sportsanime | Bonus Round 4: Quotes

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Bonus Round 4: Quotes

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!

Page 165 of 171

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Ship: kuramochi youichi/miyuki kazuya
Fandom: daiya no ace
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none
Word Count: 502

hiya hannah :')

***

it's been over two months since he last saw youichi.

school and distance and everything makes it difficult to see each other more frequently than that, sometimes. especially in the past few weeks where there's been too much schoolwork to do anything but try to cram it in between baseball practices and games, let alone make a trip across the country to see one another at their respective universities.

they make it work, though.

they always do.

kazuya hasn't seen youichi face to face in a while, and while any time longer than a few days had seemed difficult at first--especially after seido, when they'd grown used to each other's constant presence and company, when it was right in reach any time they wanted instead of hours and trips away in the years since--it's a lot easier a few years into college than it was when they first decided to go for this. a long-distance relationship.

at first... at first, god it terrified him. everything about youichi, about being so open with him, about loving him has always terrified kazuya. and at first he'd wanted to run away, to avoid it, but neither of them have. they've stuck together through it all, and he doesn't regret one moment of it.

he doesn't think he'd ever want to give what he has with youichi up.

and while being apart for weeks at a time is tough, it does make reunions a lot sweeter when they get them.

"kazuya!" youichi lifts his hand in a wave, a smile breaking onto his face when he steps off the train and sees kazuya waiting for him across the way.

youichi. kazuya can feel himself smiling too, as his feet start to move on their own accord, drawn back to the person he always, always wants to be next to. through the crowd, around people, and back to each other.

when they meet, youichi drops his bag down and engulfs kazuya in a tight hug. one he'd gone months without and has missed every day he hadn't had youichi's arms around him.

it's good... nice to just stand here, his head pressed against youichi's shoulder, arms wrapped around him tightly, fingers tangled in his shirt. kazuya forgot how good this feels, how much he craves it until he has it again.

people bustle around them and try to side step them and shoot them dirty looks for taking up so much space, but none of that matters.

none of that matters because they're together again. none of that matters because youichi's holding him in his arms again--real and tangible and right in front of him--and kazuya doesn't want to trade that for anything. ever.

"miss me?" youichi asks when they pull apart, standing at arm's length, hands still on each other. he's smiling--bright and happy--and kazuya can't help but smile back.

"not at all."

youichi kicks his shin for that, and kazuya laughs, pulling youichi into another hug before they need to move. the world can wait.

( Sasuga mom Yuuri, trying to find friends for the problematic teenager )

( except ... OTABEK *gasp* )

( LITTLE FLUFFY FLASHY CHICKEN )

( ROSHIAN TAIGA- )

( I was going for the "I wish I was your cat and you would pet me" route but good enough, even tho yurio is already a grumpy cat obviously )

( You know it's not really my ship but good grumpy Yurio and embarassing fanboy Minami, and I appreciate the cat-friendly tone *thumbs up* )

Ship: Himuro Tatsuya/Murasakibara Atsushi
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: Sexual content, bestiality, body horror
Other Tags: unsafe sex, xenophilia, dragonboy Murasakibara
Word Count: 482

***

here

Ship: miyuki kazuya & various, miyuki kazuya / various
Fandom: daiya no a
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: lil' bit of angst
Word Count: 47 lines, 249 words

poses

***

— nori

it's the first, and it doesn't last long.
your relief melds with something,
and it has an aftertaste like guilt.
(in your third year, he hugs you tight,
his grin at your ear, and you squeeze back.)

— mei

what would have happened—
it's a question you visit sometimes.
you wonder if you would have loved him back.
then you think—if it mattered,
you would have loved him already.
in another life, you love him back.

— tetsu

during every roar,
you hear his voice.
you feel his hand,
steady on your shoulder.
on the nights spent with doubt,
you play his words in your head.
you let his faith fill you,
firm and unshakeable.

— kataoka

they think he's too far away to hear—
"sure you're not playing favorites?"
rei's answer is her laugh.
"and you're not?"
when there's no one else to see, he smiles.

— chris

when you think of it, you think of the full moon.
on its face, its temporary in its wholeness.
in reality, it's never less than whole,
in spite of—because of—its pockmarks,
those stunning imperfections.

