Bonus Round 4: Quotes

[referees]

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

An oldie but a goodie—in this round, we draw inspiration from famous words said by other people.

Please read this whole post before commenting to ensure that your team gets the most points possible.

RULES

• Submit prompts by commenting to this post with a quote attributed to a specific person or character, along with any ship/ot3/etc. from one of our nominated fandoms.
  • Example: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." -Friedrich Nietzsche
  • The quote can come from almost anything—famous people, poetry, songs, books, movies, etc.— but please don't quote personal conversations you've had or overheard.
  • Your prompt MUST include some kind of relationship. Platonic relationships are indicated by an "&" between the names (e.g., Natsuo & Yuzuko). Non-platonic relationships use "/" (e.g., Natsuo/Yuzuko). Please don't say "Any pairing," either!
• Fill prompts by replying to the prompt with your quote-inspired fanwork.
• Remember to 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)
• 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. (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.) <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>	FILL: TEAM [YOUR SHIP], [RATING] 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!) <strong>Ship:</strong> <strong>Fandom:</strong> <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; otherwise write "None".) <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>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"/>. Thumbnails only, please; more info @ 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, [RATING] 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!) <strong>Ship:</strong> <strong>Fandom:</strong> <strong>Major Tags:</strong> (https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/1609.html, when applicable; otherwise write "None".) <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>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"/>. Thumbnails only, please; more info @ 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 each (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

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

Fill: Team Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, G

[horchata]

Ship: Mihashi Ren/Abe
Fandom: Oofuri
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: allusions to Mihashi's miserable time in middle school
Word Count: 52 lines

When I looked up the character for ren, it told me that there is one notable word that contains the character:

***

忍耐 ( rĕnnài = patience )
the leather of a good shoe, a good glove, is stiff to begin with
and how to break it in is like this:
you put it on and use it, batter it, wear it in
until the strength of the skin is softened
until it is pliable in your hands, around your feet
until it is the perfect shape
after all of this, it becomes invaluable to the person who broke its strength
it will work well for many people, but only perfectly for one
(mihashi is not a glove, abe thinks after two weeks on their team,
he was not built to be broken)

fear is not the same as inaction
they are two separate classes: animal and immaterial
and inaction, too, is a choice made with purpose
abe thinks of mihashi on the mound in middle school
cleats resting lightly over the dust, muscles tight with fear he chose to keep,
and sees a river deep in mihashi's chest
running through the rock of him;
mihashi's voice is a whisper
but so is the ocean far enough away

how do you bring a spring to the surface?
ravens raise water with rocks,
but baseball is a summer sport;
abe knows a glass fills faster with cold, cold ice
(and mountain-summer springs are fed with snow)
at first the ice displaces, but then it melts and mixes
takes the sting out from lemonade to help it last
(mihashi isn't lemonade either)
and, anyway, abe can't help it
he wants to soothe the hurts he sees from how mihashi's weathered himself
the haunts of old fears in a stutter or a blush
the endless soft thunks of the ball against a grid
the trust he gets that abe isn't always sure he's earned
(and each smile feels like a long slow rise to golden mornings)
(and, anyway, you always ice a wound)

and it's after time that abe realizes
mihashi's quiet is not a buried river
(mihashi buries nothing about himself, he's found)
but instead a silent iceberg on its own
its jagged edges float quiet, calm, sharpened
and iceberg noises only come in a shifting hiss and crack
and glint silver-white in the sun
he doesn't need to posture or to soften
many things make homes in ice if they are built for the cold
(abe's always loved the bite of winter)
(abe's always loved the way an empty field feels still and slow)
and, sure, ice is fragile in small places
but it's hard to break off pieces when the ice holds its own blade
mihashi is a constant in the right weather and a force in the wrong
mihashi is barbed and poised to start with
mihashi is armed
but before he speaks to abe
he opens his mouth
to let the knife fall out

FILL: TEAM BOKUTO KOUTAROU/KUROO TETSUROU, E

[notallbees]

Ship: Kuroo Tetsurou/Yaku Morisuke
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: Sexual Content
Other Tags: Supernatural Elements: dragons, Bestiality, Established relationship, Dragon Riders
Word Count: 2375

IT FINALLY HAPPENED

***

read on AO3

FILL: TEAM OTABEK ALTIN/YURI PLISETSKY, G

[beltenebra]

Ship: Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Fandom: Yuri!! on Ice
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: boys in love, sap, JJ
Word Count: 543

Oh god, Raven Cycle. Adam and Ronan are one of my favorite ships EVER. <3 I hope I did this justice!

