strong>Other Tags:</strong> (anything else that you feel requires tagging; can include jokey tumblr-style tags here; may also pull from the "Additional Tags" list from the URL above, if applicable; otherwise, write "None" here.) <strong>Square:</strong> (the theme of the square that you are filling, just copy and paste it from the prompt comment) <strong>Word Count:</strong> (if applicable; otherwise write "None") (Place any author/artist's notes BEFORE the asterisks. Leave the asterisks alone or you may not get points!) *** (Place your fill here. You can use HTML. FOR NSFW FILLS, please cross-link these fills and use clear tags. Refer to the body of the post above for more information. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" alt="DESCRIPTION OF YOUR IMAGE"/>. Consider posting only a thumbnail if the image is large. For more info, visit http://referees.dreamwidth.org/5647.html#images ) NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and tag them clearly. saso_afterhours is open to all NSFW fills. Written/text fills can be hosted on AO3 or saso_afterhours ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere; you may include a small safe-for-work thumbnail of the fill in your comment.

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

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

SCORING

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

For prompts: 5 points for each tic-tac-toe card (maximum of 50 prompt points per team per round)

For fills:
First 4 fills by any member of your team: 20 points each
Fills 5-10: 15 points each
Fills 11-20: 5 points each
Fills 21-50: 2 points each
Fills 51+: 1 point each
Tic-tac-toe Bonus: 2 points each for the first 12 achieved by your team

All scored content must be created new for this round.

Etc.

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

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

Comments

[kuramochi]

WAGS TAIL I DO LOVE ME BOY i was also thinking about shinobu tbh but arata would actually work really well....

PROMPT: TEAM KAGEYAMA TOBIO/OIKAWA TOORU

[dynamite]

Ship: yamato yura / kashima sonora
Fandom: stella c3
Major tags: none
Other tags: what's a gainax

Prompt:

weaving a story	a transfer	sincerely yours
take care of yourself	both of you dance like you want to win	don't be
and thus invited their kisses	ambivalence	rain after running away

Re: PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[babster]

I love your themed idiomatic prompts by the way! It's a really cute idea

FILL: TEAM KURAMOCHI YOUICHI/MIYUKI KAZUYA, C2, G

[tripsh]

Ship: kuramochi youichi/miyuki kazuya
Fandom: daiya no ace
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: poetry fill
Square: didn't want to hold a thorn (so i held your hand instead)
Word Count: 36 lines

i'm back lol

***

close your eyes,
and think of what might be.
think, what's the worst that could happen?
decide, is it worth it?

(case 1: the bad.
you take my hand,
or i take yours.
we pull away.

we don't want the same,
so we let go.
return to normalcy once again,
but it's not the same.

it's never the same.)


(case 2: the worst.
we never reach for it.
we slip through each other's fingers
again and again and again.

why?
fear chips away at our hearts,
makes them too afraid to reach out
for one another, to take what we want.

the cycle of just missing each other? endless.)

but--

(case 3: the best.
we meet in the middle,
a compromise, a promise.
this is what we want, this is what we'll have.

shove away fear into the corner,
not completely forgotten, but overpowered
by what we care for more.
each other.

we decide, confirm, we're worth it)

so, let's make a choice.
let's decide if we'd rather
prick our fingers on the thorn of regret,
or intertwine them, take all we want.

FILL: Team Kirishima Natsuya/Yamazaki Sousuke, C1, T

[clearlykero]

Ship: Celestino Cialdini/Christophe Giacometti
Fandom: Yuri on Ice
Major Tags: sexual content
Other Tags: body jewellery, i tagged sexual content just in case but it's artistic nudity ok
Square: Absolutely Fabulous
Word Count: none

file under things i was not supposed to fill... and yet

***

Re: FILL: Team Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, B2, G

[marks]

So sweet!!

