#though old as Skye in some senses

[goldiipond]

HAPPY 7TH ANNIVERSARY TPN!!!!!!

i thought it would be fun to celebrate by redrawing the first full tpn piece i ever made! this series means so so much to me and im so grateful for it <3

original from february 2022 under the cut!

[x-liv25-jamieswife]

acacia and grayson head canons

@never-enough-novels requested this so here it is! it might be short bc im so tired but we'll see. this is also my only hcs post today. i think that after im done with my current requests i'll take a break for a few days. i really apologize if these suck. hope you like them <3. @ariscats helped with this. i love her sm. I apologize for any spelling mistakes or things that dont make sense. im too lazy to proof read.

she insists on giving him a hug whenever they leave the other even though he tries to act tough (tries to act like he doesn't want one)

she'll buy him suits she thinks he'd like whenever she's out and either ships them or shows up at his house with them wrapped in gift paper.

they'll sit on the floor and look at old pictures of savannah and gigi in these picture books that acacia has.

acacia ends up creating a separate picture book for grayson (and also has one with the three (sav, gigi, and gray) of them all together - 3 picture books in total)

when acacia first met skye, she 'accidently' poured wine all over skye's white dress cause acacia knows she’s a horrible mother to gray.

acacia asks grayson for fashion advice whenever she doesn't know what to wear. she'll send him pics of options she has to wear and he'll reply with comments for each and everyone of them (like dress #1- this color doesn't match your skin tone as well as the others. dress #2 - this dress is not suitable for winter, etc)

she majored in art when she was in school, she didn't really do anything with her degree but, when grayson shows up, starts trying to teach him all of the things she knows. he already knows how to paint but doesn't say anything so that he can spend time with her.

acacia calls him under the pretense of having a favor to ask, but, in reality, she just wants to make sure he's ok and doesn't want to scare him away by just calling to ask about his feelings.

he spends some time at the graysons manor every year. he and acacia like to just stay quiet and observe the nature/read/paint together

acacia and grayson will go out on nature walks where he takes pictures with his camera and she paints those pictures (she's very talented and the paintings look very realistic)

acacia goes to his graduation (harvard. she helps him decide do go back)

nash calls acacia whenever gray gets sick so that she can come over to hawthorne house and take care of him (cause he can't take care of himself. he always ends up overworking himself and shit). she makes him soup, gets all of the medications he needs, etc  (i also hc that she's literally a miracle worker when someone is sick. she can literally make them better with her concoctions in a matter of hours)

when grayson sits down to play the piano, sometimes acacia will appear out of nowhere, sit down next to him, and sway to the music. gray got more confident over time and started singing sometimes too. she'd harmonize with him and shit. basically, its really beautiful.

they love watching historical romances together. they've watched so many that whenever they greet each other, gray will bow down and kiss her hand like all of those men in fictional historical tv shows.

grayson went out to buy acacia skincare at some point in time bc he once saw her bathroom (and thus the products she uses) and he was so horrified he gasped. he made her promise to never use that shit again.

acacia loves birkin bags so grayson gets her one every year for her birthday

when acacia goes on business trips (idk why though cause she has no money but she takes trips in my head), she always buys a pen from the country she's in to give to gray so he can add it to his collection.

speaking of her business trips, grayson stays at her house when she’s gone to water her plants (she loves them).

when they paint/read/take walks in silence, they either listen to laufey or taylor swift.

grayson is really big on labeling things. he labels his binders, notebooks, pens, clothes etc and sometimes acacia sits there with him creating labels for him. (20)

whenever they watch tv, grayson cuddles up in acacia’s arms. no one says a thing, and it stays between them

grayson secretly paints acacia sometimes when she isn’t watching (or so he thinks). 

I mentioned earlier that acacia loves plants and flowers. grayson would totally go out, buy tons of different kinds of flowers, and make her custom made bouquets.

although she’s not his mother, grayson still buys her a mother’s day gift (a bouquet of flowers, and smth else (that changes every year) like some new paint, perfume, etc)

they wanted to start learning smth together as a bonding activity of sorts so they got into pottery. they watched videos (cause they didn’t want to get a teacher/attend classes) and practiced as often as they could together. they would laugh at each other in the end cause clay would end up everywhere. they’re now quite good at it and make each other little things every now and then

they are huge fans of listening to music the ‘old’ way. whenever they listen to music, they listen to vinyls or cassettes.

whenever they see each other, they go out and buy themselves bubble tea.

speaking of bubble tea, sometimes acacia will take some of the remaining bubbles (she never eats/drinks all of them) and throws them at grayson to loosen him up a bit. he does the same sometimes and they have what they call ‘bubble tea fights’.

[edutainer2022]

This is a glimpse of my bosom future!headcanon timeline. Just 'cause (I came across a West Wing gif-set, probably why). It also features in Timey-Wimey and Piano Practice. Though, always in flux the future is... Virgil and Kayo have a chat - they worry about Scott. A lot. That's it, that's the story. Some things, old and new, hurt.

Warning: an OC death mentioned in passing (please, read the end note*, if you kindly make it that far).

WORRIES

A gust of wind ruffled his hair - still trademark styled, but more liberally sprinkled with salt and silver now - as Shadow landed on the pad. Kayo still used her trusty old bird for errands and investigative missions, although her flightsuit was a mandatory solid black of the Secret Service now. Ms. Kyrano, Chief of World President's Security Detail, joined him wordlessly at the railings of the rooftop terrace, overlooking the magnificent vista of the Alps, crystal blue sky and the beautiful city below. Virgil sighed.

"I need updates on his BP and heart rate stats twice a day, uploaded to my comm directly. Thrice a day if there's a... situation or Ambassador Lemaire shows up, or the First Lady starts a war or something..."

Kayo suppressed a smile and leaned sideways on the railing.

"Eos gleans his stats every morning and every night before bedtime from all the residences sensors."

"Yeah, but Eos doesn't have access to the situation room. Not that Scott knows of, anyway. And I can't risk..."

Virgil was short for breath and the last words came out as a croak. Kayo squinted and squeezed his arm.

"You don't approve?"

"That he had a cardiac episode after the memorial service and then went on to take the most stressful job in the world? No, I well damn don't approve!"

Virgil's knuckles went white from the grip on the railings. Kayo stayed silent, giving room to his anguish, a hand on his bicep an unwavering anchor. When dark brown eyes next turned back to her, they were glistening with a sheen of tears.

"How does he do it, Kayo? After we lost Jeffy Jr.*? I can't breathe sometimes, it hurts so bad! And I'm just an uncle."

The pain flared readily from an ever fresh wound. Virgil's voice hitched:

"Allie felt so guilty he left for that deep space mission! I'm so scared all the time. How does Scott even cope?!"

Kayo snorted at that.

"Have you MET Scott? He doesn't."

A wide arch of the black clad arm indicated the massive World President Residence and Offices all around and below them.

"He hoisted up the heaviest mantle he could fathom and let duty consume his every waking and sleeping hour, drowning out all other thoughts. There's nothing much heavier than the weight of the actual world, huh?"

"Guess not. That's what worries me most..."

