Bonus Round 5: Clue

[referees]

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

Sometimes, all you need are a few little details to imagine something bigger. This round is inspired by a classic board game with a cast of colorful characters, but for SASO your only limits on "who", "where", and "with what" are what you can imagine (and the SASO fandom list, of course)!

This round closes on 5 August @ 7PM EDT. (Countdown Timer.)

Please read this whole post before commenting to ensure that your team gets the most points possible. (There are changes from last year!)

RULES

• Submit prompts by commenting to this post with the format of a Clue mystery - "[character] in the [location] with [item]", along with any ship/ot3/etc. from one of our nominated fandoms.
  • Example: Sawamura Daichi in the teachers' lounge with the Hello Kitty! lunchbox
  • The person in your prompt MAY be a member of your ship, but is not REQUIRED to be part of your ship. They must still be a named character from a SASO-nominated fandom.
  • Your place must be a physical location, not a state of being or a state of being. However, this location is not required to be real, nor must it be from the same setting as the characters.
  • The "item" used must be a physical object that the character can hold or manipulate.
  • Unlike the board game, your prompt is NOT required to imply murder. The scenario implied can be anything at all! (As always, please tag properly!)
  • 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 Clue-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> [Character] in the [location] with the [item].	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

PROMPT: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Kagami Taiga &/ Kise Ryouta
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: Violence if you want to go there
Other Tags: None

Prompt:
Kagami in the kitchen with the knife.

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Makishima & Onoda
Fandom: Yowamushi Pedal
Major Tags: death
Other Tags: angst

Prompt:

Makishima in the graveyard with the Kumotaro keychain.

PROMPT: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Kuroo Tetsurou &/ Bokuto Koutarou &/ Oikawa Tooru
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None

Prompt:
Oikawa in the gym with Bokuto's phone.

PROMPT: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Kageyama Tobio &/ Hinata Shouyou
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: Possible violence, character death?
Other Tags: FHQ

Prompt:
Kenma in the inn with Kageyama's bow.

FILL: TEAM AKAASHI KEIJI/BOKUTO KOUTAROU, [G]

[earlgrey_milktea]

Ship: kageyama tobio/hinata shouyou
Fandom: haikyuu
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: FHQ
Word Count: 609

where is kags, 'tis the question

***

It’s almost midnight and still pouring relentlessly by the time Kenma pushes open the tavern door. Shouyou is up and limping towards him before Suga can hold him down.

“Kenma,” Shouyou says. He wobbles on his good leg, holds onto the edge of an empty table to keep from falling over. “Kenma,” he says again. “Please.”

Kenma has his hood up, the once pristine mage’s robe from the castle dirty and worn and soaking wet. He’s dripping a puddle where he stands in front of the door. He doesn’t answer.

“Kenma,” Shouyou pleads, but Suga is there, guiding him into a chair. Shouyou goes, but he keeps his eyes on Kenma. His friend had promised him he would do his best to search out there, had promised him he would do what he can in place of Shouyou.

But he had returned alone.

“Let him warm up first,” Suga suggests gently. He gestures for Kenma to join Shouyou at the table, and bustles off to find a mop. Daichi makes his way over with warm cider for the both of them, even though Shouyou’s barely-eaten dinner still sits by the bar. The tavern is empty save for them, while the rest of their party, or at least, the ones that made it to this meeting point, are passed out upstairs.

Kenma pulls down his hood. There’s a gash on his forehead, and his eyes, usually a gold that almost seems to glow, are dull. There’s a haunted expression in his eyes that almost makes Shouyou too afraid to ask.

But he has to. He can still hear the low voice in his ear, hissing at him to run, run far away to safety. He can still feel familiar hands on his face, the brush of lips against his forehead, so warm and yet the memory fading so fast. He needs to know.

Just as he opens his mouth to ask again, Kenma lifts his gaze to meet Shouyou’s. “I’m sorry,” is all he says, and something cracks inside Shouyou’s chest. Kenma shuffles his robes, and then, slowly, with careful hands, produces two wooden halves and places them on the table.

Shouyou recognizes the shade of that wood. He recognizes the make, the handcrafted curve. It’s Kageyama’s bow, and it’s broken in two.

“I tried, but the rain has washed away everything,” Kenma is saying. His usually soft voice is muted, sounding from far away. “My tracking spells go nowhere. I did run into Ku—a demon, but that’s. Not important. This was all I could find. I’m sorry, Shouyou.”