***

JJ’s just finished and getting off the ice when Otabek shows up. Yuri has been waiting for his private practice slot and analyzing the Canadian’s routine. JJ has spent a solid twenty five percent of his ice time mugging at Yuri between jumps and spins, like he’s a kid showing off on the playground. Which, seeing as how JJ isn’t even twenty yet and usually acts half that is pretty accurate. Yuri has been rolling his eyes so hard he’s given himself a mild headache.

Otabek’s practice was much earlier so Yuri is surprised when Otabek leans on the barrier next to him, bumping their shoulders by way of greeting. “Hey.”

Yuri doesn’t turn but he can see Otabek’s small smile out of the corner of his eyes and his heart thumps painfully in his chest like it always does when Otabek smiles.

“You came to bask in my glory, huh?” Yuri taunts solely to see that small smile stretch into a smirk.

“Something like that.”

When he first met Otabek - well, the first time he remembers meeting Otabek - Yuri had been electrified, excited that someone like Otabek wanted to be friends with him. Two days and about a hundred text messages into their friendship it had occurred to him that maybe he should try to back off a little. Yuri had been accused on more than a few occasions of being too intense for anyone’s good. It would suck to make an awesome friend and scare them off right away.

He really had tried but Otabek had always texted back, had asked Yuri to video chat, had never looked askance at Yuri’s tirades or foul mouth or relentless ambition. It took a year for Yuri to relax and realize that Otabek might just be nearly as intense as he is.

Yuri scoffs and sails out onto the ice to warm up in graceful loops, Otabek’s dark eyes tracking him around the rink.

If his feelings were strong then it was nothing compared to now - now that he knows the shape of Otabek’s shoulders under his hands, the rich smell of his cologne like herbs and forest, the taste of his mouth. Sometimes Yuri feels like he’s burning when they’re together, an endless conflagration of emotion roiling under his skin, pink flush everywhere Otabek touches him. They have never really been obvious about their relationship in public, never announced anything or let themselves get caught making out like Victor and Yuuri but pretty much everyone knows. Yuri thinks they might be the worst kept secret in figure skating. Otabek thinks it’s amusing.

He sees JJ lingering at the rink, attention half on Yuri, half on chatting up Otabek. Yuri abruptly swoops out of a lazy figure eight and into a sky high quad salchow landing right in front of where they’re standing. JJ startles visibly and Otabek laughs and Yuri speeds away grinning, satisfaction glowing in his chest.

Yuri takes his starting position for his free skate, moving through the first movements in a sensual glide to the glissando of the first notes. It’s a story of seduction, a smoldering but subtle invitation, an obvious (to Yuri anyway) map of his feelings. This year everyone will know exactly how Yuri burns.

Re: PROMPT: TEAM DAIYA NO ACE

[sexamura]

Oh my god this is wonderful, curse team jail

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[whimse]

Ship: Jinpachi Toudou/Yuusuke Makishima
Fandom: Yowamushi Pedal
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: all those unanswered calls and letters, oblique references to manga spoilers

Prompt:

"In one of the dreams I had about you, you sent me a postcard from very far away. It fell from the sky. I tracked the postcard to the mountains by triangulating its radio signals. The message said, 'How are you? I am fine. Wish you were here.' That is how I knew it was a dream, because of the part where you wished I was there."

-- Allie Werner, "Mars"

FILL: Team Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, T

[moetushie]

Ship: Kagami/Aomine
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: sexual content
Other Tags: sexual content in terms of discussion of soft porn, i meant, puremine, himuro reference 4 u bent, real fans know this
Word Count: 1033

I hope this makes you laugh, just a little.

Read on AO3

***


It was lucky that Taiga hadn’t been alone with Aomine when the devastating news arrived, or he’d probably kill or at least maim him. They, along with Kuroko and Momoi, were having a relatively nice night on the town, celebrating successful completion of the term’s classes and all of them, even Taiga and Aomine, passing what they needed to pass.