Virgil's sigh was tinged with bottomless rue this time. Keeping busy with International Rescue is the one thing that keeps me from going crazy. The echo of the words biggest brother said to him so many years ago, on a dark, dark snowy night, rippled through memory. He hoped so much they were past... THAT stretch of self-destructive coping. For a blissful while, moreso after Dad got back, they were. Jeffy Jr. and Skye were born. It went unspoken between them all, but Jeffy was their golden chance at a Scott that was happy and carefree, encouraged and inspired by legacy, but not subsumed or crashed by it. But they were the Tracies, so the universe would never let them truly catch a break. Ever, it seemed...

Kayo, ever the psy-ops, ever the bereft family like them all, sensed a need to shift the subject to something brighter.

"Did you get to see Lucy rehearse?"

Virgil's whole face lit up immediately and he beamed at her.

"Oh yes! I was at the dress rehearsal, and she asked me to accompany her after lunch today, for vocal practice before the premiere! Though I think it's more of a courtesy - she's got world class concert pianists at her disposal."

Kayo was smiling fondly in return. Virgil's kids were as much a reflection of his kind and caring nature, and talent, as Scott's son and daughter were that of his consuming drive, focus, and dedication to duty. Okay, maybe not to go there at the moment! Kayo waved the imaginary wisps of hair out of her eyes to blink away unwarranted tears and regroup.

"Have you considered you're maybe Lucy's favorite world-class concert pianist?"

Virgil's smile was impish, yet full of love. A sudden idea occurred, as his glance fell on the Shadow, and made him gasp.

"Please, tell me he's not cowboying it here in Delta-One?!"

Kayo actually let herself laugh at the implication. They certainly wouldn't put it past Scott to ditch the entourage and take his augmented Thunderbird out for a spin.

"Relax! The Joint Chiefs requested an on-the-go meeting, so it's a scenic route across the Atlantic on a GDF bus. No Delta-drive jumps for our favorite Commander today. Besides, the whole media circus tagged along from NYC. Nobody would miss the World President's favorite niece perform Carmen at the Season opening of Vienna Opera."

"Scott doesn't have favorites!"

The response was automatic, which scored another of Kayo's smile. It wasn't quite a secret the family consensus placed Scott a higher ranking Dad in the overarching hierarchy of Tracy parents. Jeff Sr., the proud Grandpa, was more of a partner in crime and a co-conspirator to everyone's endless befuddlement.

Virgil's take-away from her previous statement was, however, unexpected.

"So there IS a situation?! Kayo, I need his stats THE MOMENT they land!"

"Nothing your Casey had warranted worthy of high treason to inform me about. Virgil, it's fine. He'll be fine!"

That was true. Virgil's second youngest was currently the Deputy Chief of Communications of the World President office and, besides Kayo herself, the family's trusty person on the inside. She virtually worshipped the ground her Big Uncle walked and would flag anything potentially too worrisome with regard to his mood or health. Besides, John would probably know in advance anyway if it were Bereznik or any number of regions giving grief du jour (something the World President himself probably didn't need to know about, for plausible deniability and a semblance of restful sleep).

Kayo made a point to amend her reassurance with a shoulder squeeze. Dark brown eyes turned to her were frantic again.

"Look after him, will you?!"

Kayo gave a firm nod in acknowledgement. A pang of an old heartache flared up. But it became a well practiced, tried and true spiel between them, through the years - he was burning himself to light up the world, she was the shadow.

---------

*[spoiler alert] The relentless narrative logic and poetic symmetry part of me dictates that Scott, in the later arch of his journey, would, very likely, have to loose a son to his own legacy and footsteps. The way Jeff dodged a bullet (just barely). But the regular bleeding heart part of me screams in agony in the face of such abject tragedy and comes up with elaborate scenarios in my head how it all could eventually be okay. Dad Jeff couldn't have used up all of Tracy limit of miracles.

[myfairkatiecat]

Every line of “anti-hero” Taylor Swift applies to at least one Hawthorne.

I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser

Midnights become my afternoons

Jameson, in every sense of these lyrics. He’s always up at night doing whatever he needs to do to not think about whatever it is he needs to avoid. He chases as much adrenaline as he needs to not feel terrible.

When my depression works the graveyard shift all of the people

I’ve ghosted stand there in the room

Grayson and Nash (Grayson bc he’s distant and Nash bc he’s avoidant)

I should not be left to my own devices

They come with prices and vices

I end up in crisis (tale as old as time)

Jameson, all the way. Also it’s possible that Xander feels this way, even though we all find his scheming quite endearing as he doesn’t seem as bent on self-destruction as Jameson

I wake up screaming from dreaming

One day I’ll watch as you’re leaving

Cause you got tired of my scheming (for the last time)

Grayson and Jameson bc Emily gave them issues

It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me

At tea time everybody agrees

For Jameson this could be interpreted as him feeling like he’s seen as too “ordinary” by his grandfather compared to his brothers but also knowing full well the disapproval he gets for the things he does to NOT be ordinary.

For Grayson, it could mean that he knows he has to be better than all of his siblings bc everyone knows he’s inheriting it all one day (ha.) and feels like he never lives up to it.

For Nash this looks like being the one brother who was never as involved in their grandfathers games as his brothers and always was a little more distant for the family. While he WANTS to be distant, he probably feels very confronted every time he catches sight of his relatives, even if they aren’t thinking about it that way.

For Xander, this probably refers to how he’s the youngest and least serious of his brothers and probably felt inferior as a child despite the fact that he’s the smartest of all the Hawthorne brothers

I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror

It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

Hm which Hawthorne brother will do literally anything except confront themselves and their own actions? Which Hawthorne would stare directly at the sun, but never really look at themselves? EVERY SINGLE ONE. It looks different for all of them—for Nash, it’s pretending his last name isn’t Hawthorne; for Grayson, it’s burying himself in pressure and stress and work; for Jameson, it’s living 2000 miles an hour; for Xander, who actually probably has less issues with this (he seems introspective to me), it’s always creating other things that do things and never really noticing himself doing things. I could even get into talking about Skye and Zara here if I wanted.

Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby

And I’m a monster on the hill

To big to hang out slowly lurching towards your favorite city

Pierced through the heart but never killed

So, all four of them being extremely attractive means this can’t be taken the way it’s meant, but I imagine Nash probably has weird feelings about all his little siblings being around the same age and having all these shared experiences he is less familiar with.

Do you hear the covert narcissism disguised as altruism

Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time)

Grayson, all the way. Especially after reading The Brothers Hawthorne. It’s part of what I love about his character. His internal monologue is “look at me being manipulative and asserting my power over everyone else” even when what he’s doing is perfectly fair (and sometimes when it absolutely isn’t). It’s almost like at some point, he was raised to take over his father’s business of being a billionaire who plays dirty and never learned any other way to be, and kind of hates that about himself.

