b5 @ 30 for 30

🎈️🎈️ a popup event for b5 🎈️🎈️

[b5popup]

b5 at 30 for 30

A special one-time fic event for Babylon 5, in honour of 30 years after the show began airing!

when: month of September 2024

how: submit some characters and get some prompts. Write some prompts by 30 September and get a prize 🍰️

who: are you?

what: do you want?

✏️ rules || 🧡️ faq || ✨️ sign up

[b5popup]

🍰️ prizes! 🍰️

We did our very best to honour our winners which was a hard task when all their fics are so fantastic, but many tentacles make light work, and we hope you enjoy this small token of our pak'mappreciation 💖️

For 20 excellent drabbles, jam packed with some wonderful and fascinating OCs and an excellent taste for delicious angst, a Morden awarded to @annakeller / @kellygrayson! You can find them all under this fantastically curated series here at SquidgeWorld!

For 2 1k fics, both with wonderful Timov characterisation, a triumphant Timov awarded to @allowedtobewrong ! (Don't let her expression trick you, she's secretly very pleased about her victory) You can find these fics here and here at ao3!

For 2 1k fics, featuring Susan/Talia and Lennier/Morden, a jubilant Londo awarded to @herr-toyota ! You can find these wonderfully twisty character studies here on this participant's fabulous roundup post!

For 1 5k fic incorporating 5 prompts, with some wonderful Minbari OCs, a Neroon and Sinclair awarded to @branmer ! This was a challenge and we were absolutely blown away :D You can find this fic here!

For 20 wonderful drabbles, featuring all our favourite B5 ladies, a Lyta and G'Kar awarded to @neeoma / @lochley! They are walking off victorious and so should they :D This participant made a super organised round-up post where you can find all their drabbles!

But wait! There's more!

Please give a round of applause also for our runners-up: everyone who completed anything (which we could find) for the event!

👏️ 👏️ 👏️ 👏️ 👏️

by @allowedtobewrong: "Layovers" : three drabbles, featuring Susan, Vir, Kat the bartender, Lord Refa, and Brother Theo

by @greenscircus : "they said the streets were paved with gold", a drabble featuring Zack Allan and an amazing pak'ma OC! "By the Sword", a drabble featuring Ta'Lon and Nelson Drake this amazing art fill featuring Nelson Drake, the Ikarran war machine (and Tu'Lar too), and an excellent Brakiri OC!

by cgparker : (we can't seem to tag you) a drabble, featuring Susan and Talia three more drabbles, featuring Susan, Talia, Lyta, and Control

👏️ 👏️ 👏️ 👏️ 👏️

Congratulations to everyone and thank you for participating! 🥳️

[b5popup]

and that's a wrap!!

This b5 popup event has now concluded!

Thank you all so much for participating in this popup event - we hope that the prompts were fruitful and inspiring, and that you have had fun thinking about them and maybe creating for them too if you got that far! This has been a fantastic experience for us running it, and we hope to return some time in the future for some new event - dropping it as always when you least expect it 😉️

We'll need a couple days to finish gif prizes, and we'll report back more in depth soon! In the meantime, please give a hearty round of applause to our 5 winners! 👏️👏️👏️

@annakeller

@allowedtobewrong

@branmer

@herr-toyota

@lochley

[seadevilry-deactivated20241029]

to love and be wise is scarcely granted

Summary: As war ignites on Minbar, Neroon has a choice to make.

Characters: Neroon, Branmer, Alisa Beldon, Minbari OCs

Prompts:

Neroon and Alisa - quitting unhealthy habits

Branmer and Neroon - exploring a mysterious cave

Neroon and Eiyamer - Keeping it between us

Branmer and Eiyamer - In this world, everyone must die. None of us has any choice in that. Our choice is how we wish to live.

Neroon and Aiashon - Jealousy is not a word I'm familiar with.

Word count: 5000

Notes: My final fill for @b5popup! Lost my mind and decided to do the 5k challenge. Some of the prompts were stretched rather to their breaking point, but hey I had fun with them. Also I got to introduce a new Warrior Caste OC to the world :P

[lochley]

Babylon 5 Drabbles

My 20 Babylon 5 drabbles for the awesome and inspiring @b5popup event!

I submitted my prompt request from my main blog here.