FILL: TEAM MIYUKI KAZUYA/OIKAWA TOORU, B1, G

[sotongsotong]

Ship: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: Temporary character death
Other Tags: alternate universe, implied manipulation of time, time travel, mention of jumping through a window at the end, they're sort of dead but they're also sort of not, they're just being extra by transceding the universe
Square: they say we are what we are but we don't have to be
Word Count: 491 words

Rubs eyes tiredly, this is inspired by the Luteces in Bioshock Infinite, and idk what in 3am hell made me go, oh, oikawa's like "fuck the multiverse we're bringing ourselves back to Life" and iwaizumi's just "okay i'm here for the ride". Context: they live in a house that stands on a junction between timelines so they have access to any window of time.

***

We don't have to be dead; Tooru starts, and stops at Iwaizumi's disinterested expression.

But we already are, idiot comes the shoot off, and Iwaizumi flicks his wrist, gesturing offhand towards the many windows perforating the walls of their house; their rickety glass panes shiver, as if acknowledging the movement as a direct greeting, clamouring for any scrap of attention like they're Iwaizumi and Tooru's very own pets of time. You can say that to our graves back in 20xx.

I know, I know! And Tooru really does, just, it never hurts to try harder. Greed, after all, is miniscule in comparison to the yawning maw of eternity.That's true, but only if we're looking at it through past tense!

Well, the present's still pretty much fucked for us, so what you're saying is we have to look into the future.

Present, future, does it have to matter? He huffs, impatient for Iwaizumi's understanding to dawn. What we really need is a possibility. He punctuates this by snapping his fingers, quick-time, but all it earns him is a cuff to the ear, and a soft kiss that follows, to lighten Tooru's ire.

Still, Tooru's words might have gotten to his partner; when Iwaizumi turns to squint at him, he can see the slow agreement easing the crease of his eyes. And how are we gonna get that?

Tooru's grin is fierce. He walks two fingers along the oval window he's perched on, and hums when it rattles in reply. Through potential.

Iwaizumi groans. Ah, no. We'll have to fumble past every derivative, won't we?

See, you have to think out of the box, Iwa-chan, or rather, beyond the multiverse.  A hush falls upon the house then, a grave-still silence so thick it almost mutes out Tooru's next words; a sign of the fates unwilling to let one of its secrets be divulged.

(But Tooru is anything but relentless, ever ready to look up at the skies and challenge: to hell with what you've made us, we're finding our own way out.)

He goes on. All we have to do is nudge something in the direction.

Iwaizumi's head snaps up, abrupt, like a staccato. A catalyst.

That's right. It's gratifying to know that even within their version of dimensional limbo, the both of them still share the mutual intuition they posessed when they were flesh and limb ages ago. A catalyst.

So we'll find the most likely factor--

--and turn it to our favour! Here Tooru claps his hands, excited, and the glass surface behind him, too, shudders, playing along with the sudden enthusiasm. Easy peasy.

We'll see. With that, Iwaizumi coaxes Tooru off his seat, and hefts the window open. The scenery beyond jitters, like a pixel glitch, before it straightens itself back into normalcy. When he glances behind, searching for Tooru, Tooru is already by his side. Ready to try being alive again?

Tooru beams. Sure.

And so they leap.

Re: FILL: Team Grandstand, T

[marks]

So cute! I hope he gets the cat anyway. :D

FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, C1, G

[hibari1_chan]

Ship: Nanase Haruka/Matsuoka Rin
Fandom: Free!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None
Square: "I want to swim with Rin"
Word Count: 711 words

I couldn't help myself from writing something, those prompts are so cute T^T (And I'm so weak when it comes to RinHaru lol)I hope you'll enjoy it :3

***

“I want to swim with Rin !”

Blue eyes widened as he kept staring down in disbelief at the little boy he was supposed to be coaching.

“I don’t want you, I want Rin !”

He pouted and Haru almost rolled his eyes at the sight. If not for the fact that he had promised his boyfriend and his coach that he would behave, he would already started arguing with him. Or he would have gone home. There was a reason he had refused to help Makoto for his swimming classes. He didn’t get along well with kids. Rin said it was because he was still one himself despite being almost thirty. His boyfriend was lucky he was so cute, because Haru really was not above petty pranks as a form of revenge. He still cooked only mackerel for three days straight, argumenting that fish was healthier than meat but he had noticed the distrustful look in Rin’s eyes and he knew that he knew.

“Well, Rin is busy elsewhere.”