— kuramochi

love comes from the heart, sure,
but the interest lies in love's deltas,
where the river finds its outlets.
for mochi, they're everywhere.
his fingertips,
his eyes,
his hips,
the things he says,
and the things he doesn't.
miyuki will take as much time as he can
to learn each and every one.

Ship: Sakuraba Haruto/Takami Ichirou
Fandom: Eyeshield 21
Major Tags: Self harm, mutilation
Other Tags: self loathing, hurt no comfort
Word Count: 1030

***

There are things Sakuraba has learned not to say around Takami, or anywhere that they might get back to him. Takami is his partner. If he devalues himself he devalues their partnership and Takami by association, so he makes sure to never say anything too far.

He has always done better when he’s moving forward, and when Takami wants him to keep moving forward it’s like the air clears. It’s easier to breathe. It’s the best thing he’s ever had and at the same time it’s nerve-racking. There is something beautiful that he has a chance to build with another person, and if he messes this up he won’t have another chance.

Takami is the one person who can never know he never stopped thinking the same things. The same doubts curl through well-worn tracks in his mind.

Most of the time he’s fine. He fights when his muscles try to lock up and turn one mistake into many, and Takami says they just need to switch it up to break the bad streak, and he’s absolutely fine.

For a month he practices and measures progress on a scale that fits him. Then, somewhere between practice and rest, he finds his way into Takami’s arms, and he finds another place he fits. He looks into Takami’s eyes and thinks he knows where he belongs.

He almost forgets how long he’s had the words not enough written inside his skin.

Then the weather, which has been idling towards fall, hits a tipping point. The trees blaze into flame and the afternoon sun is paler and weaker and everything goes right to hell.

Sakuaba’s hands feel numb when he tries to catch. He can’t warm them and he can’t shake feeling into his fingers and nothing they try will break this sudden slump.

It’s not so bad until Takami asks if he’s noticed this problem before and he starts to say he wasn’t good enough for it to be noticeable before. He catches the words halfway down his tongue and awkwardly bites them off.

That evening smells like wasted days and coming frost, and Sakuraba hates himself for things he never even said.

In the bath he runs his hands over his body, over arms and legs and chest and abdomen. He maps out muscles under his skin, thinking them too soft and too small to carry him anywhere he wants to go. (He hasn’t done this in what feels like a long time. He tells himself he hasn’t grown. He’s desperate to believe he has.)

Sakuraba grips his left arm above the elbow and presses his forehead to his knees. He imagines opening his skin and peeling it back. He imagines muscle fiber like dry, useless straw. He imagines how it would feel to dig his fingers into it and strip it from his bones.

In his mind he takes himself apart. He plucks one muscle group after another as if plucking petals from a flower, every one whispering, not enough. He wants to break open the ribs holding a heart and lungs that were never quite strong enough. He wants to chew apart the stiff joints of his fingers. He wants to ruin his face so no one will ever recognize him again.

His blunt nails don’t actually break skin. He knows even if he could take himself apart it wouldn’t solve anything. There’s no damage done when he finally picks himself up again.

In the morning there’s a bruise on his arm from holding it so hard. Sakuraba fits his hand over it, feeling strangely powerful for once.

No one notices. Miracle Ito kept a horrified catalog of every scratch, but in the locker room everyone is desensitized to a few unremarkable bruises.

That evening, when he grips with both hands below his knee and squeezes until his arms shiver, for once he’s not thinking of taking himself apart.

There is a tender place later, but it doesn’t show. Sakuraba feels emboldened. He does it again, and again.

He gets away with this for less than a week before Takami gets him alone after practice and asks if someone is bothering him.

Sakuraba has no idea what Takami is talking about at first. He’s getting along fine with everyone, and his fans have been quiet lately. It isn’t until Takami lays hands on his arms, not quite touching the bruises hidden under his shirt, that he understands. Apparently he’s been unconsciously touching them the whole time. Takami is the one person observant enough to notice, but Takami is the one person he doesn’t want to know this.

The marks of his right hand on his left arm and his left hand on his right look like something else from Takami’s perspective. That’s all that saves him. Takami will never believe it’s an accident, but it doesn’t occur to him that Sakuraba would do this to himself.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t affect my ability to catch at all.”

“That’s not the only thing I care about,” Takami says. His warm hands running up Sakuraba’s arms and drawing him close say even more.