With shaky hands, Shouyou reaches out to touch the bow. He’s always been jealous of Kageyama’s skill, but if he’s honest with himself, he’s always been entirely too captivated with Kageyama’s archery, too. There’s a lump in his throat. Dimly, he can hear Daichi ask Kenma about the demon and why Kenma seems to know its name, Suga hovering behind him in concern.

His eyes sting when he closes them. He takes a few deep breaths. His leg still throbs where he hurt it. When Shouyou opens his eyes again, there’s only fierce determination.

“I’m going after him,” he says, and the others quiet, watching him.

“Shou—”

“He’s alive.” Shouyou glares back at Kenma, daring him to contradict. “He has to be. Kageyama, he—he promised. He promised me we’d make it to the mountain top together. He promised.”

Suga and Daichi exchange a look, but Kenma holds Shouyou’s gaze. Shouyou’s fingers tremble even as he clenches them around the broken bow. Eventually, Kenma lowers his eyes, and nods.

“Okay, Shouyou,” says Kenma. “When the rain stops. We’ll go get Tobio back.”

PROMPT: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Kageyama Tobio &/ Kindaichi Yuutarou
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None

Prompt:
Kageyama in front of the wrong door with the cake.

PROMPT: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Aone Takanobu &/ Hinata Shouyou
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None

Prompt:
Futakuchi in the living room with the camera.

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Horio &/ Ryoma
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: failed seduction attempts are funny, thank you Mousi and Marks for this

Prompt:

Horio in Ryoma’s bed in a Godzilla kigurumi.

PROMPT: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None

Prompt:
Atsumu in Osamu's room with college applications.

FILL: Team Miyuki Kazuya/Oikawa Tooru, G

[nautilics]

Ship: Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major tags: none
Other tags: miya brothers feelings
Word count: 841

i unintentionally put a lot of a certain type of imagery in this and just kind of, ran with it, so excuse the overdone repeated metaphor haha. thank you for the excellent prompt!!

***

The closed door means that Osamu doesn't want to be disturbed. This was something he established when he'd first moved into the spare room in middle school. It was something like a reassurance to the then-sulking Atsumu: 'Tsumu, I'm right next door. I won't even close the door unless I really want to be alone, okay?

He'd moved out for privacy, but to be honest, sometimes it doesn't feel like it's made any difference. Like now, when Atsumu throws open the door and strides in like it's his own domain, drops a stack of university brochures on top of Osamu's desk, and flings himself onto Osamu's bed.

Osamu sweeps the brochures off his homework and onto the floor. "No."

"At least look at them before you throw them away!"

"I did. No."

A pillow hits the back of his head. "We're third years now! You can't ignore the future forever!"

Osamu tosses the pillow back over his shoulder and keeps studying his textbook, though his mind isn't really catching the words.

It's not like he's ignoring the prospect of university applications; far from it, in fact. He's talked with the careers counsellor, and spent hours clicking through page after page of university websites. If Atsumu poked around his room, he would probably find that Osamu already has a list.

The careers counsellor had looked over his choices and nodded, then smiled in a wistful kind of way: I suppose this will be the first time you and Atsumu-kun are going your separate ways, hm?

The knowledge didn't surprise him. Osamu's seen the scouts hanging around the stands while they train. He's seen the mail their mother leaves at Atsumu's door when they get home from school. Osamu doesn't ask, and Atsumu doesn't mention it, but they both know that he has the world laid bare before him. And he's always expected this, because Atsumu's brilliance is electric-bright and impossible to miss, a live wire that demands every focus.

Osamu, though, has to make his own light. Atsumu knows this, too.

Hence: the endless brochures, the constant invasions into his room, the ‘Samu, you know any university you want is gonna take you, right? and Osamu, unsure how to tell his twin that the university he wants isn't the one Atsumu wants.

There's a rustling sound behind him on the bed, and then a thump, and Osamu turns to find Atsumu with his arm in the gap between the bed and the wall. With a triumphant shout, he pulls out a dusty and faded Pikachu toy. "I remember this!" he crows, lifting it into the air. "I gave this to you when we were kids, remember?"

"It was mine, and then you hogged it because you liked the ears and wouldn't give it back to me until I moved into this room," Osamu deadpans.

Atsumu throws him an offended look. "No no, I won it in the claw machine when it was our birthday! And you got all sad because you couldn't get one, so I let you have it."

Osamu scrunches his nose. The memory is hazy, but now that Atsumu mentions it, he thinks that he may be right. "You still stole it every night though," he mutters, because he remembers this for sure.

