#flora skye herself

[scotianostra]

On March 5th 1790, Flora MacDonald, the Jacobite heroine, died.

Flora is still one of the most romanticise figures in Scottish history, much has been written about her helping Charles Edward Stuart after his escape from Culloden when he was the most hunted man in Scotland.

Flora Macdonald was born at Milton, on South Uist, where you can still see the ruins of her childhood home. She grew up in the household of the chief of the Macdonalds of Clanranald, who firmly supported the Jacobite cause. When Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped following the Battle of Culloden in 1746 he went into hiding, depending on supporters to shelter him and hide him from his Hanoverian pursuers led by the Duke of Cumberland. At length, he arrived on the island of Benbecula, where it was decided that he should move on to Skye.

The island was under travel restrictions, and the prince could not take the risk of being spotted. A Jacobite supporter and distant kinsman named Captain Conn O'Neill asked Flora to help Charles escape. Macdonald herself did not support the Jacobite cause, but she was moved by the plight of the Jacobites after the Battle of Culloden, and at length she agreed. She later said that she acted from charity, and would have helped the Duke of Cumberland had she found him in a similar situation.

She obtained permission from Hugh Macdonald, commander of the local militia and her stepfather, to leave Benbecula. She was allowed to take two servants, and a crew of six sailors. Bonnie Prince Charlie was dressed as an Irish spinning maid named Betty Burke, and in that guise he sailed with Flora to Skye on 27th June 1746.

Unlike the scene made famous in the popular ‘Skye Boat Song’, the Prince did not leave baffled foes standing on the shore, and managed to make the crossing unchallenged. From Skye, he made his way at length to Moidart, where he boarded a French ship and escaped to refuge in Europe.

When Flora Macdonald’s role in the escape came to light she was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Though she had committed treason by helping Bonnie Prince Charlie, the public, even staunch Hanoverians, regarded her as a heroic figure, primarily because she was a woman, I have little doubt if it had been a man that helped the Prince in a similar way, he would have been executed.

She was released from the Tower in 1747. She married Allan Macdonald of Kingsburgh in 1750 and settled at Flodigarry on Skye, where she raised a family. In 1774 the couple and their 5 children emigrated to North Carolina. Her husband Alexander joined a regiment of Royal Highland Emigrants in the American War of Independence, where he was captured. He was released in an exchange of prisoners and took up a command in Nova Scotia.

In 1779 Macdonald returned to Scotland, braving an attack by privateers on the way, and settled on Skye where her husband joined her after the war was over. She died in at Kingsburgh in 1790 and was buried in the graveyard beside the 16th-century church at Kilmuir. Tradition says that she was buried in a shroud made from a bed-sheet used by Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Given her popularity as a Jacobite heroine, it is not surprising that a large memorial was erected by her grave, which became a popular destination for tourists. The original monument to Macdonald was destroyed in a gale in 1871. It was replaced by a new memorial designed by Alexander Ross in 1880. Ross’s design includes a 28 foot high Celtic Cross of granite, rising above a slender rectangular chest tomb, also of granite. A marble plaque was added in 1922.

The epitaph reads, 'Her name will be mentioned in history and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour’. It was written by Dr Samuel Johnson of dictionary fame, who met her during his famous tour of the Hebrides with James Boswell.

In 1884, just 4 years after the monument was erected, the Skye Boat Song was published, and the popular ballad ensured that Macdonald’s fame would not fade.

Here is a less well known song about not just Flora by Brian McNeill, you can tell through the song that Brian has not got a high opinion of the Prince, something I first learnt in his song Few Gods...but holds Flora in the highest esteem as a strong woman.

Strong Women Rule Us All With Their Tears

There’s a moment of your story That has always haunted me When you set out in yon open boat To help the poor man flee Was Charlie Stuart’s future Already plain to see Did you know he’d be a waster on his days

If you did, I’d give the world to find A single tear you cried From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

And after thirty years After all that you’d been through us been marriede haven’ been a Just a memory to rue As you watched your husband putting on His coat of scarlet hue To go and fight for German Geordie’s crown

But you never tried to hide behind The dreams of days gone by From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

And there’s times I think I see you When I find that kind of face When a woman’s independence Has kept a woman’s grace Where confidence and pride Refuse to know their place Or hide behind the easy tricks of beauty

For to me your lights are like the chimes Across the stormy skies From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas Strong women rule us all With the courage that they call When the tears refuse to fall From their eyes

You can listen to the song here

[valorant-drabbles]

Hi! can i request head-cannons with female valorant agent’s in a soulmate au?

Hello, I'm more than happy to deliver some headcanons!

Valorant Female Agents

Soulmate AU

Sage [Colourblind]:

Despite seeing the world through a monochromatic lens, Sage always managed to find the beauty in everything surrounding her. Although she seemed unbothered by the lack of colour in her life, she did find herself yearning for the one to which her soul was bound. Not only do she could see the vast shades of colours that the world had to offer, but so she could be united with her other half. She was a firm believer in soulmates, and knew her’s would be delivered to her one day.

When the day does come, it’s unexpected, and comes in the form of a new agent. But it doesn’t happen immediately. After all, it’s rather rude to randomly try and touch somebody out of the blue, even if it was to find her soulmate. So she always treated the agents around her with the utmost respect for their boundaries. After all, some people were afraid to see colour. Others were scared their soulmate was working within the Protocol, their lives constantly in danger.

And though the risk of death is always part of the job, it never scared Sage. Somehow she just knew her soulmate was careful, and wouldn’t fall before their proper time.

Anyways. The day she sees colour, the first thing she sees is the beautiful colour of her partner’s eyes. She was simply attending to a wound they’d gotten during training; nothing major. Just a gash. For the first time, her ever-still hands slipped and her finger gently grazed the other agent’s arm.

Instinctively, her eyes shot up to meet with the agents, about to apologize profusely- only to be met with… absolutely stunning colours. Everywhere. But the most beautiful colours were those worn by her beloved.

After that, everything felt perfect to Sage. Sure, she could be a tad overprotective of her love, but it was to be expected, being soulmates with the medic of the team.

She would make sure every date was in beautiful locations full of colour. A field of flowers for a picnic, or even an evening watching fireworks. She makes the most of their shared newfound vision, and treasures it. Even if she went colourblind again someday, she wouldn’t be disappointed. She’d seen the colours the world had to offer- and she’d always remember how gorgeous her beloved’s palette always was.

Skye [Hanahaki Disease]:

She never imagined she’d get caught in such a situation. Where she was coughing up flower petals, of which made no sense to her. Sure, she was the ‘nature girl’, but in no way were her powers producing flora from her throat!

In a way, her Hanahaki disease is actually a result of her anxiety over her intense romantic feelings towards her crush. She usually didn’t care much for relationships in such a sense… moreso in a way that she didn’t pursue them. It wasn’t something she needed in order to be happy.

At least that’s what she thought. But then, somebody… truly fascinating joined Valorant’s Protocol. And she was stricken with affection, as corny as it sounded. And at first, she’d resent the feelings. Thinking they were a distraction, or just a weird chemical imbalance making her not think straight.

It would become more apparently over time that it was, in fact, romantic interest. And the interest would grow by the day.

By the first month is when she started coughing up flower petals, colours oddly reminiscent of her crush. And despite consulting with Sage regarding her symptoms, they found no way to stop it. The best she could do is keep it hidden from the other agents as best she could.

But a day would come where she wasn’t careful enough. And she’d cough up petals right in front of the one person she dreaded seeing her in such a state.

Luckily, the agent was familiar with the disease Skye had unknowingly given herself. They helped explain the disease to her, and emphasized that expressing her feelings would help the petals fade… assuming the other person felt the same. If not, well… heartache would also be a good cure. Though not ideal.

That would be the moment Skye would cave. She was sick of flower petals everywhere, and would rather stop the pain. Even if it meant heartbreak. So in the moment, she’d confess her feelings.

Her soulmate would be incredibly surprised… yet relieved, as they pulled out some petals from their back pocket, colours matching those of Skye’s aesthetic.

That day would be the last day either of them coughed up any petals.

Skye did her best to make up for lost time, taking her soulmate out on walks along nice nature trails, camping in the wilderness… and perhaps once the trauma of the flower petals subsided, someplace nice and floral.

Although she wouldn’t spoil her soulmate too much, she’d carve little animals out of wood for them, eventually building a collection that laid on their windowsill within their bedroom.

And of course, fresh flora every day.

Astra [Tattoos]:

She always knew she would find her soulmate; writing in the stars never lie, she’d claim, whenever one of her relationships ended. After all, what is a soulmate but a best friend, who would always be by your side, no matter what? The fact she hadn’t been romantically with anybody who fit that bill simply meant she hadn’t found her soulmate. Simple as that.

And when she found them, she was overjoyed, truly. They both had q similar constellation tattoo on their wrists, and when the two held hands, the tattoos lined up to form a heart. Astra is obsessed with seeing the full heart, so is constantly holding hands with her soulmate as often as possible.

She is a little overbearing at first, honestly. The excitement of this moment makes her a little suffocating within the first two weeks. But one conversation about boundaries later, and she’s much more reigned in. But this doesn’t mean she still won’t spoil her soulmate. Baked goods, flowers, plushies, movies… anything her soulmate wants? They shall have. Immediately. She keeps a list of all the things they enjoy when mentioned in passing. She never wants to forget a potential gift.

And you bet she’d make a huge deal out of any milestone. A small celebration every month they’re together, until the 1 year mark. Birthday party with the rest of the HQ, and a more private and intimate anniversary celebration. Truly, she couldn’t imagine herself any happier.

Fade [Lies]:

Everybody lies. That’s just obvious. But she just wished her lies weren’t constantly being broadcasted to the one person who’d judge her severely for it.

With each lie that left her lips, it would find itself scrawled across her soulmate’s arm, and vice versa. Though her soulmate rarely lied, it seemed, as she hardly found writing on her own arm. And whenever she did, it was hardly anything worth scoffing at. Nor was it anything she’d be able to decipher as a clue to their identity.

Fade becomes much quieter when she is in a position where she has to lie about Valorant. Mentioning military secrets in a lie for some poor bystander to come across, and potentially be put in danger by… how was she expected to get information in these situations? When she might be putting her future lover at risk?

As if Fade didn’t already lack enough sleep, she was often restless, staring at the ceiling. Constantly thinking of ways to reword certain lies to be more cryptic, if only for the sake of her partner. She’d write them down in a journal, and memorize them best she could.

