#CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING THE BINGO!!! <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[the-bad-batch-baroness]

Hi ! Congrats on 300 followers !

Can I request :

Crosshair

Romantic

Fem!reader

sfw

300

Prompt #6 : "I'm here. I've got you. You're safe now."

optional : said by reader to Crosshair after he was rescued from Mount Tantiss (maybe after a nightmare)

Thank you so much and congratulations again ! <3 (And you don't have to do it if you don't want to, it's totally fine)

I Won't Leave You

Crosshair x Fem!Reader

Pairing: Crosshair x Fem!Reader

Tags & Warnings: nightmare, angst, hurt/comfort

Word Count: 300

Author's Note: CORA, I AM SO SORRY. I got so carried away trying to complete the bingo fics that I let the last three event requests sit idle in my inbox. However, as promised in my New Years post, I have finally completed it!!! Thank you so much for your patience and putting up with me. I hope you still like it 💚

Crosshair shoots up in his bed, screaming at the top of his lungs as sweat pours down his face. He heaves in his breaths and claws at the duvet to try and find reality, but the images from his nightmare refuse to dissipate from his mind. As he continues to search for safety, he feels a hand grab his arm and he begins to flail wildly, desperately trying to escape his nightmare.

"Easy," you say.

Crosshair tries to remember who the voice belongs to, but the room is dark and his mind is still groggy, so he continues to fight your grip as if you're an attacker.

You turn on the lamp on the bedside table and as his eyes adjust to the brightness, he finally sees who the hand belongs to. It's yours. You're holding his wrist and looking at him with concern in his eyes.

His body trembles as he settles and works to get his breathing under control.

"I'm here," you soothe. "I've got you. You're safe now."

Crosshair swallows hard. "I… I don't know what happened."

"A nightmare?" you ask.

"Yeah," he pants. "A bad one. From my time on Mount Tantiss. They did… things to me."

You suck in a breath. "That place is gone now. They can't hurt you anymore."

"But the memories–"

"Are just memories," you whisper.

"I can't…" he breathes while holding the side of his head. "I can't get rid of them."

"It'll take time," you reassure.

"Time," he says. "The one thing I don't have."

You pull Crosshair into your chest and scoot back against the headboard, wrapping your arms around him.

"You can try to go back to sleep when you're ready," you say. "I won't leave you."

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Thank you."

Event Masterlist

Masterlist

A03

Tag List: @nahoney22 @commander-sunshine @sunshinesdaydream @padawancat97 @verndusk @sun-roach @coraex @lickylickylicky @homemade-clones @523rdrebel @clonemedickix @starrylothcat @mooncommlink @ladyzirkonia @stunkbiggu @cdblake1565 @ladytano420 @moonlightwarriorqueen @anxiouspineapple99 @clonethirstingisreal @dreamie411 @trixie2023 @cw80831 @ca77m3anna @rinwritesfics @t3mpest98 @novas-daydreaming @twincesskorisoka

Join my taglist HERE

Tip me a tea on Ko-fi HERE

[dreamlingbingo]

That's all, folks!

Round Two is now officially over! YAAAY!!

Congratulations to everyone who got a blackout with their cards, it was a lot of fun to watch the final submissions come in as we got closer to the end. Hopefully you all had fun and got some much needed rest after you finished! :D

We also wanted to give a shout out to everyone who submitted a fill even if you weren't able to finish your card. It takes a lot of work to create something and it's been a hectic year so you should still be proud of what you've accomplished! <3

If you weren't able to participate, then thank you for signing up all the same! The goal of the bingo has always been to inspire more works for the Dreamling fandom so if our event got you to even think about creating something then we consider that a success.

So a big thank you to everyone for joining us and leaving us all the lovely feedback in emails, tumblr posts and with the feedback survey. It's been fantastic to see how much fun you all had and, not only that, but all your feedback helps us see how we can make improvements for our next round.

To wrap things up, here are some final things:

We've sent out emails to everyone with a list of the fills we've received from you, if anything is wrong (or you'd like to get your badges faster) then please reply to the email by November 9th.

The email also has a feedback survey for all current participants that we'd really appreciate if you could fill out before it closes at the end of November.

If you wanted to make an OPTIONAL masterlist to advertise all the fills you made for the bingo then please either send us a link, mention @dreamlingbingo in the post or send it to us as a submission. These are due by November 15th!

We still have some final fills in our queue, but after those finish everyone's masterlists will go out and then we're completely done for the round.

Round 3 is still a ways away so we can’t make any promises on when we'll be back, but we’ll be able to confirm the schedule as we get closer to next year, so keep an eye out!

If you’re interested in some fun bingo prompt info or want to keep creating for your bingo card and have questions, keep reading!

If not, thank you for joining us.

See you next time!

——-

If you planned to keep creating for your bingo card…

The AO3 Collection for Round 2 will be left open for late entries until the end of November, but it won't qualify for badges unless it was submitted before the fill form closed.

If you plan to post something on tumblr you can drop it in the 2024 dreamling bingo tag so others can still find it. The posting guidelines aren't required for the tag so it's up to you if want to use them. :)

We're not going to be reblogging anything during our downtime, but we'll have promotional posts for the tag queued to help direct people to your work.

Keep in mind that you'll be able transfer a certain number of squares from your current card (completed or not) to your new card in Round 3 if you sign up again, but you won't be able to use previously posted work to fill the square! So be careful not to use a work you'd want to use during the next round.

——-

Finally, nerdy stuff!

TOP THREE PROMPTS PER CATEGORY:

ANGST

Haunted By Regrets

Brainwashing

Character Death

AU

Alpha/Beta Relationship

Crossover (Book)

Omega Hob

CREATURE

Android

Barghest

Feral

FANTASY

Magic

Woke Up Dead

Healing Touch

GENERAL

Love At First Sight

Missed Opportunities

Sparring

HISTORICAL

Circus

Library Of Alexandria

1700's

NSFW

Come Swallowing

Exhibitionism

Furry

SCI-FI

Steampunk

Technology Stops Working

Time Traveler Organization

SPORTS

Rival Coaches

Skateboarding

Sports Rivals

TOP MONTHLY PROMPTS:

July - Knight!Hob

August - Identity reveal

September - Insomnia

October - Injury recovery

TOP ADOPTABLE:

Bound And Gagged

TOP COMMUNITY SUGGESTION:

Retired Dream

Clockwise starting from “Angst”:

Angst: 11.4%

AU: 11.6%

Creature: 6.8%

Fantasy: 7.3%

General: 29.2%

Historical: 6.6%

NSFW: 16.2%

Sci-fi: 5.3% (not labeled above)

Sports: 5.7%

[nerdwithabirb]

In Praise of Bluey

I haven’t been on Tumblr in a hot minute because life marches on and I forget about some of my socials for a while.

Anyway, today I’m doing something a little different in the form of a longass rambling post so if you read to the end, you’re great and I hope all of the dogs you meet want you to pet them. (If you’re not a fan of dogs, insert whatever your favourite animal is.)

I’m not a parent. I will most likely never be a parent. I got my tubes removed almost two years ago now, by choice, because of medical issues that would impact a pregnancy, and sociopolitical issues I don’t want to bring a kid into. If I decide I want children, I will adopt them. But for now, my nephew is enough to get my fix of hanging out with kids.

With that said, I adore Bluey. It’s a masterpiece of animation, especially as far as modern kids’ shows are concerned.

Conflict Resolution and Realistic Characters

I find that many modern children’s shows are, for lack of a better word, sterilized. They don’t seem to like to show any sort of conflict. Bluey shows conflict. The Heeler sisters get frustrated with each other, with their friends, with their other family members. Bluey herself can be bossy and vindictive at times, occasionally bullying her sister Bingo, her cousins Muffin and Socks, and her classmates. Bingo is shy and sensitive and has a love of nature, but she runs into problems standing up for herself. 3 (later 4)-year-old Muffin behaves like an average toddler: absolute chaos, but not trying to be bad on purpose. Chilli and Bandit aren’t perfect parents - they get frustrated and sometimes hurt their girls’ feelings as a result. But they all learn from their mistakes, and they’re not afraid to admit when they’ve done something wrong — even the adults.

I grew up with an emotionally abusive father who was always too afraid (or too many beers deep) to form a meaningful connection with me. He’d belittle me for being interested in the arts and actively bullied me when I passed my driving test instead of congratulating me at all. He’s never apologised for any of it. Bandit is the dad I never got to have: he’s entirely devoted to his wife and daughters, even when it humiliates him. He’s not afraid to own up to his mistakes and learn from them.

Chilli reminds me of my own mother in a lot of ways: witty and sarcastic on the outside, completely losing her marbles on the inside because she’s afraid she’s not a good enough mom. Like my own mom, Chilli has a passion for drawing and encourages her daughters to keep practicing. She’s warm and welcoming and gives great hugs. She’s got both jokes and sage advice. And she sets out to right all the wrongs - my mom apologises to me all the time for stuff that happened years ago. (I love you, Mom!)

Tackling Serious Subjects and Different Family Dynamics

Another thing Bluey does absolutely spot-on is addressing serious subjects tactfully and in a way kids can understand. In the episode “Copycat,” Bluey starts her morning annoying the hell out of Bandit by copying everything he does. Things take a turn for the serious when the pup finds an injured budgie and rushes to the vet with her dad. The little bird doesn’t make it, which crushes Bluey. To cope, she plays out the events of the day in a game, but budgie-Bingo doesn’t get the memo and acts all better. Bluey realises that, like the budgie dying, Bingo derailing the game is out of her hands, and she comes to accept it.

In “Dance Mode,” Bandit steals Bingo’s last French fry. She’s given three chances to activate Dance Mode on her family, but gets all of those taken from her as well. Poor little Bingo is absolutely heartbroken when Chilli asks her an important question: “Does your outside voice sometimes say yes, when your inside voice is saying no?” As an (at the time undiagnosed) autistic kid who often struggled with speaking up and asserting myself growing up, this hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Early Baby” tackles premature birth with Bluey’s classmate Indy, “The Show” nods to Chilli having had a miscarriage, “Grandad” emphasizes that aging parents still need to take care of themselves for their adult children.

“Flat Pack” is an allegory for evolution, faith, getting older, and the struggle that is putting together flat pack furniture.

“Sleepytime” and “Baby Race” show some of the more everyday aspects of growing up, like sleeping independently and learning how to walk, all set to beautiful arrangements of classical pieces (Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” from The Planets and Bach’s “Prelude in C Major,” respectively). And I won’t lie, as a nightmare-prone kid who was super attached to my mom, both of these episodes hit me hard too. I can’t watch either of them without getting a little misty-eyed.

In a more general sense, and regarding different family structures and dynamics, secondary characters like Judo, Winton, and the Terrier brothers are all shown with single parents. Rusty’s dad is in the army and, as a result, away on deployment for long stretches of time. But none of these things are made out to be a show or a spectacle or something bizarre, just a fact of life: different kids come from different backgrounds. I can guarantee that if a same-sex couple were to be introduced, it would be in a way that feels natural, like one of Bluey’s or Bingo’s classmates saying “My mums/dads are here to pick me up!”