“That’s not fair ! I know that he’s swimming with the ones in group B ! I want to talk to your superior !”

Haru really didn’t have the patience to handle children, especially proud one like Shunsuke who thought that the world should bend to his desires. He was so tempted to just leave him in Makoto’s hands and go back to swim on his own.

“Is something wrong ?”

Haru wanted to sigh in relief at the familiar voice. Finally someone able to handle the situation. A long high-pitched scream made them both flinch.

“OH MY GOD !!! You’re Rin !!! I’ve watched all of your competitions !!! I’m you’re biggest fan !!! Oh ! My name’s Shunsuke with the characters from “spring” and “shell” ! Can I get an autograph ?!”

Rin laughed.

“Well, I don’t see why not. After all you’re my biggest fan, aren’t you ?”

The kid squeaked in joy and blushed under Rin’s affectionate gaze. Haru pinched his lips.

“Aren’t you busy with your group ?”

“Well, it’s break time so I thought I’d pass to see how you’re doing with your only student.”

Haru narrowed his eyes at the comment. He knew that his boyfriend liked messing with him but It was a low blow, and he mentally promised himself not to cook any meat for another three days.

“Shunsuke’s been refusing to train. He says he wants to swim with you.”

Rin looked at them both successively.

“For a whole hour ?”

Shunsuke had the decency to look sheepish.

“But you’re only here today, right ? I didn’t want to let the opportunity pass. I’m sorry for causing trouble for Haru.”

Haru was baffled, and a little bit impressed too. So young and he had already learnt to change his behaviour in the blink of an eye just to get what he wanted. Adn it seemed to work as Rin ruffled his hair and Haru thought for a second that the kid might passed out.

“We can swim together when it’s play time, after practice.”

Shunsuke made big, round and pleading eyes at his idol.

“You promise ?”

The voice was overly sweet too and Haru felt like puking at the fakeness.

“Yes, of course. But, only if you promise to behave and do as Haru says. He’s one of the best when it comes to swimming you know.”

“But he swims free and I like your butterfly, Rin.”

“He can teach you that too. I train with Haru, you know. He’s the one who helps me with my form.”

“If you say so, Rin. Then, I guess I’m okay with training under Haru.”

“Good boy.”

He ruffled the boy’s head once more and turned to Haru.

“Understood ? No more problems or there’ll be no swimming play time. For either of you.”

Haru felt slightly offended. He hadn’t been the one making a ruckus. He still stayed silent.

They heard someone calling for Rin and after a short exchange of “Later”s, he was left alone with his student for the day.

“So, let’s start with the lesson, Coach.”

“Since when am I coach ?”

“Since Rin won’t swim with me if I don’t behave.”

Haru sighed but executed himself and started giving him pointers on how to correct his form.

After all, he too wanted to swim with Rin.

Re: FILL: Team Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, A1, G

[marks]

This is super cute, terrible matching t-shirts included.

Re: FILL: TEAM KAGEYAMA TOBIO/OIKAWA TOORU, A1, T

[marks]

drunk daichi is ADORABLE. i love you the bests.

FILL: Team Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, B1, E

[putsch]

Ship: kuroo/suga
Fandom: Haikyuu
Major Tags: sexual content
Other Tags: rule 63/cisswap, boobs
Square: Consent is sexy
Word Count: 453

fingerguns, i know what you like

***

"tell me how much you want it."

Re: FILL: TEAM KAGEYAMA TOBIO/OIKAWA TOORU, B1, G

[marks]

PRECIOUS BABIES. but this makes me sad.

Re: FILL: Team Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, B2, G

[babster]

you know that bit with yumi-chan and the baby seal? that's me with this fic. it's so cute! so so cute

FILL: TEAM KURAMOCHI YOUICHI/MIYUKI KAZUYA, C3, T

[tripsh]

Ship: kuramochi youichi/miyuki kazuya
Fandom: daiya no ace
Major Tags: character death, violence, blood
Other Tags: injury, reincarnation, takes place in some type of apocalyptic/dystopia au setting
Square: see me off (wait for the next world)
Word Count: 466

i'm so sorry for this one omg, but also three in a row! yay!