Taiga could even -- completely legally -- get a beer, which he ordered with great pride and now nursed lovingly in his hands. It tasted awful. He was very proud.

“Kagami, here, let me have a sip,” Aomine said urgently, reaching a long arm over the table to him. Taiga jerked away his glass.

“No! Get your own. Oh wait, I forgot, you can’t,” Taiga said with a smirk. He took a big gulp of his beer, to prove his point. “You’ll just have to mind your seniors, won’t you?”

“You’re seriously dumb if you think anyone cares that you’re twenty and I’m nineteen,” Aomine said dismissively. Momoi came back from the restroom, looking a little nervous.

“Dai-chan,” she said, “don’t look on your phone just now.”

“What’s wrong, Momoi-san?” said Kuroko, so suddenly that he made Taiga jump in his seat.

“Kuroko! Don’t do that!”

“It’s not my fault you forgot I was sitting next to you, Kagami-kun. I’ve been here the whole time.”

Aomine said nothing, because he was staring at his phone. “Everything is garbage,” he said calmly. “I’m never going to love again.”

“Huh?” Taiga stared at Aomine, who looked ashen and slightly ill. What did he mean he would never love again? Weren’t they going out? Was he breaking up with him? And if he was, was it really necessary to do that in middle of a busy bar, in front of their closest friends? What Aomine really that much of an asshole?

“Mai-chan just announced her retirement from gravure,” Momoi said, helpfully. “Dai-chan has been her biggest fan for many years, haven’t you, Dai-chan?”

“I wasn’t her fan, Satsuki,” Aomine said passionately, getting up from his seat. “I was her worshipper. No one is ever gonna take her place. No one!” Then he ran away, leaving his part of the bill unpaid.

“What the hell,” Taiga said, watching him go. He felt the weight of both Kuroko and Momoi’s gaze on him. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to go after him, Kagamin?”

“Kagami-kun, Aomine-kun has left his wallet and phone here.”

“I don’t -- I’m not his mom,” Taiga huffed. “What is Mai-chan going to do now?”

“I think the article said that she wants to be a dance instructor. You should hurry, or else Dai-chan will never be found.”

“Fine,” Taiga said, getting out his wallet and taking out enough money to pay his share of the tab and Aomine’s. He took Aomine’s phone and wallet too, and left the bar, annoyed that his night had gone completely off the rails like this.

*

He found Aomine in a little park a few blocks down from the bar. There was no basketball court here, so Aomine was sitting on a swing that was comically too small for him, his long legs and arms nearly dragging on the pebbly ground. He barely looked up when Taiga greet him and only listlessly kicked a spray of pebbles in his direction. Taiga took the swing seat next to him and whole structure groaned under their combined weight.

He looked up speculatively up to the chains, but they seemed like they would hold. Experimentally, he began to pump his legs and start swinging. He weighed too much now to get much height, but still --

“Hey, asshole, what are you doing?” Aomine complained beside him. “You’re supposed to be here to comfort me, not have fun.”

“Huh? I’m supposed to comfort you? I don’t wanna,” Taiga said, swinging. “I bet I can get higher than you.”

“Bullshit!” Aomine said, and began swinging fiercely.

Soon the whole structure began to groan and shake and looked like it was this close to collapsing under the strain of two huge guys swinging on it, so they had to get off. Whoever was the best at swinging could not be determined, though of course Aomine claimed that it was him.

Next they took turns sliding down a slide that was in the shape of a panda and tried swinging on the jungle gym, but that didn’t work because even stooping down, they were tall enough to reach the ground easily. Finally, sitting on top of some climbing structure in the shape of a crocodile, Aomine said, “I thought she was going to be around forever, you know? She was the first person I ever loved. I was nine.”

“She isn’t dead, she’s just moved on to something different,” Taiga said, climbing up next to him. “... Also, have I told you that your childhood was messed up? Because it was.”

“Shut up. What were you doing at that age? Probably picking your nose and jerking it to Himuro.”

“Hey! I didn’t start jerking off until years later.”