Humour and Art-Related Ramblings

The character designs are simple and memorable. They have extremely expressive faces and movements despite being made of basic shapes like rectangles and ovals. The animation is smooth and fluid while embracing the “cartoony-ness” of being a cartoon. Everything is colourful but not to the point where it feels like a rainbow exploded on your screen. The backgrounds are simple, but not TOO simple, and many settings are nods to actual places in and around Brisbane.

Joff Bush and anyone he collaborates with on the soundtrack can convey everything from the beauty of nature to a boring workday via music alone, whether through arrangements of classical and folk music or original pieces. Bush isn’t afraid to use a variety of instruments, from a delicate music box in “Charades” and “Mount Mumandad” to a rambling banjo in “Grandad” and everything in between.

The humour is amazing, especially for children’s media. There are a few jokes that are clearly aimed at the adults in the room, like Bandit’s Polaroid camera going off in “Bob Bilby” when Chilli arrives with her tandem bike, or his discussion with Fido about getting a vasectomy/neutered in the original cut of “Perfect.” Bingo innocently asks Bandit questions about where babies come from in “Takeaway” and “Daddy Putdown,” though he always dodges the questions. “Dad Baby” is all about the struggles of pregnancy from the perspective of Bandit carrying Bingo in an old baby harness and it’s frankly hilarious; despite not being a parent myself, I have a nephew and I’m in that magical spot in my twenties where several of my former classmates are having kids left and right. There are well-timed fart jokes (“Daddy Robot,” “Fairies”) and slapstick moments (“Dad Baby,” “Born Yesterday”).

Conclusion

Bluey is a show that people of all ages can watch and learn from. It has heart, humour, and lovable characters. Its natural conflict resolution teaches its audience to be better people through showing rather than telling. It’s a beautiful show and I’m unashamed to watch it as a childfree adult.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, September 25

Another student hands Buffy another flier. GIRL: Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior? BUFFY: Uh, you know I meant to and then I just got really busy.

~~The Freshman~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

BtVS Double Drabble: Overworked by badly_knitted (Buffy, Willow, Xander, PG)

Head over Feet by Rippertish (Buffy/Giles, T)

[Chaptered Fiction]

I'll Get You, My Pretty... - Ch. 1-5 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, M) COMPLETE!

Hello, Darling - Ch. 9 by Spikelover4ever (Buffy/Spike, M) COMPLETE!

Omission - ch. 16 by toutes_les_routes (Riley/Spike, Buffy/Riley, E)

Book Stew! - ch. 8 by MGAllan (Michael from Gingerbread/Lance from The Pack, G)

You Can Keep All The Rest, Buffy Summers, She's Ours (Eventually) - ch. 3 by Anne_Hathagay (Buffy/Willow, Willow/Tara, Buffy/Tara, E)

Slayer No More - ch. 24 by jsaint34 (Buffy/Oliver Pike, Vamp Willow/Vamp Xander, M)

Infinitely - ch. 71 by Laragh (Willow/Tara, M)

Should I stay or should I go? (Part one) by prose-for-hire (Spike/reader, unrated)

Soul Mate Magic - Chapter Six by emma-m-black (Giles/OC, M)

Unholy Matrimony - ch. 3 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Out of this World, love... - ch. 11 by Miss Kitty (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) French, COMPLETE!

Heart of Stone by Claire (Buffy/Spike, G)

A Sword in the Man - ch. 5 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Champion Of War - ch. 4 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Meme: [Textposts] (Buffy/Spike, worksafe) by paperpuzzles

Meme: RUPERT GILES + text posts (Giles, worksafe) by clarkgriffon

Cartoon: Paul Gadzikowski's The Hero of Three Faces by paulgadzikowski (Angel, worksafe)

Artwork: She's Finished Now by quartersety-of-a-holsety (Willow, worksafe)

Artwork: Hyper fixated on Spike from btvs awhile ago and finally finished this drawing! by wtv-my-current-hyperfixation (Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: Drew some of my OTPS... by doesimmons (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: [also episode review] Buffy, the vampire slayer: Bewitched, bothered and bewildered by onedrawsoverthecuckoosnest (Cordelia, worksafe)

Artwork: [also fic rec] Burdens to Blessings: by SlayrGrl recced and artwork by o-cm-draw-o (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: Drew our Slayer, Buffy Summers by verytoastyghost (Buffy, worksafe)

Collage: Collage #175 by thedecadentraven (Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: Supernatural 1.11 // Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2.22 by wozardofiz (Buffy, worksafe)

Gifset: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 2.10 | 9-1-1: 6.12 by sophsun1 (Buffy, Giles, worksafe)

3D artwork: Faith Lehane as a Ghost Angel by jade-frankenstein (Faith, worksafe)

3D artwork: Buffy Summers as a Vampire by jade-frankenstein (Buffy, worksafe)

Fanvid: Stick Season - Xander & Anya (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) by TheOverLookedOne (Xander/Anya)

[done in copics] by Lee Xopher (@leexopher) (Buffy, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Prophecy Girl, S01E12 by ravenya003

The Initiative and Pangs by mothmans-wedding-photographer

PODCAST: Episode 75: A New Man (w/ Katie Kaisershot) by Gym Was Cancelled: A Buffy Podcast

[Recs & In Search Of]

Fic rec: [Buffy/Spike, M] Close to Home by Sigyn recced by flowspuffy

Video recs:Angel/Cordelia vid by Billy Grayson and Buffy/Spike vid by Crista Grym - both recced by apachefirecat

Video recs: Angel/Cordelia videos by Love Bites recced by vampandvisiongirl

Spuffy fic recs: Fic recs in tags and replies: please drop your fav Spuffy fics so I can distract myself. by spuffybot

ISO: Particular-Employ326 seeks fanfic recs for pro Cordelia AU of Angel Season 4

[Community Announcements]

LONELY PROMPTS WEEK :: 25 SEPTEMBER § DAY 3 by comment_fic

LONELY PROMPTS WEEK :: 26 SEPTEMBER § DAY 4 by comment_fic

EVENT: Elysian Fields Anniversary Event Details!!! by elysianfieldsarchive

EVENT: [all fandoms] HALLOWEEn HEXATHLoN 2024 👻 October 26-31th by witchesnet

First Bingo: We have our first full BINGO!! Big congratulations to: Melon by Harlow by Fanged Four Family Bingo 2024

PROMPT: Angel has a human descendant by BuffyverseKinkmeme

PROMPT: Holden Webster, vampire therapist by BuffyverseKinkmeme

PROMPT: Spike/Riley, Surviving by BuffyverseKinkmeme

[Fandom Discussions]

What If: There was no Eve? by nightshade and November

BUFFY FANDOM I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION. [S1 new viewer] Giles is hot, right? by valhallavalkyrie9

I just started watching "Angel" (Angel the series), and now I wonder how a soul works. by trealtox

You know, technically, Spike never actually said that he and Angel were intimate only once. by thequeenofsastiel

they [Angel and Lindsey] should've had massive spuffy-style house-destroying... by soupforsoup

buffy is literally the show ever it has schlocky horror and funny looking puppets and ... by pinesorneedles

cordelia telling angel he should smile more by dykemarcille and inquiryminded

From s06E11 Gone XANDER, "Still trying to mack on Buffy? Wake up already. Never gonna happen!" by desicat-writer

I love that when Angel knew Spike was about to be [in ATS S5] by thequeenofsastiel

Honestly for me the most heartbreaking part of Fred and Wesley's story .... by thequeenofsastiel

[can't believe how many details i forgot, doing a ATS rewatch now...] by paarthursass

[Buffy and Faith becoming cops in the comics] by oveliagirlhaditright

i think jane espenson is my favorite writer on buffy... by lesbianmarrow

the only reason anyone would willingly choose to live in sunnydale... by comradesummers

when the hero falls in love with the villain she is falling in love with the darkest parts of herself... by atlasshrugd

POLL: Who is the better whumpee? [Spike or Angel] by just-a-little-whump

POLL: is she autistic? [Anya] by is-your-blorbo-neurodivergent

POLL: AO3 Femslash Top 100: Round 5 [Tara/Willow vs Warrior Nun couple] by ao3femslashtop100-tournament

POLL: AO3 Femslash Top 100: Round 5 [Buffy/Faith vs Killing Eve couple] by ao3femslashtop100-tournament

Faith's turning to evil is just a metaphor for addiction? by debujandobirds

I've just rewatched I Will Remember You and forgot how heartbreaking it is (Angel 4x08 spoilers) by atomic_mermaid

Iyari Limon is gorgeous as Kennedy [and Kennedy talk] by raccoon_smh

[zombie apocalypse team roles] by Historical-Capital43

Omg it took me a second to recognize Emma! [Emma in new show Agatha All Along] by ronsip101

Forever thankful that Buffy wasn't a "not like other girls" type character by New_Mycologist_3002

Dawn stunt double by Far-Pin9382

Angel’s funniest episodes? by entitledtwit

Harmony’s disposition in [ATS] season 5 by DevilManRay

I’m actually a little annoyed about Knox by DevilManRay

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[tstarksbingospectacular]

Introducing Badges!

Keep reading for descriptions and previews of what they will look like!

Participation Badge: Complete one fill and you can claim your badge! This is our little thank you for giving us your time and effort for participating in our little event. Thank you so much!

Bingo Badge: Get any type of bingo (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), and you get a bingo badge! Congratulations!

Blackout Badge: Completely fill all 25 spots on your board, and you qualify for our blackout badge! Great job!

Fluffs R Us: *queue Oprah voice*: you get some fluff and you get some fluff we all get fluff! If 5 or more of your works are fluff-based, you get the Fluffs R Us badge. Thank you for all the warm and fuzzy feels!

Heart Condition: Our man has a heart condition and you're about to give us one! If 5 or more of your works are angst-based (unhappy ending, character death, near-death experience, major hurt/comfort feels, etc) you get a Heart Condition badge.

Shell-Head: Completed 5 or more fills and still dont have a bingo? You get the Shell-Head badge!

F.R.I.D.A.Y: Make a letter "F" on your board (filling row B and lines 1 and 3), and you get a F.R.I.D.A.Y Badge!

Badges will be emailed or messaged to you, whichever you list that you prefer in your form.

Here is the link to redeem a badge!

Rules | FAQ | Schedule | Sign Up

[ichayalovesyou]

A Pike x reader request: Captain Pike catches an ensign (the reader) red handed in the middle of their Enterprise Bingo - author's choice how Pike reacts!

Now THAT sounds fun! Let’s a go 😎

Yellow Jacket Blues (Platonic Pike x Reader)

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Word Count: 877

Content: SFW, platonic, shenanigans, GN!Reader, Sciences!Reader, Ensign!Reader, Dad Mode!Pike (derogatory), Bingo Trauma

Teaser: The most dreaded, difficult, and dangerous of all the Enterprise Bingo tasks was upon you, but you HAD to do it. Welcome to the greatest Bingo challenge of all, “sit in the Captain’s Chair” good luck!