These are all posted in a collection here for quick access and to make it easier for mods to track. Prompts are listed in the author's notes.

Everything is also listed below, with each entry being 100 words.

Thank you mods for running this!! I have hardly written anything for B5 in a long time so I had a blast getting to be creative for it again.

Characters:

Lyta Alexander

G'Kar

Talia Winters

Susan Ivanova

Kosh

Na'Toth

Catherine Sakai

Elizabeth Lochley 

Drabbles

Na'Toth and Lyta (Doodle) - Loathing, unadulterated loathing - Na'Toth is jealous.

Lyta and Talia (a dusty, forgotten attic) - Lineage - Young telepaths Talia and Lyta clean out an attic of Psi Corps archives.

Na'Toth and Talia ("You remember what happened the last time you showed up") - Sheep's Clothing - Another Narn, another telepath, another proposition.

Talia and G'Kar (Voices in my head) - Anger - The alien nature of a Narn brain isn’t what makes it difficult to scan. Really, it would be easier if Talia found G’Kar’s mind to be as foreign as she expected.

Talia and Kosh (strangers passing in the street) - Receding Tide -Lyta Alexander is unrecognizable. Talia blames Kosh.

G'Kar and Sakai ("What are we going to do") - Eye of the Beholder - Banging the commander's girlfriend is probably grounds for a diplomatic incident… Haha, unless?

Lyta, Susan and Sakai (Sorceress) - Anomaly - Catherine and Susan enlist Lyta's help to bridge the gap to Sinclair.

Susan and Kosh ("What are you doing here?") - For the Future - Kosh has something for Susan after Talia's death.

Susan and Lochley (Rebellion) - Overcast - Susan would not have let her station fall into so much disarray... but Susan wasn't there.

Susan and Lyta (A secret they've never told anyone else) - Vested Interest - Lyta wants to know why Susan is helping the Telepath Resistance.

Talia and Sakai (“Just admit it, you have feelings for them.” “Only the worst ones.") - Magnetic Fields - With the command staff across the bar, Catherine can't help talking about her current relationship difficulties. Talia listens, equally distracted.

Lochley and Kosh (Violets in bloom) - Divine Intervention - Elizabeth Lochley wonders what she would have seen when Kosh exited his encounter suit.

Susan and Sakai (Charm) - Covet Thy Neighbor - Susan should be happy for Jeff and Catherine's engagement, but their gain feels like her loss.

Lyta and G'Kar ("Happiness looks good on you") - Sunlit - G'Kar reflects on how much lighter Lyta's demeanor has become.

Susan and Na'Toth ("a mysterious trail found in the woods") - Unnatural Order - In the garden, Na'Toth tells Susan about Narn.

Susan and Talia ("What we do behind closed doors") - Out of Sight - Talia redefines her definition of safety brick by brick.

Lochley and G'Kar (Rejection) Sacred Texts - G'Kar isn't the only one dealing with the difficulties of his fame.

Lyta and Kosh (When we had it all) - Grief's Encore - Lyta is haunted by music she can never perform again.

Lyta and Lochley (Eager to please) - Decorated - Lochley thinks a fellow soldier deserves more.

Sakai and Na'Toth (The street of an unfamiliar city at night) - Navigation - Catherine struggles to adjust to the twists adn turns of the station without help.

[herr-toyota]

I haven't shared much fic online (yet, or post about it here tbh), BUT regardless here are my 1k submissions for the B5 @ 30 for 30 event! I gotta say, I got some great pulls for prompts to work with, and I definitely had fun writing these...

Can You Hear Me? (Ivanova/Talia)

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

No Breath, No Beating Heart, But Still the Fire Burns (Lennier/Morden)

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[b5popup]

only 5 days remaining!

📢️📢️ may we have your attention please!! 📢️📢️

There are only 5 days remaining in September! That's still definitely plenty of time to write and win, but here is a friendly reminder that there are 5 days remaining, and that if you would like to count as a win, you need to point us to your posts or fills so we can check them off!

If you don't make the Sept 30 deadline, no worries! Even if you only managed one prompt, even if your prompt fill was a daydream, you're still a winner in our hearts 💖️🐙️ and we hope you have found the prompts entertaining, diverting, and inspiring all the same!