They started scuffling together until Taiga slid off the crocodile’s back and bounced on the ground. He sat there for a moment until Aomine swung down and sat next to him. “Hey, Aomine?”

“What?”

“It’s okay to be sad because something you like is ending. But there’s always going to be new stuff you’re going to like just as much, in the future.”

“Shut up, Kagami,” Aomine said bending down to kiss him. “You’re so corny, geez.”

“You asshole,” Taiga said softly and pulled him down on top of him, and kissed him longer and deeper than he had.

“Taiga,” Aomine looked deeply into his eyes, and Taiga felt his heart flutter. “... I’ve always wanted to have sex in a playground, like Mai-chan did in her first AV. Can we --?”

“Denied,” Taiga said, covering Aomine’s face with his hand. Suddenly, Aomine’s phone began to ring in his pants. It was Kuroko, who wanted to know if they were still alive. Taiga texted back to say that they were. Then there was nothing to do but dust themselves off and go rejoin the rest. He helped Aomine up and they left the little park together.

Re: FILL: TEAM HIMURO TATSUYA/NIJIMURA SHUUZOU, T

[moetushie]

Oh man, this is so good and exactly what I had in mind for a prompt like this. Thank you!

FILL: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou, T

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Kindaichi Yuutarou/Kageyama Tobio
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: video game violence, mention of character death
Other Tags: mention of battles, injuries
Word Count: 958

This quote is 💯

***

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Pushing yourself like that. That won't do you any good.”

Yuutarou is glaring at the back of Tobio's head, but Tobio is too busy notching an arrow and firing it. It hits the center of the target, and soon after two more arrows follow. Tobio doesn't say a word.

“The battle with the Emblan army yesterday was tough, a lot of heroes were hurt,” Yuutarou goes on, a bit firmer. “Your leg is injured. Put that damn bow down and go rest.”

“How do you expect me to become strong if I don't practice?” Tobio snaps, finally turning around to face Yuutarou, the glint in his eyes almost feral.

Yesterday was too much of a close call to everyone's liking; the summoner expressed extreme worrying during the battle and gave frantic orders, while all the heroes kept fighting till they saw no more enemies coming their way. Yuutarou and Tobio were paired up, with Yuutarou slashing at the soldiers and Tobio covering him. This is usually a combination that works well, as they are both experienced warriors with a natural synergy, but the enemy overwhelmed them with its sheer number.

Yuutarou got a sprained wrist and a few cuts, and Tobio got his leg injured by an arrow. The other heroes didn't fare better, but in the end, they won and they could be proud of that. However Yuutarou doesn't feel this is something they should rejoice in, especially after almost losing some of their comrades.

“Becoming strong doesn't necessarily mean you have to practice until you collapse,” he hisses. “It's knowing your limits, and then finding a way to deal with it during battle.”

“That's stupid,” Tobio replies. “I'd die if I just make do with my current power. I can't waste time doing nothing.”

Yesterday, and the day before, and the previous battles too, ever since they've been summoned here, Tobio had Yuutarou's back. They crossed paths a few times in their original worlds but never truly had any interaction, though they knew about each other's abilities—being part of their respective royal guard helped, especially since their two kingdoms have a friendly rivalry going on.

And now, they are fighting side by side, discovering the strategies that work best with them and the moves they shouldn't play with, creating a sort of unspoken trust acknowledged by everyone, the two of them aware of it. So why can't Tobio listen to what Yuutarou has to say?

“You're just not looking at the right side of the picture. You can only do that much with your bow and your arrows—”

“Are you calling me weak, now?” Tobio is baring his teeth, all pretense of calm posture gone.

“No!”

Yuutarou wants to break something, wants to shake Tobio and make him understand.

“You're thinking about yourself! But when you're fighting, you have people to rely on! Why do you think we keep getting paired up? If you're in a pinch, I'm here to get you out of it.”

Tobio's face is scrunched up, gripping his bow until his knuckles turn white. He's holding Yuutarou's gaze, as if he was trying to prove that what he's saying is wrong, though Yuutarou can see the waver in these blue eyes too expressive for their own good. It appeases him just a little, enough to remain composed and to remember that he has in front of him someone who wasn't used to be part of a group.