This was the most dangerous thing you had ever done. The most dangerous thing you would ever do in the history of your Starfleet career even.

More dangerous than an unsanctioned space walk.

More dangerous than a stun duel.

This, was the Captain’s Chair.

Every single Ensign in your department warned you about it. Some had chickened out and not completed the bingo chart, or given up on completing it afterward. Those who had gotten caught had a haunted look in their eyes when they spoke.

You do NOT want to be caught in Captain Christopher Pike’s chair on the bridge. They say part of you will never ever leave. That no matter when you decided to try it, he would be there. He would catch you.

It was strange, the Captain seemed amicable enough, certainly not egotistical. He raised his voice less than most of your superior officers, which you supposed was almost everyone. But the point still stood.

What made sitting in Pike’s chair such an ordeal?

What did he do that had scarred so many an Ensign over the years?

If you were careful, maybe you would never find out.

You had a plan

1. Make sure it was a very slow voyage so that the Bridge has the lightest compliment possible.

2. Triple check the duty roster

3. Make sure the Captain going to be elsewhere (without being weird DO NOT BE WEIRD ABOUT IT)

4. Check the roster again just to be sure

5. Sneak in during the Alpha-Delta shift change shuffle. Specifically when Senior Staff gets swapped over.

6. Swallow your fear, and possibly your dignity.

7. Cop a squat for the minimum five seconds required for the Bingo to be valid.

8. Get out before everyone even finishes taking their seats

9. Swipe the footage, upload it to your Bingo data pad, which will be completely wiped of all evidence upon list completion as is tradition.

10. Mission success!

The execution would have been absolutely flawless, had the Captain not left a stray data pad on the bridge halfway through step three.

“Number One I almost forgot to mention-oh” the Captain caught sight of you immediately, your ass hovering just above the cushion of The Chair, he crossed his arms and started to laugh.

“Ortegas, how much time do we got before we arrive at Starbase 6?”

“Hours, sir.” She replied with a mischievous grin that you could only describe as ‘oh kid, you are a bout to Get It.’

“Congratulations Ensign Y/N, you just signed up for the Command Track!”

Oh gods, oh no, oh gods no.

No no no no no no.

You were in sciences and ONLY for the science didn’t he see the blue? S-C-I-E-N-C-E-S not Command! Nope! N O P E!

You thought you’d made it abundantly clear you weren’t ambitious. You just wanted to get your damn work done and zip around though space oh no oh no oH nO.

It was time to leave, as in right now, you were leaving now.

“Oh by all means Ensign stay in your seat, or really, my seat but we’ll get into that later. Bridge crew’s heard all this before, and believe me, they’ll be paying attention to see if you are paying attention.” the Captain smirked, leaning on the banister.

So one of the worst moments of your life began.

If he hadn’t been quizzing you every fifteen minutes or so on what he’d just said, you could have just zoned out.

But he could not even spare you that suffering.

Two hours of describing how to climb and navigate Starfleet’s command ranks in excruciating detail, confusing food metaphors, and side anecdotes about horses later. The Captain finally picks up the data pad he left behind.

If your brain wasn’t leaking out of your ears, you might have wondered if the data pad being left behind had been a ruse. That you had somehow been found out and deliberately doomed to this failure as some cruel trick of this accursed and unforgiving universe.

“So, in conclusion Ensign Y/N, don’t sit in the Captain’s chair unless you mean it, especially when it’s mine.”

“Permission to leave sir?” you replied, numbly.

He feigned the act of thinking about it, or at least you hoped he was.

“… Eh, sure. Why not?”

“Thank you sir.” You stood up, and meandered toward the turbolift.

“Hope the bingo was worth it.” someone said quickly under their breath.

That could NOT have been the Captain. Right? Right?!

… Could it?

“Sir?” you turned around, cautious that any questions might trigger another long winded dissertation.

“What? Go. I’m sure your superior officer is gonna have a problem with you if you stick around much longer.”

As you entered the lift, you heard the beginnings of chatter between the command duo.

“I don’t think you’re doing much to bolster command track applicants with that speech Chris.” Una remarked amusedly.

“Hey, the good ones always come back looking for more. It’s determination. You don’t want Captains who aren’t willing to listen.”

Well, you could tell him one thing you-

…

You… didn’t really actually know if you would be coming back or not.

Were you?

[jeongvision]

Congratulations on 1k!!!!! So happy for you 💗💟💗❣💟💗💖💗💖💗💘💝 for the drabble request: mark lee, roommates!au, "isn't that my sweater?"

pairing. mark lee ✗ fem! reader

genre. fluff (!!), roommates au, friends to lovers au, domestic au, non idol au

warnings. listen if i don’t make you fall in love with mark lee (again) with this blurb then i have FAILED as a writer but then again this is not proofread lmao sorry

author’s note. thank you soso much, love! hope you enjoy this blurb bc i certainly did <3 this is lowkey a self indulgent piece bc i love mark lee and he deserves everything in the universe but i recommend listening to best part by daniel caesar ft. h.e.r. while reading this blurb bc /swoons such a romantic and calming song to listen to when you’re just chilling in your bedroom with someone you love c:

Very rarely do you have the privilege to sleep in on your days off. Working two part-time jobs just to make ends meet with little to no rest can really take a toll on your well-being. Even when you have a day off from one job, you use that free allocated time to run some errands, grabbing groceries or paying bills or house chores. Sure, you have a roommate to help you with some of those tasks but you feel bad for burdening him with some of your worries when he has his own problems to deal with, having also a part-time job with a career goal in mind.

But today is one of those rare days, and so you immerse yourself into dreamland, basking in the quiet morning hours of the day as the sunlight slowly trickles through your draperies, dust particles sifting through the air. The only sounds coming from your humble adobe is the slight rumbling of your central air conditioner and the occasional vibrations from your phone’s notifications, none of which awakens you from your much-needed slumber.

“You don’t know, babe

When you hold me

And kiss me slowly

It’s the sweetest thing”

Funny enough, while those sounds were much closer to you in vicinity, you found yourself waking up to a distant sound — voice, actually — one that originates to what you could only assuming to be from your roommate’s bedroom. No longer are your morning hours quiet for they are now filled with a serene voice followed by pulled guitar strings, gently pulling you out from the depths of your mind.

You open eyes and take in your surroundings, the same view every morning. Only this time, it’s feel a little different. The ambiance seems lighter, inviting almost. Instead of the regular groggy feeling you get when you wake up, you feel at peace, that feeling you get knowing that everything is going to be alright, and that everything is okay.

You smile a little at the sound of Mark’s voice. Stretching in your bed a little, you rip the sheets off your body before getting up. You grabbed the nearest sweater nearby and put it over your head, the fresh scent of clean laundry entering through your nose. Exiting out your bedroom, you walked across the hall to your roommate’s bedroom where his door lies wide open, just like you always see it.

‘My door is always open for you,’ you recalled him saying. ‘Whatever you need, whatever you want, I’m always a knock away.’

And lo and behold, as you leaned against his door frame, you find Mark sitting in his desk chair, his acoustic guitar in possession with his fingers deftly strumming the tunes of a love song. His back faces towards you, completely unaware of your presence as he is lost in his own world.

“I just want to see how beautiful you are

You know that I see it

I know you’re a star”

You feel butterflies in your stomach, your feelings fluttering inside as your roommate seranades to your favorite song. The melodies of his voice transcends through the air, dancing through as the love in your irises unconsciously coveys out to your favorite person. You never met a person like him, and you are starting to believe that it will forever be like that way because you have never felt this way towards someone before. Never once have you felt so comfortable towards someone where they can make you feel at ease, at home.

“If life is a movie

Oh, you’re the best part”

Mark Lee is perhaps the best part of your life. For someone so pure and selfless to appear in your world and befriend you is more than a wish you could ask for. That’s how you found yourself falling for him harder and harder with each passing day. No matter how busy you two are, you always find yourself back to his side seeking for the comfort he always emanates.

“If you love me, won’t you say something?

If you love me, won’t you

Love me, won’t you”

Will you ever tell him of your unspoken feelings? You’ll never know. Maybe time will tell, but for now, you’re fine where you stand in this relationship. As you stayed perched against his doorway, you knock on his door, finally capturing his attention after he finishes his song. He turns around to you and smiles.

“Hey,” he laughs. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

You smiled and shook your head. “No, you didn’t,” you lied. “I was already awake when you started singing. I just wanted to see what song you were playing, that’s all.”

He turns in his seat and places his guitar back on its stand. As he gets up from chair, he stretches his limbs, a slight groan in the process. “Yeah, it’s a song called Best Part.”

“Daniel Caesar and H.E.R.?”

He points a finger-gun at your direction. “Bingo.”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Sir, I think we both know that song has been playing on repeat on my speakers before I go to sleep almost every night.”

“And that is why I decided to play it, because you put it on repeat so much that it’s now stuck in my head.”

You both shared a laugh before you softly shoved his shoulder, your morning much brighter than before when you have awaken.

“Hey, isn’t that my sweater you’re wearing?” he asks.

You look down at the sweater you’re wearing. ‘Oh, I didn’t notice,’ you thought. “Uh, I think so. I might’ve gotten it mixed up with my sweaters when I did laundry the other day,” you responded. You look up to the latter. “Why? Do you want it back?”

“No, no! It’s not that, it’s just...”

You raise an eyebrow. “It’s just?”

He nervously chuckles and scratches his head. “It.. It looks good on you.”

jeongvision’s milestone event!

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Hunger For Vengeance:  Chapter 1

Sora wrapped his hands around the pole just slightly above his head and pulled himself upward, gritting his teeth. He wanted this to look easy, no matter how difficult it was. He could feel the eyes of his fellow students on him, but ignored them as much as he could, focusing more on getting higher and higher.

I can do this. He had almost done it the last time they’d done the wall-climbing. He’d missed it only by a few moments then, and his blood boiled at the thought of how…

But he refused to let it happen again. He’d worked on this every night since then and now he scampered up the wall, flipping off of ledges and scrambling up poles as quickly as he could. Being small helped, and he heard the other students muttering as he flew up higher and higher.

I’m going to do it! He had only a short distance left to go. He reached upward that little bit more; if he could make it up there, then he’d won!

Gasps came from the other students, and Sora had time only for a flash of a thought, to be thrilled that he’d done it, that he’d succeeded – before a burst of violet flew past him, and when he looked up again, someone looked back at him.

“Hi there,” Yuuri, the dreaded champion of Academia, greeted him, bright purple eyes full of amusement. “I believe that I win.”

Sora stopped where he was, staring, his mind more or less stuttering to a halt. He’d been so close! How could that have happened?

The teacher clapped his hands to signal the end of the trial. “We have an unexpected victor! Yuuri-sama has won!”

Sora bit his lip hard, then pulled himself up the rest of the way. Yuuri, a definite air of mockery in the tilt of his head, shifted to give him room. Sora glared at him, not caring a bit about Yuuri’s reputation.

“What are you doing here?” He tried hard not to spit the words out, if only because he knew the teacher wouldn’t appreciate it.