I wake up screaming from dreaming

One day I’ll watch as you’re leaving

And life will lose all it’s meaning (for the last time)

Still Grayson and Jameson and still bc they have Emily Issues, but this version of the lyrics is how they would feel about losing Avery. Not, “she left bc she got tired of me” but “she’s gone and now everything is back to how it was when nothing meant anything”

(Chorus is the same)

I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money

She thinks I left them in the will

The family gathers round and reads it and then someone screams out

“She’s laughing up at us from hell”

I actually forgot this verse existed when I started making this post. But. This verse belongs to Tobias Hawthorne I. Duh. I guess this fits even better than I thought it did 😂 this is LITERALLY the plot of The Inheritance Games

I rest my case, “Anti-Hero” is the Hawthorne family anthem. Someone get all these boys therapy and happy endings 😭

[imogenkol]

— WIP IT’S WEDNESDAY SOMEWHERE

tagged by @kyber-infinitygems @socially-awkward-skeleton @inafieldofdaisies @adelaidedrubman thank you! 💕

tag list (ask to be added or removed!): @florbelles @marivenah @simonxriley @shegetsburned @voidika @v0idbuggy @statichvm @aceghosts @jillvalentinesday @risingsh0t @unholymilf @thedeadthree @cassietrn @jackiesarch

cheating a little bit again because I have writers block and I’m trying to remedy that by reworking old writing (and also trying to refresh my love for said old writing) so hopefully ya’ll enjoy my two favorite werewolf siblings

Jayde waited in the rain for as long as she could before the beckoning warmth of the twenty-four hour diner across the street became too tempting to resist. It was worth the risk of getting recognized. All she wanted was to not be soaked to the bone like a sad mutt chained to the doghouse. And some damn coffee.

The dark, clouded sky gradually turned gray with an oncoming sunrise. Jayde sipped on the bitter liquid from the warm mug in her hands and stared out of the window beside her, watching the endless streaks of raindrops as they raced down the lightly fogged glass. Finally, she spotted a familiar pickup truck pull into the parking lot. Something bulky lay strapped in the bed, a blue tarp shielding it from the weather.

Skye stepped out of the truck once she parked. She was a fair bit shorter than her older sister with mossy green eyes instead of dark blue, but besides that, the two were unmistakable as siblings. They shared the same blonde hair and facial structure, though Jayde always thought Skye resembled their mother more. Or perhaps she secretly favored the idea of inheriting their father’s features. While they were similar in base appearance, the sisters differed in personality. Skye walked lightly, almost with a skip in her step, to mirror her bubbly attitude. She almost always had a small, arrogant smirk on her face like she understood a joke that everybody else didn’t. Most of the time she did.

She wore that exact smirk as she slid into the booth across from Jayde. “So, spill.”

“I got my ass beat, alright?” Jayde recalled in annoyance. “Wound up on lockdown in the local hospital, but I got out.”

“On your own…?” Skye clearly sensed that she left out important information.

Jayde sighed. For whatever reason, she didn’t want her to know about Nadya. Maybe because she knew her little sister would mercilessly make fun of her for it. “No, I had help.”

A waitress came by to offer Skye a menu and some coffee, which she eagerly accepted with a sarcastic comment about a bear doing its business in the woods that went over the poor old woman’s head. Once the now slightly perturbed waitress left, a moment of silence lingered between them until Skye held up her hands. “Well? Don’t leave me hanging.”

“There was a resident at the hospital,” Jayde complied hesitantly. “I convinced her to help me and she took me in while I recovered.”

“There it is,” Skye said triumphantly with a massive grin. Jayde rolled her eyes. “Is that whose scent is all over you? She smells nice, is she pretty, too?”

“None of your business.” She fixed the younger wolf with a warning glare. “Now, can I have my shit?”

“Geez, you’re no fun,” Skye complained.

“Skye, I have had a long couple of weeks,” Jayde told her in a scolding tone. “All I want is enough supplies to be on my way.”

“And where is that this time?” the younger sibling retorted with a sudden seriousness. “Am I gonna get another call in a month asking for more ammo? Or to bail you out of the slammer? Or how about a mental hospital? You haven’t got yourself fucked in one of those yet.”

“For your information,” Jayde started, a snarl nearly escaping her throat. “I’m gonna linger around here for a little while longer.”

Skye’s mossy eyes went wide with shock. “Really. You? The Lodge isn’t good enough, but this city is?”

Jayde was in no mood to have this argument with her for the tenth time. Nothing she could say would make Skye understand her reasons for staying away as long as she has.

“It’s not like that, I have to.”

“Why?” Skye prodded. “I would think you’d want to put as much distance between yourself and here as soon as you can.”

Jayde grinded her teeth. Skye wouldn’t let her deflect. She would also see right through any excuses and become even more pushy for an explanation. “I have to make sure the girl that helped me won’t be in any danger once I’m gone. She broke me out of the hospital and saved my life when everyone was calling me a terrorist. And she did it to protect people, so it’s not gonna sit well with me if something happens to her.”

“She broke you out?” Skye marveled in bewilderment, clearly impressed.

Jayde nodded. “Yes. I’ve been lying low at her place for the past week.”

“Damn, she’s ballsy,” Skye chuckled. “Or just really stupid.”

“That’s what I thought,” Jayde agreed with a small smile. “Trust me, it’s the former.”

“How are you gonna know if she’s safe or not?”

“I had her get a burner phone to call me if she needs help. That’s why I have to stay in the area until this blows over, I don’t want to be too late. Which reminds me, I need your phone.” Jayde held out her hand.

She scowled at her suspiciously. “Why mine?”

“‘Cause yours is the number I put in hers.” She motioned for her to surrender it. “You haven’t gotten any other calls besides me, right?”

“Why’d you give her my number?” Skye asked incredulously.

“Because mine’s gone, genius.”

“Then buy a new one, dumbass.”

Jayde sighed in exasperation. “It was easier to give her your number, now cough it up.”

Skye groaned dramatically and fished her phone out of one of her pockets. “Here.”

Jayde deftly caught the bright pink cellphone as her menace of a sister suddenly tossed it at her head and snickered at her disappointment. Supernatural reflexes had very little to do with the save, she had years of practice anticipating Skye’s antics. When Jayde looked down and saw the cheap Hello Kitty sticker stuck on the back, she glanced back up quizzically. “Really?”

She shrugged. “I went to a couple hospitals looking for you. They don’t exactly keep the kid stickers locked up.”

Jayde made a noise of displeasure. “I would’ve preferred a Finding Nemo one.”

“Then get your own damn burner and steal whatever sticker you want the next time you inevitably end up in a hospital again,” Skye bit back.

“I owe you. Happy?”

“My favorite words to hear,” she replied with a bright smile and took a sip of coffee. “So what did you tell her?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, with everything the nurse did for you, she must’ve been curious. What did you come up with as a cover?”

That brought up another explanation Jayde dreaded. Might as well get this over with, she thought as she chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment before shrugging. “I told her the truth.”

Another charged moment of silence fell over the two siblings as Skye completely froze with the mug to her lips. She blinked a couple of times, then shook her head like she came out of a trance. “I’m sorry, you told her the truth about what?”

“About me. What I am.” The admission made Jayde cringe.