[kellygraysonbyelol-deactivated2]

last 10 fills for b5popup!

if i'm correct, this should put me at a win!

the unforsaken road; talia & morden; 1 & 5 - a fork in a hiking trail deep in the wilderness

leave my body; winslow (oc) & roman (oc); 6 & 8 - Not to be forgotten

under strain & under guilt; winslow & kosh; 3 & 8 - Hell in your absence

and this face i wear for you (i wear it well); anna & kosh; 2 & 3 - the song: The Mask and the Mirror

i choose you with grace; talia & winslow; 5 & 8 - “Listen to me.”

on a wing and a prayer; morden & kosh; 1 & 3 - Above the planet on a wing and a prayer

the angel told me not to fear; roman & kosh; 3 & 6 - To hold dear

where the dark things are; kosh & viv (oc); :3 & 7 - a long hallway that seems to stretch on forever

saving all my summers; winslow & viv; 7 & 8 - summer reading

too old to be so shy; ivanova & winslow; 4 & 8 - Birthday

[greenscircus]

they said the streets were paved with gold

Characters: Sil'xa'sk, Zack Allan

Prompt: Unique perspectives

Word Count: 100

[seadevilry-deactivated20241029]

the familiar form

my first fill for @b5popup!

wordcount: 1405

prompts:

Aiashon (Warrior Caste OC) & Sheridan - The greatest harm can result from the best intentions. Kedrunn (Warrior Caste OC) & Sheridan - Kissing bruises

Takes place within an au where Branmer lives, so he's there too :)

Truth be told, Sheridan is a little unnerved by Branmer’s father. He understands how to deal with the rest of the Warriors. They hate him, he hates them, and he takes it in his stride with an arrogant fuck you attitude that doesn’t make them like him any better, but at least gets things done. But Kedrunn is, well, different. He’s the only one that doesn’t call him Starkiller for a start. Even Branmer, who is more diplomatic than most, still calls him Starkiller. Neroon, of course, relishes the epithet, enunciating every syllable as though he hopes Sheridan drops dead just from hearing it. 

Kedrunn, though, always calls him Captain or Sheridan, depending on the occasion. They haven’t got to John yet, Minbari seem to shy away from Human first names, perhaps due to a natural formality of mind, and Sheridan’s not sure if he should offer it up yet. They’re not friends, more like friendly acquaintances, and he doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

Friendly. Yeah, that’s the thing that unsettles him. Kedrunn is friendly in a way none of the other Warriors are. He holds lifts for Sheridan (when more than one Warrior of varying rank has laughed in his face as the doors close), he greets him in the corridors and asks him how he’s doing with genuine interest, tries out his halting English on him… hell, he even invited him to some kind of Warrior Caste session night the other day. 

(Although Sheridan had turned that one down, a little concerned he’d end the evening with his throat slit.)

Sheridan knows how to deal with Neroon being a jerk, Branmer testing the boundaries of impoliteness, and Aiashon’s cool indifference, but he’s really not sure how to react to a Warrior bringing you coffee in the War Room and asking if you got enough sleep last night. Especially when that results in his son shoulder checking you in the corridor later. Delenn claims he’s paranoid and that Branmer was just in a hurry and didn’t see him. But she also described Branmer as a man of peace when he’s been the most gungho war monger out of the Minbari. Man of peace. Ha! More like piece of shit.

In the end he decides to ignore the shoulder check and return Kedrunn’s friendliness. It would be good to have at least one Warrior who doesn’t want to turn him into a wet pavement smear, and it would be rude not to respond in kind, surely? Next time Kedrunn brings him coffee he decides to show his appreciation by trying out a little Vik on him. He’d been getting a few lessons from Marcus on the side, thinking it might be useful. 

He takes the proffered cup, smiling, and says, “Da’khe dhe, denndhoyni.”

There is an outraged intake of breath from Branmer and only Delenn’s hand keeps him from muscling forward. Beside him Neroon is looking the happiest Sheridan has ever seen, his face split into an enormous, shit eating grin. Several Warriors are smothering titters, and even Aiashon appears to be hiding a smirk.

“Oh,” Sheridan says mournfully, “did I say it wrong?”

“Not unless you intended to address my father as a child,” Branmer says, all ice. He’s got that mean, pinched look he gets when he’s about to enter a fight, like a hound scenting blood.