Yuuri tossed his head casually. “I wanted to.”

Of course. What other reason would Yuuri have for even doing anything?

The teacher moved a bit closer. “Congratulations, Yuuri-sama.” No one knew if Yuuri had a family name. He’d been at the Academia since he was a little child, and if he’d had one, he’d never revealed what it might be.

Yuuri shrugged. “I wanted to make sure your students are in good enough shape.” His gaze flicked by Sora and then down to the others, none of which met his eyes. “I think most of them need to be pushed harder.”

“You’re quite right, Yuuri-sama,” the teacher agreed. Sora suspected the teacher would have agreed if Yuuri suggested that the students needed to be cut up and spread on toast. “I’ll push them even harder.”

Yuuri chuckled before he stood up, dusted himself off, glanced around just long enough to meet Sora’s eyes again, then leaped away, hopping over the school rooftops until he was completely out of sight.

As soon as he was, the remaining students burst into excited babbles, mostly circling around how amazing Yuuri was, as well as how terrifying, at least from what Sora could hear. He snorted under his breath before he jumped down.

“That was nicely done,” the teacher praised him, but there was an almost absent tone to his voice. “But you’re going to have to do much better. All of you are. I don’t expect you to be as good as he is, but you are going to be much better, before this is over with.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded them all. “Go on. Get started, get up to the top as fast as you can.”

Sora didn’t waste another moment, but started climbing back up. He wasn’t going to let Yuuri, or anyone else, beat him yet again. He strained every ounce of himself trying to get to the top, ignoring how much he already ached from his previous efforts.

If I were in a battle, it wouldn’t matter how much I hurt.

He wasn’t sure of how many times he made the climb. He dodged some of the hazards easily from experience – the clashing walls weren’t much of a problem and leaping the water trap was something he’d been able to do in a single bound for months now. He scrambled across the staggered poles and wove his way among moving spheres, avoiding them without a single miss.

The next level up from this was an area of holograms, meant to replicate Heartland City and some of the duelists there. No one knew their names, nor did they care a great deal. But for those who were going to be involved in the upcoming invasion, it would give them a good idea of what awaited them.

This part was always the most difficult, since it changed every time. Some duelists didn’t appear and some didn’t. Sometimes they showed up in pairs or teams. Sora wasn’t sure of which of these holograms were based off real people or just what their teachers thought might be there. Nor did he care. As soon as he landed in that area, he had his duel disk out and ready.

“Do you really think you’re going to be able to beat this faster than he can?”

Sora didn’t look up. He knew that voice, far too well. “Do you, Kaneko?”

Kaneko Takaro chuckled, smoothing back his coal-black hair. “I won’t have any problems at all.” He strolled forward, as alert as any proper soldier. As far as Sora was concerned, he wasn’t really one. Kaneko was from one of those families who had more money than sense and the only reason he was here in the first place was because everyone had to be. If he’d been born in some other world, he probably would have been a rich layabout, doing nothing to advance any cause but his own pleasure.

Sora didn’t even remember if he had parents. He certainly didn’t remember living with them. The Academia was all that he knew, and he would support it to the day he fell in battle.

From the shadows there stepped two holographic duelists. They didn’t say anything, but raised their duel disks in response to the two who approached them. Sora hated the thought of teaming up with Kaneko, but he reminded himself that he didn’t have to like it. He just had to win.

And maybe if I get lucky, one of them will take him out. Losing in this wouldn’t end with anyone carded, but it counted on one’s record and ended up lowering one’s final score, not just in this test, but in the overall scores that determined one’s placement in the army or in the support staff.

Or, if one were truly spectacular, as a member of Obelisk Force.

Kaneko ran a basic Fusion deck, and word around class had it that it was one that he’d bought with his family money, not built himself. Sora remained contemptuous of the very thought. Most Academia students who didn’t have their own decks built by blood, sweat, and tears were issued a standard Antique Gear deck and taught how to use it.

As far as Sora was concerned, Kaneko would probably work out better either sweeping floors, throwing away trash, or maybe making beds. He certainly wasn’t a soldier, and he could be called a duelist only by a very loose definition of the term.

But right now he was the only ally that Sora had, as the two of them shuffled their decks and got ready to combat their illusionary enemies.

Kaneko took the first turn, setting two spell or trap cards face down and putting out a defensive monster. Sora hadn’t ever seen him duel but the tactics were pretty basic. He went for a more aggressive approach himself, and his deck co-operated with him, providing him the materials to Fusion Summon Death-Toy Scissors Bear right off.

That got a bit of a sniff from Kaneko. “Showing your best talents early, aren’t you?”

“You’re not showing anything at all,” Sora snapped back. The rules of the challenge demanded that he couldn’t attack his erstwhile ally, no matter how tempting it was. But he had a few cards that could play some very nasty tricks once he drew them.

Now the hologram duelists – controlled by the master computer in the school – began their tactics. Sora had heard all kinds of stories about how the holograms were programmed, and he’d faced them many times before. Every time something was a bit different, perhaps a bit more skilled. That just made it all the more entertaining.

These duelists didn’t XYZ summon right away. Whether they supposedly had something else in mind or not, Sora couldn’t guess. If they’d been real duelists he could talk to, then maybe he could figure out their strategy. But the hologram duelists never said anything beyond the basic commands for summoning their monsters and attacking. They didn’t even use summon chants!

“I summon Verz Castor and activate it’s special effect to Special Summon Verz Salamandra. Then I XYZ Summon Verzbuth, the Excition-Glimmer Knight,” one of the holograms intoned, and as the first two monsters vanished into a swirl of shadows, before them there stepped forward a third creature, with spiked gloves, a long white cape, and a sharp sword in one hand. Sora glanced at his duel disk’s reading and frowned.

I don’t like that effect. The monster itself wasn’t that powerful – a mere one thousand nine hundred points – but it could clear the field in a heartbeat, if the opponent had a hand advantage. There wouldn’t be any damage done after that, so they’d have time to rebuild their defenses, but Sora still didn’t like it. Something just didn’t feel right about this. He wasn’t even certain if the rules would count his hand and Kaneko’s or just one of them. So, best to keep his hand as slim as he could, just in case.

Kaneko either didn’t check the information or didn’t care. He just rolled his eyes as the first hologram ended their turn with a set card and the second hologram started their turn.

“I summon Vampire Ghost, then use it’s effect to send Vampire Sorcerer from my hand to the graveyard, and add another card with Vampire in the name to my hand.” The hologram then slid a card from the deck. “In addition, Vampire Familiar goes from my deck to the graveyard.”

Vampire Ghost was about a medium strength card. Sora wasn’t sure what their tactics were, but he’d seen enough not to underestimate the trouble they could cause. He also remained confident that he could handle whatever was thrown at them.

But now it was his turn again, and he wanted to get that other monster out of the way before it became a real problem. He snapped out on order to Death-Toy Scissors Bear, looking forward to having his monster slice up this XYZ monster like it was nothing, then add those nineteen hundred points to its own. The rest of the battle would be easy to wipe up at that point.

“I activate Negate Attack,” the first XYZ hologram declared flatly, and Scissors Bear halted, backing upwards. Sora gritted his teeth together before he set one of his remaining cards face-down. He knew what the risks were, but they required being taken.

Kaneko started his turn as if Sora hadn’t done anything at all. “I Flip Summon Faith Bird, then ” He squared up his shoulders, struck what he probably thought was a terrifying pose, and declared, “From the heart of the sun I call forth the brightest of flames! Fusion Summon! Level Six, Crimson Sunbird!”

Together, Faith Bird and the Sky Hunter from Kaneko’s hand spun around one another, then merged into the fierce phoenix Crimson Sunbird, which sailed straight down to strike at Vampire Ghost. The hologram’s life points only dropped by eight hundred, but one would have thought Kaneko had finished off the entire duel by himself from the smirk on his face.

Sora tried not to roll his eyes. He was pretty sure he failed at that, as the duelist with the demon monsters started his second turn.

“I activate the special effect of Verzbuth, the Excition-Glimmer Knight. Because my opponent ” He indicated Kaneko – “has more cards in his hand than I do, I detach one XYZ material from my monster and by doing so I destroy all other cards on the field.”

Sora’s hand flew up to cover his eyes as each card, spells, traps, and monsters alike, exploded into dust, flying to the graveyard, with the exception of that Excition-Glimmer Knight.

“I banish Vampire Ghost from my cemetery,” the second hologram intoned, “and pay five hundred life points. When that resolves, I summon Vampire Red Baron from my cemetery.”

That must have been one of the cards he’d sent there when he’d summoned Vampire Ghost. If Vampire Red Baron wasn’t the ace of this deck, then it was very close to it. The first hologram indicated the end of his turn, and the second picked theirs up in a heartbeat.

“My Vampire Red Baron attacks you directly,” he stated, pointing at Kaneko. The Red Baron’s demonic steed neighed fiercely, then charged forward, the Baron pointing the tip of his weapon right at Sora’s fellow student. It pierced him – if the setting on the holograms had been but two degrees higher it would have drawn blood - and Kaneko staggered back, one hand rising to where the point entered him. He was left with only sixteen hundred life points. “Turn end.”

Now it was Sora’s turn once again. He’d considered his options since Death Toy Scissors Bear had been destroyed, and now with his new card for the turn, he made up his mind.

“I activate Death-Toy Re-Knight to return Death-Toy Scissors bear from the graveyard to my field! Next, I active De-Fusion, and return the Fusion Material monsters.”

Sora liked being careful with his monsters, especially his Fusion ones. He preferred not too many people know what he could do. But in testings like this, he didn’t have that many options. If he didn’t do his best, he would fail. He knew what happened to Academia students who failed and he wasn’t going to be one of them.

“Sharpest of demonic blades! Fanged beast of the forest! Become one and display a new power! Fusion Summon! Ruler of the oceans! Death-Toy Piton Kraken!”

First one tentacle, then another, and another, and another, emerged from the pool of light. Then the rest of the creature heaved itself out, two sharp blades being used for arms. Sora pointed quickly to Vampire Red Baron. “Kraken, I activate your effect! Destroy that monster!”

At once the Kraken wrapped all tentacles and blades and blade tentacles around the Red Baron and squeezed until it blew up in a spray of black sparkles and shadows. But Sora wasn’t done yet.

“My Kraken can’t attack directly after it uses that effect. But it can still attack!” He spun and pointed towards the other monster on the field. “Attack Verzbuth, the Excition-Glimmer Knight!”

The sad part about fighting holograms was that they didn’t scream the way real people did. Sora had always rather liked the way that his opponents howled when his monsters struck into them. But this time, the hologram merely stepped backwards as a few life points dripped away.

“Is that all you can do?” Kaneko asked, snorting. “Are you done yet? I want to finish this duel.”

Sora wiped his mouth a little, then set down one of his cards. Without that monster on the field, he didn’t need to keep his hand slim, but every little bit of preparation helped. “Go ahead.”

He didn’t expect Kaneko to win the duel. He hardly expected him to survive it. But he couldn’t say that out loud.