Skye’s expression turned blank, and she slowly set the mug down. “I know you mean you told her you’re bisexual and not that you’re a werewolf, right? Because admitting that you’d be down to clown with a hot nurse is way more believable. Telling a random human that you’re a werewolf is a new level of crazy that you wouldn’t even dream of. Right? ”

“First, she’s not a nurse. Secondly, she deserved to know,” was all Jayde could think to say as a defense.

“So it is the mental hospital for you next.”

“Skye –”

“You are the last person I expected to be that stupid, Jayde.”

The older wolf leaned forward in her seat and poked the surface of the table. “I did not make that choice lightly. Nadya put her entire life on the line for me without any thought for repayment. It was only natural that she had questions, and she was too smart for my shitty excuses. She would’ve figured it out herself if I hadn’t told her.”

Skye didn’t look convinced. “And how do you know she won’t tell anyone?”

“She’s not like that,” Jayde insisted.

“You’re willing to bet everything on that. On a human you’ve known for a few days,” her sister stated more than asked.

Jayde patted a couple of her jacket pockets before she remembered which one she put the small polaroid in. She pulled it out and dropped it on the table in front of Skye. The younger wolf picked it up and studied it with disinterest until she flipped it around and saw the note Nadya wrote on the back. She glanced up at her sister curiously.

“She’s a photographer,” Jayde explained. “When I told her I liked that picture, she gave it to me.”

Skye sat in silent contemplation for about a minute as she stared at the photo in her hands with pursed lips. Eventually, she gave a nod, and Jayde felt relieved that her sister finally accepted what she was certain of. Her eyes met Jayde’s and brightened with that mischievous smirk again. “It’s not just the picture you like, is it?”

Jayde raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

“Hot nurse saves your life, offers you a roof, gives you a gift before you go,” she held up the polaroid, flipping it between her fingers like a coin, “and you tell her the truth, give her a phone to call you, and stay in the city you almost got gunned down in to make sure she’s safe. Sounds like you have a crush.”

At first, Jayde felt offended by her assumption, but then her face quickly flushed with embarrassment. Is it that obvious? she thought before anything else, which threw her for a loop. Jayde knew she felt attraction towards the human, but it hadn’t even occurred to her that what she experienced might be a crush. Children get crushes for fuck’s sake, but apparently so do full grown werewolves who have to fight for their lives every single day.

Just like always, her sister knew her too well.

“Even if you were right, it doesn’t matter.” Jayde shrugged in an effort to seem nonchalant. “I’ll never see her again.”

Skye wagged an eyebrow. “Or maybe she’ll call you.”

Jayde rolled her eyes at her for the millionth time that morning. “I didn’t give her the phone to keep in touch. It’s for an emergency only, and she knows that.”

“Maybe an ‘emergency’ will happen.” Jayde’s whole body tensed as she sensed one of her little sister’s bits coming. Skye continued, using a high-pitched voice as she dramatically fanned herself. “Oh, Jayde, some trenchcoated goons have been lurking outside my house trying to sell me a new vacuum cleaner! Please, save me! You’re my only hope!”

Jayde scowled at her. “You think you’re so funny.”

“Come on!” Skye urged. “There’s gotta be some small part of you that’s hoping she’ll call.”

“No,” she said firmly, though Skye was partially right. A huge part of Jayde hoped that she would see Nadya again one day, just not under dire circumstances. But another part of her knew that was the only way she’d get to see her again.

“Fine,” Skye said, clearly not convinced, and handed the polaroid back.

Jayde took a few moments to stare at the photo fondly. She flipped it over to look at the note on the back and ran her fingertips over the letters Nadya wrote. Then she carefully returned it to the pocket it came from.

“You want some breakfast?” she asked Skye, ignoring the knowing grin on her face.

[themculibrary]

Daisy Johnson/Jemma Simmons (Skimmons) Masterlist

Addicted To You (ao3) - DeceitfulHonesty E, 26k

Summary: A raid at the SHIELD lab where she was working, leaves Jemma in the hands of her greatest enemies. As she tries to stay alive, Jemma finds herself drawn to someone who destroys all her expectations of Hydra: a specialist who calls herself Skye.

and i can go anywhere i want (anywhere i want just not home) (ao3) - autismboard G, 5k

Summary: She defined herself by the things that she loved: she was a scientist, a wife, a best friend.

At that moment, she was sure of only one of those things. So the only conclusion she could draw was that there was no more Jemma. --------

Jemma post 5x14 attempting to make sense of the situation at hand (aka girlie is struggling)

and if you're still breathing (you're the lucky ones) (ao3) - plinys M, 6k

Summary: She’s seen Groundhog Day and every other story about being stuck in a time loop. Though normally the people in these loops are unwilling participants, unable to change anything significantly, but needlessly repeating the same cycle until they learn some sort of moral of the story.

The thing is Jemma already knows the moral of this story. At least, she thinks she does.

can you see me using everything to hold back? (ao3) - midnightstrawberries T, 6k

Summary: Sometimes, late at night, unable to sleep and sprawled under bed sheets, head hanging upside down off the left side of the bed, Skye likes to imagine her parents. What they were like, who they were, how they lived. She dreams until her head starts hurting too much and she has to sit back up.

Skye is sixteen years old and she has never lived in the same place for more than a year at a time. (Something tells her she never will. Something else tells her to believe otherwise.)

~

Skye and Jemma meet in high school instead of at SHIELD.

Follow Me, I Know A Shortcut (ao3) - nerdwegian G, 1k

Summary: Jemma is acting weird around Skye.

I found love where it wasn't supposed to be (right in front of me) (ao3) - EB_FanficFan_1458 mack/yo yo, jemma/daisy, kate/bobbi, clint/natasha T, 24k

Summary: “Is this what gay stargazing is? Stars and confessions?” Nat whispered. Bobbi laughed silently. “Yes. Now you’ve experienced that, you’re officially with us. Welcome to the family.”

For the first time in years, Daisy and Bobbi feel safe at their home with Phil Coulson and Melinda May. But what happens when Phil and Mel decide to adopt Natasha as well? The demons of their pasts come back to haunt them. Can they stay safe and happy, or will everything fall apart?

I'll Be The Rock Star If You'll Be The Scientist (ao3) - nerdwegian T, 10k

Summary: "Wait, wait, wait! Sir, are you telling me the dinosaur escaped our plane in your flying car?"

It's All About Biochemistry (ao3) - Selenay

Summary: Jemma pulled in a calming breath. "Just. I'm not really used to this kind of thing yet."

"What kind of thing?"

"Post emotional crisis kissing," Jemma said. "It's new to me."

Love Me at the Corner Cafe (ao3) - Heylittleyahtzee (HeyYahtzee) T, 36k

Summary: Skye likes to keep an eye on her regulars, so when Jemma Simmons comes in entirely flustered one morning Skye can’t help but reach out to her. It turns out that Jemma Simmons can’t help but return the favor. Unsurprisingly there is no going back from this

Slytherin to My Heart (ao3) - happypugfics E, 82k

Summary: Skimmons Hogwarts AU Skye and Jemma find themselves in their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry dealing with the same old issues it has to offer: homework, tests, quidditch, house points, their relationship...and oh, the Triwizard Tournament.