“Branmer, that’s enough now,” Kedrunn chides gently. He is smiling at Sheridan, quite without mockery. “You were near enough, but I think what you wanted to say was ‘da’ke de, denndoye’. We are not so close that the familiar form is appropriate.”

God damn Marcus and his shitty Vik. “Sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

“None was taken.” Kedrunn shoots Branmer a pointed look. “Shall we begin?”

Later, Kedrunn takes him aside and offers to give him lessons in Vik, and that’s how Sheridan finds himself taking regular morning walks through the Zocalo with the Shai Alyt’s father. It starts with them just practising Vik, but over time their conversations drift. Sheridan is curious about Minbar, Kedrunn is curious about Earth in turn, and that, by natural extension, turns to more personal exchanges of memory. 

He is in the middle of telling Kedrunn how he totalled his first bicycle when there is an ominous creaking noise above them and the world tilts violently. Suddenly he is on the ground, breath knocked from his body, and Kedrunn’s hand gripping his wrist so hard it hurts. 

“Ow, fuck!” Sheridan wheezes.

“My apologies, Captain,” Kedrunn says, letting go and sitting up. “I forgot how fragile your species is.”

Sheridan looks past Kedrunn’s shoulder to what’s left of a Zocalo stall, the ground shining with broken glass and debris. The stall owner is holding back tears as she points security towards the crumpled bit of ceiling beam that’s responsible for the mess. “Would have been worse if you hadn't grabbed me. I'm starting to think you like me.”

“Yes, well, much as the rest of my caste might celebrate your death, it would be a great loss to the war effort. Here, let me see.”

Sheridan pulls back his sleeve and holds out his arm, laughing a little lightheadedly. He really needs to stop having brushes with death. “You know, when I was a kid and I got in scrapes like this my parents used to kiss it better.”

“Oh?” Kedrunn says, and raised Sheridan's wrist to his lips, brushing them along finger shaped bruises. “Like this?”

“Uh,” Sheridan says. He can feel that his face has gone very red. “Uh. You, uh, don’t need to do that, haha. Least if you do, I think I should use the familiar form from now on, right?”

“I believe you’ve been entitled to do so for some time now, Captain,” Kedrunn remarks with a benign smile, cool as if he hadn’t just kissed Sheridan’s wrist. As if what he’d done was totally normal. But, he probably did think that! He wasn’t to know! And be damned if Sheridan would embarrass them both by explaining. He tries to look anywhere but at Kedrunn and lands on, to his horror, Branmer.

Branmer, who has clearly seen everything and is staring Sheridan down with a fury that tells him he better stay away from the station airlocks for a while. If not for life. Branmer’s jaw pulses, and he calls out, “Father!”

Kedrunn drops Sheridan’s wrist, and makes to rise. “I’m fine, nhe’Bhranye.”

A shadow falls over Sheridan as he’s considering whether he can make a break for it while Branmer is fussing over his father. “Need a hand, Starkiller?”

It’s Aiashon, regarding him with a laconic expression. Reluctantly, feeling like it might be a trap, he takes her hand. “You trying to win some brownie points with your Shai Alyt by taking me out for him?”

“I have no idea what that is” Aiashon said, lifting him to his feet as if he was no heavier than a shitzu. “I am not as well versed in Human cultural peculiarities as my cousin. You will have to speak plainer.”

Sheridan nodded glumly in Branmer’s direction. “Pretty sure your boss thinks I’m trying to seduce his dad.”

“Ha.” That’s as close to laughing he’s ever heard her get. “Don’t mind that. Branmer has always been a little insecure when it comes to his father. You have probably noticed that our people can be quite… rigid in our thinking, especially when it comes to caste matters. Growing up the religious caste son of a Warrior was not easy, I think. At any rate, you would not be the first for whom Sech Kedrunn’s kindness has attracted the jealousy of his son. The greatest harm can result from the best intentions, as they say.”

She says the last part with just a touch of humour leaking past her stony facade. He looks at her properly for the first time and realises quite abruptly that Kedrunn wasn’t the only friend he had in the Warrior caste. “Any advice on how to deal with it?”

“If you were a Warrior I’d suggest giving him a good beating in the denn’bok stalls, but alas,” she looks him up and down, “that would end badly for you. No, I’m afraid you will simply have to deal with it.”

Sheridan sighs. “Yeah. Figures. It’s never easy with your lot is it?”