“I'm just saying that you're not alone, alright? You have to think about the ones who support you. If you're just thinking about strength, you'll lose sight of everything else. Don't become a shadow of yourself.” He swallows, and rubs his face. “Someone I knew was reaching for a power he couldn't obtain.”

(Akira smiled when Yuutarou's sword ran through him. Yuutarou's lips couldn't mirror it.)

Tobio is quiet, looking at the bow in his hands. Yuutarou knows that look—he's thinking about something but doesn't know how to word it, afraid of getting his message misunderstood or conveying the wrong feeling.

“I... People tell me that they fight to protect their loved ones,” he whispers. “For a long time, I didn't know what that meant. I've only been in the royal guard for a few years, but before that time I just relied on myself. I don't... I don't want to keep making mistakes.”

There was an history there that Yuutarou didn't know of, and that would explain why Tobio isn't that excited whenever a hero from his kingdom is summoned; maybe there has been an incident and their relationship was damaged, maybe he felt left out. Yuutarou isn't going to push for an answer, because this is already much more than what Tobio is usually willing to divulge. On top of that, he feels they share the same sentiment on the topic of not repeating the past.

“So... I guessed that becoming stronger would help me taking care of my enemies on my own. And to—to avoid getting you injured.”

The admission startles Yuutarou and something burns in his stomach, warming him all the way to his heart, and he finds himself smiling at the unexpected but earnest words.

“I'm not going down that easily,” he says, a bit too smugly perhaps, but Tobio's lips slightly tug upwards and his eyes light up and it's such a beautiful sight to see he wants to commit it to memory—and remember it whenever he wonders why he's fighting so hard.

“We're a team,” he asserts once more. “So that means we're in this together.”

Tobio nods, his shoulders losing their stiffness, and Yuutarou can finally breathe again.

Re: FILL: TEAM HIMURO TATSUYA/NIJIMURA SHUUZOU, T

[moetushie]

Beautiful. ♥

FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Miyahara, G

[luckycricket33]

Ship: Nakiri Erina & Yukihira Souma
Fandom: Shokugeki no Soma
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: fire emblem fates, lineart
Word Count: none

you know, i don't think i've ever drawn souma without this dopey face
permalink

***

FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Miyahara, G

[luckycricket33]

Ship: kageyama tobio/tsukishima kei
Fandom: Haikyuu
Major tags: None
Other tags: fire emblem fates
Word count: none

tumblr

***

FILL: TEAM HIMURO TATSUYA/NIJIMURA SHUUZOU, T

[hatchbacks]

Ship: Nijimura/Haizaki
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: TAGS OMITTED
Other Tags: TAGS OMITTED
Word Count: 422

***

Love’s not like basketball; it’s not like a video game. Haizaki knows that much, but he thinks it for the wrong reason, thinks of the wrong things. He thinks he can just walk away; it's not like leaving a headset on and letting your team down; it’s not like quitting and forfeiting in the middle of a game. Except, in that way it kind of is like a game, giving up and giving in, letting your opponent’s barrage overcome you. Haizaki doesn’t know how to do that because it’s never really happened to him; he’s stuck to the things he's relatively good at, where even if he’s not the best he’s not usually overpowered.

The thing about love is it overpowers you. Nijimura had learned that the hard way, when his dad had gotten sick, when he’d blamed himself for causing him stress, triggering bad things in his body, making him drink more and sleep less. Even after hearing it from his father, from his mothers, from the doctors, that it’s just genetics and bad luck and a variety of factors that probably had very little to do with stress—it doesn’t make Nijimura feel totally better, even now. That half-year alone in Tokyo had felt like penance, purgatory of sorts, all the people he’d loved so far away, Haizaki gone from the team, being alone. Looking back, it was stupid; he’d felt worse, kept wanting to talk to his younger siblings on the phone longer but hadn’t; he’d been overwhelmed by the love he’d held at bay. He’d missed too much of all of their lives, his parents (as they’ve grown older) and his siblings (as they’ve grown up).