"Yeah, cause I used to get scared of the dark," Atsumu says, without shame. "You never did, so I always figured you could give him up for a bit."

Osamu blinks. It wasn't that he didn't get scared; it was more that it seemed less daunting when there was someone else there, facing it with him.

"And then you moved over here and I thought, ‘Samu probably needs him more than I do now. So you wouldn't get lonely." Atsumu squeezes the long ears between his fingers, and smiles like he’s sharing a secret. "And, I guess I thought it was time that I learned to deal with the scary stuff without relying on you all the time, y'know?"

Atsumu slides to the edge of the bed, feet planted on the floor as he faces Osamu. The Pikachu sits in his lap, plastic eyes peering cheerfully up at him.

When, Osamu wonders, did they start having more than one conversation at once?

His twin reaches over, and places the Pikachu into Osamu's hands.

"You know that-" Atsumu begins, then pauses, his hands still resting on the toy. His voice is quiet in the space between them. "‘Samu, wherever we end up, it's going to be fine. You know that, right?"

I'll be fine.

It's an honesty that neither of them wears often.

Osamu buries his fingers in Pikachu's dusty fur, fingers brushing against Atsumu's. "I'm thinking of trying for a university in Tokyo," he says, and a weight leaves his chest as the words do.

Atsumu's smile flickers ever so slightly, but not, Osamu thinks, from surprise. "Tokyo, huh?" He lets go as he settles back onto the bed. "Tell me all about it, ‘Samu."

So he does.

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Indou/Tsukushi
Fandom: DAYS
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: this could be very funny, or very awful, your call

Prompt:

Tsukushi in the forest with a red hood.

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Mizuki/Fuji, Tomoe &/ Kyousuke
Fandom: Prince of Tennis or Prince of Stride
Major Tags: sexual content, dub/noncon, sex work
Other Tags: possibly went overboard with the tags there, whether this is canon-adjacent or total AU is up to you

Prompt:

Mizuki or Tomoe in the strip club with a fistful of twenties.

PROMPT: Team Himuro Tatsuya/Nijimura Shuuzou

[plume_sombre]

Ship: Himuro Tatsuya &/ Nijimura Shuuzou
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: Violence
Other Tags: None

Prompt:
Nijimura in the garage with the gun.

PROMPT: TEAM AKAASHI KEIJI/BOKUTO KOUTAROU

[earlgrey_milktea]

Ship: hanamaki takahiro/matsukawa issei
Fandom: haikyuu
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: smoking i guess

Prompt:
hanamaki on the balcony with the last cigarette.

FILL: Team Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, T

[putsch]

Ship: hanamaki/matsukawa
Fandom: haikyuu
Major Tags: implied sexual content (like, barely there)
Other Tags: smoking
Word Count: 407

***

"i thought you'd quit."

hanamaki lets out a long exhale, watching an even longer line of smoke trail from his lips into the dark night sky. it's not as dark as it would be in miyagi, but then again, there's no where near home where he could have an apartment with a balcony ten stories up back home either. "figured it'd be better to finish the last pack i had than to throw it out. no sense making extra waste."

"hm." matsukawa walks out onto the balcony beside him bare shoulder to bare shoulder, leaning against the rail. "you got another?"

"sorry doll, last one." he takes another drag.

"doll, really?"

"mmm." he hums, letting the acrid taste fill his mouth - but before he can open his mouth and let it go, matsukawa is there, cupping his chin and pulling him in for a kiss. the smoke mingles from his mouth to matsukawa's, the last wisps licked up along with hanamaki's breath, all taken from him and tucked squarely behind matsukawa's smirking lips.

"thanks for the hit sugarplum."

over-sensitivity from their earlier night's activities paired with the shock of being caught so off-guard keeps him from coming up with a witty retort or moving from his spot. it takes a good five seconds before he finally closes his mouth and huffs, knowing matsukawa's smirk is only getting wider the longer it takes for him to reply.

"sugarplum is worse than doll." is the best reply he comes up with.

"i dunno, you are very sweet. i think it's fitting."

"i will throw you over this balcony, so help me."

matsukawa laughs at that, slipping an arm around his back and coming close so they're now hip to hip. "then i'll be taking you with me, just so you know."

"terrible." hanamaki replies, and sucks in one last long drag of the cigarette right in his face. "you're terrible, and i can't believe i love you."

