#swarlasummer

(See also: Surprising each other)

I'm claiming both the surprise + wedding squares with this one!

[bingo board text: date night, interrupted, family, the moment, don't... don't what?, underworld, surprise, police business, reunited, flirting, number six, neighbours / community, free choice!, holidays / celebrations, behind closed doors, proposal, phone calls and texts, intimacy, rings, just breathe, injury / hospitals, comfort, wedding, drunk / hungover, photographs.]

how do i participate?

you can participate through anything - with gifsets, fanfiction, fanart, edits, videos, playlists, essays, moodboards, headcanons - whatever medium you like! 

you can reuse or re-promote something you've made previously, providing it aligns with a prompt. 

the event starts 1st July, you can start prepping now, but don't post the work until 1st July.

'free choice' means you can do whatever you like! go wild!!! 

you don't have to take the most obvious route of the prompt, creative interpretations are encouraged :)

you can do more than one work per prompt, if you like, or several prompts in one work. 

if you like, you can download the board and cross off which ones you've done and post this to tumblr - a fun way to keep track!

there's no obligation to do all the tiles or even more than one! just do what you can manage :)

you can also participate by commenting on fics, reblogging tumblr posts etc, it's just as important!! 

what if i need More prompts?

if you'd like more prompts, or want to swap out a prompt from the board above, you can use the bonus tiles below!

[bonus tiles text: music / lyrics, second chances, the future, touch, honeymoon, in another life, soulmates, secrets / secrets revealed, coffee or wine, engagement island, what else can't you say?, hunker in our bunker]

you can also use the 'reverse it' power up!! reverse any prompt to make it the opposite - i.e. comfort becomes no comfort, secrets becomes no secrets. (creative interpretations of what 'reverse it' means are encouraged!!)

rules:

You can't participate with something someone else created, even if you credit them or ask their permission. You must have created the work yourself (or with friends!) 

Carla and Lisa don't have to be the only characters, but they should be the main focus of anything created. 

AI is absolutely not allowed - you can't use it to generate work or edit work. If I find AI has been used, your work won't be allowed in the event. However, I don't want others making accusations that works are AI - this isn't the space for a witch-hunt. If you have concerns, please approach me privately at @puppetsoftomorrow, but any final decisions on what to allow are up to me. 

The event will nominally run from 1st July to 31st August, but the blog and collection will remain open beyond that, so if you're late, you can still participate.

Please be kind and supportive to others.

Also, I know there's a big swarla community on twitter, so I'm fine if the bingo board gets posted over there, but please know I'm not on twitter and won't see anything that’s on there, and it isn't officially part of the event if it's only posted on twitter. Please also credit me as the creator of the board :) 

As an overall disclaimer: I, puppetsoftomorrow, am running this event, and I get the final say in what gets reblogged and how this is run, and I reserve the right to do whatever I want :) 

Foxes

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

“What was that?”

“Just foxes. Right, last dance, you. Come on.” Carla stood up and held out her hand. “Come on!”

Lisa smiled fondly at her wife – her wife! – before standing up and allowing Carla to lead her to the factory's makeshift dance floor. Surrounded by soft lights, Underworld boxes – both empty and full – and quiet sewing machines, they melted into each other's arms; smiling, foreheads touching, noses bumping gently. The strains of Dinah Washington singing “I Wanna Be Loved” filtered through the bluetooth speaker Ryan had left behind and Carla had, finally, learned how to use.

Their quiet moment was violently interrupted by a panicked Lauren.

“Carla! Lisa! You gotta come! Betsy …”

Lisa's blood froze in her veins at the words. They didn't hesitate; still holding hands, they kicked off their shoes and ran after a surprisingly sober Lauren.

When they reached the bottom of the scaffolding, Betsy was backed against the brick wall, eyes wide, one hand covering her open mouth.

“Betsy!” “Bets!” Carla and Lisa reached for her and she looked at them as though she'd never seen them before, then pointed toward the ground.

Ten fee away lay a very dead Theo.

“Oh, Bets.” Lisa was caught between mom mode and DS mode. She needed to secure the scene, needed to call it in, needed to comfort Betsy.

“Right, come 'ere you,” Carla made it easy; she pulled Betsy into a tight side hug and led her away from the scene. “Lauren, call 999 and give your phone to Lisa, yeah? Let her do her thing. Lisa, darling, I love you, but if you get blood on your wedding clothes this may be the shortest marriage since mine and Nick's.”

Lisa chuffed a small laugh, knowing Carla was doing her best to deflect from the horror as she led Betsy away.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The blues and twos were quick. Wiley and Waghorn were right behind them; they took over securing the scene and wanted to take Betsy to the station to get her statement. Lisa told Betsy they'd be right behind her in a cab; neither of them was exactly sober enough to drive. They called a cab, then went back to Underworld to get their phones and shoes, and to lock up and set the alarm; clean up could wait.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

“What is taking them so long? What do they think she can tell them?” Carla's tone was bordering on a screech as she paced the ten steps from the door to Lisa's desk.

“Carla,” she sighed, “Wiley probably started and then Waghorn joined him, so they made her go over it again.” She stood up and intercepted her wife as Carla started another lap. “Darling, I'm so sorry. I know this isn't exactly what we'd planned for our wedding night.”

Carla barked a surprised laugh. “Bloody hell, Lise, the whole day didn't exactly go to plan, did it?” She allowed Lisa to pull her in for a hug, the two of them drawing comfort from one another. “I'm just worried about Betsy.” Her voice softened as she pulled away, without breaking contact, to look at Lisa properly. “She wasn't exactly sober when she left the wedding to go into town with Lauren. And then Lauren came and nicked two bottles of wine; she thinks I didn't see her. How Lauren didn't break her leg running to get us is a miracle.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a frustrated sigh. “Of course, we weren't exactly sober either. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go home.”

“I am, too, darling. It shouldn't be much longer. Carla …” Lisa was worried about broaching the subject of their honeymoon.

“Already canceled. Did it while we were in the cab. We'll plan for later, when all this is settled down.” Carla tucked an errant piece of hair behind Lisa's ear.

Lisa felt the tension in her shoulders slough off; she really needed to stop expecting Carla to react like … no, not today. “You … how did you even know what I was going to say?”

Carla gave her a soft smile. “I knew you'd eventually think about it and, when you said my name just now, it was hesitant; like you were afraid I was going to be angry or upset.” She tenderly cupped Lisa's cheek. “I know you, Lise,” she spoke quietly, “you'd be worried about disappointing me but you wouldn't want to leave Betsy right now. Course you wouldn't. Neither would I.”

“You know, we've been married for less than twenty-four hours and you're already the best wife ever.” Lisa leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss against Carla's lips.

“I love you and I love Betsy. It's the three of us, yeah? And Ryan.” She smirked.

“I love you, Carla Connor-Swain.” Lisa smiled.

“Forever?” Carla smirked faded into something softer; her eyes bright, crinkling at the corners.

“Forever.” Lisa knew that was the easiest promise she'd ever make.