Kaneko shrugged his shoulders and drew a card. “I activate Ancient Rules and summon Crow Tengu! And because you don’t have any monsters to defend you, I’m going to attack you directly!”

His new monster spread great wings and shot towards the second duelist who used the vampire deck, crashing hard into them. Their life points dropped down to a mere eight hundred and fifty – that had been a lot of damage.

Kaneko ended his turn without setting any other cards, and the demon duelist took his next turn, summoning Verz Zahhak, equal in strength to Crow Tengu. The black dragon charged, tail wrapping quickly around Crow Tengu, and squeezed until they both exploded.

Now it was the other duelist’s turn. They set out cards quickly and without emotion, summoning Vampire Retainer, a great wolf that had half white fur and half black. It wasn’t that powerful; anything Sora had could take it out, and he suspected that Kaneko could even summon something strong enough on his next turn. At best it might do some damage to Kaneko, but that was it.

“I activate Vampire’s Desire,” the hologram spoke hollowly, and a translucent image appeared next to the duel disk. “By targeting one Vampire monster in my graveyard, and then sending one monster I control to the graveyard, I can Special Summon the targeted monster. Vampire Red Baron!”

Of course that would be the one. In a heartbeat, Sora realized what was going to happen next. Vampire Red Baron shot forward once more, trampling over Kaneko and throwing him backwards, slicing the rest of his life-points to shreds.

That left only Sora to finish this, against two powerful monsters. He grinned to himself. This was going to be good.

He regarded the two cards in his hand – the last two that he’d have in this duel, and exactly what he needed to win this duel.

“I summon Edge Imp DT Modoki!” This could be one of his strongest cards, depending on what else he had on the field. Then he activated the face-down card he’d set the previous turn. “Death-Toy Mad Parade! When I activate an effect that destroys a card my opponent controls and I control a Death-Toy monster at the same time, I can destroy as many cards my opponent controls as possible.” He grinned one of his best savage grins. “And you take five hundred damage for each one of those.”

He did rather miss the looks of fear that most of his opponents had at this point, as both Vampire Red Baron and Verz Zahhak exploded. Now the vampire duelist vanished, having been defeated, and only one more remained, with a simple two thousand seven hundred points left. He wasn’t done yet.

“I activate Death-Toy Factory! By banishing a Fusion card from my cemetery, I can Fusion Summon a Death-Toy monster, using the cards I have as material. Blades of the demon, monster from the sea, unite as one and become something more horrid than ever! Rise, Death-Toy Sabre Tooth!”

As the creature spun into existence, Sora added the final and best part of the effect. “All Death-Toy monsters I control gain an extra four hundred attack. So that’s twenty-eight hundred attack.”

And the hologram duelist only had twenty-seven hundred.

Death-Toy Sabre-Tooth flew forward, teeth biting into empty air, and Sora grinned as the sound of victory rang out. He couldn’t stay here forever soaking in it, however. Kaneko was already back on his feet, and he glowered a little before turning to the nearest exit.

“We’re not done yet!” He darted on out, longer legs allowing him to cover more distance, and Sora bit off a few words he’d heard some of the teachers use when they thought he wasn’t listening.

Then he raced off as well, forging ahead, finding all those places that he could get into that Kaneko couldn’t, being too big. It took him some effort, but he managed to get ahead, finally reaching the final obstacle, the climbing wall that Yuuri had beaten him up the last time.

So far he didn’t see any sign of Yuuri at all, but he hadn’t the last time either. His rage at that defeat still simmered and he wanted to do something about it. Running the obstacle course wasn’t doing nearly enough to thin the fury.

He’d figure out something. For now, he plowed ahead, keeping ahead of Kaneko by the thinnest of margins, crawling up to the top of the wall, ignoring how the spikes hidden within slipped in and out. They were never on a regular schedule, but he braced himself, raced upwards, and reached the top of the wall.

“Very good,” the teacher praised him. “You improved your score by five seconds. That was excellent dueling as well. But you do need to improve your teamwork. You might be sent into the field with a partner of some kind.”

Sora groaned; he didn’t want to but he couldn’t stop it. The teacher either didn’t notice or was too busy with grading the others to care. Sora leaned against the nearest wall not likely to pierce him with a spike and considered what he might do next. By now the sun had just begun to dip to the horizon and that meant it was just about dinner time.

“All of you are dismissed for dinner,” the teacher finally told them. “I’ll see you all back here tomorrow morning.”

From here there was a short cut back to the main building and Sora headed that way. No one talked to him and he didn’t talk to anyone. There were a few who chatted among one another as they walked; Kaneko had a couple of friends, or people he talked to anyway. Exactly what they talked about Sora wasn’t sure, but he had too much on his own mind to worry about it.

Meals at Duel Academia tended to be works of art. Not only was the place packed full of people from loosely the age of seven on upwards, the vast majority of them were teenagers, which meant the appetite than being a teenager caused. Some of the students ate in their own quarters, either making their own food or having it brought from the cafeteria itself. There were tables set a bit higher up that had some of the higher ranking students there. Sora recognized Edo Phoenix; school rumor said that he would be leading the invasion once it began. There were others as well, very few of which he knew the names of.

Yuuri wasn’t there. School rumor said that he only ate in his quarters, but no one knew why. Sora tried not to think about that as he went for his own food, thinking longingly of the sweets available in his rooms that he’d enjoy after dinner.

And he couldn’t help but think what he might do to get some revenge on Yuuri.

To Be Continued

Notes: Because this was also written for the YGO Big Bang, the story is complete and will be updated on a daily basis for the next few days.

[lokiseries-bingo2022]

Important Information

This blog has not been very active lately and I would like to provide an explanation for that. I began this challenge with what felt like endless energy and optimism and was very excited to continue it through the year. I’m the only person running this challenge and I was confident in doing so as it’s a small group partaking in the bingo and I have a fair amount of free time this year. However, I do feel that running this on my own is what has caused the lack of activity on my part.

This has been a year of many discoveries and changes in my health for me. I’ve learned that I’m chronically ill and have a mood disorder, all of which have resulted in very little energy. I spend the energy that I have doing the things that are necessary, leaving me functional but unable to keep up with personal to-do’s like this bingo.

For this reason, I will no longer be sending out new bingo cards. However, everyone may continue to write and fill out the prompts that they have! Works will still be accepted into the collection throughout the year. If there are any issues, send me an ask or message me and I will do my best to resolve the problem. I’m always willing to talk and will do my best to get back to you quickly!

I’d like to thank everyone who has participated in this challenge. You’re all very wonderful and talented people, and I admire your dedication and passion! It’s been so much fun to see how different people interpret prompts, and truly amazing to watch the AO3 collection grow. I’ve tried to be more professional on this blog than I am on my main, but right now you can certainly imagine me weeping tears of joy.

Congratulations to @bushs-world for completing an entire bingo card! And good luck to all those of you who are on track to completing your own. I wish you all well!

Thank you all so much for understanding. I’ve put off writing this up for so long because I’m ashamed of not being strong enough to continue such a simple task, but I also know that my shame is unwarranted and I’m truly not able to do some things, as silly as it seems. I hope to restart this in 2023 with some help and backup plans. I look forward to seeing all your works.

Again, thank you <3

[dreamlingbingo]

And that's a wrap!

Congratulations everybody, you survived the 2023 Dreamling Bingo! That's right, you made it to the end and you didn't even get a T-shirt. Boooo.

We had a lot of fun watching the last minute fills coming in and we were definitely rooting for all of you as we got closer to midnight. (It was pretty much us just going "You're at 24, you're so close! C'MOOON!!" LOL) We were also really excited how many of you got into the bingo spirit!

If anyone ran into technical difficulties or anything else that prevented you from submitting your fills, please reach out to us ASAP.

In the meantime, We. Are. Done! WOOHOO!! Thank you to all of you for making this year successful, we absolutely couldn't have done it without you! Even if you never even started your card, we're still glad you took an interest.

So what happens next?

Right now we're taking your masterposts! These are completely optional but are a great way to show off everything you completed. Just send us a message with the link to your post (or tag us) and we'll put it in our queue so they can run once all the other posts are finished.

If you're not sure what a masterlist is, check out this template for reference. If you want to make one but don't have a tumblr you can always submit a post.

The due date for masterposts has been pushed back to August 12th! Hopefully this will give everyone more time to wind down. <3

We're sending an email to all participants with a list of the bingo fills we received from you. Let us know if everything is good to go by August 12th. If we don't hear from you by this time we'll assume everything's fine and will get started on your badges. :) If you want them faster just get back to us ASAP so we can get started! :D

We'll have another follow up post soon with fun things like stats, a general idea for Round 2 and anything else we might have missed. While you wait, just sit back, relax and enjoy the bingo fills!

Thank you again to everyone for making this such a fun event!

[tenzoscabin]

Congratulations and well done @akumu-jubokko​!

You have completed the following bingo prompts in the Tenzo’s Cabin Mini-Bingo: - Fireworks - Firelight - Sage Mode - ANBU (EXPLICIT, graphic depictions of violence)

Click the links to check out their amazing art and fic <3

[ficswithluv]

Welcome to FicsWithLuv’s first event celebrating the anniversary of BTS’ debut! As many of you know, BTS debuted seven years ago on June 13, 2013. To commemorate that, we’ve collected all of their songs over the years - albums, EPs, mixtapes, collabs, soundcloud releases, you name it - and we’re asking you to write stories based off these songs! 

For those of you unfamiliar with a bingo writing challenge, the rules are simple. We give you a bingo card filled with BTS songs, and your job is to write fics based off those songs. You can write as much or as little as you want, whenever you want! The fics can be anything from short drabbles to full-length series, any member, any pairing or poly, any genre, as long as each one relates to one of the songs on your bingo card.

There are rewards for filling out a whole line, multiple lines, or the whole card - which we're calling FWL Bingo Tiers - but you are more than welcome to only write one or two squares if you wish. The choice is all yours! We know that it can be hard to know how much time you’ll be able to spend on an event, especially these days, which is why we want it to be as low-commitment and high-entertainment as possible! 

Interested? Read the rules and the timeline below, then simply get in contact with any of the FicsWithLuv admins via tumblr dm (their URLs will be at the bottom of this post!), off-anon ask to the net, or through the FWL Discord, and we can give you a card! An example of a bingo card for this event is as follows:

Rules

To sign up, reblog this post (likes don’t count), and fill out this form. You also must be following FicsWithLuv. An admin will get back to you as soon as possible with your personal Bingo Card!

You do not have to be an affiliated author with FWL, though we’d certainly appreciate you checking out our applications if you aren’t!

You do not have to be over 18 to join this event; however, we’ll be requiring your name, URL and date of birth to sign up and if you are a minor, we will not reblog any NSFW content from you and will blacklist you from our net. To be clear, 18+ can sign up and write any content, under 18 can still sign up but will not be permitted to write NSFW content. 

We will only reblog the works of affiliated authors using the network tag. We won’t reblog works from unaffiliated authors however we encourage you to use the #fwlbingo event tag! At the end of the event, we'll put a link to that tag on our blog, so make sure yours can be found! as when we put a link to it anywhere on our blog, we’ll use that event tag.