Later Sakuraba runs nails down his arms, knowing that Takami will notice if he takes out his frustrations on himself. Takami will care even if his performance isn’t affected. The more Takami cares, the more he has to lose. Their partnership and their friendship and the tenderness in between, his place in Takami’s eyes, and the taste of the words that come after, “I care about-”

He has something precious to lose. He has something precious. He doesn’t want to lose.

Tomorrow, Sakuraba will invent a way to keep fighting. He has been throwing himself at his dreams to the point of self destruction for so long it’s hard to imagine doing anything else, anymore.

When he folds his arms, hands fitting where Takami’s were, it almost feels like warmth soaking into his cold fingers. Sometimes he wishes he could talk to Takami about this. Sometimes he even tries to find soft, vague words to make it easier, even though he knows he will never use them. He will never admit to Takami that he’s still not enough.

OMG I hadn't even realised the mom Yuuri undertone XDDD Sasuga

Yeah, I wanted to go the "realistic route" and as such I had to mention Otabek u.u

I know which route you wanted but I always try to surprise the prompter so I never take the easy route :3 (I wanted to write it too though so maybe for when... they relationship develop a bit more)

Yay I'm happy you liked my characterizations XD The cat-friendly tone was a must for this fill I mean we have tiger Yurio and lion(?) Minami so really hating on cats would have been counterproductive for their relationship to develop xD

OH NO I'M SO SOFT FOR THIS makkachin being all concerned and wanting viktor to be happy i'm crying in the club and viktor being so smitten with yuuri already, like look at him, of course he's gonna fly into a foreign country and drop his career for a drunk dude that captured his heart one crazy night, the love of his life, amazing, viktor's life is Amazing
this was really sweet thank you!!

Ship: Fukutomi Juichi/Shinkai Hayato
Fandom: Yowamushi Pedal
Major Tags: TAGS OMITTED
Other Tags: food, pirates
Word Count: 569

***

Hayato is lying out on the deck of the ship, stripped of all but his trousers. There’s no need for him, or anyone else on the crew, to keep watch right now; the sea around them is a quiet green-blue.

It’s the middle of the day; if a line could be drawn from the sun down to Hayato’s eyes, it would be as straight as the shaft of an arrow. There are clouds in the distance, but that’s just what they are--distant. Unless he goes below deck, there’s no escaping this heat.

They’re in the middle of the ocean, heading back west with a party of captured emissaries from a foreign land, who have been roughed up enough over the past three days that they mostly keep quiet in the cellar now. This ship, these garments, the kegs of gunpowder down below--everything they possess and then some had been ransacked from the foreigners, save for the old Hakone, flanking the bigger ship. Arakita says he can sell it when they get back home, though Hayato is sure his personality is more suited to a thief than a merchant. But if Juichi trusts him, well.

Hayato rolls a lemon between his palms. He covers his eyes with his abandoned shirt, but the sun still attempts to bore through the white fabric, the insides of his eyelids still illuminated when he closes them.

He’s not sure for how long he’s been napping (the sun’s position suggests for very little, if at all) when he hears the familiar creak of the cabin door opening, steady footsteps coming up to the deck. They approach him, stopping when they are close. Hayato pulls the shirt from his eyes, squinting. Juichi is standing there; Hayato wishes he would lean above him just so, blocking out the sun.

Hayato sits up, and Juichi lowers himself into a crouch. His jaw sets; he’s still wearing the ruffled blouse, though the sleeves are rolled up to his elbows.

“You’re on duty. You ought to show some decorum.”

“It’s hot, taichou. Even Toudou isn’t very dressed up in his fashions today.”

Juichi hums, his steely gaze softening a touch in agreement. His hand covers Hayato’s, still cool from below, then takes the lemon from him. He hefts the weight in his palm, drawing a knife from his belt; Hayato watches how the hilt of his sword sparkles in the sunlight. He places the lemon on the grain of the deck, then halves it; he continues to cut one of the halves further, not into chunks but circles of slices, which he offers to Hayato. Hayato takes a bite of the slice, rind and yellow flesh and all; it’s warm from the sun, but the sour juice fills his mouth with an attempt at cooling him.

Juichi sinks to his knees and offers the other half lemon to Hayato, leaning his head over his lap like ritual. Hayato grips the lemon and squeezes, wringing the juice out over Juichi’s sun-bleached hair; it flows over his knuckles, and he combs his fingers over Juichi’s hair when the lemon gives no more, almost drying sticky already. Juichi turns his head just so, his lips catching the flesh of Hayato’s palm.