“Now, Captain,” she says, tutting. “I thought you liked challenges?”

[kellygraysonbyelol-deactivated2]

sense to overflow

characters: susan ivanova, talia winters

wc: 100

prompt: 4 & 5 - Will you please slow down a little? [9/20]

notes: for b5 popup, implied/referenced sex

summary:

Talia had wanted it, had wanted her.

read on squidgeworld

[kellygraysonbyelol-deactivated2]

it doesn't really matter (who you say you are)

characters: susan ivanova, roman wolfe (station nurse oc)

wc: 100

prompt: Prompt: 4 & 6 - Emerge [10/20]

notes: for b5popup!

summary:

She asks him about his loyalty to Earth, to Clark, and Roman is only loyal to Kenlara, nothing more.

read on squidgeworld

[greenscircus]

Another one for the babylon 5 popup :)

Characters: Nelson Drake & Zavik

Prompt: Ghosts of our past

[kellygraysonbyelol-deactivated2]

higher than a motherfucker (dreaming of you as my lover)

characters: morden, viv (shadow servant oc)

wc: 100

prompt: 1&7 - relaxed [8/20]

notes: for b5popup! tw: drugs

summary:

“That smells truly rancid, V’vezeqt.”

read on squidgeworld

[cgparker]

Babylon 5 - three more drabbles

This was also written for the b5 at 30 for 30 event for Babylon 5 running this September at @b5popup!

These three fills can be read in consecutive order:

1. Talia & Control - Worse than yesterday

'You will not get away with this. I’m still here.' "Ugh." Control sighed. The headaches were getting worse. Looking into the mirror, she traced the dark rings under her eyes with the tip of a finger. 'You’re already looking worse than yesterday,' whispered what remained of Talia in her mind. 'Now I'll be the one waiting - until you crack.' “I doubt you will be around long enough to enjoy it.” Control mocked aloud. In the mirror, Talia smirked back at her. Or was Control smirking at herself? No, this body wasn't really hers. But as always, Control would make do.

2. Susan & Control - Back to square one

“Winters!” A voice called out behind her. Control swiveled on her heel, the bag hitting uncomfortably against her legs. Red lips curled into a sneer. “What do you want now, Commander? Still sentimental about the night we fucked?” Ivanova's eye twitched. “You’re wanted for questioning by security,” Her hands clasped behind her back. “I have a transport to catch.” “Not anymore, you don’t.” Control scoffed. “And you’re here to deliver the message like an errand boy. How sad.” “Oh no…” Ivanova shook her head. “I'm here to escort you. You’re not going anywhere." Inside her, what remained of Talia, rejoiced.

3. Lyta & Control - a police station in the middle of the night

Lyta's smile was chilling. “You’re being charged with murder.” “That’s ridiculous.” In the dim interrogation room, Lyta’s eyes shone deep and dark like pools of midnight. "Well, there was Talia… and you also killed a guard. You didn't believe, they would just let you return to the Corp, did you?” Control remained silent. She hated to admit it, but she hadn’t even considered it. Well fuck. Inside her, what remained of Talia, cackled. "And why are you here to tell me this? Not Garibaldi or Sheridan?" Lyta smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “Oh, I’m just here to gloat.”

[cgparker]

B5 - Drabble

This was written for b5 at 30 for 30 event for Babylon 5 running this September at @b5popup!

The prompt was: Talia & Susan - Anniversary

"Oh, what's all this?" Talia asks, the growing smile lightening up her face. She strips off her gloves. "Well…" Susan rubs the back of her neck, "I wanted to do something nice and special for us. Today seemed to be the right occasion for it!" "How so?" Talia sits down at the elaborately decorated dinner-table. Candles, silverware, red-wine. Susan beams at her. "The one-year-anniversary of you admitting I was right, and you're wrong." "But Susan…" Talia whispers, blue eyes suddenly swimming with unshed tears, "you know I'm not really here, right?" With a gasp, Susan wakes.

(I'm not in it to win it, but I at least wanted to participate a little.)

[kellygraysonbyelol-deactivated2]

born with the wrong sign

characters: ivanova, viv (shadow servant oc)

wc: 100

prompt: 4 & 7 - beautifully wrong

notes: for b5popup!

summary:

The commander has a certain aura of beauty.

read on squidgeworld