Maybe it ended up being rather useless in the end. After all, her soulmate ended up joining the team after a year of herself joining.

Suffice to say, it was a huge relief. Not only that her soulmate was alive, well, and… loved her? But also that she didn’t have to make stupid half-lies and give herself a headache with careful wording.

Now she could tell Cypher she hated his cooking without risk of her soulmate finding her heartless. Moroccan food was great, she just… had too much pride to praise the bastard.

Thankfully for Fade, she found herself actually sleeping much better than she had in over a decade. Her soulmate’s presence bringing a warmth to her, and a calming energy to her heart and mind.

Although she wasn’t much of a romantic, Fade would make an effort for her partner. Bringing them flowers, listening to music, spending simple time together. She often refers to her partner as her ‘dream catcher’, as she is often without nightmares when sleeping by their side, and has pleasant dreams once in awhile as a result.

Neon [Timer]:

Every timer is different. And that’s what terrified Neon. The count-down on her wrist that decreased each second of the day. The time she’d been watching since it appeared years ago

Some timers run out when two soulmates finally unite. It’s a waiting game, and that’s all.

But for some people, when their timer run out… it’s because their soulmate has passed.

God, Neon’s heart ached every time she thought of the possibility. The chance that her timer was counting down the seconds until her soulmate died… and she hadn’t met them yet, so there was no telling which it’d be.

Day by day, her days usually went by slowly. Since she was always running about, trying to get things done as fast as possible- if not only for her own fun. But some days went by even slower when she happened to look at her timer too long.

Impatient hardly seemed like the appropriate word to describe her. She was desperate. She needed to know if her soulmate was going to be okay. Would she be able to save them? Or would they be doomed to die before she meets them?!..

Or maybe everything will be normal. They meet one day, and the timer stops.

But knowing Neon’s own life, she doubted it would be so simple.

And yet, how overjoyed she was the day she did find her soulmate. Safe and sound, and just as the timer had run out. The numbers fading from her wrist, soon replaced with the date of that day. The day they united. Forever ingrained on her and her partner’s wrists.

With the pressure of a constant timer gone from her life, Neon finally felt like she could take life slow. And oddly enough… she wanted to take it slow, despite her speed and energy. Each moment she had with her soulmate, she cherished. As if there was a chance it wouldn’t last.

She would make the absolute most of her time with them. Neon would set up dates frequently, making sure they were creative and each different from the last. Something memorable.

She’s utterly in love with her partner, and would jump up in a second to fetch them something if they needed it. Without a second thought, nor groan (unless she was just woken up).

For their 3rd Year Anniversary, Neon gifts her partner a scrapbook. Filled with pictures she’d taken of them on dates, on missions, in passing… along with some sweet messages, and reciting fun missions they’d accomplished by each other’s side.

She makes it a tri-annual anniversary gift, so every three years they’d have a large book of memories to look back on.

And it gives her more comfort in knowing she has all the time in the world with her soulmate.

Deadlock [Matching Injuries]:

Since the day she lost her arm, Deadlock was convinced her soulmate would hate her. After all, who would want to spend the rest of their life with the same person who’s the reason you lost your arm? The thought that she’d put her partner through such pain due to a mission gone awry… It was too much to bear. It was at that point she gave up looking for her soulmate, knowing there was no happiness meant for them down that path. The path she’d already destroyed with her recklessness.

And yet… she found them anyways. Though they didn’t have any augmented replacement for their arm, and despite the pain Deadlock thought they’d always be in…

Her soulmate was always smiling. The loss of their arm not a hindrance, nor a common thought on their mind. The only thing that seemed to matter to them was Deadlock… having found her. To be united after so long.

Deadlock was… shocked to say the least. Knowing her soulmate held no resentment towards her for the loss of their arm. But this didn’t mean she was without guilt. After speaking with Killjoy and Chamber, she convinced the two agents to aid her in her newest project; creating an arm suitable for her soulmate. It wouldn’t be fit for combat like her own, unless her soulmate wanted such a thing. After all, having a weapon glued to their body might not be desirable.

It takes Deadlock about two months before she stops apologizing consistently to her soulmate. Two months of counselling with Sage about her guilt, and two months of loving reassurance from her beloved. Though she becomes an unstoppable force when her soulmate is in danger, and is willing to do near anything to protect them. They become her new reason to fight.

In hopes that after the war ends, that perhaps she can live a quiet, safe life with her soulmate.

———————————

Author’s Note

I hit a bit of a rough patch while writing this and struggled to find inspiration to continue- so I’m posting this as it is! If people really want the other half of the female agents, I’ll do it!

[rivenlovee]

Secrets/Riven/Winx saga

well i just found out i fell in love with him again. about 100 times. so I came up with the idea to make a smaller series on Riven. So I hope you enjoy it!

part 1

(English is not my native language!)

It's been a while since you left Alfea with your brother Skye. Over the summer you've traveled quite a bit of the world with Sky and you're finally coming back to Alfea. Sky told you a lot about his girlfriend Bloom, who you didn't get a chance to meet. You are looking forward to her, but most of all you are looking forward to your best friend Riven.

you actually missed the whole school. you missed the adventures you used to have there. People who were there. That feeling every time you entered Alfey's grounds. Just everything.

but as time goes by things change. According to Sky, Bloom freed Rosalind from stasis and now Rosalind runs the school. You never liked this lady and that feeling won't change. When she was last alive it was one calamity after another. And when Farah Dowling imprisoned her, no one thought she could get out. Before Bloom came.

Sky also told you about how Bloom defeated all the scorched ones and discovered long lost magic and the dragon flame. From what your brother told you, Bloom wasn't a bad girl. She just wanted answers.

doafter all, she was the one who defeated the threat and saved Alfea. But she was also the one who freed Rosalind.

now that you are on your way to Alfea in your car, you realize that you don't know if you should be looking forward to it. It will either be all good or all bad. There is nothing in between.

it is said that even Riven changed because of a girl named Beatrix, but you decided not to deal with that. Riven has always been moody so you hope he'll get better.

a sense of euphoria washed over you as the tip of the Alfey Tower came into view. You finally come back, even if everything will be different, it will still be your place, where you will go forever. At least that's what you hope for.

when Sky finally pulled up outside the gates to Alfea you stopped drumming your fingers on the dashboard that you didn't know were doing anything. You and Sky got out of the car and headed out to meet your new life. New school.

,"Here we go again" Sky said with a small smile. You both walked out to meet Alfeo. The huge gate was open so you easily walked into the school grounds. You smiled as soon as you stepped through the door.

old memories washed over you like a tidal wave. It was crowded with students everywhere, but Sky knew where he was going. "We'll go find Bloom. At least you know her” he told you loud enough for you to hear over the crowd of fairies.

you nodded and you and your brother went to look for a girl named Bloom. After a few minutes of searching, you finally found her having fun with Solaria Princess Stella. When Skye caught sight she smiled at him and she threw herself around his neck.

“I'm y/n” you said as Bloom finally stopped squeezing your brother and let him go. She smiled at you warmly and held out her hand which you accepted.

,"But is anyone getting to know each other? I wouldn't say that to you" said "someone" behind you and you turned around. Even though you knew quite well who the voice belonged to.

,“Riven” you breathed out and he gave you a smug smile before he spread his arms and you threw yourself into his embrace. The hug lasted long enough for Sky to clear his throat and you let go of Riven.

----

after a few minutes when Sky and Riven hugged and you were introduced to Terra, Aisha and Flora, who you actually knew from first year, but somehow they didn't talk to you, Rosalind appeared in front of the students.

she clapped loudly and the students fell silent. "As you know, there have been some changes here. I run the school now, but that doesn't mean you have to worry. The burns are gone, but certain secrets still remain" she started saying, but you didn't listen to her anymore.

you focused on the person standing right next to Rosalind. Andreas..

I would appreciate any feedback!

[keepingupwiththealfeans]

What's a s2 scene you NEED to see from:

Stella

Terra

Andreas

👀

I NEED MANY MANY SCENES SKYE AND YOU KNOW! But okay... you gave me A LIST OF THE MOST UNEXPECTED PEOPLE HERE AND I LOVE.

Also sorry I am aswering like two days late, but I had to let this sit for a bit.

Stella

You know how much I ADORE Stella, she is the love of my life. I would protect my baby AT ALL COST. And also I have the hots for her (and Hanna as well, cuz amazing girl).

What I want to see is Stella taking back her own narrative. It has been suggested by Stella herself, that her mom always was the one to control her and the things she did. People she talked to and had relationships with. Coming back to Alfea, realizing her mom has her again, I want her to stand up for herself. Because now she isn't alone, has the girls.

I believe, Stella is hurt by the constant rejection of her mother, to take her as she is. Human, with feelings and ideas, someone who want to thrive with her own personality (which has been to this day overshadowed by her mother. On one had - I wanna see Stella trying to resolve her problem with her mom, to get closer to her (or at least try, cuz I know that won't happen, based on those promo pics we got). Then failing and realizing the Winx are the answer to her long not answered question, lingering in her mind. Then the realization hits, which might be hurtful for Stella - knowing her mother will never fully accept her and her feelings, choices and ideas. From that will spring the doubt and maybe anger, which eventually grows to her taking her own narrative and just saying fuck it , and doing something her mother wouldn't expect. Join the side her mom isn't on - so not Rosalind's side. This would strain their relationship even more, but now Stella won't feel much of a regret and just stand by her word. So in conclusion, I want Stella to come out of her shell and be Stella. Not what her mom wants, the society or Rosalind expect. Because I know my girl - she has a good heart, just didn't have the chance to show it.

Also maybe some resolving with Sky? Like I know they talked in S1 but still, I feel there is much what is left to say. Sky was her best friend for a long time, the ONLY person who knows the real her. And brushing that all off with a two minute convo, isn't enough. These two deserve their time together. Sky loves and adores Stella, it's obvious. I just want him to tell her, her tell him. Just give them scenes togehter, please. (No I don't want them to get back together, even tho Stella x Sky are my hearts close favourite).

Terra

Give her a stolyine that doesn't resolve only around that she is plus-sized. Terra is beautiful on her own (Eilot is just... oh god, lovely, beautiful), and I don't want her to linger another season about her being "not good enough". Terra has a lot of room to grow, and I believe we will see some resentnemnt against her father in connection to Rosalind. Tho I understand where Ben is coming from - he wants to keep his children safe so he goes with the flow. Terra on the other hand - seemed always the most independed of all from the Harveys. So make Terra independend, I want to see her amazing things. Maybe find love, but this isn't necessary.