"aw, i'm touched, i love you too."

this time when the smoke fills matsukawa's mouth it's because hanamaki allows it. he closes the distance between their lips on purpose to share the hit of the smoke, exhaling into him and licking up matsukawa's breath this time just to get even. when they pull apart, he's not just tingling with the burn, but from the sweet sweet sensation that always comes with kissing matsukawa breathless.

"hows that for a hit?"

"much, much better."

PROMPT: team akaashi keiji/bokuto koutarou

[earlgrey_milktea]

Ship: matsukawa issei/hanamaki takahiro
Fandom: haikyuu
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none

Prompt:
oikawa in the classroom with the pocky.

FILL: Team Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, G

[putsch]

Ship: matsukawa/hanamaki
Fandom: haikyuu
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none, oikawa just what did you do
Word Count: n/a

i had to.

***

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Tomoe/Riku, Tomoe/Takeru, Riku/Takeru
Fandom: Prince of Stride
Major Tags: incest, sexual content
Other Tags: infidelity, jealousy, basically just Tomoe being a possessive shit (I love him, really)

Prompt:

Tomoe in Riku's bedroom with a phone full of nudes of Takeru.

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[antler_action]

Ship: Imaoka Shinobu/Hiratsuka Taira
Fandom: Rookies
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None

Prompt:
(adult) Imaoka in the rental studio with the custom-size maid outfit.

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Shuusuke/Yuuta
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Major Tags: sexual content, incest
Other Tags: unrequited is my favorite flavor, but mutual works too if you want

Prompt:

Shuusuke in Yuuta’s bedroom with Yuuta’s favorite shirt.

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Nishinoya/Hinata
Fandom: Haikyuu
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: ADHD, sometimes meds help!

Prompt:

Hinata in the locker room with Ritalin.

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Ushijima/Lev
Fandom: Haikyuu
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: look they’re just so big, please think of the lumberjack song

Prompt:

Lev in the forest with an axe

PROMPT: TEAM THE PRINCE OF TENNIS

[fickle]

Ship: Arakita & Hanamiya
Fandom: Yowamusi Pedal & Kuroko no Basuke
Major Tags: violence possibly?
Other Tags: delinquents together!

Prompt:

Hanamiya in juvie with a shiv.

Prompt: Team Grandstand

[babster]

Ship: Koumoto Akira/Hiyama Chinatsu
Fandom: Ballroom e Youkoso
Major Tags: gore, internal organs as external
Other Tags: supernatural shenanigans

Prompt:
Akira in her bedroom, her heart in her hands.

FILL: Team Kuramochi Youichi/Miyuki Kazuya, T

[kitaiichis]

Ship: akira/chinatsu
Fandom: ballroom e youkoso
Major Tags: gore, internal organs as external
Other Tags: unrequited love, unreliable narrator, magical realism, reverse chronological order
Word Count: 738

***

“Why keep dancing, then? If you don’t–since you don’t love it, anymore.”

Truthfully, Akira never did. Not dance.

Akira smiles, mouth thin, cutting. Chinatsu doesn’t.

“Why, indeed,” Akira answers.

//

Akira still watches Chinatsu. It’s habit now, and one she no longer tries to break. A familiar numbness, almost, and one Akira welcomes even on days when the nothingness of her chest aches more profoundly than feeling something inside did.

“What a striking pair,” says someone to her left. Akira doesn’t turn to see who.

They’re not wrong, though–Chinatsu’s body arches in a sweeping, elegant curve, even as Akira counts every near misstep, the almost distances Chinatsu refrains from creating with Tatara. But Tatara must notice anyway, the set of his shoulders straight but not entirely at ease.

The dance finishes. Chinatsu and Tatara melt apart, slumped against each other, breathing heavily.

Akira’s fingers fold into a fist, nails digging into her palm.

The pain is fleeting, but felt. Chinatsu looks up–Akira is standing near the entrance, after all.

“Chii-chan,” Tatara begins, and Chinatsu turns to him before he can tap her shoulder.

Akira watches, waits a moment longer for something she cannot name, then walks away.

//

Chinatsu still walks home with her. She has no reason not to, of course: Akira has found a new partner, Chinatsu won’t dance with her, and they’re no longer partners. There are three weeks of middle school left. Things changed and then they didn’t.

The air is somewhat cold this early in Spring, but the afternoon sun is gentle against Akira’s back and radiant against Chinatsu’s hair. Akira’s pissed off at her but won’t say it.

“I hate this,” Chinatsu says. “Partner interviews suck.”

“Only because you’re so bad at them,” Akira corrects.