***

"you're gonna be okay," youichi whispers, presses his hands down hard against the wound in kazuya's side. blood seeps through the spaces in his fingers, kazuya can see the endless flow of red, all over youichi's once clean hands.

he doesn't want to tell youichi that it's not going to stop. that there's no way it will stop. but--

"don't waste your time takin' care of me," he finally manages, through labored breath, his eyes screwed shut tightly from the pain of the gunshot, the bullet that hit him right on target, despite everything they'd done, despite all the other times they've run and run and slipped away and slipped away, unscathed and together. safe until the next run in with the soldiers after them for the crimes they've committed.

he opens his eyes, even though he doesn't want to see what type of face youichi's making. it's a pained grimace that he's attempting to mask with a set jaw, lips drawn into a tight line. if he knew better, he'd say youichi didn't hear him, that kazuya never said anything in the first place.

but he even in this hapless state, even through blurred vision, he can catch youichi's lip quivering. he knows too.

"you should go, youichi." kazuya reaches to push youichi's hands off of his wound, wants to let the blood flow freely if it means youichi gets out of here alive. if they can't make it through together, at least he wants youichi to make it for the two of them.

"not without you," he protests, but lets kazuya take his hands instead. "i can't! not without you, kazuya!"

"you'll see me again."

it's true. each time they die, they somehow manage to find each other again. each time, every unfortunate end, they're blessed with a new beginning. another chance to live and love and have whatever they couldn't in each previous world.

"i wanna see you now!" but kazuya just pulls him closer.

now isn't meant to be their forever, their happy ending. but maybe next time...

maybe next time, it will be.

he laughs a little, breathless and chest aching, as youichi leans closer, presses his forehead against kazuya's. his bloody hand cups kazuya's cheek, and kazuya tangles his fingers in youichi's hair--a weak grip, but strong enough to pull him a few centimeters closer.

they kiss, both of them fully aware that this will be the last time here.

(until next time. until the next world they find themselves in.)

"you'd better wait for me," youichi murmurs, tears noticeable on his cheeks. "don't you dare run ahead, kazuya."

kazuya smiles, closes his eyes. "'s okay, youichi. you've always been faster than me, anyway."

they both know youichi will catch up, will find him wherever they end up after this.

Re: FILL: Team Kirishima Natsuya/Yamazaki Sousuke, B3, G

[marks]

This is Too Cute.

FILL: Team Kirishima Natsuya/Yamazaki Sousuke, C1, T

[nyatsuuuu]

Ship: Aomine Daiki/Kagami Taiga
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: Sexual Content
Other Tags: slight bondage, lingerie
Square: lingerie
Word Count: None


***

Re: FILL: Team Kirishima Natsuya/Yamazaki Sousuke, C1, T

[moetushie]

bless:
- u
- kagami's pale little butt

thank u

Re: question for op

[miaoujones]

perfect, thanks for the quick reply!

PROMPT: TEAM Kominato Ryousuke/Kuramochi Youichi

[hyalinee]

Ship: Kuga Kyousuke &/ Hasekura Heath &/ Yagami Tomoe (or any combo thereof)
Fandom: Prince of Stride
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: feelsy quotes edition

Prompt:

Maya Angelou	Sarah Dessen	Haruki Murakami
F. Scott Fitzgerald	Kazuo Ishiguro	W. H. Auden
James Baldwin	Ann Landers	Solomon Ben Judah

Re: Prompt: Team Grandstand

[winterstuck]

i'm fine w/ romance if it doesn't go into r18 territory (aka mentions of sex/etc is fine, but i'd prefer if you could omit any explicit depictions, if that makes sense...)

Re: FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, C1, G

[coyoteclaw11]

hahaha that was adorable tho (& I feel u Haru. Children are so Fake)

Re: Prompt: Team Grandstand

[greenowl]

Yea no nsfw!! I'm not fine w it either haha I'm just asking if you'd rather have it strictly platonic

FILL: TEAM AKAASHI KEIJI/BOKUTO KOUTAROU, T

[dicaeopolis]

Ship: Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: None.
Other Tags: ARCADE RIVALS AU
Square: arcade rivals
Word Count: 2295

I WROTE THIS IN LIKE A DAY BECAUSE I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT IT

ON AO3

***
“You realize,” said a voice behind Kuroo, “that you’ve been playing Butterfly on repeat for nearly an hour now.”

Kuroo paused, turned. He leaned forward onto the safety bar, examining the newcomer who had approached the DDR machine behind him.