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE ON THE OTHER HAND is her and Flora being rivals. Doesn't make sense, because in S1 se sounded that she adored Flora, and it would be super weird if there was a tention betweetn them. Like... because Flora in her eyes would be considered more beautiful? They better not pull this narrative, or I will be throwing hands.

Andreas

Fave dilf in town. I have a love-hate relationship with Andreas honestly. What I wanna see? Him trying to bond with Sky but being very unsucessful, therefore angry at Beatrix for no reason. He wants his son to respect him, love him but Sky doesn't want anything to do with him if necessary. Beatrix being the victim in all of this (honestly, she is the victim all this time, but we are not ready for this convo). So Andreas would be on edge all the time, which would make his work a bit tacky. Sky being the thing that makes him angry the most but also makes him hurt the most. I want to also know his backstory SO MUCH!!! Where does his personality come from? Why choose Rosalind over his child and wife (??)? How did he survive? How about Beatrix - what is their backstory?

I don't see him getting a redemption arch and I don't even want it. I want to see him even more corrupt, because his son is rejecting him and Beatrix isn't doing it for him. Even if he brought her up from a babe, she will never be his blood. This making him angry and Beatrix hurt (oh no, I cannot babble about Beatrix too much). Eventually I want to see him die - but maybe not this season (Brian, I am looking right at you, S3 comfirmation, now). I just want him to lose his shit by every episode that comes :)

This was super messy, maybe not enought but hopefully enough for now. Thanks Skye being the only one to actually as something, so I can talk forever.

[skyler10fic]

that's why i love fall: Ch. 4

By Skyler10

Summary: Daisy and Carol share a romantic moment before Daisy goes home, and then Daisy hears the hiring decision that determines her future!

Note: This is the last chapter! Just a short end to wrap up. :)

Read on Ao3

-------------------------------

The next morning, Daisy awoke with a bittersweet realization: it was her last day in Mountain Skye, but it was also the day of the hike Carol was leading as part of her Parks duties. Carol and Jemma had promised to introduce her to the rest of their friends, and Daisy was excited to see Carol doing the work she was so passionate about. 

Daisy wasn’t disappointed. Carol seemed to come alive on the trail. The way she talked about the flora and fauna of the area, you’d think she was describing priceless jewels instead of mushrooms and insects and ecosystems. She fell quiet, however, as she and Daisy lagged behind the group to explore a little forest clearing off trail and found themselves alone on a ridge overlooking a valley of mist and warm fall colors, cut through by a winding river. 

“Are you two coming?” Fitz called to them from ahead on the trail. 

“You guys go ahead,” Carol called back. 

Daisy inhaled the fresh air deeply. It made her feel so alive, like anything was possible. She turned to say as much to Carol, but Carol’s nervous expression made her pause. 

“What is it?” Daisy asked and took Carol’s hand in her own.  

“I just, want to try something, if it’s okay.” Carol’s other hand slowly came up to stroke Daisy’s cheek. 

Warmth bloomed in Daisy from head to toe despite the autumn wind. She leaned into Carol’s touch and drew closer. 

“Like this?” Daisy whispered before going in for the kiss. Her lips met Carol’s gently at first, and then Carol’s hand on her cheek moved to entwine her fingers in Daisy’s hair. Their kiss grew more passionate until they heard the crunch of leaves from the trail. They parted breathlessly and grinned. 

“Yes, just like that,” Carol confirmed in bubbling happiness.  

“Glad we’re on the same page.” Daisy winked and lead Carol back to the trail just in time to see the group approaching. 

“The path ahead is closed, I’m afraid,” Jemma informed them. “Did you find anything interesting?” 

Daisy tried to hide a giggle and Carol jumped in just in time. “Yeah, beautiful view over through there.” Carol pointed to the clearing. “I was just, uh, telling Daisy about the river below us. It goes on for miles.” 

“So fascinating,” Daisy agreed in corroboration, but she could tell from the amused expressions of the group that their story was only half convincing. They were off the hook, however, as the group wandered through the clearing to see the view anyway. Carol and Daisy exchanged secret smiles before Carol resumed leadership, describing to them all the journey of the water flowing below and the wildlife that called it home. 

“And a new species being introduced like that can have drastic consequences for the whole system,” Carol explained as she concluded her nature story. She met Daisy’s eyes as she finished, “But in this case, someone new in town was just what they all needed for a fresh start.”  

Daisy nodded once subtly in gratitude. Their moment was broken as the group returned to the trail and started the return hike, but Daisy took one last look over the ridge before turning away. She’d be back here, she promised herself, no matter whether as a local or a visitor. This wouldn’t be her last day in Mountain Skye forever, even if just to visit her parents, these new friends, and this charming town. 

The day after, Daisy had to return to the city as she waited for news of her hiring decision. Her parents sent her back with hugs, encouragement, a reminder to call when she was safely back in Boston, a pie from Betty’s to share with her roommates, and a postcard Carol had dropped off as a surprise goodbye present for her to read and hold on to. 

The postcard mostly spoke of what a great time Carol had had with her. That if all they ever got was their extended weekend together, it was worth it because Daisy had so enchanted her. But if Daisy was coming back, to know that she already had people there to welcome her into her new life. One in particular, Carol hinted boldly, who had plenty of ideas they could explore together. 

Daisy was sure Carol meant places around town to show her, maybe even date ideas, but Daisy’s mind went to a more adult place of exploration, longing, and desire. At the time, she had blushed and hid the postcard in her purse, despite the contents being totally innocent. Now back in her apartment, she hung the postcard on her bulletin board over her desk, displaying the front photo of the gorgeous orange and red and yellow vista they had hiked on their last day together. 

A few days later, the phone call came. 

“Ms. Johnson,” the HR director began, “we are pleased to offer you the position. We are sending over the terms of our contract, as discussed when you were here with us last week. If you have any questions after reading it, feel free to reply to the email or call at this number.”

“Yes!” Daisy replied, stunned. “I mean, thank you! I will look it over and get it signed and back to you as soon as possible. When would I start?” 

“We could use you as soon as you’re available, but December 1 is in the contract based on your potential start date in your application. Does that still work for you?” 

“Absolutely!” Daisy said out loud while mentally realizing how much there would be to get done in a month. She’d have to give notice at her current position, move out, move there… potentially find a place depending on Jemma’s move-out date. She realized she had already decided to move in with Carol, which made things easier on one level and more complicated on another. 

The HR director was calling her name. “Anything else I can answer for you now, Ms. Johnson?”

“No, thank you. I will check my email right now. Thank you!” she repeated. When she was sure the call had ended and she had hung up, she squealed in excitement. Her first instinct was to text Carol and her parents, but she knew she needed to look over the contract just in case. If everything in the offer was as the lab said it would be, then she’d let herself get into announcing and planning. 

She sat down at her computer and smiled up at the postcard of Mountain Skye. She pressed a kiss to her fingers and then to the tree-covered mountains. Time to start down the road to her new life. No matter how winding or what obstacles she came across, she already knew she had a community waiting to share the joy with her once she arrived.   

One special someone in particular, as the postcard had said. Somehow, they just fit. Whether it was love at first sight or soulmates or the ancient magic of the forest upon their meeting or stars aligning above them on that autumn mountain night or maybe even something special in Betty’s pie, they had an unusually deep connection that Daisy couldn’t wait to explore with her expert guide.

Notes: The end! Hope you enjoyed this little fall fluff.

[love-bokumono-fics]

Fresh Crops! January 16 - January 22, 2023

This week's newest fics and chapter updates for Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons on AO3!

Degausser - by SHADESofDEATHxx; WIP, 4/?, 20k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M Fandoms: Friends of Mineral Town Characters: Pete | Jack, Claire the Farmer, Ann the Innkeeper | Ran, Gray, Cliff, Jennifer, Popuri, Rick, Karen, Brandon, Kai, Elli | Elly, Doctor | Trent, Mary the Librarian | Marie, Mineral Town Residents Additional Tags: Redemption, Fresh Start, Loneliness, Angst, Self-Loathing, Self-Acceptance, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drug Use, Self-Harm, Eating Disorders, Multiple Pairings Summary: Those that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones – but that’s all Jack and Claire ever knew up until a series of half-lit cruel intentions landed them on the ferry to the desolate island of Mineral Town. After all, it was certainly easier to cast judgment unto others than it was to face the skeletons in your own closet. And surely no one would have an ill word to say about a brooding playboy and an immature party girl taking over the once-great farm that founded and funded their small town, right?

Novelization of Harvest Moon A Wonderful Life: Welcome To Celestine Farm - by MuffinsInSummer; WIP, 1/?, 2.6k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death; Category: F/M Fandoms: A Wonderful Life, Harvest Moon DS Cute, Friends of Mineral Town Relationship: Takakura/Vesta; Characters: Pony | Aya | Jill, Pete | Jack, Takakura, Gustafa, Marlin | Mash, Muffy, Vesta, Celia | Seperia, Wally | Suarii, Hugh, Lumina, Kate, Griffin | Garfan, Cody, Murrey, Carter the Archeologist, Mineral Town Residents, Flora, Sebastian, Patrick | Pasaran, Kassey the Pyrotechnician | Kesaran, Romana, Skye | Steiner Additional Tags: Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Forget-Me-Not Valley, Mineral Town, References to Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons Games, Stardew Valley References, Eventual Romance, Canonical Character Death, Future Character Death, Novelization, Video Game Mechanics, Bad Flirting, Fireworks, First Kiss, Drunken Flirting, Because A Wonderful Life Is getting a remake I just had to, endgame pairing yet to be decided, but Tak/Vesta is open for discussion, Touch-Starved Summary: Jillian has always wanted to work on the farmland her father and her 'Uncle' Takakura had tried to make a profit off of, but ultimately her fathers untimely death had lead to some unfortunate series of events. One after another, and Jillian 'Jill' Westwood had found herself in Forget-Me-Not-Valley. With her cousin Pete already making a profit off of farming crops in Mineral Town off of their grandparents farm, she wants to somehow make it like how Pete is. But can she do it with just Takakura's help and her heifer and some Tomato seeds, and that old rundown land? She'll have to wait and see what life brings, in this old sleepy valley.

Living in Color - by rockyroadster95; WIP, 10/?, 21k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: F/M, Gen Fandoms: A Wonderful Life Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Light Angst, Slow Build Summary: At her father's funeral, Aya was given an offer that would take her far from her stale and directionless life to a place she hoped would give her something to live for.