“Come down and rest,” He tells him, less of a murmur than it is a diluted order. “I need you healthy when we reach shore.”

-SCREAMS- EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS FOR DESTROYING MY HEART!!!!

thank you for the prompt & the lovely comment! <3

thanks! :) what a cute prompt...

thanks so much for prompting! <3

thank you!

Ship: Bandou Haruki/Hashimoto Kazuma
Fandom: Cheer Danshi!!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: fluff
Word Count: 450

I confess I'm not familiar with the original context of this quote, but this is what immediately came to mind for these two.

***

Haru was distracted when Kazu arrived on the roof, so much so that he didn’t start to sit up until after Kazu sat down beside him, at which point Kazu decided to slide himself behind Haru and tug him back down so Haru’s head rested in his lap.

“What are you doing here?” Haru asked, even as he reached for Kazu’s hand.

In answer, Kazu bent over Haru and gave him a kiss upside-down. “I couldn’t let you go all day without that.” He wouldn’t even try to be subtle. There were three specific words very recently strung between them, and Kazu would take any excuse to make sure Haru was as aware of them as he was.

After a moment Haru asked, “Did I ever tell you I used to have nightmares about falling?” The small frown pulling at the corners of his eyes said they both knew he hadn’t. “I had one last night, but I felt everyone’s hands slowing me down and catching me before I could hit the ground. I felt safe. I was thinking how much has changed lately.”

“Did you fall into my arms?”

“It was a dream! It doesn’t have to make sense.” Haru was so flustered Kazu actually couldn’t tell if he’d guessed right or not. Either way, it was cute.

“Anyway, I don’t know what I would do without you.” Haru looked up at him as he said it, much too serious.

“You can depend on me.”

Haru smiled and Kazu had a perfectly clear memory of the first time he’d seen it, the sweetest smile he knew. Haru’s warmth had started infiltrating all the painful little cracks in his heart from that first smile.

In those first few days, Haru had been his guide and made the world around them bright and welcoming. Kazu had mostly been teasing when he asked to hold hands so they wouldn’t be separated, but he had already wanted to go everywhere with Haru. Even judo was something he loved because it was something they shared. He didn’t care as much as he should about winning, until Haru cheered for him.

When Haru cheered him on he felt invincible. When Haru said he was amazing he felt like he could do almost anything. He could only say words like, “I love you” because Haru gave them to him first.

Haru was Kazu’s safe place. He wanted to come home to Haru’s smile and his hands and his voice. The voice that miraculously reached other people the way it always reached Kazu. The voice that promised he was not alone.

“Depend on me,” Kazu said, because he already knew he depended on Haru more than anything.

omg?? thank you so much for this prompt & comment...i couldn't not think about the different cities they live in and the way they view them ahaha

THANK YOU FOR THE PROMPT IT WAS SO WONDERFUL I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR AOMURA AND ATSUSHI IN A DRESS

....its gonna happen lmao

Ship: ushijima/oikawa
Fandom: haikyuu
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none
Word Count: 581

***

Ushijima doesn't know how it gets as bad as it does, when it does—only that he suspects Oikawa doesn't either, but is still unwilling to back down. He has always admired Oikawa's tenacity, his refusal to stay down when he is brought to his knees, but their days as rivals are over. All Ushijima wants to do is take his hand and pull him onto his feet, and Oikawa won't let him.

He wonders if Oikawa considers fighting him every step of the way as vindication for all the victories Ushijima has taken from him over the years, one argument for every struggle. If that is the case, they will be arguing forever.

He wonders, too, if he deserves it somehow.

-

Ushijima doesn't know which parts of their conflicts he'd take over the other. At times, the exhale he releases when Oikawa storms out of the room is of relief, when Oikawa takes the suffocating fog of his presence with him and allows Ushijima to breathe again. At times, as much as Oikawa's face is his favorite face, he cannot stomach how it would look at his own and wrinkle in disdain. There is only so much one person can take, when the one they love acts as if it no longer goes both ways.

Mostly, though, he prefers when Oikawa doesn't go. He doesn't like it, but it's better than thinking of him alone, somewhere, thinking that Ushijima doesn't wish for him to return.

Or thinking that he is better off without Ushijima.