They were tall, although Kuroo still had quite a few centimeters on them. It probably didn’t hurt that he was still standing atop the DDR pad. Their hair was soft and curly black, and although they wore nothing more complicated than denim short-shorts and a faded Galaga t-shirt, their stance was poised and elegant. Like a dancer.

They also looked faintly unimpressed with Kuroo, especially when he smirked back at him and pulled the hem of his shirt up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Only way to get better at it, yeah?”

“Please put your shirt down. We’re in public.” When Kuroo let the hem of his shirt fall, the stranger was counting out change into their hand, examining the coins studiously. “At any rate, I’d like to use the machine, if you don’t mind.”

“Heh, alright.” Kuroo stepped off the DDR machine, stretching his arms over his head and looking around the dim arcade for another game to occupy himself.

For someone who lived in a beach town, Kuroo didn’t much enjoy being outside. Oh, he didn’t mind the beach at night, when the sand was cool and the moon rippled in the ocean and he could climb up into the lifeguard chairs and listen to the breakers. But when it was daytime, and the beach was hot and bright and crowded with tourists, Kuroo liked to go inside.

So usually, when his mom kicked him out of the house and told him to go do something with his summer instead of playing Final Fantasy eight hours a day, Kuroo came here. The arcade was dim, air-conditioned, and full of screens, just how he liked it. Kuroo only had one friend, and Kenma was gone to spend the summer with their pen pal in Miyagi, so there wasn’t much else for Kuroo to do besides waste all his money at the arcade and occasionally say hey to Ushijima, the constant presence at the Tetris machine in the corner. That was where Kuroo went now, nodding to Ushijima as he started up a game of Pac-Man at the next machine over.

The arcade was pretty empty most of the time, so one could hardly blame Kuroo for sneaking glances at the stranger as they dropped their coins into the DDR machine and stepped onto the pad. The recorded voice announced the beginning of the song, and then the person started to dance.

Thirty seconds later, and Pac-Man was blinking away into death at Kuroo gaped at the stranger’s movements.

They were one of those dangerous people who leaned back on the *balance bar as they danced, with the soft cotton of their t-shirt stretching snug over their narrow chest. They played barefoot - shit, Kuroo could never do that without stubbing his toes - and as they shifted between the arrow-pads, jumped and landed in a long freeze-hold, their body rolled to the rhythm of some electropop Kuroo didn’t recognize, hips swaying enough in their skinny jeans to catch Kuroo’s eyes and hold them.

He didn’t even realize the song had ended until the person stood up from the balance bar, curls a little damper and lips parted slightly. As Kuroo stared from the Pac-Man corner, with Ushijima busily breaking world records or something at Tetris next to him, the electronic announcer delightedly told the entire arcade that the player was a star.

The screen flashed to show their score (an A) and an impressive combo. But the final blow didn’t land until the next screen that flipped up - one that was intimately familiar to Kuroo. The New Record screen.

The person stepped forward to tap in a name, and a few minutes later, the HIGH SCORES screen popped up - a long list of KUROO, KUROO, KUROO, MATSUKAWA, KUROO, with one new name at the very top of the list.

AKAASHI, in pixelated white letters.

The stranger - Akaashi - stepped off the DDR pad and nodded to Kuroo. “Have a good day, Kuroo-san.” And then they strode over to the doors of the arcade and were gone, leaving nothing but sunlight swinging in through the doors after them.

In his Pac-Man corner, Kuroo seethed.


