BONUS ROUND 1: THROWBACK PROMPTS

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In this round, we'll be using prompts from last year's bonus rounds! You can either come up with a prompt based on the previous themes, fill a prompt from previous bonus rounds, or fill a prompt that's been posted this year!

Here is the tag with all the previous bonus rounds!

Fills can be in any format, and you can fill your teammates prompts, but you cannot fill your own prompt.

You can post as many fills and as many prompts as you want!

for your prompt post title, please use the following format:

PROMPT: TEAM [TEAM NAME]

for your fill post title, please use the following format:

FILL: TEAM [TEAM NAME]

If you're filling from a 2023/2024 prompt, please link to their prompt in your post!

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FILL: TEAM ACE ATTORNEY

[livicottle]

Pairing: Saori Shirosaki/Mafuyu Fuji (Judgment)

Words: 1039

“You look rather strapping, my lady.”

“Saori, really? I didn’t expect you to get so into character.” Mafuyu glanced the court mage up and down, noting how well the elegant gown she’d procured fit her friend. She pushed any further thoughts from her mind as she adjusted the decorative armor plates of her own outfit.

“Can you blame me? It’s not like I’ve ever been to one of these galas before,” Saori replied, slipping back into her typical glum tonality, her voice level, soft, and textured. That was more like it - though Mafuyu needed to make a correction.

“It’s a ball.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s not a gala. It’s a ball.”

“Very well - although this proves my point. This isn’t where I typically like to be. You know, I’m only doing this because you asked.” Saori crossed her arms, her stance and posture clashing with the refined outfit. “Remind me why you can’t just ask Yagami?”

“Regrettably, his reputation among high society has never been worse. Bringing him would only put all eyes on me, in the ways I can’t have for my investigation.”

“Okay. And what about… what’s his name? Sir Izumida?”

“Bringing Izumida would only flag that I’m on an investigation. What would you think if two knights arrived together to an event like this?”

“I would think they were both fools who didn’t know how to look outside of work for their dating pool. How about… Kaito? Sugiura? Higashi? Ayabe?”

“It should probably concern us that almost everyone we know is some kind of rogue or knave,” Mafuyu commented, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Look, Saori, I brought you because I…” Words caught in her throat, and Mafuyu didn’t want to cough them up to know what they were. “...because I trust you. We just need to act like we’re… in the early stages of courting.”

“Right. That’s all.”

—

“Presenting…. Dame Mafuyu and her date.”

Saori held onto Mafuyu’s arm as they entered the room, the stares of the assembled upper crust burning into her from nearly every angle. And then it simply passed, and the ball returned to its full swing. All sorts of people were dancing to the sounds of up-tempo strings, swirling around in a haze of motion - it made Mafuyu and Saori dizzy just to witness all the spinning bodies. And then they were in the middle of it.

Mafuyu turned and held out her hand, and Saori took it. Both of them had some dance experience, having been in and around the court for their whole lives, but this was a larger stage than they were used to. Still, their feet found the rhythm, and soon, the two were just another pair of dancers in the fray, maneuvering their way around the floor. Mafuyu couldn’t help but let her eyes follow the way Saori’s dress trailed and swirled with their dance, silently congratulating herself on the choice - it seemed, in that typical Saori way, that she was pleased too.

“What about Hoshino?” Saori asked, and Mafuyu felt her heart pang just a moment.

“Would you please drop it?” Mafuyu replied under her breath. “If you didn’t want to be here, you didn’t have to come.”

“Well, it’s a little late for that now,” Saori commented, and Mafuyu frowned. “I’m just saying that-”

“Is it really so hard to believe that I’d ask you here?” Mafuyu exclaimed. Saori’s eyes widened, and she fell silent to let Mafuyu continue. “I didn’t even think about asking Yagami, or Izumida, or any of them. I asked you.” Their steps kept up in time, and every time Mafuyu faltered, Saori pushed her back into rhythm. She wasn’t really sure who was leading or who was following anymore. “You’ve known me for a long time. You should know better than anyone. I thought you were the right person to do this - I still think that. And is it so hard to pretend like you’d be interested in me?”

“I am interested in you.”

“Romantically, Saori!”

“...Right.”

It felt like the music was picking up and dragging all at once. Mafuyu wasn’t paying attention to her own feet any more, she was simply moving - and she knew Saori well enough to match her beat for beat even when the music and the other dancers couldn’t be relied on.

“I just… I haven’t gotten to see you much ever since you were appointed by the Duke, and I was knighted, and… I thought that, in addition to anything else, this could be a good night to spend together. We can get drinks, and catch up… Does that not sound fun to you?”

“It really does.” Saori murmured. “I’ve been missing something like this, but… you didn’t have to jump through all these hoops to make it happen.”

“Whether or not that’s true, it’s irrelevant now. We’re here. The hoops have been jumped through.”

“...Right. I’m sorry, Mafuyu.”

“It’s fine. I’m just… I’m just stressed, is all.” She sighed, taking her hand away from the dance for just a moment to tuck a strand of hair back into place behind her ear.

“You know… when you asked me, I thought you might have been…” Saori muttered after a long beat of silence. Mafuyu perked up, but just nodded to let her continue as Saori had just done for her. “...You know, now isn’t really the time or place. We should talk more later… so you can keep your eye on the prize for now.”

Mafuyu did not appreciate the irony that she was looking into Saori’s eyes at this moment.

“...Right. I’d like that. And whatever you have to tell me then… I swear it on my shield that I’ll hear it.”

“Psh. I’ve known you longer than that shield,” Saori joked flippantly.

“...Then I swear it on you,” Mafuyu said, a completely serious look in her eye. Saori always liked it when Mafuyu got serious like this - said the cheesiest things without a hint of irony. It drew that sinking feeling out of her stomach and back up into the warmth of her chest for just a moment - if no more than that.

“...Okay. I can accept that. Now eyes up, ‘Dame Mafuyu.’ The night is young, after all.”