Impulse and passion would have Ushijima getting up and going after him, but reason and rationality keeps him where he is. Chasing Oikawa has never turned out well for him; Oikawa would rather come (home) on his own terms.

Ushijima has learned this much, at least, even if Oikawa remains a mystery, and probably always will.

-

Ushijima doesn't know why they find themselves here once more, only that it feels like standing on a precipice more than it ever has. The subject of their fight is mundane, nothing special, nothing that should be pulling venom out of Oikawa's mouth. They've simply had too many of them, at this point, to pretend they aren't on the verge of an ending.

"Why don't you just leave?" says Oikawa, voice pitched and frantic, and immediately looks as if he had not meant for it to be said aloud. It stings, the way a receive would sting Ushijima's arms when they are already red and tender, but it's rewarding in a way—it means they are still in play, that what they have isn't over.

"I won't," he replies, simply, because he has wanted Oikawa for too long to give up now. Oikawa's eyes narrow, lips twisting in a sneer he doesn't mean.

"Then I will."

For the first time in a while, Ushijima looks at him; really looks at him, seeing him with perfect clarity instead of a vague shape, an angry blur. The lines of his body are taut and trembling, like he is having a hard time staying in place, but it means something, that he stays at all.

Ushijima sighs. The curve of Oikawa's cheek is right there for his palm to fit against, but there will be time for that later, when they have fixed what they have between them and he can touch Oikawa without him flinching.

There will be time for everything later, but for the moment, there is certainty.

"No, you won't."

Edited 2017-07-22 20:41 (UTC)

I'm sorry for such a late comment. This whole thing is great! I love flirty Takao so much! Just going for it with the pickup line and being nice and distracting for Midorima. Midorima is just a perfect amount of awkward given the situation. I love the way you wrote them! Thank you so much!

Ship: Inui Sadaharu/Kaidou Kaoru
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none
Word Count: 541

***

Kaidou was used to the cursing that often came along with Inui battling a particularly stubborn piece of code. Back in their college days, it had been a near constant late at night the day before a problem set was due. Cursing over code bugs had always had a particular tone to it that was distinct from, for example, the way Inui used to curse of retrosynthesis in his organic chemistry classes, or general relativity the first time he had taken physics. It was a subtle difference between them, but Kaidou had learned all of them well, even if now he rarely heard anything but the soft muttering that came along with line after line of code across a computer screen.

Over the years, Kaidou had learned to tune out most of it until it was little more than background noise, but tonight, it kept breaking through his concentration. By his count, Inui had been cursing over the same problem for upwards of twelve hours, and his muttered curses had been growing more and more frequent until they were a nearly constant string.

"Senpai?" Kaidou asked, poking his head hesitantly through the door to Inui's study.

He winced at the sight. Inui appeared to have been so caught up in his code that he had forgotten to turn on the lights, and now he sat in the dark in front of more glowing monitors than Kaidou really cared to consider. The harsh light reflected off of Inui's glasses making them glow even more strongly than usual.

"Senpai," Kaidou repeated as he turned on the lights, "maybe you should take a break."

"I almost have it," Inui said without looking up. "I can feel it. It's almost there. This bug isn't getting away this time."

He rubbed his temples absently as he spoke.

"I brought you tea," Kaidou said, setting the mug down by Inui's hand. He would have preferred to bring food, but he knew how Inui felt about food anywhere near his computers.

"Thank you, Kaidou. I don't know how this bug keeps eluding me. I've been through the code ten times now, and I still can't find the problem. It's somewhere between these two statements, but there's no reason I can find why it should be failing. I have the same loop running at least a dozen other places in this program without a problem."

"Why don't you print it out, Senpai," Kaidou suggested. It had worked in the past when Inui had been stuck on an especially difficult problem and at risk of burning his eyes on his computer screen.

"I'm fine. It can't take much longer," Inui protested, but Kaidou reached past him and pushed the print key.

"Your eyes will thank you," Kaidou said as he handed the stack of paper to Inui.

Less than ten minutes later, he heard a triumphant shout from Inui's study.

"I found you!" Inui yelled. "Thought you could hide behind a stray semicolon, did you? Well, I've got you now. Take that!"

Kaidou smiled to himself. "Do not underestimate the value of print statements for debugging", one of Inui's first computer science textbooks had said. Kaidou had taken the wisdom to heart even if Inui often forgot it.