Me, 2:07 P.M.
I mean they showed up played one song beat my high score and left

Me, 2:08 P.M.
who even does that

kenmachine, 2:10 P.M.
uh huh

Me, 2:11 P.M.
you’re no help

Me, 2:12 P.M.
how’s chibi-chan

kenmachine, 2:15 P.M.
less melodramatic than you

kenmachine, 2:16 P.M.
just beat their high score back

Me, 2:17 P.M.
…

Me, 2:19 P.M.
You are a small mastermind

kenmachine, 2:23 P.M.
i know


The next time Akaashi came to the arcade, Kuroo wasn’t even at the DDR machine. He was lurking in his Pac-Man corner again, watching and waiting. At the machine next to him, Ushijima was focused on his game of Tetris like a solemn captain pacing the foredeck of a proud frigate.

Sure enough, Akaashi’s eyes went straight to the DDR machine - and if Kuroo hadn’t been watching so carefully, he would’ve missed the flick of their eyes halfway towards Pac-Man before they caught themselves and stepped fluidly up to the pad.

They played only one song this time, too. And just like before, when Kuroo glanced over at the end of the song, they were already leaning forward to type in their name for a new record.

But this time, when the screen flipped to HIGH SCORES, Kuroo’s name was still smug and pretty at the top of the list. Akaashi’s scores held only slots two and four.

Akaashi didn’t react much, but the barely-visible grind of their jaw told Kuroo all he needed to know.

He grinned to himself, and on his own screen, Pac-Man swallowed a large, blinking white dot. The four ghosts turned royal blue and started flashing as they fled in terror.

Point, Kuroo.


Me, 11:38 A.M.
they’re pissed

Me, 11:38 A.M.
:3ccccccc

kenmachine, 11:49 A.M.
i cant believe i leave for a month and you make a mortal enemy


By the time Akaashi left that day, they held the high score again. Fortunately, Kuroo had a lot of time to kill. And when Akaashi showed up again, a few days later, Kuroo’s name held slots one, two, and three on the HIGH SCORES screen.

After their first song, Akaashi approached him. They looked calm enough, but Kuroo didn’t miss the strain in their voice as they said, “Kuroo-san, this is childish.”

Kuroo barely looked up from the joystick on the Pac-Man machine as he responded, “What is?”

“I-” They paused for a second, and then continued, “The… DDR records. You must be putting a lot of effort into breaking my high scores.”

Kuroo cursed softly as Pac-Man lost his last life, and then turned to frown at them. “Now, Akaashi, that’s not very nice. I’m just playing DDR like I normally do.”

“I’m sorry,” Akaashi replied, without hesitation. “I did not intend to offend.”

“Mmm.” Something about their politeness really made Kuroo just want to get under their skin deeper. He shoved his hands into his pockets, fixed Akaashi with a knowing stare and a feline smirk. “And if you think it’s so childish, care to explain why you’re spending all your spare change here too?”

“I,” said Akaashi, and turned to walk back to the DDR machine just a little too quickly.

The back of their neck was red, and the tips of their ears.

Kuroo was delighted.


Me, 4:23 P.M.
if it helps I’m pretty sure they hate me too

kenmachine, 4:36 P.M.
they have good judgment

Me, 4:38 P.M.
HEY


Akaashi showed up to the arcade a lot more after that.

They brought a friend sometimes - a tall, brawny guy with streaky black-and-silver hair named Bokuto, whose defining feature was that Kuroo never saw him wearing more clothing than a pair of swim trunks. Bokuto didn’t care too much for video games, but he cared plenty for talking, which Kuroo learned when the guy wandered over to the retro corner and attempted to strike up a conversation with Ushijima.

“Hey,” Kuroo cut in, after about ten minutes of almost entirely one-sided rambling. Ushijima didn’t look particularly upset at the attention, but there was only so long that Bokuto would be able to talk before realizing he wasn’t getting any responses. “Are you a friend of Akaashi’s?”

Bokuto patted Ushijima on the shoulder and then turned his stare on Kuroo, yellow as a pair of headlights and smiling just as bright. “Yeah! You’re Kuroo, right? The one who started that weird DDR rivalry with them?”

“Well,” Kuroo began to protest, before pausing to realize that yeah, that was pretty much exactly what he had done. “Ha, yeah. They’ve talked about it, huh?”