At the end of the posting period, we’ll have a post congratulating those that have completed rows or whole bingos. You don’t have to write that much, but we want to reward you if you do! Please let an admin know when you’ve achieved a row or full bingo and we’ll congratulate you at the end of the event. 

There are four tiers you can achieve: bronze (1 row), silver (2 rows), gold (3-4 rows) and bulletproof purple (5 rows/full bingo). 

We have numerous different cards for this event, made with many different designs based on BTS albums, with a total of 168 BTS songs. You may get in contact with us at any time to change your card once, however you will then start from scratch on your rows. 

You are allowed to get a second card if you finish your first.

You can pull out at any time. You don’t have to provide any reason, just get in contact with FWL or any of the admins. However, since you can write as much or as little as you want, you are most welcome to stay in the event even if you can’t write any more.

Every fic you post must relate to the song square chosen. Get creative! You can derive meaning from the music, the lyrics, the MV, anything!

Your titles don't have to be the song title, but we do ask that they are at least lyrics or something related to the song somehow! Get creative with that, too, though!

We ask that you include rating and any possible trigger warnings at the beginning of each fic. Affiliated authors have their own network rules for reblogging, but as ambassadors of FicsWithLuv, it would be appreciated if all of you take the care to put those easily visible on your fic for the courtesy of those reading. 

We require that you post a link, a shoutout or a tag to FWL and the event at the beginning of each fic posted. Fics for the bingo rows won’t be counted if they don’t include this. 

There is no discord server for this event. If you’re already on the FWL server you’re welcome to discuss it there, or you can make groups of your own with others you know doing the event. All important announcements will be posted on this blog with the tag #fwlbingo announcement.

Deadlines + Schedule:

¤ April 13th: Sign-ups open. We’ll give your card to you within 1-3 days of you signing up so that you can begin straight away. You may post at any time from now until the final date.

¤ June 13th, 11:59pm KST: Sign-ups close.

¤ April 13th-July 31st: Posting period. Use the #fwlbingo2020 tag on all fics for the event and get in contact with us when you achieve a row or full bingo.

¤ July 31st, 11:59pm KST: Final posting date. You are welcome to keep writing and posting fics for the songs after this date however they won’t count for the FWL tiers.

¤ Early August: Post of successful writers from all tiers is posted. Thank you for doing the event with us! 

[riverdalebingo]

Riverdale Bingo Winter 2020 Masterlist

This is the final masterlist for the Winter 2020 round of Riverdale Bingo and Riverdale Kink Bingo. A huge congratulations to all of this rounds participants!! There were 40 participants and a massive 162 works submitted for this challenge. 2 participants blacked out their cards and completed all 25 squares!

Woooh, we did it!! This was a lot of work but so worth it!

Without further ado, here is this round’s masterlist. 

Also check out the AO3 collections for general bingo and kink bingo.

Thank you so much to all those who participated and helped get the word out about this challenge. I hope it was as much fun creating for this challenge as it was moderating it! Well done everyone!! If I missed any participant or anyone’s work, please let me know asap and I will fix it! 

I am so happy to announce there will be a Summer 2020 round of Riverdale Bingo. Check it out here.

A list of participants can be found below the cut. 

List of participants that requested a bingo card (in alphabetical order): 

@alluringdreams 

@alyssamydreams (9/25 completed)

@at-cheryl-bombshell (8/25) completed

@bettycooper (3/25 completed)

@bettysteddys

@bugheadsextape (6/25)

@cactiem (3/25)

@catthecoder

@crashhale (12/25)

@darknessaroundus (25/25 blackout!!!)

@deargrilledcheesusyouredelicious

@heartunsettledsoul

@hughstheforcelou (1/25)

@iconic-ponytail

@i-know-you-can (2/25)

@imreallyloveleee (1/25)

@jandjsalmon

@jarchiekinz (1/25)

@katykeeneofficial

@lilibetts

@lilibug--xx

@lonely-heartsclvb

@miss-eee

@moonlight-and-stars (1/25)

@plethoraofmysteriess

@riverdaleimagines1 (25/25 blackout!!)

@ronnielodgexoxo

@serpent-smi (1/25)

@smugheadjonesthethird

@southsidestyle

@strangenightsofdaydreams

@sullypants

@theangriestpea (14/25)

@theheavycrown

@thesunandthestarss (12/25)

@tory-b

@wayward-river (19/25)

@winterfirehair

@worst-beehaviour

@xserpentlife (10/25 general and 9 kink)

Thank you all!!

[itslockedcharmstrong]

Clue Crew Bingo

@nancydrew-onthecase has spoken: we are doing a bingo night. 😅 This is one of my favorite things to do because I love learning new things about people. SO: we’ll be starting it tomorrow evening (5/16) at 8 pm EST, but just log on as you’re able to throughout the evening. I’m sure we’ll still be here!

How it works:

1) Fill out a bingo card with lots of fun facts about yourself. They don’t have to be Clue Crew related, just anything that you’d like to share! But remember, we’re playing bingo, so the trick is to share things that are interesting, but you may also have in common with someone else. Make sure you include your url so that no one mixes up your card with someone else’s! For reference, I’ll include the bingo card I just made for myself along with the template I made for anyone who may have trouble making/finding one.

2) Post your bingo card when it’s time. Tag it with #cluecrewbingo so other people can find it easily and those who don’t want to participate can block the tag. Trust me, your dash is going to get a little crazy.

3) Fill out all the bingo cards you can! Screenshot/save them to your device and then use whatever app/software you have to mark off the squares you agree with/have in common with OP. I’m usually on my phone, so I just use the “mark up” option in my photos app. See if you can get a bingo (or multiple!!) on as many cards as possible.

4) After you’ve filled out a bingo card, reblog the original post and add your completed card. Try not to reblog other people’s completed cards in addition to your own, or else we’ll get chains of bingo cards that aren’t all that fun to scroll by. 😅 I like to add comments and questions I might have for OP on this step because sometimes you discover something you have in common with someone that you want to yell about for a bit. Haha!

5) Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Keep filling out as many cards as possible so you can get to know as many Clue Crew members as possible! When someone gets a bingo on your card, feel free to contact them or reply to them in the comments to congratulate them! You can also reblog their completed bingo card to your blog and reply to them that way if you’d like. (You see how the dash can get crazy with all the bingo cards getting reblogged? 😅)

6) Have fun!!! This is all about getting to know people you may not have known before. It’s one of my favorite things and I hope you all love it as much as I do. 💛

I’ll be around to answer any questions you may have!!!

[subukunojess]

Courage

AO3 Link

Bad Things Happen Bingo @badthingshappenbingo​ Trope/Prompt: Touch Starved Fandom: Courage the Cowardly Dog Main Character: Courage Triggers: Slight mentions of Animal Abuse/mistreatment Word Count: 1,487

My next entry for the angst bingo I signed up for years ago. Hopefully it'll help me with my writing and get me to practice more. When I searched for Touch Starved, it took me a while until I realized that the only character I could think of that could fit that category would be a character from my childhood, Courage the Cowardly Dog. I remembered how the episode "Remembrance of Courage Past" moved me and I wanted to write a short but sweet one shot of that memory in Courage's point of view. I have not written for Courage before and I found it challenging to keep with the prompt while also keeping in character. Hopefully this is okay. Story under the cut:

What did he do?

What did he do?!

The little pink dog scrambled out of the dumpster he was dropped into, his mind and heart racing as he tried to calm down. He found himself in a city alleyway surrounded by brick walls and trash cans. As he stood up in worry, he suddenly froze as he heard a countdown  blaring in his mind and the sound of something big opening nearby. He turned his head to the direction of the sound, only to gasp as the roof of a building opened up and a rocket started blasting off into the sky. 

Now the puppy remembered. 

He was at the Vet's office with his parents after getting his head stuck in a metal fence while playing catch. Everything was normal at first; the veterinarian got his head unstuck and gave him a lollipop, then went to talk to his parents. The puppy, although scared, assumed that the man was going to ask questions about him and give advice before he and his family left for home. That seemed like a normal thing to do when talking to a doctor. 

Until he heard his parents scream. 

The world came to a complete stop when the little dog turned and stared as his parents dangled inside a large net with the vet carrying them behind his back to another room. What was happening? This was supposed to be a veterinarian. A doctor. Someone you trust with your health. How could a person like that kidnap his parents?

He had no time to think. He ran after the human, determined to save his parents no matter what. He went through several doors until he snuck into an office where the veterinarian was taking his family to an actual giant rocket on the other side of a window. The puppy remembered watching rockets on television screens. He had seen scary films about aliens and news reports about people flying to the moon. This man was sending his parents to outer space? Not if the puppy could do anything about it. 

He saw the man throw the two dogs into the rocket, shut the door, then walked back to a control panel when the countdown began. 60. 59. 58...

Quickly, the pink canine rushed towards the rocket and jumped towards the door where he could see his parents through a little window, scared as they were calling for help and looking for a way out. He saw their big worried eyes making contact with his and his heart broke. He tried opening the door. He really did. But there was nor knob or key. 

"Hey, what are you doing there?!" The veterinarian boomed as he entered the room and loomed over the pup. The puppy screamed in terror and ran away in circles, trying desperately to avoid the large intimidating from catching him and throwing him into the rocket as well or something worse. He noticed red arrows pointing to a metal drawer, so he ran and clambered into it, sliding down a chute just as ten gangling fingers almost grabbed him by the waist. 

5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

That was how the pink puppy found himself surrounded by trash as he waved goodbye to his family from beyond the clouds with tears welling up in his eyelids until they trickled out to the rough pavement. 

This wasn't a bad dream he could wake up from. This was a living nightmare. 

This was his punishment for getting into trouble. For not being brave enough. For choosing to survive rather than help his parents or join them so they could still be a family. For not knowing what to do at a time like this. Before, his parents always forgiven him whenever he had made a mistake or got too scared. They would kiss him if he hurt himself and give him big hugs. They would encourage him to do tasks by himself, congratulating him when he did them and reassuring him when he didn't. His father would scratch him behind his ears. His mother would curl up around him with her body when he had a nightmare. His parents always knew what to do. And now they were gone.

The pink dog didn't know how long he was in the alleyway. Minutes? Hours? Days? 

He wanted someone to scoop him up in their arms, hold him close, and tell him that everything was going to be okay. But who could he trust? Anyone could be a monster willing to hurt him. To turn on him and do who knew what. He sat huddled by trash cans as he trembled, squirming around and hugging himself to quell his craving for contact. No family. No home. Cold. Hungry. Guilty.

The puppy wailed at the top of his lungs, almost hoping that his sobs would be loud enough to travel to outer space so that his parents would hear him. For anyone to hear him. 

And someone did. 