Under the Name - by ModernTsunami; WIP, 11/63, 97k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Major Character Death; Categories: F/M, Gen Fandoms: Friends of Mineral Town Relationships: Elli/Doctor Trent | Torre, Elli | Elly & Stu | Yu, Elli | Elly & Old Ellen, Elli | Elly/Rick; Characters: Doctor | Trent, Elli | Elly, Old Ellen, Stu | Yu, Rick, Mary the Librarian | Marie Additional Tags: Character Development, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Co-workers, Roommates, Grief/Mourning, Smoking, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Strangers to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Medical, Implied Sexual Content, Illness, Injury Summary: When Trent accepted the offer to run a rural health clinic, he didn't realize he was taking on the part of small-town doctor and neighbor. The dual relationships he develops with the residents of Mineral Town begin to shape his ideas of who he is and who he wants to be. But growing closer to others always runs the risk of clouding one's judgment. While small-town life is nothing new to Elli, being caretaker to her younger brother and homebound grandmother is. There’s nothing she wants more than the confidence that what she’s doing for them is right, but as she strives to fulfill her growing obligations to her family, she finds it harder to hold on to what she wants for herself. Together they work in the clinic and learn the difference between what you do and who you are.

Our Story of Seasons: Pete x Claire - by Ry2_Sinheart; WIP, 16/20, 24k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: F/M, Gen Fandoms: Friends of Mineral Town Relationships: Claire the Farmer & Pete | Jack, Claire the Farmer/Pete | Jack; Characters: Pete | Jack, Claire, Thomas, Zack, Dog, Harvest Goddess, Ann the Innkeeper | Ran, Karen Additional Tags: Romance, Slow Burn, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Slice of Life, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Developing Relationship, Strangers to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Video Game Mechanics, Game Logic, Male-Female Friendship, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Slow Romance, Digital Art Summary: A story that revolves around the protagonists of Mineral Town. After a series of unfortunate events, Pete and Claire agree they'll have to raise the farm together, whether they like it or not. Through their farming-ventures, they realize that maybe farming together… isn't so bad.

The Heart of a Westown Cowboy - by Mya_Stone; WIP, 5/?, 7.6k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M Fandom: Trio of Towns Relationship: Female Farmer/Wayne; Characters: Frank, Ford, Carrie, Brad, Megan, Hector, Colin, Daryl | Darius, Marlena, Lynn Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Guy Falls First, I Wrote This For Me But I'll Share It With You Summary: Wayne is Westown's perpetually single lady's man. He'd like to settle down but he just hasn't found The One and he's fairly certain he's met everyone in town. Then Melody moves in, taking a plot of her uncle's ranch to fulfill her dream of being a rancher. A college-educated business woman, Melody doesn't accept failure - especially not her own. As Wayne falls hard for her, she struggles to return his affections until she has what she came for - and when she continually comes up short at the cow competitions, she begins to wonder if Westown is really the place for her.

[adamantiumdragonfly]

camp nano : july 2021

                                                           |||

Goal One: Finish epilogue/revisions of Under the Banner. 

Zhanna’s story is nearing it’s close, trust melting away as the Austrian sun beats down overhead. Covering episode 9 and some of post war, chapters 97, 98, & 100 need some reconfiguration and slight changes. The epilogue still needs to be written ( I have so many ideas I just have to do it, lol). My ideal scenario would be that I am finished with Under the Banner when I move into my dorm so I can just update and leave my time open for other projects and other goals. 

Goal Two: 30k in Casus Belli/it’s sequel story.

Stretch Goal: 50k in Casus Belli/ It’s sequel story. 

speaking of other goals, Ms. Agent Virginia Carroll has been waiting patiently for her time in the spotlight. I’ve also been waiting patiently for some time to work on her story and to bring the Deimos Network to life. We’ve left Virginia off in episode two. Part one and two of Casus Belli will cover the Normandy Campaign, Operation Market Garden, and the Crossroads battle as well as the exploits of agents, past and present. 

 If I can break into the first ten or fifteen chapters of Casus Belli’s sequel, that would also be ideal. 

Good luck to everyone who is participating in Camp Nano! 

[limitlessimagines]

❤️VALENTINE’S DAY WITH THE AGENTS (PART 2)❤️

Omen: Craft night! Specifically knitting and crochet. Omen is patient when teaching you how to knit a little heart. He’s also open minded, so if you want to do something else, he’s down to attempt. He may not be happy with the result, but he sure is happy to be with you!

Phoenix: He’d take you to a showing at West End Theatre in London. Having come from an school famous for acting and theatre, he hasn’t forgotten his roots. He isn’t picky about which one you’d like to watch. He finds there is always something interesting, and something to learn from every production. And yes he does the yawn, and wraps his arm around your shoulder. Smooth Phoenix, smooth.

Raze: Dancing! Raze was part of a B-girl group back in Brazil, but don’t let that or her loud voice fool you. She may prefer upbeat dances with many steps and kicks, but she also knows classical and intimate dances, like waltzes, and tangos. And what’s more romantic then dancing hand in hand? She patiently teaches you the steps, all while the music flows throughout the room.

Reyna: Reyna is one to pamper her loved ones. She will be taking you out on an elegant night. Please dress up, as the two of you will be going to a rather upscale restaurant on top of a hotel. Your table will be by the window, overlooking the city. Wine and appetizers flow freely. You can tell Reyna is enjoying herself. It’s a good look on her.

Sage: Visiting a botanical garden! Is there anything more romantic than walking hand in hand with a walking flora dictionary? Sage can’t really help but blurt out different plant names and a highlight about them. She’s always had a love for the earth, but being able to share it with someone she cares about is a plus. At the end of the visit, you somehow end up with an easy to take care of plant, and name it after Sage.

Skye: It’s still cold in February, but Skye’s love for nature is year-round! She takes you on a scenic drive outside the city. There are frozen waterfalls, icy trails (hold hands!!!), and sometimes, animal tracks. Skye gets all excited, pointing them out. The date ends with her showing you her grilling prowess over an open fire, and cuddling in a cozy cabin!

Sova: Sova is well aware that February can be a cold month, and some people aren’t as appreciative of that kind of weather. He asks you to plan something instead, as he isn’t picky. As long as he’s spending time with you, it doesn’t matter to him what the two of you are doing.

Viper: Natural history museum date. What’s more romantic than hand holding and staring at the bones of a woolly mammoth from hundreds of years ago? After the stroll, the two of you are likely to spend time in her home, eating from a smorgasbord, and sipping wine.

Yoru: Escape room. Yes, his idea of fun is trapping the two of you together in a room for an hour while putting your heads together to find a way out. He is normally a brute force kind of person, so it’s thrilling to have to use his head to get out of a difficult situation as well. Despite looking like someone with a short temper, Yoru is actually quite in tune with his emotions, and is able to keep a cool head throughout the experience. He also thinks it’s a little funny when you jump at a sudden slide of a door, or unlocking of a hatch.

[fairydragonflame]

I saw your faragonda hate feel and honestly I never saw that before till you mentioned it... joining the train

BUT ALSO TO MAIN POINT OMG you mentioned in your tags on that post about riven and flora cause I taught I hallucinated their potential before but you mentioned it... please pleaseeee elaborate your thoughts on them I'm genuinely curious for flora/riven shippers out here 😭😭😭😭😭

An interesting request. This post is more about Riven than Flora, I will try to satisfy your curiosity.

Riven is quite a complex character, he has a bad temper, he is impulsive and power-hungry, jealous - this is exactly what pops into my head at the mention of his name. However, at the same time he is brave, kind, reserved, he will not share his feelings with others and experiences everything inside himself. He is looking for himself and his way. And it is important to understand it. To hear. To help.

A little bit about his background was told in the 59th issue of Winx magazine (Winx Band), he grew up with his mother, who later left him. This partly explains his difficult nature.

Flora knows how to listen, she is able to touch the soul and will allow a person to open up. She will not condemn, but she will accept and understand. This is exactly what Riven has been missing all seasons. Flora is able to protect what she thinks is right, she treats others with respect and demands the same respect for herself. Kind and gentle, she can help Riven open up from the best side. At the same time, Flora is a vulnerable girl and certainly Riven's sharpness will hurt her, it is inevitable.

Flora will gain those qualities that she lacks so much - firmness and confidence, Riven will be able to learn to be restrained and polite. I think Riven will be worried about his relationship with Flora, because in his eyes she really looks like a fragile flower that should not belong to him. She is too perfect for such a "terrible" person like him. Flora, in turn, will do everything possible to show Riven what he is in her eyes.

However, for all the superficiality of my judgment, I do not see this pairing as something lasting. At least not yet. Riven is the kind of character that requires closer scrutiny. He grew up without a father, his mother left him, these two facts are enough to unfold a great analysis of the character. Riven's childhood is a direct answer to the question of his hard character.

And I don't know how much Flora can handle it. She's looking for security in a partner. Riven can be protective as well as hurtful. He may fear that Flora will leave him, as his mother did. Perhaps he wants to be the first and best to be the "good" child, so that no one will leave him. Perhaps he is afraid of being alone, afraid of being abandoned, and so he spoils and breaks up the relationship himself. Maybe he sees from Skye's example that the best are loved, and therefore he must be the first to get that love. His lack of love as a child, his abandonment, and then his loneliness made him rude and cold. He does not trust the people around him because he is subconsciously afraid that they will hurt him, as his mother did. Without receiving an example of love as a child, without seeing that kind of love around him, Riven may not know how to show it. And we've seen that all season long.

In my eyes, Flora is the one who can show Riven love. Slowly, gently, caringly, just the way he needs it. She would be able to love him with all his flaws, which is exactly what's important to him. What he thinks causes him to be rejected by everyone. And this path to a true relationship will be long, thorny, sometimes unbearable. I don't know if Flora will have the strength to do it, but if she does, it will be the most sincere love that each of them will appreciate.

These are the moments that relate to Riven's past. I lost a blog with scans of magazines in English, so if you have the time and desire, you can find these pages.

I know you were expecting something more upbeat and reassuring, not so long and philosophical, sometimes I get too deep into the characters story) Thanks for reading, thanks for asking this question.