Bokuto shrugged his broad, muscle-bound shoulders. “I don’t really get it, the only game I play is beach volleyball, but they seem pretty invested. Good for you, though! It’s not easy to get them this worked up about something. They’ve started collecting change in a jar.”

Bokuto was easy to talk to, and over the course of the next few days, whenever Akaashi was playing DDR, Kuroo chatted with him in the Pac-Man corner. It helped that Bokuto didn’t really have a filter - Kuroo could learn just about anything from him. For example, he learned that Bokuto and Akaashi were friends and volleyball teammates from Tokyo, Akaashi in town for their sister’s wedding in a few weeks and Bokuto tagging along as a family friend and beach enthusiast. Kuroo asked where they were staying, and let out a low wolf-whistle when he heard the name of the nearby apartment building. The Akaashi family must have no shortage of cash.

On the DDR pad, Akaashi had just finished a song, and they looked over to Kuroo and Bokuto at the sound of Kuroo’s whistle. Kuroo, who considered himself an opportunist, just grinned at them, crooked and lidded-eyed. They turned back to the machine in haste, bumping their knee gracelessly on the front corner.

“How’d they even get so good at DDR?” Kuroo asked Bokuto idly. “Do they play a lot back home?”

Bokuto bored quickly of watching Akaashi dance through their next song, and went back to observing Ushijima’s Tetris game as he answered Kuroo’s question. “Uh, nah, they have a DDR thingy at home. Um, the pad, you know. They actually brought it here, it’s one of the two-person ones. We were playing a lot before they started coming here.”

“Huh,” said Kuroo, frowning. Something didn’t add up. “Hang on, if they have the DDR pad at your place - why would they keep spending money here?”

Bokuto shrugged.

Kuroo looked over him, and then examined him more closely. It wasn’t like Bokuto to give up a chance to talk, and his lips were pressed into a thin line, eyes too-intent on the Tetris screen. “Bokuto? Even before we started competing for the top spot on the machine, they were here twice just to play DDR. Why is that?”

“HEY,” Bokuto said loudly. “USHIJIMA. COULD YOU SHOW ME HOW TO PLAY TETRIS.”

Kuroo, who was just about grinning ear to ear by now, turned away from Bokuto and headed for the DDR machine.

“Hey, Akaashi,” he said.

He waited patiently for Akaashi to finish their song. They turned to him, one eyebrow raised. “Yes?”

“How come you came back here to play DDR when you have your own pad for free at your place?”

Akaashi stared at him for precisely four seconds, in which they looked pale as the grave under the low lights of the arcade, and then turned on their heel and rushed for the doors.

Fortunately, Kuroo’s legs were longer, and he kept pace easily as the two of them emerged into the bright, bright sunlight of a summer Friday. The arcade was only one building away from the beachfront, and Kuroo fell into stride next to Akaashi as their flip-flops and Kuroo’s converse shh’ed over the sandy parking lot towards the apartment buildings. He grinned down at Akaashi, who was staring straight ahead. “Akaashi, why’d you really keep coming back to this shitty little arcade, if you thought getting into a rivalry was so juvenile?”

“You - you know,” Akaashi gritted out. The irritation in their voice was offset by the crack in the middle of the last word.

Oh, this was wonderful. “Do I?” Kuroo drawled. “Enlighten me.”

And only then did he realize that Akaashi’s steps had brought them to the bottom of a wooden staircase that led up to the very apartment building that Bokuto had named as his and Akaashi’s residence. Akaashi stepped up three stairs, pausing where they were just taller than Kuroo, and turned to face him.

“All I would like to say,” they began, precise enunciation mismatched with the high color in their cheeks, “is that my DDR pad is a two-person. If you would like to come play one-on-one. To make our competition more direct.”

And then they turned and half-ran up the rest of the stairs, leaving Kuroo at the bottom.

He stared after them for a moment, and then a grin bubbled up in his chest and spread across his face like a slime mold.

“Oh, I sure would like to play some one-on-one,” he mumbled to himself, and leapt up the stairs two-at-a-time to follow.

Re: FILL: Team Kirishima Natsuya/Yamazaki Sousuke, C3, T

[dicaeopolis]

LORDT THESE ARE GORGEOUS. THANK U SO MUCH OMG