And now that he loves Haizaki, it stabs him like an ice pick that he’s missed too much of Haizaki’s life. He couldn’t have helped not meeting him earlier; he couldn’t have helped moving; but there’s lots of stuff between that, at either end, he could have done. They could have been closer before now. They could be closer now; Nijimura could have made Haizaki see that love isn’t like a game, that it bowls you over but you roll with it; it’s worth all the wipeouts along the way (not in some corny-ass greeting card set of words, but along those lines). He’d tried, but not hard enough for Haizaki not to walk away, to see this as something he could win by leaving, by forfeiture, leaving Nijimura with a bunch of broken pieces already making his hands bleed.

FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Miyahara, G

[luckycricket33]

Ship: Lee Seung Gil/Phichit Chulanont
Fandom: Yuri on Ice
Major tags: None
Other tags: none
Word count: none

bb
tumblr

***

FILL: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou, G

[justlikeswitchblades]

Ship: Sugawara Koushi/Kageyama Tobio
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None
Word Count: 632

***

Koushi has been told that he is a patient, kind person, and to an extent, he agrees with this. He likes to be a source of comfort for others, to cheerlead them to greatness, or even mediocrity, if it’s a step above their current situation. Sometimes it’s a late night conversation; sometimes, someone needs a kick in the ass. Koushi is happy to deliver what is needed when the occasion arises. He gives a piece of himself, and seeing someone succeed is--well, it’s always a risky investment, but it has proven to be worth the reward.

What Koushi doesn’t like is his generosity being mistaken for complacency. Even when he encounters someone more talented than himself, he does not want to volunteer himself to be a benchwarmer. When put into a corner, Koushi just wants to train harder, to make himself better, to deliver tosses with the promise that he deserves to be on the court, that he will help the team win.

Encountering Kageyama does not make him volunteer to give up his starting position at Karasuno; he has no choice but to forfeit it. Koushi never really dreamed about becoming a pro volleyball player; even if the Olympics helped introduce him to the sport, he has always had a ceiling, lower and lower each year, almost within reach. Win a few games in high school, enough to get noticed by a scout who will help him shave a sizable amount of yen off his university tuition. Volleyball is fun, but it won’t be forever.

But then Kageyama appears. Where Koushi has skill, Kageyama has talent, the ability to go places Koushi wouldn’t dare to imagine. Maybe not the nicest personality--but Koushi has manicured his own. Kageyama can afford to work on his personality later; his tosses matter now.

Something like anger curdles in the pit of Koushi’s stomach that first night. His heart thumps in his chest, and it feels tight, like he’s been bound up in butcher paper and string.

He’s had tough losses before, but for the first time in his volleyball career, he cries.

He doesn’t fight Kageyama; he just tries to fight being bitter. It’s all too easy to go down that route, and oh, is he tempted. But Koushi is still on the team; he can still practice with Daichi, and Asahi, and the way that Kageyama looks at him--it looks like he wants to Koushi to set right alongside him, and he manages to do this without patronization or pity in his eyes. This makes it easier; he knows he can’t surpass Kageyama, so he might as well help him the best he can.

Kageyama proves to be much more than a prodigy; his ego needs some shaping, and Koushi won’t do all the work for him, but he can at least point him in the right direction. The fact that he looks to Koushi for volleyball advice makes Koushi laugh, genuinely. Kageyama ought to look to himself for those things, he thinks. But he still laughs, without self-depreciation. And every time Kageyama comes to him, Koushi feels his regret diminish, becoming something that is less, and less, and less.

Kageyama is late night convenience store ice cream sandwiches that Koushi refuses to accept money for, is blushing up to his ears pink no matter the mildest conversation topic. He is bruises and ice packs, stuttered sentences and smooth fingers locking with Koushi’s, warm kisses that lean down and press against his lips.

Kageyama is--becomes--Tobio.

And as Koushi finishes packing up his belongings for university, Tobio sitting on his empty bed with red-rimmed eyes, but also a smile, he has the feeling that he won’t just be a footnote in another setter’s biography.

They still need to meet on opposite sides of the net.