Chinatsu knees her. Akira dodges, says, “My new partner is lovely, though.”

“Of course he is,” Chinatsu snorts. “You actually know how to follow, for one...”

Akira smiles, and Chinatsu narrows her eyes. Akira’s definitely, definitely still pissed off.

“Not my problem you can’t follow anyone’s lead but your own.”

“...But it’s not my fault,” Chinatsu finishes, quiet.

“Of course not,” Akira agrees. “But I certainly can’t do interviews for you, can I?”

Chinatsu stops walking.

”God. You, you’re–don’t you feel bad about it? At all?”

Akira glances at her, only for a second. “Would it matter if I did? Guilt doesn’t change anything, Chinatsu.”

“Of course not.” The words sound almost honest in Chinatsu’s mouth.

Chinatsu doesn’t keep walking. Akira doesn’t wait.

The sun feels warm at her back.

//

Akira’s heart is too big, beating clumsily where it sits cupped in her palms. It isn’t as red as she thought it would be, pale but firm. Tough. Akira’s not sure what one is supposed to feel, staring at one’s own heart like this. She doesn’t feel anything at all, and wasn’t that the entire point?

Except–that’s not quite true. Rather than nothing, it’s more like–

A soft hum: Akira’s phone is ringing beside her on the bed.

–like the absence of something, a gap where something once lived but doesn’t anymore. Akira thinks it changes less than it should; she still feels cold, and she can still laugh. But now in her chest lives an absence that spools outwards and doesn’t ebb away.

The ringing stops, pauses, then starts again.

It might be Chinatsu, so Akira peers at the screen, but it isn’t Chinatsu and Akira picks up before the line drops again.

“Hello,” she says.

Resting on a single palm now, Akira’s heart beats on, oblivious to the existence of anything but itself.

//

The first time Chinatsu sleeps over, Akira asks, “We’re friends, right?”

“Well, duh,” Chinatsu says. “You’re my best friend.”

Akira’s heart is so, so loud in her chest. She turns so she’s facing Chinatsu, Chinatsu already turned to look at her. Their faces are close together on the same pillow, almost touching.

“My best friend,” Akira echoes.

“What? Who’s yours,” Chinatsu mutters, but her eyes are bright.

Akira pokes her nose. “Who else, dummy? You are.”

“Oh,” Chinatsu says. “Good. That’s–good.”

“Right,” Akira says, turning to lie on her back again. The ceiling is a blank shadow, untouched even by moonlight. She rests a hand on her heart, still beating furiously in her chest, asking to be heard. Chinatsu’s breaths are soft beside her, and Akira listens to them instead, waiting for her heart to steady, for the even rhythm of Chinatsu’s own to anchor her.

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[ellipsometry]

Ship: tachibana makoto/yamazaki sousuke
Fandom: free!
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: is catching the bouquet a thing they do in weddings in japan? i hope so

Prompt:
makoto at the open bar with the bouquet he just caught

FILL: Team Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, T

[moetushie]

Ship: Tachibana Makoto/Yamazaki Sousuke
Fandom: Free!
Major Tags: Bodily fluids/functions (brief mention of vomiting), sexual content (referenced)
Other Tags: Alcohol and drinking, poor Makoto, romcom scenarios
Word Count: 946



***

Read on AO3

Prompt: Team Daiya no Ace

[greenowl]

Ship: Niou Masaharu/Marui Bunta/Yagyuu Hiroshi
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none

Prompt:
Niou in a museum with a crowbar.

PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[ellipsometry]

Ship: ushijima wakatoshi/oikawa tooru
Fandom: haikyuu!!
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none

Prompt:
oikawa at shiratorizawa with a brand new uniform

Re: PROMPT: TEAM GRANDSTAND

[greenowl]

He should have come to Shiratoizawa and now he did

Prompt: Team Daiya no Ace

[greenowl]

Ship: Takigawa Chris Yuu/Kominato Ryousuke/Isashiki Jun/Yuuki Tetsuya/Tanba Kouichiro/Masuko Tooru (any combination but like. Ot3 at least!)
Fandom: Daiya no A
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: none

Prompt:
Chris in a camping bus with a gas cooker.

PROMPT: Team Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky

[marks]

Ship: Tsukishima Kei/Kageyama Tobio
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Major Tags: None
Other Tags: None, but would love this set in their third year.

Prompt:
Tsukishima in the clubhouse with a permit that says "I can do what I want."

Re: PROMPT: Team Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky

[kazuyas]

i'm hollering (so is kags, i'm guessing)