[lifeofkaze]

Danielle Haywood Parkin

and 3/3 - no third Amari sibling, sorry to disappoint 😆

Danielle Parkin is the youngest member of the Parkin dynasty. Daughter to Penny Haywood, the greatest Potions prodigy Hufflepuff has ever seen and Skye Parkin's older brother Ryan Parkin (ha! got you! No real Parkwood in my universe, sorry), it was expected of Danielle to live up to her name and join into the endless ranks of Quidditch stars the Parkin family has produced. But as it turned out, Dana has a lot more Haywood than Parkin in her. She is a good student, a sweet and caring girl that has no problems making friends, a real asset to the House of Gryffindor. Her true passion lies not on the Quidditch pitch but in the duelling club - she actually couldn't care less about her family's legacy. A fact that has her butt heads with her aunt Skye and her grandfather Ethan more often than not, but Dana stands her ground. She wants to carve a path that is hers and hers alone. The frustration of not being what the world expects her to be is something she shares with her childhood friend Dylan Amari. They've always been close, but the feeling of "us against the world" brought them closer together than they would ever have expected.

Nicknames: Most people call her Dana. She doesn't like to be called Dani.

Birthday: 6th July 1998

Status: Half-Blood

Nationality: English

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Personality: ESFJ-A - The Consul

Face Claim: Emilia Clarke

Residence: She lives with her parents Ryan and Penny Parkin and her older sister Maisie in Wigtown, because, where else would a Parkin live?

Personal:

Measures: 5'2, 125 lbs

Build: small and a little stocky, feminine figure

Hair: dark brown, wavy

Eyes: green

Skin: not particularly pale, normal

Style: Dana has a relaxed style with a distinct romantic, feminine touch. If it doesn't offend the colour scheme at all, she likes wearing her bright red sneakers. Always wears make up and colourful nail varnish that often changes daily.

Favourite Colour: Apple-green

Favourite Food: Tiramisu

Favourite Drink: Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Hobbies: Duelling, reading love stories, doing her friends' hair and make up, trying new styles herself, gossiping, baking, hiking, climbing... Dana likes a lot of things.

Boggart: Two massive crossed cleavers - not (only) because oversized floating knives are scary, but because it's the Wigtown Wanderers symbol.

Ridic: The cleavers turn into a tap dancing penguin with bow tie and top

Patronus: Hedgehog

Patronus Memory: Her first win in a professional duelling competition

Mirror of Erised: Dana sees herself surrounded by her family, but not a single one of them is wearing anything relating to the Wigtown Wanderers.

Amortentia: What she smells like: Pumpkin spice, autumn leaves, nail varnish What she smells: Pine trees, cocoa, fruit tea

Career:

11 - 18: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

18 - 25: Professional duellist

25 - x: Dana gives up her career in duelling and trains to become a herbologist. She works together with Dylan on his ecological research in the Alps, combining magical and non-magical flora & fauna for the first time in a comprehensive compendium.

x - x: She and Dylan take over the Fraser whiskey distillery from Dylan's great aunt Lexie.

Hogwarts:

House: Gryffindor

Best Class: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Charms

Worst Class: Flying, not because she's bad at it but hates it out of princible

Relationships :

Family:

Parents: Dana has a good relationship with both her parents. Seeing as she has no interest in Quidditch, she sometimes has trouble connecting with her father Ryan, who was a professional player until the Second Wizarding War. She and her mother Penny are very alike in their nature and some of Dana's favourite memories are just her and her mother sitting in front of the fireplace and reading Muggle romance novels.

Sister: Dana's older sister Maisie is everything a Parkin is expected to be - ambitious, driven, disciplined and head over heels in love with Quidditch. But even though they have their differences and are sorted into two traditionally rivalling Houses, Maisie and Dana always got along well. Maisie was one of the first ones to stand up for Dana when the rest of their family expressed their disappointment in Dana's lack of enthusiams for the Parkin legacy.

Godmother: Marrying into the Parkin family when you have never played Quidditch yourself can be daunting, and Penny was glad to have her old friends Skye and Lizzie by her side. Especially Lizzie talked her through a lot of heartache, and Penny thanked her by making her Dana's godmother.

Romantic History:

Growing up together, Dana and Dylan Amari always felt like siblings. After it became clear to both of them that their future wouldn't lie on the Quidditch pitch, they started spending more and more time together on their own, without other friends or Dylan's sister tagging along. Dana realised a lot sooner than Dylan did that she had developed a crush on him, but didn't dare act on it. When they eventually became a couple, her fears of ruining what they'd had before quickly dissolved as being with Dylan felt - literally - as if she had known him her entire life.

Friends:

Reva Amari: Reva is more a sister than a friend to her. Even though she dislikes Quidditch herself, she's incredibly proud of Reva and her success. She was always happy to be Reva's first place to go for help, and was heartbroken when Reva refused to talk to her for a while after she started dating Dylan. She pretends to not notice how her dark nail vanishes always seem to end up in Reva's possession before long - she even started getting additional bottles them after a while.

Saffron Summers (@the-al-chemist): Dana and Saffron share a mutual love for baking, crystals and bright colours. Dana loves painting Saff's nails and Saffron gave her a rose quartz Dana keeps in her pocket at all times.

Nova Mae (@kc-and-oc): Nova and Dana love chatting anything sweet and sharing recipes. Nova taught Dana the basics of playing the ukulele when Dana told her that her crush was pretty amazing with a guitar.

Scarlett Tempest (@whatwouldvalerydo) The fourth member to complete the Breakfast Club, Scarlett snarky remarks and her endless bickering with Nova never fail to make Dana giggle.

Rory McTavish (@the-al-chemist) Except for Quidditch, Rory and Dana share a lot of the same interests and are popular members of Gryffindor House. Going to the same parties was all fun and games until Rory's blatant flirting became a little too much for Dana. She would never admit it to his face, but she finds Rory's ability to wind up Dylan without even trying hilarious most times.

Rivals: Dana is a sweet little cupcake and doesn't have any rivals.

Tag: Danielle Parkin

Danielle loves people and loves making friends. If one of your OCs wants to get their nails painted, hair braided or eyeliner applied and just be her friend, hmu! ❤️

[anony-mouse-writer]

well if netflix is allowed to give us a crappy washed out edgelord version of winx, then im allowed to post my weird worldbuilding takes on winx club that ive been making for the last year and a half since i rewatched the show. (also i watched the 4kids version so apologies about the names)

general worldbuilding: the three schools of magix are there to train the defenders of the realms.

red fountain trains paladins and knights to protect the kingdoms and their people.

alfea trains magic users to protect the magic of the realms with a concentration on personal transformation and growth.

cloud tower trains magic users to protect the realms themsleves with a concentration on study and magical artificery. because of the rogue witches who tried to steal the dragonfire, there has been a certain amount of tension between the witches and everyone else for a few decades.

bloom: is slightly... odd growing up. sometimes her eyes glow and her base temp is a few degrees higher than is strictly healthy and she is drawn to warm spaces like lizards or cats. her mom invests in a greenhouse extension for her flowershop and no one comments on the hammock bloom strings up to sleep in. she says she’s never picked any major or job in the future because she’s okay where she is at the flower shop, but really its because she feels like shes missing something important and can’t figure it out. it doesn’t go away completely when she gets alfea either, but when she finally gets to sparks/domino, she realizes its because she is carrying the embodiment of an entire realm’s magic in her and that kinda messes up your magic a bit.

stella: solaria has several branches of royalty, but they are mainly split into the three solar courts and the lunar and stellar courts. her father is the king of the first solar courts and her mother is the queen of the lunar court. after their divorce, stella spent far more time dealing with courtly intrigue than she did practicing magic and she ends up getting held back a year at alfea due to missing several fundamental lessons. she tends to be more concerned with official standing and presentation than power or magics, but her alfea/red fountain friends are helping to teach her how normal non-manipulative friendships work.

shes sort of friends with prince skye and squire brandon and when they were kids they came up with a half-cocked plan where she married skye and dated brandon in secret and skye could fall in love with whoever he wanted and then they would be stella’s attendent so it was all covert. it was not a great plan, but it did involve several awkward third-wheeling dates on skye’s behalf and he has so much friendly blackmail in the two of them.

tecna: tecna comes from a planet where instinctual magic is a dying art. if anything, most magic users end up at cloud tower to study artificery, but tecna is determined to learn about raw magic and its applications in magi-tech. magi-tech is different from artificery because artifacts are meant to be used by magic users usually for magical or combative purposes whereas magi-tech is mean to be used by anyone for everyday applications (ie scanners, holograms, etc)

tecna’s species dosn’t have innate genders, but instead pick their gender presentations as they grow older (if at all). tecna picks female so she can attend alfea, but eventually realizes that female feels right and starts to wear less androgynous outfits on ocassion.

musa: musa’s mom used classical instruments (chinese classical, not western) and her dad used a lot more contemporary styles and tools, but together, they produced beautiful music. when her mom died, her dad grew to resent the classical instruments that reminded him of her and musa grew up with only contemporary influences. musa meets galitea (the other fairy from harmonix) in her second year of school and they have long discussions (and eventually jam sessions about musa’s inexperience with any classical or traditional instruments. musa starts to learn the flute and a few of the instruments her mom left her in secret and only tells her dad about it during the concert where she performs with them for the first time. she goes on to make fusion classical/contemporary music.

musa still has an arc with riven, but after season 1 when they break up, she spends season 2 out of any romantic relationships and season 3 realizes she has feelings for galitea. im still not sure if i want her coming to terms with her bisexuality to be tied to her coming to terms with classical music or not.

flora: floras people can talk to plants. this makes eating plants awkward. ergo, floras people are obligate carnivores who also gain energy via photosynthesis. flora is a scientist first and foremost. she studies and wants to develop new ways for plants to thrive in foreign environments without becoming invasive species and is working with both magi-tech and pure magic to find ways for people to get the most out of plants for various medicinal and magical purposes without causing any harm to the plants.

she also works on humanoid-floral communications and spends a lot of time with pumpkin-mytra and later human-myrta learning to break curses which was not her original plan but it was Very Important and so she learned it and ten it was kinda fun so she stuck with it.

layla/aisha: her parents traditional views and ideas are important to them and to ruling tides. aisha has little choice but to accept them and has no outlet for her true self for a long time, leading to some heavy suppression and anxiety. when she gets to meet the pixies, she makes friends for the first time and they teach her a bit about being herself. she still has struggles with expressing her true feelings and swings between respecting her kingdom’s traditions and resenting them for making her be someone she’s not for so long. as she develops as a person and a fairy, she learns eventually to reconcile the two in a way that might not please her parents entirely, but allows for growth and tradition both. she gets along weirdly well with stella who helps her on this journey a lot.

aisha also spends time with fairies and red fountainers (and later possibly even some witches) coming up with better communication lines and various protections for magical creatures who don’t necessarily have specific realms (ie the pixies) since they lack any kind of protection from larger threats besides their own.

other characters:

daphne is a from the fairy school of magic so her job was to protect the magic of sparks/domino when the rogue witches attacked, so she stuffed it (aka the dragonfire) into the crown princess and hid her on a null planet so the coven couldnt find it.

myrta not only moves from the witches school of magics to the fairy school of magics, but she is trans. she gets an arc where flora and later helia help her to figure out her powers and also how to be comfortable as her own person outside of her friendships with lucy or even flora.

riven is a good fighter but a better mage. he wants to best his peers in fighting, and hates that he feels he call of magic pretty strongly. darcy takes advantage of this and encourages him to abandon his magic while draining him of his power. when he is chased from cloud tower and falls, he uses his skills in tandem with a bit of magic to survive. he remains wary of his powers, but eventually learns to accept them and learns to be a mage and a fighter which is Simply Not Done, but honestly at this point riven is done listening to everyone else so he does what he wants and becomes great at both.

the trix spend season one pretending to be regular witches. they play up the ‘mean girls’ routine and spend a lot of time stirring chaos and malcontent at cloud tower. when they finally give up the pretense and try to take the dragon fire for real, they lose a bit of the mean girls vibe and work towards the rogue witch coven’s goal of stealing the magic of various realms. their work in cloud tower does not dissapear and there is a time where a lot of witches have to unlearn a lot of toxic behavior and it sucks a lot.