"Oh my! What are you doing out here all alone?" A mature feminine voice called out, dripping with concern and an accent. The young dog glanced to see a large woman walking towards him. She had long brown hair and circular glasses on as well as dark boots and a large dark green coat that reached her ankles. He whimpered, trembling as the woman got closer to him. A part of him didn't want to stay. For all he knew, the human would lead him to a secret lair or something. He couldn't trust strangers. And yet, a part of him sensed that the woman was not evil or scary. A part of him wanted comfort no matter the danger. So when the woman loomed over him, he simply stared at her and raised his paws to be scooped up.

Warm plush hands soft as wool held his sides and lifted him into the air. If he weren't so weak and wary, he would have snuggled into her arms or lean closer to her touch. But he couldn't. Any moment now, she would see how pathetic he was and drop him. He stared at her and waited with trembling wide eyes and dried tears.

Instead of a scowl, a tight grip to make his bones pop, or his face smacked against a brick wall, he was met with a soft grin as the woman gasped, "What courage you have!"

Courage? This woman must be mistaken. There was nothing courageous about him. Period. He ran away when his family needed him most. He cried and ran away from anything nearly everyday of his life. 'Coward' was the more appropriate word to describe him. 

And yet, she seemed like an honest woman. Her face looked round and gentle like the fluffiest pillow in the world. Her hair seemed like a mix of chocolate and cotton candy you'd find at a county fair. She smelled of home cooking and blankets sewn by hand with care. Most of all, the eyes that hid behind the protection of her glasses glimmered in truth and positivity. He didn't consider himself a special creature, but at that moment, he knew that his keen senses were telling him to trust her. 

"My name is Muriel." The woman introduced herself, "Would you like to come home with me?"

It was because of her touch and gaze that made the puppy smile as he hugged the closest arm to him. Muriel's smile grew as her arms wrapped around his waist in a firm embrace. 

"I'll call you 'Courage'. We'll have a grand time!" She promised him before heading off to take him home in a green pick-up truck across the street.

Courage let himself get lost at the touch of Muriel's arms, sinking into the warmth even when she got into the truck and gently placed him to her side. He never stopped touching her lap for anything. Although no one could replace his family, this woman was a welcoming close second. He thought about the days he'd spend with his new owner. Perhaps she'll feed him good meals and they do chores or crafts together. Maybe they'll spend their quiet days rocking back and forth with him curled up on her lap. They would grow old together and he'll help her around the house. He'll protect her. If there were monsters out there in the world, he was determined to protect one of the good humans in the world even if it meant his life. But he didn't think too much of it for now.

Courage lifted his head up after a while and watched as acres of sand and dirt zipped right by before his eyes. It was just miles of nothing. He glanced to the front to see a little house and a windmill coming over the horizon. A house in the middle of nowhere away from people? Yes. This was home to Courage. 

[kittensjonsa]

Otherwise, Engaged

The Proposal AU (with a slight deviation from the actual movie)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

---

Chapter 5

Jon had just turned sixteen when he received news of his parents' death. It was a car accident that took their lives instantaneously. He could still remember being called to the principal's office one sunny afternoon, sitting in that uncomfortable chair whilst the police officer broke the news to him.

He did not remember crying much but he did remember the people who came for the funeral, a good-sized turn out, paying their respects to Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell. Everyone was cordial, kind and concerned. All he did was shake hands with them and telling them he was all right, and that he was getting the help needed. That was the only memory growing up that stayed with him, sad as it was, being around that many people who knew and loved his family. Jon loved his parents and they adored him that much he knew but being left alone and on his own, truly changed his world. He had to do everything himself, apart from the lawyers who helped with the estate, he had to figure out life on his own. It was difficult at first but soon enough, it became comfortable. His solitude became a sanctuary; a soft-padded cell he enjoyed retreating to and quite often.

But that was almost twenty years ago. A sad memory he associated with family. A social event he wished he didn't have to be a part of and since then Jon had grown accustomed to avoiding any large family gatherings or any gatherings at all. He grew comfortable living in a huge house alone, got through university alone somewhat breezily thanks to the lack of social distractions. He had the time to hone his writing, an outlet that healed him and thanks to it, eventually went on to be a reporter, the kind whose articles touched the outside world. And with that, surfaced a chance meeting with Jeor Mormont of the renowned Mormont & Sons Publishing, in whom Jon found his family.

Family, Jon thought. For fifteen years or so, it was word that rarely came to mind.

And now here I am. Jon watched as people stopped them to greet and hug Sansa as she made her way to the house. Jon could tell she was very much loved in Winterfell and it made him wonder why Sansa would want to leave all of this behind.

“So, you ready?” Sansa's voice broke through, waking him from deep thought. Jon afforded a smile and a shrug. “Here we go.”

“Hey, look who's here everybody!” the announcement was barely needed.

“Ahhhh! SANSA!!”

The collective squeals and shrieks of joy were deafening and perhaps startled him a little as Jon stood back and observed the throngs of people heading his direction and huddled around Sansa. Beloved Sansa.

“Oh my god! You're back!”

“It's been so long!”

“ You look amazing!”

“We missed you so much!”

The showers of love kept on coming for Sansa and though he was mostly invisible, which was understandable, Jon quite enjoyed watching as it all went on. Sansa took the time to hug every single one them and it occurred to him that he hadn't seen her entire family yet. Did it say anywhere in that file how many siblings she had? Jon made a mental note to remember these things. After all, it might turn up during the inquiry with the Immigration Department.

The excitement eventually subsided and Jon found himself face to face with a crowd of curious onlookers. Jon figured he probably looked out of place, with his formal suit on and not being recognised as someone from Winterfell.

Sansa was quick to pick up and as always, the well mannered lady she was, stood next to him as everyone gathered around them.

“Everyone, this is Jon. And Jon, this is everyone,” Sansa began with the introductions. Jon gave his best smile and shook hands with everybody. No mention of fiancé yet, he thought. Keep mum and follow her lead.

“Sansa?” a small boy peeked out from behind one of the guests. He had blue eyes and dark auburn locks just like Sansa.

“Hey buddy! Oh my god! I missed you! Look at you! You're so big now, Rickon!” Sansa swooned as she lifted the boy in her arms.

Another boy, this time brown-eyed with the same copper hair jumped in. “You're back, Sansa!”

Sansa gave them each a kiss on the forehead as they held on to her tightly. It was a lovely private moment Jon felt he wasn't privy to and his insides were twisting a little, reacting to emotions he had not experienced for a very long time.

Sansa wiped away a stray tear. “Hey guys, I want you to meet Jon.” She didn't have to, Jon thought.

Jon knelt down and extended his hand to them. Family. Her family.

“Hi guys. I'm Jon. What are your names?”

“I'm Rickon and he's Bran," the younger boy pointed to himself and Bran. “Are you Sansa's boyfriend?”

Jon had to laugh. He had skipped all of that when he fake-proposed to Sansa eighteen hours ago. “ Well, yeah I guess.”

Rickon made a face. “Eww.. don't kiss okay.”

“Rickon!” Sansa chided him. Jon guffawed. Nope, buddy. No kissing expected. Bran had his face in a palm, obviously embarrassed by Rickon's forthrightness. “Oh my god, Rickon! You can't just ask people stuff like that!”

Sansa giggled at the exchange. “They're my little brothers. Rickon is six and Bran is ten. They're just curious so don't mind them if they keep asking you questions.”

“That's all right. They can ask me anything,” Jon winked at them. For a moment, flashes of his own childhood came flooding back. I was once like them too.

“There she is.” A young man appeared squeezing himself in from the group, this time much older than the boys. He had the same blue eyes and auburn hair.

“Robbie! Lisa!” Sansa held out her arms once again, to him and the lady who accompanied. Sansa was beyond ecstatic having everyone she loved surrounding her.

“Oh my god..” Sansa gasped the moment she saw the noticeable bump on Talisa. “I'm going to be an aunt?”

Talisa nodded excitedly, stroking her belly. “Yep. To twins.”

Sansa sniffed, the tears were coming hard and fast. The welcoming party isn't so bad after all. I miss everyone so much.

“Congratulations,” Jon added . Then, he forgot they haven't been introduced.

“Oh hi.. you must be-”

“Jon. Pleasure,” Jon introduced himself to them.

“Nice to meet you Jon. I'm Rob and this is my wife, Talisa.”

“I'm guessing Sansa's older brother?”

“That obvious huh?” Robb chuckled.

“The eyes and the hair,” Jon smiled.

Sansa cleared her throat. She forgot for a second that Jon was here with her, and why. Rip the band aid. Do it.

“So, guys.. he's my fiance. S-surprise.”

There it is. Jon bit his lip.

The smiles on Robb and Talisa's faces dropped. Jon guessed that would be the general reaction to the news so he'd might as well get used to it and perhaps, practice his best ‘surprise fiancé’ face.

Sansa and Jon both grinned nervously, watching both Robb and Talisa slowly come round from their initial shock.

“I.. I heard from Dad about a guest but… well, this is news! Congratulations to you both,” Robb finally said. Talisa eyed them curiously, wearing a polite grin but leaned in to whisper to Robb.

Jon had to get used to that too for the next two days. Talk of the town.

“But we thought… Jon is.. kind of your boss?”

Bingo. Cue the Q&A. Sansa was about to face the firing squad and she hoped Jon had well-prepared answers like she did.

“Well, yes but you know.. things happen,” Sansa lied, shooting a warning glance at Jon.

“Right. Of course.” Robb and Talisa paused for them to continue.

Think of something.. quick!

“I guess all the late nights at the office, the weekends working together.. I mean, she was practically glued to me,” Jon quickly added, though it made things worse.

“So is that why you said you couldn't come this weekend, Sansa?” a voice called out from behind them. A lady with long dark red hair and fierce blue eyes approached them. She was beautiful and elegant. A lady of the house. It was unmistakable who she was and didn't take long for Jon to guess.

“Mom,” Sansa greeted her. Jon watched as the two of them hugged. It wasn't quite as warm as he had seen with the rest, and Jon noticed how Sansa pulled away almost immediately.

“You must be Jon. The boss she had been talking about lately.”

She made him nervous. Jon smiled and nodded, holding his hand out anyway.

“Well, I'm not surprised. I hope it has all been good.”

She eyed him up and down, the upturned corners of her mouth faded the moment she met his eyes. Jon regretted immediately just breathing in her presence.

“I'm just glad she decided to come. I guess you must be the one to thank then.. Jon, was it?”

“Jon, this is Catelyn, my mother,” the introduction by Sansa was unnecessary.

“But you may call me Mrs Stark,” Catelyn advised. Jon gulped.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mrs Stark. Y-you.. have a beautiful house.”

Catelyn looked around at the people from around town that she had invited for her father's eightieth and Sansa's long overdue homecoming. And here was Jon. A complete stranger who kept her beloved daughter away for far too long. Keeping her composure, she had promised Ned to be at her best behaviour, especially after he shared with her the shocking news. It wasn't the homecoming she was looking forward to.

“Thank you. Please do make yourself comfortable. Seeing you'll be joining us for the weekend.”

“Thank you… Mrs Stark.”

A chime of the doorbell and a cacophony of voices joining the fray caught Catelyn's attention, before she could continue. Saved by the bell, Jon watched as Catelyn gave Sansa and him a nod before greeting the guests who had just arrived.