Re: FILL: TEAM HIMURO TATSUYA/NIJIMURA SHUUZOU, G

[themorninglark]

okay so firstly let me preface this with the disclaimer that i flipped my lid to open my inbox and find 4 fills waiting for me to read so my comments may devolve into yelling as i go along

This is so!!! I love your Akashi voice here, how he balances pragmatism with affection, recognises false nostalgia and Midorima overthinking memories, and yet faces his own emotions with a direct honesty that's so him: he allows himself to miss Midorima, and to tell him, and to pull him down into a kiss. The imagery you weave of old-fashioned Kyoto and Akashi in geta!!!, the autumn leaves curled into little boats (lovely) and a red eclipse, a blood moon — it's so evocative and you really capture how different Kyoto feels from Tokyo. Thank you for this beautiful fill!

FILL: TEAM HIMURO TATSUYA/NIJIMURA SHUUZOU, T

[hatchbacks]

Ship: Kiyoshi/Hyuuga/Riko
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: TAGS OMITTED
Other Tags: TAGS OMITTED
Word Count: 413

***

Teppei has bled, has broken, has held this team on his unsteady shoulders already. He has strained under the weight kicked out from under him, his bum leg, the choice of recovery—no, on a window that may be closed already; later, on a window that may never appear. What a fucking choice, but it’s not a choice at all. The choice is Seirin; the choice is them, Junpei and Riko, the head and tail of a snarling coin, skinny arms that pack a punch and an attitude—we don’t give a fuck if you don’t know who we are; we’ll make sure you remember our spirit if nothing else. It’s admirable, if misguided, futile, but maybe not so much this year, with the new ace Riko talks about with wild fervor and Junpei with something almost close to the respect he reserves for Riko and Teppei alone (and owes Izuki and the rest, but it seems to be pinched thin with him, but Kiyoshi’s no perfect angel).

Teppei has already thrown himself on the rocks for them, his team; he’ll do it again, before they ask him to, and they will. Riko will make him go out, play every minute because she’s short on options and on trust, her own style of coach, for right or wrong. Junpei will give some sort of captain’s speech, or try to, go all mega-asshole in his clutch time and yell at Teppei to give his damn all right now; he’s got more in the tank!

It’s all total bullshit, but it’s what Teppei knows of them; it’s what he loves of them. They’re softer in a way he’s not sure he likes when they visit him in the hospital, as if the two of them, so usually ignorant (willfully so) of the fact that he can break, view him as completely broken just because of a change of the scenery. They don’t notice the sweat, the strain, the exhaustion; they see him now, built up close to full strength, as just the scar, the hospital gown. But it’s good that they’re so simplistic; it’s refreshing. He knows what he’ll get from them, an expectation to go out and bleed for them until he’s got no blood left, no hemoglobin, no oxygen. It’s an expectation he can deliver on, simple but difficult, but easy if it’s for the two of them, as easy as sitting between them, holding one small hand in each of his.

FILL: Team Grandstand, G

[babster]

Ship: Ninomiya Kei/Ishido Natsuo
Fandom: Teppu
Major Tags: implied cannibalism (? kinda? is it cannibalism if you're different species?)
Other Tags: blatant rule breaking
Word Count: 493

hell yeah monster girls

***
They call them void girls, or crow women, or simply demons. It all comes down to the same thing in the end: trouble. Everyone knows the stories, the ones about young men who were bewitched by a void girl's beauty and followed her, only to be eaten by her and her sisters.

Avoid the demons, children are taught; don't look at them; don't smile at them, or speak to them, and most importantly, stay far away from them. Kei knows this, just as everyone her age does. Her parents taught her well. They don't worry about her; they know Kei is a good girl.

What they don't know is: there is a crow woman in the trees on Kei's way to school, and Kei has not changed her path.

What they don't know is: on the last day of winter, Kei met the crow woman's dark, dark eyes.

What they don't know is: on the first day of spring, Kei smiled at the crow woman, and the crow woman smiled back, the sharpest smile Kei has ever seen.

What they don't know is: on the third day of spring, there was a bento box by the side of the road, wrapped in cloth the color of Kei's blazer, with a feather in the knot.

What they don't know is: the lunch was delicious, and Kei ate every bite.

(“I don't recognize that bento box,” Kei's mother says, as Kei washes it that evening. “Where did you get it from?”

Kei doesn't hesitate.

“A friend,” she answers.)

Kei is a good girl, and a polite one. She returns the cleaned bento box to where she found it, and scans the trees for the crow woman. There- a blue-black flash of feathers in the sunlight. Kei smiles and bows.