[scotianostra]

On March 5th 1790, Flora MacDonald, the Jacobite heroine, died.

Flora is still one of the most romanticise figures in Scottish history, much has been written about her helping Charles Edward Stuart after his escape from Culloden when he was the most hunted man in Scotland.

Flora Macdonald was born at Milton, on South Uist, where you can still see the ruins of her childhood home. She grew up in the household of the chief of the Macdonalds of Clanranald, who firmly supported the Jacobite cause. When Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped following the Battle of Culloden in 1746 he went into hiding, depending on supporters to shelter him and hide him from his Hanoverian pursuers led by the Duke of Cumberland. At length, he arrived on the island of Benbecula, where it was decided that he should move on to Skye.

The island was under travel restrictions, and the prince could not take the risk of being spotted. A Jacobite supporter and distant kinsman named Captain Conn O'Neill asked Flora to help Charles escape. Macdonald herself did not support the Jacobite cause, but she was moved by the plight of the Jacobites after the Battle of Culloden, and at length she agreed. She later said that she acted from charity, and would have helped the Duke of Cumberland had she found him in a similar situation.

She obtained permission from Hugh Macdonald, commander of the local militia and her stepfather, to leave Benbecula. She was allowed to take two servants, and a crew of six sailors. Bonnie Prince Charlie was dressed as an Irish spinning maid named Betty Burke, and in that guise he sailed with Flora to Skye on 27 June 1746.

Unlike the scene made famous in the popular ‘Skye Boat Song’, the Prince did not leave baffled foes standing on the shore, and managed to make the crossing unchallenged. From Skye, he made his way at length to Moidart, where he boarded a French ship and escaped to refuge in Europe.

When Flora Macdonald’s role in the escape came to light she was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Though she had committed treason by helping Bonnie Prince Charlie, the public, even staunch Hanoverians, regarded her as a heroic figure, primarily because she was a woman, I have little doubt if it had been a man that helped the Prince in a similar way, he would have been executed.

She was released from the Tower in 1747. She married Allan Macdonald of Kingsburgh in 1750 and settled at Flodigarry on Skye, where she raised a family. In 1774 the couple and their 5 children emigrated to North Carolina. Her husband Alexander joined a regiment of Royal Highland Emigrants in the American War of Independence, where he was captured. He was released in an exchange of prisoners and took up a command in Nova Scotia.

In 1779 Macdonald returned to Scotland, braving an attack by privateers on the way, and settled on Skye where her husband joined her after the war was over. She died in at Kingsburgh in 1790 and was buried in the graveyard beside the 16th-century church at Kilmuir. Tradition says that she was buried in a shroud made from a bed-sheet used by Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Given her popularity as a Jacobite heroine, it is not surprising that a large memorial was erected by her grave, which became a popular destination for tourists. The original monument to Macdonald was destroyed in a gale in 1871. It was replaced by a new memorial designed by Alexander Ross in 1880. Ross’s design includes a 28 foot high Celtic Cross of granite, rising above a slender rectangular chest tomb, also of granite. A marble plaque was added in 1922.

The epitaph reads, 'Her name will be mentioned in history and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour’. It was written by Dr Samuel Johnson of dictionary fame, who met her during his famous tour of the Hebrides with James Boswell.

In 1884, just 4 years after the monument was erected, the Skye Boat Song was published, and the popular ballad ensured that Macdonald’s fame would not fade.

Here is a less well known song about not just Flora by Brian McNeill, you can tell through the song that Brian has not got a high opinion of the Prince, but holds Flora in the highest esteem as a strong woman.

Pics are of Flora’s grave and the statue of the lady herself at Inverness Castle that I took in 2014.

There’s a moment of your story That has always haunted me When you set out in yon open boat To help the poor man flee Was Charlie Stuart’s future Already plain to see Did you know he’d be a waster on his days

If you did, I’d give the world to find A single tear you cried From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

And after thirty years After all that you’d been through us been marriede haven’ been a Just a memory to rue As you watched your husband putting on His coat of scarlet hue To go and fight for German Geordie’s crown

But you never tried to hide behind The dreams of days gone by From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

And there’s times I think I see you When I find that kind of face When a woman’s independence Has kept a woman’s grace Where confidence and pride Refuse to know their place Or hide behind the easy tricks of beauty

For to me your lights are like the chimes Across the stormy skies From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas Strong women rule us all With the courage that they call When the tears refuse to fall From their eyes.

[boat-dock]

“Snapshots” Chapter 1

Hello all! this is chapter 1 of my first ever Her Royal Highness fic. this is going to be a collection of oneshots which will start before they are together and will continue past the end of the book. I hope ya’ll enjoy and as always any and all feedback is appreciated and enjoyed

Chapter 1 “Her traitorous heart” is set between the visit to Skye and the surprise Thanksgiving. 

Millie laid on her stomach in her bed, with her laptop open staring at a blank screen where her essay was supposed to be. She’s been sitting there for half an hour trying to do her homework and not getting anywhere. Flora was in the room with her, not helping her distraction levels. Instead of trying to do work, Flora was rolling around the room in a rolly chair, the scraping of the wheels against the floor and her swishing blonde ponytail constantly pulling at Millie’s focus. It was a strangely childlike activity for a princess to be doing and brought a smile to her face.

“Can you please be a little quieter?” Millie groaned, causing Flora’s head to snap towards her, “I’m trying to work.”

Now the chair was being rolled toward her bed so Flora could rest her chin on the edge of her bed, so that she was only inches away from Millie. “But I’m bored Quint,” she whined, a strand of hair falling in front of her eyes. 

Millie rolled her eyes at that,” You could try doing some homework,” she offered, trying to nudge her away. Flora huffed at her and scrunched her nose. She was not deterred, however, she seemed even more determined to get attention. 

“Quiiiint,” she dragged out, poking her lightly on her arm. Millie ignored her and tried to bring her attention back to her essay, letting her fingers run quickly over the keys even though no useful words came out of it. “Millie,” she whispered and a shiver ran up her spine. She was so used to being called Quint that hearing Flora say her name caused her mind to go blank and her breath to hitch. Millie looked at her and blinked back to reality. 

“Yeah Flo?” she asked. The nickname she had heard Seb call her so many times, slipped out without her evening thinking about it. 

Flora’s face lit up, but she couldn’t tell if it was from the nickname or just from her attention in general. “I would like attention please.” 

It would have been so easy to drop everything and hang out with Flora, in fact she’d been doing that more and more these days and that was doing nothing but fan the flames of her pesky little crush. It was easy to follow Flora, she was powerful and confident in a way that only a princess could pull off. It was dangerous, because Millie found that her feelings were not nearly as aware that a relationship with Flora would only end in heartbreak as her brain was. “I can’t, “ she pushed back,” I have to write this paper.” 

The look Flora gave her could only be described as a puppy dog look and Millie’s resolve almost broke. They sat in silence as she tried to keep working, but Flora stayed next to her, watching with her large golden eyes. “Can I have your phone?” she asked. Normally Millie might have questioned this but she was desperate to actually make progress on this paper so she handed it over no questions asked. 

With a grin she rolled away from the bed to mess with Millie’s phone. A strange weight was lifted off of her shoulders and she could breathe again. Being that close to her old roommate, now friend, shouldn’t be this hard. The princess was now taking various selfies and saving them to Millie’s phone. “Couldn’t you do that on your phone?” 

“Perhaps, but I couldn’t use the fun snapchat filters,” she answered, shooting her a sly grin and snapping another photo. She forgets that Flora isn’t allowed to have social media by her family. 

“Go crazy then,” she says, leaving her to enjoy her selfies.

Flora flashed her a dazzling smile and left her to try and do her homework. Even with the new found quiet she still found it hard to concentrate, her mind wandered and all her thoughts seemed to find their way back to her ex-roommate. Somewhere along the way, her fingers stopped typing and her eyes glazed over. She’s snapped out of it when Flora’s voice disrupts the silence, except this time it wasn’t aimed at her. 

When she looked she found Flora talking to her phone, “Hi Americans,” she sang, waving at the camera. It was then that Millie noticed the blinking red button on the bottom of the screen that showed it was recording,” I’m..”

“What are you doing?” Millie cut in, scrunching her eyebrows. She shifted her weight so she was fully facing Flora and the camera. 

Flora turned toward her and spoke, while sliding the chair back closer to the bed,” I’m talking to the Americans and I’m going to post it to your story,” she said blatantly. She almost snorted but stopped herself, she had at most 20 friends on snapchat, four close friends, her aunt Vi and the rest were random kids she used to go to high school with but never really spoke to. 

She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands making eye contact with the camera,” and how many people do you think are going to see that?” she asked. 

“Don’t really care,” she commented,” I’m just bored, love.” she now turned back to the camera,” Amelia here, is very busy writing her essay and I have nothing to do.” Millie huffed and gave a small eye roll. 

“You could go do your homework ya know,” she was deliberately ignored. 

The door to her room flew open as Sakshi and Perry came in carrying snacks and coffee laughing with each other. Flora flipped the phone camera with ease, so that their friends were now in the shot, “ Say hello to the Americans,” she announced, startling them. 