If hell froze over, it would have been right at that moment, as Jon exhaled, a long breath he didn't realise he was holding.

“Interesting,” Jon remarked, giving Sansa a questioning look. Robb and Talisa were similarly reeling from the chilly encounter but deflected well, excusing themselves and shuttling the younger boys away from Sansa and Jon.

“Well, it's clear your mother doesn't like me very much. I wonder why,” Jon nudged Sansa into a quieter corner. “Is there something I should be warned about?”

“What do you mean?” Sansa bluffed.

“Okay so I haven't been the best boss, I know that but I am trying my best as I promised you. We're in this together so help me out here. What am I missing?”

Sansa couldn't look him in the eye. “She kinda hates your guts.”

Okay not really a surprise. “Because?”

Sansa groaned. “ Because! Well.. because I left Winterfell right after graduation and got a job in the city! And I then told her you were kind of a dick. That's why.”

Jon sighed. “Great. Just great.”

“Well, you asked.”

Sansa continued. “Since I left and started working for you, I haven't really visited home.”

Jon was confused. “And why didn't you? What has that got to do with me?”

Sansa stared at him in disbelief. Three years I have given to you. That's three long years I haven't seen my family. “I have not had any vacation days since I started working for you, just to jog your memory a bit. So yeah, she kind of blames you for taking me away from her.”

Oh. And him being here, as Sansa's fiancé was a slap in the face, Jon surmised. “Right. So.. there's no way to fix this?”

Sansa shook her head. She really didn't expect her mother to act out the way she had with Jon. But it was unavoidable, the tension brewing from day one, what with all the heaty exchanges on the phone with Catelyn demanding why Sansa hadn't resigned yet if she hated her job and boss so much. And now, imploded with Sansa returning home with him as her fiancé. Sansa was well aware how she herself had caused it but simply had no clue on how to fix it. She hadn't thought that far yet. All she wanted was to get through the weekend without the family drama.

“Sweetie, do you want to put your bags in your room?” Ned's soothing voice was just the escape both Jon and Sansa needed. Yes, they were tired, exhausted already from the charade and some time away from lying to people would be a welcome change of pace.

Jon followed Sansa upstairs where Ned, Robb and Talisa led them to their room for the night. Jon noticed there were many rooms in the large house, he had hoped it would be one with a comfortable bed at least. And as far away from the family as possible.

“Oh, my old room! You still kept it like before?” Sansa cooed as she dropped her bag on the floor. Her bed and the comfy couch were still in the same spot as was her desk and dresser. The posters were long gone and probably for the better but the nostalgia got the better of her.

“Yeah, Mom wanted to keep it in case you returned home. You know how she is. But anyways,” Robb said, draping his arm around Sansa's shoulder. “Welcome back, Sans.”

It was all very nice and warm to observe but Jon couldn't wait to see his room. Sansa's had a fantastic view of the snow capped hills that Winterfell seemed to have so many of and he didn't mind waking up to the same.

“This is nice. Well, I do hope mine is half as nice as this.”

Robb and Ned turned to him, puzzled at his statement. A nervous chuckle escaped Ned, as he scratched at his beard.

“Well, this is weird for me to say in front of my daughter but I am under no illusion that you two have shared a bed together. I mean we are all adults here, we can understand how two people engaged to each other sleep.”

Oh dear god. Jon and Sansa exchanged looks of horror.

“Besides there is only this room. The guest rooms are being renovated at the moment,” Ned added.

“Right.. okay.” Jon gave up.

Can today get any worse?

“The towels and sheets are in that cupboard over there if you need them. And, oh,” Talisa walked over to a wooden closet and took out a thickly folded hand made quilt.

“This should keep you warm in the cold Winterfell weather,” she smiled and handed it to Jon.

“Oh, lovely. Thank you so much.” It looked nice and comfy, just what he needed since he didn't quite pack proper sleep wear.

Talisa giggled, then whispered to Sansa and Jon as she pointed to the quilt. “That blanket is also sort of a Stark tradition. It's called the Baby Maker, you know.” Talisa cheekily pointed to her burgeoning baby bump.

Oh god, no. Jon flinched and tossed the blanket aside. “Well, we gotta be extra careful with that one, right there.”

Sansa was aghast. “Yeah, super extra careful.” Goodness.

“Right, okay we'll leave you two love birds to take a break. And umm.. maybe keep it down eh?” Ned joked awkwardly. It was disheartening to see his darling girl all grown up.

“Oh my god, Dad!”

“Okay, okay we're leaving,” Ned yielded as he made his way out.

“Do come down in a bit for snacks and say hi to the guests if you can. Seems they're all curious to meet you,” Robb suggested, giving Jon a wink and Sansa a kiss on the cheek.

Sansa and Jon watched as Ned and company left their room. Sansa quickly shut the door and locked it before anyone in her family barged in. In that room and only in that room were they Jon Snow, Editor-in-Chief and illegal immigrant and her, Sansa Stark, executive assistant and accomplice. Just two people brought together by a set of very strange circumstances and ill-thought decisions. The brevity of the situation wasn't lost on Sansa as there stood only one bed before them. Yeah.. nope.

“You're taking the couch.”

Jon groaned. He wanted the bed. If he had stayed at the hotel, he would've already been in bed now, all tucked in and snoring away. “This is not how I planned the weekend.”

“Well, too bad. Unless you want to all this to blow up in everyone's faces and we're found out because of your brilliant idea, we have to stay here, like it or not. In my old room. And no, I am not sharing my bed with you.”

Fair enough. Jon couldn't insist on taking the bed nor share it with Sansa. There were clear boundaries he had set for himself, unspoken but unquestionable. This was a fake engagement, they didn't have to actually share anything at all. Besides, Jon had slept in worse places before, recalling the futon from his old college dorm. Sansa's couch looked bigger than the futon and far more comfortable.

“Fine, take the bed.”

The rest of the evening was more of the same - Sansa and Jon introducing themselves to the rest of the people who were either neighbours or childhood friends. Winterfell seemed like a large town where the Starks knew everyone. Well, they are well to do, Jon understood that was expected. Catelyn was still giving him the cold shoulder and Jon found solace in playing UNO with Sansa's kid brothers at the kitchen table. Sansa was still catching up with everyone else and it was only right that she did, so Jon didn't want to intrude.

“Hey guys, think maybe it's time for bed?” Jon asked, seeing the large yawns that took over the boys. It was their fourth hand in the game and though Jon enjoyed their company immensely, he too was tired.

Rickon rubbed his sleepy eyes. “Okay but only if we play again tomorrow.”

“Promise,” Jon held out his fist for a bump. The boys waved good night and Jon drank the last of his juice as he compiled the cards into a neat deck. The house had gone quiet with the party guests gone, save for the quiet hum and rattling of dishes in the dishwasher. It was ten and high time for a hot shower and then crawl into bed. In Sansa's room. Great.

“Knock, knock. Everyone decent?” Jon had to make sure.

“Yeah,” Sansa answered. She was already dressed for bed and tucked in under her covers, scribbling thoughtfully on her notepad she had propped up on her knees.

“Whatcha doin?” Jon cringed. He had never made any small talk with Sansa before and it showed.

Sansa's eyes never left the notepad. “Just a script. Sort of I guess.”

“A script?” Jon took off his coat and hanged it neatly in the empty closet. Sansa obviously hadn't unpacked yet, seeing her bag was only half open.

“Yeah. I mean I have to say the right things when my family and people start asking questions. At breakfast, at dinner. We're going to be surrounded by family if you haven't noticed. Maybe you should do one too?”

“What's wrong with going with the flow?” Jon wondered. He thought today had gone pretty well, considering.

“Well, my mother for one and two, I'm really bad at lying if you can't tell already.”

Oh dear. Jon sighed as he removed his vest and unbuttoned his shirt. Though, a script didn't sound half bad. Charm might not work so much in the North.

“But I'm drawing blanks. I really don't know what they're going to ask,” Sansa tossed her pencil in frustration.

“Maybe it's best not to overthink it. Say what comes naturally. We'll figure it out when we get to it, okay?” Jon suggested. He didn't want to overact his part, he'd look and feel awkward and that would only make it worse. He needed to sell it and sell it right. Jon sighed as he pressed on his temples. His head was pounding from the amount of quick thinking and shrewd planning he did today. All he craved for now was a hot shower, to wash the day away stinking of lies.

The steam and the hot water did wonders in soothing the tense muscles he didn't realise he had. He was wound up so tight from all the interactions earlier than day that his shoulders and neck were as stiff as concrete. Can't wait to get into bed. No, Jon thought. Couch. Dammit. Jon didn't want to leave the shower but any longer he would've used up all the hot water in the house. I miss my bed.

“Umm Jon? What are you wearing?” Sansa narrowed her eyes at him as he came out of the bathroom. He felt the chill seep right through his bones. Note to self, buy pyjamas.

“ What? This is what I wear to bed.”

“Boxers? You're going to freeze in your sleep.”

Jon was fully aware and accepted his fate, that it could happen but he didn't have much of a choice now.

“Well, the idea was to have a nice warm bed all to myself in a hotel. But... here we are.” The cancellation was uncalled for but it wasn't her fault.

Jon glanced at the couch. Sansa had already placed pillows and a blanket for him but Jon had an inkling they wouldn't be enough to keep him warm. But he'd make do. One night down. “Good night Sansa.”

Sansa shrugged. “Good night Jon. Don't die on me, okay?”

Whatever. Jon ignored Sansa and rested his head on the pillow, pulling the sheets and blanket right up to his neck. He still felt cold but he would try to endure. Shutting his eyes, Jon counted to a hundred. It was a coping technique his grief therapist recommended, especially useful during uncomfortable situations and for whenever Jon needed to get his bearings. Also, he didn't want to think about dying frozen in his sleep, no thanks to Sansa. 

Jon sighed as he reached sixty, his eyelids were getting heavier and the cold wasn't nipping at him so much now. As he gently drifted off to sleep, Jon made a wish, for warmer weather the next two days, the only remedy he'd ask for to get through the weekend.

Stay warm, stay warm.. stay warm.. must keep warm..

And indeed it was. Jon wriggled, his body welcoming a lovely warm sensation that enveloped his chest and legs. Slowly, it covered him more and more, causing Jon to stretch his arms as he adjusted himself, wallowing in the sudden warm, comfy bliss. It was so soft and cozy where he laid, pleased that the weather gods had heard his wish. Jon wanted to remain just like this for as long as he could.

“Mmmm..” A groan. 

A rustle.

But Jon didn't move an inch. He didn't want to. Another groan heard and then the warmth he felt, shifted. Why is this couch moving? 

Reluctantly, Jon opened his eyes, squinting as the bright rays broke through the crack in between the drapes and slowly came into his line of vision. Jon shut his eyes again. All he wanted to do was sleep in. It was the weekend, after all.

Weekend... Sansa.

“Oh my god!”

“Jon!”

“Why are you in my bed?!” Sansa shrieked.