The Hydra Disaster (ao3) - Rhino (RhinoMouse) M, 39k

Summary: Jemma's time undercover at Hydra gets far more interesting and Important when she gets pulled into project World Killer. She is not prepared. But SHIELD needs her to succeed. Which would be easier if her boss's boss's boss, Agent Daisy Johnson hadn't taken an interest in her. It would also make Agent Morse's life easier if the scientist she's supposed to protect would stop breaking every rule of spy craft. Every. Single. Rule.

The Way Our Horizons Meet (ao3) - plinys M, 50k

Summary: Four years ago Skye married Jemma in order to keep her from being deported, now when the day has come to end things she can't help herself from wondering how they got here and how she can get her to stay.

Until We Get There (ao3) - Pitkin E, 275k

Summary: “I’ve got a tail,” Daisy announced, loud enough to hear through the phone as she watched the silver truck appear around the fourth corner, having made a successful square with the truck following. She made a left at the next possible road, deciding she would head back toward the highway to get to a better populated area.

Lily gasped. “You do??” She asked. “CAN I SEE IT!?!” She screeched in excitement.

Under normal circumstances, this reaction would have been more than enough for Daisy to roar with laughter and come up with an excuse for why Lily wasn’t allowed to see her non-existent tail. Today she was quiet as she glanced behind her in the rearview again.

wandering (ao3) - cardiganweather E, 4k

Summary: Jemma Simmons has survived an alien virus, jumped out of a plane without a parachute, and worked with an Asgardian to solve a murder mystery. She can handle sharing a bed with a girl she likes in a too hot hotel room.

Right?

Want to Annoy Your Family This Thanksgiving? Call Skye! (ao3) - DeceitfulHonesty T, 4k

Summary: "I’m a 25 year old, unemployed hacker with no high school degree who lives in a van that’s older than me. If you’d like to have me as your strictly platonic date for Thanksgiving, but pretend to be in a serious, committed relationship with you to irritate your family, I’m game. I require no pay but the free meal I’ll get as a guest and the joy of spending an evening with people I can aggravate! Call Skye." Based on the Craigslist ad that people love to share this time of year.

[luci-j]

Hello! I love your GotG OCs and I was wondering if you could share some Laroshi and/or Farina lore/headcanons? Or even about canon characters! I'm just curious about your hcs, haha

Soooo happy that you started the new installement of your trilogy fic *-*

Hi!! Oh my goodness, thank you! I can put the ladies' ones here but if you or anyone are curious about more, I'm happy to answer!!!

Farina

- Loves some of the traditionally "less cute" animals the clinic gets in. Rats? Precious. Bats? So cool, they're rats that can FLY. That sharp-toothed thing with the fur? Would TOTALLY adopt if she could

- A little more of a quiet kid who read animal facts, facts about the universe. Got embarrassed for info dumping more than once, so stopped talking about it. One of the things she appreciates most about Nebula is that Nebula is a good listener to her, and can tell her surprisingly gently when they need to switch topics

- Also a bit of a star geek. Used to watch them from the balcony of her home when she was a kid. Also did this when she was with a bad ex and needed to get away for a bit.

- Unfortunately there's been more than one bad ex. She's learned to assert herself better though, and having her wife and the nursing staff there to back her up has been a huge help in this.

- She lets Nebula braid her hair! Nebula likes the novelty of it, and Farina likes the attention.

- Gamora still doesn't quiet get how jet dynamic works with Nebula, but loves the genuine smile Nebula has when she's with Farina.

- Really big on making sure Nebula feels included in things, and respects when she doesn't want to do something.

- Very much the "I'm not angry, just disappointed" type if fighting with Nebula. Nebula had one old-school tantrum during an argument between them, once, saw how shaken it left Farina, and vowed to be better after that. And she was.

- They've done more than one vacation to theme parks together. Everyone thinks it's Farina pulling Nebula along, but it's quite the opposite. Farina is a little more of a homebody, but loves her wife getting to experience the childhood she SHOULD have had. She's been terrified of every roller coaster she's ever been on, but her wife's maniacal laughter is just SO flipping cute.

- Big into pop music. Would play Harry Styles all day if she could.

- Identifies as a lesbian! She knew in grade school when she'd get WAY too emotional about friendships.

Now time for some Laroshi ones!

- The mom friend from a young age. Hosa and Meti were such airheads, somebody had to stop them from falling off a cliff. 🙄

- Loves numbers because they make sense! Whether it's cooking, working on alloy materials from her forge, or money, she's quite good with it all. She never really had an opportunity to spread her math wings on Fauntera, but can on Knowhere. Is the accountant for the Guardians.

- Has gotten them enough extra money they were due over the years that combined it could have bought another Knowhere.

- Comes from a large family. She had seven siblings, all who reached adulthood, got married, and had children of their own. This stung a little bit as she always wanted to be a mom and wife. It just didn't happen, though.

- Unable to have children biologically due to an illness she contracted on Fauntera during the uprising. This is why she was unable to reunite with Meti initially.

- Meti quietly offered to give her the money to have a baby like how he had Skye, and to pull strings to get her to the front of the lind. She would have taken him up on this, but she and Kraglin were too far apart genetically to have one together, so it just wasn't worth it to her. Her prayers were still answered, though, with Benji.

- She helped give Benji a Spider-Man-themed bar mitzvah without knowing what a bar mitzvah was or what a Spider-Man was.

- Practiced calling herself "Laroshi Geer" way too much as a kid. Would have had binders with their initials in hearts if she could have.

- Marrying Kraglin is literally the first spontaneous thing she's done in her life. She immediately fell for his kindness. She also loves that he isn't as proper as she felt she had to make herself be in order to help guide and protect her people, or to find a spouse.

- Loves going to bars with him. He gets her to loosen up like she's always wanted to, but never knew where to start.

- She, in turn, respects him from the get-go. He's never had to prove himself to her.

- She collaborates with Rocket a lot on creating things! She created all his mobility aides during his surgeries, so that they'd be portable for him, and has helped him mod some weapons.

- Loves jewelry making for herself. Kraglin brings her gems from planets, she turns it into bracelets, necklaces, etc for herself. Her favorite is a necklace with a gem that matches his eyes, and she wears this a lot when he's on missions.

- Big into punk rock.

- Is the neighborhood mom now. If there's a kid who needs something, they know they can go to her forge and she'll try to help.

- Learned English for her adopted son. It wasn't easy, but she loves Benji that much.

- She loves making knickknacks for the house. Yondu would have taken a shine to her.

- Intensely proud of her husband. Faunterians can be a little bit of a haughty bunch, so she brags about him a LOT. Kraglin doesn't get it, but he also doesn't mind.

- They don't get in blowup fights, but he knows she's annoyed with him if dinner is cold. She knows he's upset with her if he seems quieter and mutters about needing to look at something around the house.

- Has an iffy understanding of genders and sexualities, but is incredibly supportive. Most likely identifies as cis and hetero.

- Some of their favorite things to do as a couple is visit the beach, go to the farmers market, and making upgrades to their weapons. Ya know. Couples things!