Saks regained her composer quickly and answered,” Hullo Americans,” she grinned, waves of super model charms flowing from her. 

“Hi,” Perry murmmured,” we come bearing snacks.” 

Millie’s stomach growled loudly at the mere mention of snacks. The camera switched back to her and Flora and the filter snapped back into place, giving their skin a ethereal glow that made her kind of uneasy. Not that Flora needed any filter to be beautiful, she always seemed to glow all on her own. 

“Time to go,” she said waving,” Anything to say before we leave Quint?” 

She thought for a second before smirking and answering,” Send help,” she deadpanned, letting her eyes slide to Flora to see how she reacted. 

“Oi!” she exclaimed, in what Millie assumed was mock outrage. 

“Kidding,” she grinned,” Bye y’all,” she quickly grabbed the phone, effectively ending the video. Accepting a muffin and coffee from Perry, she tried to forget the video, knowing that Flora definitely was not going to. 

“Are we going to ignore the fact that Millie just said y’all,” Saks’ asked through a mouthful of muffin, in a surprisingly unlady-like manner for her. 

“...I’ve probably said it before,” Millie answered as Saks sat on her bed on the opposite side of the room. Flora abandoned her chair to join Millie on her bed so that Perry could have it. She sipped her coffee and scrunched her nose, in an annoyingly cute way, before setting it to the side. “I’m from the American south, it’s part of my vernacular.” 

“I like it, “ Flora replied, “ it’s got a cute twang to it.” 

Millie’s cheeks burned against her will and she ducked her head, avoiding eye contact with everyone. She had gotten used to hearing the Scottish accent around her now, but sometimes it still shocked her. It was strange to think that they might think the same things when they heard her talk. She didn’t have a good way to respond to this, so instead she just kept her head down, ignoring the weight of Flora’s eyes on her and the knowing look Sakshi was giving them. 

Her paper now forgotten, Millie closed her laptop and moved to put it on the desk simply so that she would have something to do with her hands. There was officially too much attention on her and she did not know what to do with herself. She was used to being in the background, not the center of attention and right now there was no doubt that all eyes were on her. 

Her phone dinged next to her annoyingly quickly indicating that someone had messaged her. She sighed knowing that it was about the video Flora had posted of all of them. The princess eyed the phone but before she could make a move to grab it Millie snatched it and clicked it on. 

She had a list of people from her old high school that she did not want to talk to and while the person she caught Jude cheating on her with was not on the top of said list he was definitely on it. Mason’s name sat heavily on her screen and she almost didn’t open it, but her curiosity got the better of her. 

She tried to make her fingers move but they sat stubborn and still. This was ridiculous, Mason didn’t know anything about her and Jude, there was no reason for things to be weird between them. Taking a deep breath, she clicked the message. 

Damn Millie who’s your friend? 

A distressed sound escaped from her throat, it started off as a yelp then turned into a groan. On instinct she threw her phone onto the bed face down trying to erase the words from her mind 

No. This was not happening. Not again. 

No. No. No. 

“What’s wrong with you Quint?” Flora asked, picking up the phone. Millie could see her eyes scanning the message. An all too familiar smirk formed on her lips and Millie could barely keep herself from staring, “Oh,” she says and an emotion that Millie couldn’t place flashed across her face, but disappeared as quickly as it had come,” Some American lad thinks I’m attractive. I don’t think that requires that level of a reaction.” she teased, her smirk returning causing Millie’s cheeks to heat up. 

By this point Saks and Perry were peering over Flora’s shoulder to read the message too. “It’s not the message as much as the person that sent it,” she backtracked. 

“Who is he?” Perry asked. 

She took a second too long to answer, “ his name’s Mason,” they all stared at her, waiting for more information. “He’s who I caught Jude cheating on me with.” she murmured and lowered her eyes. 

Saks gasped and before she could blink the phone was in her hand. “I want a picture of this boy,” she announced only to find that there was nothing for her to see. With a disappointed huff she and Flora glared at the home as Perry wheeled the chair across the room to join them. 

“Check his instagram,” he announced and then Saks’ fingers were flying over the screen. 

“Give me that,” Millie growled, taking the phone back to respond to the message. 

I thought you were with Jude?

Mason typed and deleted his reply at least three times before it finally came through. 

We broke up about 2 months ago.

I thought she would have told you

Her stomach knotted. She wasn’t happy about that, she wasn’t. But there was some sick satisfaction in knowing that the relationship had not worked out. She pushed down those feelings scolding herself. 

We haven’t talked much recently. 

Her friends were watching her intently but she made no move to let them read the messages. She deserved some privacy after all. 

That sucks

This conversation had turned painfully awkward fast. She started looking for ways to end it. 

For you too

She thought that would be the last of it and they would both go back to not speaking to each other for the next three months, until she was back in Texas for Christmas. Sadly she was mistaken. 

So is that a no from your friend? 

Just like that Millie closed the phone without answering and tossed it, determined to forget the entire conversation had ever happened. Sadly her friends didn’t agree with her. “Well…” Flora pushed, her eyes sparkling with the prospects of new gossip ,” What did he say?” 

“Nothing important,” she said bluntly, trying to put an end to this whole thing. They all moved in closer to her and she realized that the only way to end this was to give them what they wanted,” he just said that he and Jude aren’t together anymore and then he asked about you again.” 

An annoying smirk was again graced Flora’s face, she was relishing this, she was relishing how Millie was reacting to this. Millie hated how she was reacting to this situation, she hated that she wasn’t mad at Mason because of his relationship with Jude, she was upset because he was interested in Flora. Except she had no right to be possessive over Flora, Flora was not her’s. They were ex-roommates and barely even friends, nothing more. 

If only she could convince her traitorous heart that. 

[rekas-bitches]

Fate: the Winx saga spoilers below!

So I watched Fate: the Winx saga and I'm conflicted.

See, I grew up the original series and the second I heard there was going to be a live-action reboot I was so incredibly scared of what they would do to the series, and while I was right, I was also wrong.

The live-action series only is 6 episodes per season, meaning that most of the exploration if their friendship and their characters was rushed, them actually learning to work together etc. all was skipped. Because it was so short, it was easier to just place fearies amd specialists on the same school, so they could still get to know each other. And obviously, the fact that nobody but Bloom in the final scene could transform was to preserve budget. I get it.

However, the fact that they removed Brandon from the series, made Riven Skye's best friend, and then gave Stella, Bloom and Skye a shitty love triangle was so unnecessary. (I feel like they merged Brandon and Riven in a way.)

Also, while I understood why they made Stella such a bitch at the start, I 100% don't agree with it, and I was so relieved when she started acting more like herself towards the end of the season.

(Also, Musa suddenly being an empath? Why???)

The fact that Timmy and Techna, the two nerds of the series were just completely written out, so that the earth character now named Terra, became a fusion of Techna and Flora in a nerdy character that was bad with social clues... I really liked the original dynamic between Flora and Bloom and Techna and Musa, so this was just dissapointing.

Also, they gave Terra a brother, and he's dating Musa? I'm betting they did this to make Stella/Riven endgame?

I'm also guessing they added in Aisha earlier to get POC-rep, so I don't blame them, but it still hurts they did it at seemingly the cost of Techna.

And that's just the fairies and specialists, the only mentions in this series of witches are bloodwitches, which... the witch tower witches were badass okay, and while I thought Beatrice was a good character, she's one fairy that had Stormy's powers, Icy's brain, and that seemed to have Darcy's personality.

The entire plotline surrounding the burned oned was... Okay I guess. In ways it is reminiscent of the final fight of season one, but in a more realistic way for what they could donwith their budget.

At the end of the day, I liked the series, and I will defintely be watching season 2, but it is missing some of the magic the original series had.

[azgedaspy]

OUTDATED,    DO NOT FOLLOW.

𝐏𝐑𝐄-𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 :    𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓 + 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄

important non-canon events are   emphasized.

AGE  00 :    TRIGEDAKRU

née.   echo of the tree people / ekou kom trigedakru.

parents.   willow + flint.

siblings.   none.

status.   low.   her parents were farmers + merchants when they had something to sell or trade.

birthplace.   small farm in northern trigeda.

impact ,   growing up as the only child on a remote farm,   echo wasn’t socialized very well.   she had many imaginary friends. her parents tried to have more children but had difficulty conceiving.

impact ,   echo feels abandoned by trikru   after her parents’ death and her abduction. she thinks they should have done more to protect and avenge her family or at least rescued echo from the azgedan warriors.

impact ,   because of her low status,   she does not feel she would have been given the same opportunities in trigeda as she was in azgeda.   azgeda was based solely on strength rather than status and because of this, echo succeeded in their programs.

AGE  08 :    TRANSITION

azgedakru raid.   azgedan invaders attack echo’s family farm. her father fends off the attackers while echo hides with her mother in the cellar. her mother burns alive while her daughter watches.   her father is tortured for more information on trikru.   echo thinks he died quickly in combat.

azgedakru training.   queen nia   executes the men who attacked the farm for unnecessary cruelty and disobeying orders. echo, the lone survivor of the attack, is sent to troit, the azgedan capital. echo immediately begins training as a child soldier and spy.

she is mentored by   robyn kom azgedakru.   when queen nia orders robyn to kill echo, echo fights back. she kills her mentor and is sent on a spy mission to sangedakru in her name.   when she returns to azgeda, echo resumes her own name and is accepted into the military force.

impact ,   most of echo’s trauma and intimacy issues come from this stage of her life.

impact ,   she sees queen nia and prince roan as her new family   (even if the sentiment is not reciprocated).

AGE  22 :    AZGEDASKRU

mountain mission.   azgeda and trikru cooperate to infiltrate the mountain.   echo works with trikru natives for a year before allowing herself to be captured by the mountain men.

she reunites with some people from her past.

she has an affair with   andria kom trigedakru.   she considers andria the first person (outside of her family) that she loved. it is not clear in what way she loved her, though. 

source one, source two

other possible names

Autumn, Blossom, Breeze/Breezy, Cascade, Clementine, Clove/Clover, Coral, Dawn, Dove, Evening, Fauna, Fawn, Fern, Flora, Gaia, Galaxy, Gale, Hazel, Holly, Ivy, Maple, Meadow, Misty, Nova, Petal, Prairie, Season, Solstice, Sparrow, Sunny, Tempest, Terra/Tierra, Venus, Willow, Windy, Wren, Windy

Bear, Birch, Cliff, Cloud, Field, Flint, Forrest, Glenn, Grove, Hawk/Hawke, Leaf/Leif, Land, Leo, North, Orion, Ridge, Rock, Wolf/Wolfe, Wood/Woods/Woody

Ash, Aspen, Basil, Bay, Berry, Blaze, Brook/Brooke, Cedar, Clay, Cove, Dale, Dusty, Ember, Lake, Lark, Linden, Lotus, Ocean, Olive, Rain/Raine, Reed, River, Roan, Sage, Sky/Skye, Star/Starr, Storm/Stormy, Stone, Tree, West, Winter

[ravenbloodau]

The Voyages Of Ker'Tak and Skye Episode 2: Departure

Now, Ker'Tak and Skye had gotten along for quite awhile. Not six months ago had Ker'Tak's ship arrived on Earth, and not six months ago had the Human Skye befriended Ker'Tak in a rather peculiar way.