“Thank you for the lunch,” she says loudly. “It was delicious.”

The crow woman steps out of the trees and smiles at her. Kei's heart speeds up at the sight. She doesn't think it's from fear.

“I'm surprised,” the crow woman says. Her hair and wings are glossy and sleek. “Most people ignore me.” She bites at the air, sharp teeth coming together with a clack. “Afraid I'll eat them.”

“Do you eat them?” Kei asks. She's curious about how much truth is behind those stories. She wants to know how this girl will answer.

“Sometimes,” the crow woman shrugs. “If they're particularly irritating. I prefer fish.”

“Would you eat me?” Kei steps closer. The crow woman tilts her head, considering.

“No,” she answers. Then she laughs. “Not unless you ask nicely.”

Kei shivers, and takes another step closer.

Stay far away from the void girls; don't look at them, or smile at them, or speak to them. Avoid them at all costs. Kei knows all this. She leans in close.

Kei is a good girl, one who doesn't cause her parents worry.

She kisses the crow woman anyway.

Re: FILL: TEAM BOKUTO KOUTAROU/KUROO TETSUROU, G

[marks]

i like this sequence of events. get it, sawamura and ikejiri.

(also ikejiri's freckles!!!!!)

Re: FILL: Team Grandstand, T

[babster]

thank you! i'm really glad the atmosphere worked for you- that was what i was most worried about

FILL: TEAM HIMURO TATSUYA/NIJIMURA SHUUZOU, T

[hatchbacks]

Ship: Imayoshi/Hanamiya
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: TAGS OMITTED
Other Tags: TAGS OMITTED
Word Count: 406

***

Hate is easy; hate is cheap; hate is boring. There’s a lot that Hanamiya hates; Imayoshi can see it all clearly, the contempt he holds for stupid people (or even those of average intelligence, the ones he considers that far below himself on the ladder) burning into the throat-clogging ash and smoke of hate, highly flammable. It’s there in the hatred he has for putting up with routines, school and this low level of basketball, a waste of time and talent (perhaps it wouldn’t be if he’d just be patient enough to try and make friends, get along with kids his own age—but weighting for Makoto to deign to mingle, to be patient at all, would be waiting forever, Imayoshi reckons). At some level he is wasted here, but there’s no other place he could be, and maybe he’ll happen upon something a little more worth his while than contempt, loathing, hatred.

Something like love, maybe, but that’s a little too premature to say, especially given how old they are. Sometimes adults are a little too dismissive, but Imayoshi’s not sure in this case. Either way, he doesn’t feel like he’s in love yet; he doesn’t know if he could ever be in love with Hanamiya. And maybe that’s because love is difficult even when it’s not deliberate; maybe it’s because it takes time (to nurture and grow like a little seed, ha, as if; that’s a little too simplistic and saccharine). Imayoshi's certainly attracted to Hanamiya; he likes the little sneer on his lips, the sarcastic quips that he mutters to himself, that no one else seems to hear or get. He likes how clearly and simply Hanamiya hates; for someone pretending to be so above it all he’s awfully straightforward sometimes. Love is a stretch, sure, but it could be, someday, maybe.

Or it could be Imayoshi’s too caught up in a flight of fancy and there’s no one around to clip his wings back and send him falling down with a reality check. He’d say Hanamiya would if he heard, but he’s not sure Hanamiya hates him. Of all people, Hanamiya seems fascinated and a little wary of Imayoshi, a feeling he can’t handle as easily, so he tries to slap the label of similar hatred over it to make it fit in. It’s not love on his end, either; it might not even be attraction. But maybe it’s close enough.

Re: FILL: TEAM BOKUTO KOUTAROU/KUROO TETSUROU, G

[marks]

this makes me happy. what jerks.

Re: FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Miyahara, G

[marks]

sounds fake but okay phichit

THIS IS SO CUTE!!

Re: FILL: Team Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, T

[marks]

it's always a good idea to learn new things, mila!! this was adorable and great.

Re: FILL: Team Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, T

[marks]

precious baaaaaaby

"Get the fuck away from me, dickface!"

*"Get the duck away from me, duckface!"

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

[marks]

This was so warm and quiet! Loved it.