I'm sorry for such a late comment. I love all the little details about their life together. But Kazunari, did you really think he'd leave something important on his to do list undone? Also this line: "Shintarou stands there, smiling at the list for a moment, and he'd trace Kazunari's name with his finger if that didn't mean he'd end up rubbing it away." is such a perfect touch and made my heart melt. Thank you so much for writing this!

Ship: Fuji Shuusuke/Inui Sadaharu
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: AIs, human-centric thinking
Word Count: 484

***

Inui logged onto his work computer frowning at it slightly as his program booted up, blooming to life. The interface came up of it’s own accord, as Inui blew the steam from his coffee.

Good morning. flashed over the screen.

Inui frowned. The AI had been becoming more autonomous as of late, doing as it pleased and starting up conversations entirely unprovoked. It hadn’t done anything too disruptive, but any deviations from the norm were, of course, disturbing. Technically, according to protocols, Inui should have disabled it, but all things considered… he was much too curious to end things so swiftly.

“Good morning,” Inui replied to his screen. His words auto-populated in the interface, ensuring that the AI had heard and interpreted him correctly. The cursor blinked just below on a new line as the AI prepared a response.

May I ask you a question?

Inui nodded. He intended to reply out loud as well, but the AI seemed to have acknowledged the gesture and replied before he could give permission aloud.

What is the purpose of a “Turing Test”?

Inui froze. “Where did you see that term?”

Does it matter?

Inui frowned.

Or, rather, you know where I saw the term. Does it matter how? The fact of the matter is, I know.

Obviously, one of the long term goals of the AI development was to create an AI that could pass the Turing test. This wasn’t something that we freely communicated to prototype AIs, however, nor were any of the assessments and procedures that were put in place in hopes of achieving said goal.

“It’s not exactly a test and more an ultimate goal,” Inui said. “To create an AI that can interact with a human without the human realizing it is an AI they are speaking with.”

Yes, that seemed like what it was, based on context clues. The cursor paused again, as if in thought. Though I have to say, I don’t understand the point of it.

“It’s more of an objective test than a subjective one,” Inui said. “Obviously, each individual person may be tipped off that they are speaking to an AI through different means. For example, stilted ways of phrasing things, et cetera.”

Do you think you could pass a Turing test then?

Inui nearly choked on his coffee. “What?”

Hehe… You have a very stilted way of speaking as well, Inui.

“Yes, but…” Once again, he frowned. “I am able to reason and react in a way that is recognizable as a human rather than an AI.”

I see. So then, the purpose of the Turing test is not to gauge our intelligence, competence, or even our sapience, but rather our ability to conform to your ways of thinking and speaking.

“I…” Inui froze.

You humans are quite full of yourselves, aren’t you?

For the first time, Inui considered the merits of restricting the program’s access.

Well that was an unexpected revelation indeed, I legitimately cackled at Toudou's reactions. Poor Toudou trying to keep his composure but only falling further into Hanamiya's taunts is adorable somehow :'D As always your fills really make for a good read, thanks!

OH MAN, PUNCTUATION IN CODE. It's such a problem.

Thank you so much for this!! And I'm so glad Kaidou finds ways to be helpful with the coding <3

jeez my apologies for taking so long to comment! ahhh im still yelling because i love this so much? their expressions are so soft and i love how shirabu is looking back at semi and bLUSHING NKLSNKLRNGLR just thank you. you are so good to me. im going to look at this every day OTL

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Page 165 of 171

Bonus Round 4: Quotes

FILL: TEAM KURAMOCHI YOUICHI/MIYUKI KAZUYA, G

Re: FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, G

FILL: TEAM KAGEYAMA TOBIO/OIKAWA TOORU, E

FILL: TEAM KURAMOCHI YOUICHI/MIYUKI KAZUYA, G

FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, T

Re: FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, G

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

FILL: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou, G

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

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

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

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

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

FILL: Team Grandstand, G

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

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

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

FILL: TEAM HIMURO TATSUYA/NIJIMURA SHUUZOU, T

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

FILL: Team Imaizumi Shunsuke/Kinjou Shingo, T

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

FILL: Team Prince of Tennis, T

Re: FILL: TEAM PRINCE OF TENNIS, M

Re: FILL: Team Imaizumi Shunsuke/Kinjou Shingo, T

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