On instinct, they got along. In logic, that wasn't always the case.

"Ker'Tak, I honestly don't get it! Why can't they talk to one another and get it over with?" Human Skye asked during her training with her new phaser.

"Stay focused!" Ker'Tak called, "If you do not pass this exam, they will not allow you on the Starship."

"I am focused!" Skye called back as she shot down the rest of the targets. Her accuracy was lethal, "I just want to understand what makes this conflict tick."

"Very good," Ker'Tak complimented Skye, who was more impatient than ever, "This conflict is especially important because of the prey-predator relationship between the two species. One greatly fears the other, while the other wishes strict dominance and is bargaining for a one-sided agreement."

"So prey can't stand up to predator, predator wants to take advantage of that fear?" Skye asked as she holstered her phaser.

"Precisely," Ker'Tak nodded as she approached them.

"Ah, you see that makes more sense," Skye nodded as she registered her weapon and her personelle code into the computer.

Ker'Tak nodded as they made their way to the medbay, where each Skye was being taught medicine under Ker'Tak.

They had watched her take to the practice quiet easily, memorizing and practicing diagnoses, learning symptoms, performing low-risk surgeries, learning anatomy and biological factors.

Ker'Tak was rather proud of bringing this youngling into the feild of medical sciences.

Skye was quietly taking on one of the greatest mysterious illnesses of the Universe, one that plagued the Si'Nain's.

"Ker'Tak," A week seemed to fly by, "Ker'Tak come look at this," Skye was inviting them over to look into a petri dish she had grown for the week.

"Is this what you've been working on?" Ker'Tak peered over their student's shoulder.

"Yep, it looks more like a bacterial infection rather than a virus as you suspected. The rate of reproduction and the number of colonies suggests it's airborne. It's possible to take care of it with a few antibiotics, but which kind would be most effective?" Skye started theorizing.

"Erm, Human Skye?" Ker'Tak got her attention just as she got up to pace, "If we've been treating this as a viral infection, it's possible humans may be at risk to catch this. We've been administering a vaccine for it."

Skye looked over and shrugged.

"Actually, I had the shot, turns out that it's one of our kinds stomach flora, very rarely can it hurt us, so we'll feel little affect, and as soon as I can draw up an antibacterial that won't hurt Si'Nains, I daresay it'll hardly be a problem anymore," Skye chuckled as she continued to pace, "In fact, with your antivirals, and our antibacterials, we may have found the solution to 85% of illnesses within the Universe, at least for the time being."

Ker'Tak nodded, "You never seem to focus on the details, everything is in a bigger picture. You humans perplex me.."

Skye looked up.

"Well, yea. If I were constantly focused on the details, I might miss what the bigger picture might have to show me, or what I could learn from other peices of the picture," Skye explained, "It's better to have a balance. To see the bigger picture and to focus on the details, but never selecting one in complete priority over the other."

Ker'Tak nodded, understandably a bit baffled by Skye's untimely wisdom. After all, she was 17 Earth years. Yet still oddly wise for her age, even in comparison to Ker'Tak. Although approximately 457 Earth Years old, Ker'Tak was the equivalent of a teenager in Si'Nain society.

The two left the lab, talking rather excitedly too, about possible cures, human medicine, Si'Nain cures, life cycles, wise "crack" wisdom.

They passed by other human volunteers, and in an instant Skye would say Hello, then return to her present conversation with Ker'Tak.

Ker'Tak happily listened to her ramble about the endless possibilities of the medical feild, now armed with knowledge that was far beyond her species' own.

"I mean, we could cure cancer! Stop HIV, end most chronic illnesses! Cure allergies!" Skye laughed heartily, "It's an open ocean of possibility Ker'Tak!"

Skye's laughter pinged in Ker'Tak's mind as a happy thing, loud and full.

"So, Human Skye, we disembark from Earth in approximately two Earth days, have you packed all your things?" Ker'Tak changed topics as this moving away from home was weighing on Skye's mind.

"Yep! Everything's already in my new quarters! The Captain said it was surprising how fast I was ready to move out. Honestly I need a change in scenery anyways!" Skye chirped rather cheerful.

Ker'Tak nodded mindfully waiting as Skye jumped ahead. A unique trait in humans was the oddly boundless impatience. Ker'Tak would have to add that to the manual.

She was relentlessly helpful, and open with the crew. Some found her honesty quite alarming, but Skye's endless innocent gaze got them to follow suit.

The departure from Earth was bittersweet for Skye.

"This opens up a new chapter in my life, Ker'Tak. Ooooh! I can't wait to see the stars up close!" Skye's excitement reflected in her squeal-speak.

Ker'Tak chuckled at the enthusiasm. Skye had spirit they had never seen before, they could admit that.

It took 3 months to sort 95% of human issues in space out, and outside of the rough introduction to life star-side, Skye was getting the hang of things.

She soon surpassed Ker'Tak in knowledge and ability, but refused a rank higher than theirs at every offer.

"I may be smart, but I still have plenty to learn from Ker'Tak! Plus, they're a great teacher, and much wiser than I am!" Skye would use the same excuses, even if most of them were no longer true.

So why does she stay? Ker'Tak found themselves pondering, She can't be that naive, can she? I told her everything about the High Council, and she's in her prime to rise to the top of the Council.

"Ker'Tak?" Skye's voice came over the comm. She sounded scared, almost in some kind of pain, "Could you come to my quarters please?"

"On my way," Ker'Tak responded strictly, walking down the halls of the ship post-haste.

They arrived to an open door, and a pained groaning coming from within. The lights above flickered, and torn fabric was strewn about.

"Human Skye?" Ker'Tak called upon entry into the dark room.

"Ker'Tak?" Skye's voice weakly drifted from her bed chamber, "Help.."

Ker'Tak hurried into the room, seeing Skye holding her arm, and tears running down her cheeks as another man stood in front of her.

Ker'Tak called for security.

"YOU BITCH! YOU SAID HE WOULDN'T CALL!" The man hit Skye with a blade, angry and hateful thoughts filled his mind.

This wild rage towards the wounded Skye insulted Ker'Tak. They watched as the man knocked Skye out, and as this stranger turned towards Ker'Tak.

"YOU BASTARD!" The man was clearly drunken, but Ker'Tak paid no mind to this fact. In fact, they felt an inexplicable need to protect young Skye. Ker'Tak felt...Close to her, in some way, as a friend. They had felt this pack bond to her grow stronger over the past nine months, as they had to come to know her on a personal level one would save for family, lovers, even, in Si'Nain society.

Skye was like Ker'Tak's little sister at this point.

Ker'Tak drew up his personal defensive weapon (PDW), and readied themselves for the man's attack.

The man swung low, striking Ker'Tak along his abdomen with the blade. Ker'Tak opened fire and stunned the man.

The thud of the man's body called attention to the room.

Ker'Tak carefully took up the unconscious Skye in their arms, muttering to themselves on how naive Skye had been to trust an inebriated man like that.

She shuddered in their arms as security came and took the man to a holding cell for the evening.

"Skye, you've got to stop being so-" Ker'Tak stopped talking. Something heavy was on Skye's mind, they could feel it in their sudden change in pitch.

"Please, just..Take me to the medbay," She whimpered. Ker'Tak felt their face go hot, enraged now.

The human concept of revenge is far from what Ker'Tak would call their next set of actions.

The Captain stared down the Doctor.

"You could have slaughtered that man," The Captian started harshly, "Doctor Ker'Tak, tell me what provoked such violent transgression against Human Gabriel."

Ker'Tak stood at attention. They weren't sure how to word this. So they reported the incident before the further harm of Gabriel.

The Captain perked up in interest upon learning of Gabriel's transgressions against Skye and Ker'Tak. The Captain sighed and nodded.

"I understand. Ker'Tak, you cannot take justice like that into your own hands. You are a Doctor, and although you have every right to defend yourself and your student, next time leave the reprimands and punishments of such crimes to me. Revenge is reckless," The Captain let Ker'Tak off with a warning, "This will not be going on your record, but please, refrain from such actions in the future."

Ker'Tak nodded, and thanked the Captain before being dismissed from the room.

Ker'Tak returned to the Medbay, the dull throbbing in their abdomen warning them that they would need another regenerate soon.

They pushed it out of their mind as they saw a frazzled human Skye trying to keep up with everything headed her way.

Ker'Tak took her by the shoulders and carefully leaned down. She froze, suddenly terrified.

"It's just me, Human Skye," Ker'Tak noticed her breathing get noticeably easier.

"Ah, thank god. Another regenerate right?" Skye asked them.

"Yes," Ker'Tak nodded and Skye handed them the injector.

She walked away, trying to keep herself busy. Being hurt the way she had just been wasn't something so easily brushed aside.

"Skye, take your break," Ker'Tak offered. She shook her head.

"No, I have to do better. I need to keep it together and to keep going. This is just a bad day. I can get over it," Skye sounded like she was lying to herself.

Ker'Tak shook their head, looking down at the bandages wrapped around her arms, and the bruises showing up on her face.

Ker'Tak walked over, picked Skye up from where she was standing, laid her down on a cot, and sat beside her.

"Rest. You're badly hurt. And dehydrated from all the crying," Ker'Tak scolded Skye half heartedly.

Skye sat there a moment, then reluctantly rolled onto her side. Quickly, she found herself dozing into a restless sleep, terrified and on edge..

Until the warmth of a friendly hug from behind calmed her down.

The first true lesson Ker'Tak kept in mind from that evening?

Not even humans can always trust those of their own kind, and all will resort to violence to either protect themselves or get what they want. Si'Nians were lucky they found a teenager to make first contact with.

Fear, hatred and ignorance are the enemy.

-High Council of Planets Rule Of Conduct #10