Omggggg that was so much fun! Thank you for this request!! If anyone has any others, characters or otherwise, please feel free to throw them my way! Will probably also be doing more on my own since I LOVED this. Holy cow.

[dndfantasygirl]

Amongst the Stars (Chapter 3: Old Wounds)

Rating: Mature Word count: 1.9k Pairing: Astarion x Female Tav (named)/OC Warnings: violence, strong language, innuendo, slow burn, little sister, Astarion's scars, bathing

Summary: Skye learns about Astarion's scars.

*Link to AO3 Post

*Link to Previous Chapter

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

Honestly, the first tenday they spent together went fairly smoothly despite the amount of tension between Lae'zel and Shadowheart. For the most part, everyone got along...or at the very least, tolerated each other. Though the past two days were pretty eventful to say the least.

It started near the sacred pool in the grove. A lovely ritual was being performed as a green aura enveloped the stone around the water. Several tall statues of animals were encircling the pool as well, giving it a very ethereal look.

A few druids blocked their path at first before they were finally allowed in. Apparently, the leader, Kagha wanted a word with them. Skye sensed there was something off about her as she threatened a young tiefling child with a snake. It lasted all of two seconds before the air genasi started throwing threats around.

There, they learned the druids wanted the tieflings gone and Kagha wanted them to carry out the task. Skye refused once again to do someone else's bidding, especially when they're in the wrong. Not much was said after until they made it to the back of the Inner Sanctum, where they found a healer.

Unfortunately, she wasn't much help and actually tried to poison Skye. Needless to say, the air genasi didn't take too kindly to this and the healer was left behind with one nasty headache.

They realized finding Halsin, the First Druid of the grove's circle, was their next priority as they'd discovered he'd actually done research on the parasites.

The following night as they were gathering supplies for the next part of their journey, a devil decided to infiltrate their camp, offering them salvation. Raphael disgusted Skye. He reminded her of Astarion in a way, yet at least the vampire spawn had some semblance of personal space. Skye's spit attack ended up being a wakeup call to the devil as he finally left them to their own devices.

Now, they're marching their way forward to a goblin camp where Halsin was supposedly taken hostage. As they approached an abandoned village, Astarion watched as Misty's long ears twitched. She stopped walking in her tracks and turned her head.

Skye must have heard a noise, too because she also turned her head in that area. She locked eyes with Astarion before following her sister towards it. "We'll be right back."

"Where are you going, now?" Gale asked with a face palm. "Mystra, help me."

Astarion's eyes shifted between the rest of the group and the two sisters. Eventually, he decided to follow them, deciding he'd rather not have the others taking too close of a look at him.

When the vampire spawn caught up to them, he saw both of the girls kneeling in front of a dog whiter than snow with large pointy ears. It was timid at first, warning them to not come closer with a low growl.

Skye started to hum a soothing tune that caused the dog to relax as she began to hold out her hand. The younger genasi cautiously mimicked her sister and smiled softly as the dog sniffed her hand.

Astarion watched from a distance, preferring not to indulge in the encounter. After a few moments, the girls left the dog and started to return to the group.

The older genasi stopped in front of Astarion while the other kept walking. Skye walked in step with him as she began talking. "Dog's owner was brutally killed. Misty wanted to take him in, but he wasn't gonna leave his owner."

"Furthermore, we have enough strays to last a lifetime. We don't need any more," Astarion added with a sardonic smile.

"Come on, Star," Skye teased, watching as the vampire spawn reacted to the new nickname. "You can't tell me you've never wanted a pet before."

"Darling, for most of my existence, I was the pet," he spat bitterly.

The air genasi's shoulders slumped a little as they continued to walk in silence. Suddenly, an idea popped in her head. "Hey, I think it's time we had a night off."

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

Skye showed no hesitation in stripping bare. She jumped into the water, letting herself submerge a little longer than necessary. When she came up for air, she shook her head like a dog and gave Astarion a lopsided smile. "Well, don't just stand there!" she shouted. "Come on in!"

But Astarion couldn't help himself. This was a side of the air genasi he never saw before. Careless and free. Relaxed and having...fun. She looked like a siren with her large golden eyes, beckoning to him with her song.

"Astarionnnnn," she singsonged. When he snapped out of his trance, her smile softened. It was reassuring. It was almost comforting.

The vampire spawn swiftly donned his mask as she swam towards the shore. "Coming, darling. I was just admiring the view," he purred, a predatory gleam in his crimson eyes.

He couldn't ignore the flicker of irritation in her gaze as she backflipped into the water, drenching him from head to toe. Emerging with a mischievous grin, she giggled, "You look like a grumpy cat." Astarion glared at her in annoyance. "Okay, okay." With a flick of her wrist, a warm gust of air enveloped him, drying him completely.

"Well, since you insist on pestering me until I join you, I might as well oblige," he said, a broad smirk spreading across his lips as he began to strip in front of her. She remained completely unfazed, and for a moment, he forgot she must be accustomed to such sights from her time living in the wild. He chuckled as she glanced down and raised her eyebrows.

Skye shrugged. "Not too shabby, Star."

"Oh, trust me. I know, my sweet," Astarion purred back as he joined her in the water.

She gave him another soft smile, and for the briefest moment, he felt his facade slipping, almost allowing himself to return the sentiment. But Astarion knew better and kept up his flirtatious front. "So, this was all just to get me naked in the water with you? Darling, all you had to do was ask."

"Don't act so coy, Star. You knew what was going to happen the moment we reached the river," Skye quipped with a mischievous smile. The vampire spawn couldn't suppress the genuine laugh that escaped him, cursing himself for it.

Vulnerability was weakness. He couldn't afford to be weak. Not when he was so close to being free. The closest he'd ever been. He had to keep up the facade. It was the only way to ensure her she waded towards the middle of the river, he followed with a predatory smirk, which she met with her own playful smile. When they reached the center, Skye took a deep breath. "I... I want to show you something."

Astarion tilted his head in confusion.

"Um," she swallowed, turning to face the moon. "Nobody knows about this but me. Not even Misty."

Before the vampire spawn could comment, a bluish glow enveloped her. She held her hands out in front of her, furrowing her brows in concentration. Suddenly, a bubble formed and floated to her hands. Astarion raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You can make... bubbles?" he deadpanned. "This is the big secret you wanted to show me?"

He knew he was in trouble the moment a huge smirk spread across her lips. In one smooth movement, Skye swept her arms across the water, conjuring a large wave that crashed down on the vampire spawn.

He looked up at her in irritation as his curls matted to his head. "You are going to pay for that."

The vampire spawn sent his own wave towards her. Skye stopped using her enhanced abilities to play fair, and the two of them giggled like children, splashing each other. For the first time, he allowed himself to let his guard down. After all, this was what she wanted. Plus, he couldn't deny the immense relief he felt once he let loose.

As the playful splashing continued, the moonlight danced on the water around them, casting a magical glow on their laughter-filled faces. Astarion felt an unfamiliar warmth in his chest, a sense of connection and freedom that he hadn't experienced in centuries. In that moment, surrounded by the gentle caress of the water and the echo of their laughter, he realized just how much he had needed this—this simple, joyous moment of unguarded companionship.

After their splash war ended, they leaned against the cliff face, still waist-deep in the water.

"I'm an air genasi. I'm not supposed to be able to manipulate water," Skye admitted, sounding almost embarrassed.

Astarion hummed thoughtfully. "Well, maybe that's not entirely a bad thing," he said gently. "It might mean you're one of the most powerful genasi to exist." A large, mischievous smirk spread across the vampire spawn's face. "And we need all the power we can get."

The air genasi had no words for him, so she simply nodded. They sat for a few more moments in silence before Astarion made his way over to the shoreline. A loud gasp escaped from Skye's lips as the ethereal beams of the moonlight shone on the vampire spawn's back, revealing raised scars in the shape of a rune. At the sound, Astarion tensed, stopping in his tracks. For once, he felt like the prey.

Skye slowly waded to the shore, approaching Astarion as if he were a frightened animal. She had the compulsion to touch the scars, but thought better of it, letting her hands linger just above them. "Who did this to you?"

"Take a guess," the vampire spawn muttered bitterly.

Gentle footsteps encircled him to face him for a moment. "Your master?"

"Former master," Astarion corrected with a scowl, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

The air genasi conjured glowing orbs around them as she studied the scars thoroughly. "They look like runes. Is it Infernal?"

"Infernal, what?" The vampire spawn cleared his throat. "Who knows? The bastard was insane."

Skye nodded slowly. "Whatever they are, they must hold some significance."

"Cazador considered himself an artist and would use his spawn as canvases," Astarion began, gazing down into the soft golden orbs below him. "He carved that one over the course of a night and made many revisions."

"Gods, I'm so sorry, Astarion." Skye's voice carried a weight of empathy as she spoke. It struck Astarion deeply, the sincerity in her expression piercing through his usual defenses. In all his years, he had rarely encountered such genuine concern from anyone, let alone someone he had known for so short a time.

He stood there silently, absorbing her words as an unfamiliar warmth spread through him. It wasn't pity that he saw in her eyes, but a genuine understanding of the pain he had endured. Skye's empathy touched something deep within him, stirring emotions he had long kept buried beneath layers of cynicism and detachment.

After a moment, the vampire spawn nodded in acknowledgment, his typically sharp wit momentarily softened by the genuine sincerity in the air genasi's eyes. She stood quietly, observing him as he gathered his clothes and began to dress.

"Astarion," she called out as he prepared to head back towards camp. He turned to face her, noting the spark of determination that now burned brightly in her golden gaze. Her voice, steady and resolute, carried a promise that resonated deeply within him.

"He will pay for what he did to you."

[chaoticlicense]

No More Than a Memory: Chapter 07

Chapter Summary: Miles visits Skye's old room with the hopes of finding something useful during interrogation but what he finds is something far more valuable.

Word Count: 2k

Tags: SFW, Miles Quaritch, Recom Miles Quaritch, Miles Quaritch x OC, Recom Miles Quaritch x OC, Female OC, AFAB OC, Mention of Sex Toys, Mention of Vibrators, Mention of Sex, Emotional, Angsty

AO3

Chapter 07

Previous Chapter

Now—Miles' POV

There’s barely a trace left of Skye in her old room. No scent. No real telltale signs of her living there. And why would there be? It’s been nearly twenty years since she set foot in here. 

As Miles steps foot inside, he wanders through the space with slow steps and looks at everything he can find. He goes through her closet, fingering her shirts and sweaters before moving to her nightstands. He opens up all of the drawers and rifles through some of her things. 

In the top drawer are some old vibrators that she had brought with her all the way from Earth (he remembers finding them during one of the first times they slept together). He smiles at the memory of when he held one up and asked, “Seriously? Of all the things you could have brought with you from home, you brought vibrators?” She had just shrugged, saying, “What can I say? I have needs.” Luckily those vibrators came in handy during sex over the years. He had enjoyed using them to overstimulate her, drawing orgasm after orgasm out of her until she was a moaning mess.

With a soft laugh, he shuts the drawer and moves to sit on her bed. The mattress creaks with the weight of him. Placing his hands on either side of him, he spreads his fingers and feels the soft fabric of her blanket under his palms. Closing his eyes, he breathes in the damp, musty scent of the room and exhales with a long sigh.

His attempts at getting Skye to open up have gotten him nowhere and he’s on the verge of giving up. If she wanted to talk to him she would have done so already but it’s made clearer each day that she has no interest in doing so. He’s frustrated, furious really, that Lyle of all people managed to get her to talk even though the conversation was less than helpful regarding their mission. 

But it got him thinking that maybe he needs to try a different approach. An approach that is less focused on pulling information out of her and more focused on reconnecting with her. Instead of thinking like a soldier, he needs to think like a man. A man that is still holding on to the part of himself that still has feelings for her. A man that has been fighting against those feelings ever since he found out she’s alive. 

When he saw her standing there, ready to defend Sully’s kids, he was hit with an overwhelming sense of relief. Relief and hope that not all was lost after the way things ended between them. And so, he decided to come to her room, hoping to uncover something that might help him find his way back to her again. If he succeeds, he may be able to get her to side with him.

Opening his eyes, Miles glances around the room once more. He takes note of her desk sitting with scattered pages of notes as well as an old tablet sitting upright. He walks to the desk and moves the chair out of the way so he can kneel. Looking over the device, he tilts his head, curious. The tablet is covered with dust just like everything else in the room but what interests him the most is the small storage device still connected to it. He plucks the device from the tablet and looks it over. There’s a small label on it with the words Personal Logs written on it.

Bingo.

This is exactly what he needs. 

He turns the device over in his hand. It looks intact despite the layer of dust on it. He hopes as he pulls out his personal tablet from his pocket, that it’s intact enough for him to use. Once his tablet is up and running he plugs in the storage device. It’s slow, but eventually, he accesses her old video logs. There are thousands of videos all organised in diligently labelled folders. 

It takes time for Miles to make his way through the majority of the videos. Most of them are about ten minutes long, others are nearly an hour, and then there’s the odd one that’s only about a minute or two in length. He skips over those. After several hours, his knees begin to ache from kneeling at the desk but he pushes through the pain and watches as many as he can. 

A lot of the video logs are about her research relating to the Na’vi. Despite finding these of minimal interest, he can’t help but watch the way her eyes light up when she goes over her findings, talking about the Omatikaya and their culture. She looks so enamoured with the Na’vi that it’s hard to skip over these logs. But the ones that stand out the most to him are the ones where she talks about her relationship with Miles.

It’s clear from Skye’s earlier entries that she did not like him whatsoever. She said in one video that, “he has a stick so far up his ass it’s a wonder he can walk straight”, which makes him snort. She also talks about how much she enjoyed riling him up on a daily basis, driving him up the wall with her endless antics. Apparently, she got a kick out of being an absolute menace towards him over the years. 

But over time, her attitude towards him changed. The timestamps on her video entries indicate that it took several years before Skye started to see him as more than just a soldier. She saw him as a man, a man she could love.

"I hope, in sharing some of my research with him, that I can make him see things differently. Maybe in doing so, I can help him see this world through my eyes. If I can just show him the beauty of this planet and its people…maybe he will learn to love them as I do. At the very least, I have to try."

When he hears her say that, something inside of him breaks down. What memories he has of spending time with her in her room while she passionately talked about her work are clouded by his lack of interest in what she said. He didn’t care about her research, not in the way that she so clearly hoped he would. He cared that she cared about it but that was it. It never went beyond that. 

Now, with the knowledge that she was trying to connect with him, to bond with him…Miles’ stomach turns at the thought of how he all but disregarded her.

As the videos progress, that sickening, guilty nausea in the pit of his stomach only grows. Moreso when he comes across the one where she confesses her growing feelings for him after all this time.

“I never imagined that I would fall for a man like him. But time has shown me that he’s more than just a soldier. There is a whole other side to him that he keeps close to the chest to avoid appearing weak. Men like him tend to believe that showing their feelings equates to weakness but I disagree. Our feelings are our strength. Without them, what are we? When I first met him he was…incredibly uptight and focused on one thing: security. The mission. But I truly believe there’s a side to him that he keeps to himself. 

Unlike most people around here, I’ve heard him laugh—I mean really laugh. I’ve seen him smile so genuinely that it lights up the room—which is rare if you know him even on a casual basis. And I’ve seen the way his eyes soften whenever we’re alone. There’s tenderness buried deep down inside of him that only comes out when we’re together.

At first, it was just sex. Sex between two people attracted to each other and who happen to enjoy each other’s company. But…it’s more than that now, for me, at least. I hate to say the words but I think I’m falling in love with him. And, to be honest, that scares me because I don’t want to fuck things up and lose whatever it is that we have…”

As she says this, Miles notes the way her gaze softens as she comes to terms with her feelings. Scared or not, her eyes contain multitudes of affection. Affection for him of all people. The idea makes his stomach flutter.

With each passing video log, he watches Skye become more vibrant and full of life. There is so much joy in her eyes no matter what she’s talking about. Whether it’s about him or her work or even the shenanigans she got up to with Lyle. He sees the light in her eyes as she talks into the camera. 

And then, in the very last entry, that light is nowhere to be found. 

Skye paces back and forth in her room with tears streaming down her face, only ceasing to sit down at her desk where she expresses her hatred for Miles after what he did to the Omatikaya when he blew up Home Tree. 

“I’ve been so stupid. So goddamn stupid. I should have known better. I should have known that all Miles cares about is his position and his so-called honour. I should have known that he could never love anything or anyone other than himself. Not me, not my work, not us or what we had. The only thing he’s ever cared about is his fucking mission…”

Miles stares at the screen as the final log ends. He rewinds the video by a few seconds and pauses it when her face comes back into view. He stares at her tear-strewn cheeks, at her eyes so full of hate, and it all comes crashing down on him at once. 

The realisation that all he has are his memories of her. One-sided, biased memories that don’t even begin to cover the truth of what she had gone through. He didn’t know how he had hurt her, how he had betrayed her and the love she offered so willingly to him. He didn’t know how she’d fallen for him or how hard she’d loved him over the years. 

She had opened her heart to him in the most subtle of ways; sharing her research with him, sharing her passion for Pandora and its people, and sharing her joy when she discovered something new. Skye gave her heart to him and all he gave to her in return was pain. He never once told her how much he loved her. Never once pulled her into his arms and said the words he so desperately wanted to share with her out loud. Why? He doesn’t know. But what he does know is that he regrets it more than anything in the world. 

Miles can’t help but feel angry at his actions. Though they were not directly his own, he now carries the weight of what was done on his shoulders. It pains him to think of how he had treated her. How he had done so much wrong by her in the end. He had something wonderful in the palm of his hand and he let it all go in the name of the mission.

Grimacing, he slams the tablet down and pushes himself back onto his feet. 

He won’t let it happen again. He won’t let Skye slip through his fingers. He may not be the same man that she talked about in her video logs, but he can be better. He can atone for the sins of his past and find his way back to her. Now that he knows her side of things, he can work on doing right by her. He has no idea where to start but what he does know for sure is that his love for her rages inside of him. 

At first, he fought against it because he knew what would happen if he let her get in the way of his mission but now? Now he embraces it with the hope that in doing so he can be a better man. For Skye and himself. 

Next Chapter Chapter Index

All written content belongs to ©chaoticlicense // you do not have permission to use any of my works // do not repost or modify/edit // all content is written for adults by an adult // any characters unless stated otherwise, belong to their rightful owners // Skye Miller is my OC and all rights to her character belongs to me.

[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!

[oneirocartographer]

saw a lot of people doing this oc questionnare for @sonic-oc-showdown so! filling it in for skye!

Name: Skye the Otter Species: Sea otter Type: Speed Alignment: Good Home: Southern Archipelago (Sol Zone)

✨ How did you come up with the OC's name? It's been ages, I don't actually remember, but presumably following the pattern of Blaze and Marine's names.

🌼 How old are they? (Or approximate age range) 15!

🌺 Do they have any love interest(s)? In lesbians with Blaze, though it's not really dating so much as "acknowledged mutual crush".

🍕 What is their favorite food? Pretty much anything lemon-flavored, particularly shaved ice/snowcone-type stuff.

💼 What do they do for a living? Freelance cartographer and occasional salvage diver.

🎹 Do they have any hobbies? Does "exploring" count as a hobby if that's the main thing she does with her life? Besides that, though: loves comics, and has sporadic periods of playing the flute.

🎯 What do they do best? Skye has an uncannily good sense of direction, even out at sea with no landmarks in sight – part of it is that her powers let her read the winds easily, but she's also just mundanely skilled at navigation.

🥊 What do they love to do? What do they hate to do? Loves: exploring, finding out new things. Hates: staying still. (can you tell they're a counterpart to sonic lmao)

❤️ What is one of your OC's best memories? Not sure! I haven't come up with a lot of continuity for them, it's basically just "was involved in the events of Sonic Rush Adventure". That said, probably finding some really cool place while exploring.

✂️ What is one of your OC's worst memories? Being stuck out at sea during a really nasty storm – their wind powers weren't strong enough to mitigate it, and it was a pretty terrifying experience. [this answer made up on the spot]

🧊 Is their current design the first one? Her design's pretty vague, because I've never actually drawn her, but the image of her in my head has stayed pretty consistent over the years, yeah!

🍀 What originally inspired the OC? I wanted to round out Blaze and Marine to a counterpart trio to Team Sonic, and it made sense to continue the elemental theme.

🌂 What genre do they belong in? Action-adventure, probably! They'd be a great Legend of Zelda NPC. (especially if you put them in wind waker / phantom hourglass)

💚 What is your OC's gender identity and sexuality? In the general ballpark of "trans girl" (she's content not trying to narrow it down more than that), and a lesbian.

🙌 How many siblings does your OC have? I hadn't thought about it until Right Now, but I think she's got two or three younger siblings.

🍎 What is the OC's relationship w/ their parents like? Hadn't thought about this before either, but it's pretty good, I think. She doesn't see them a lot, what with the traveling, but she does her best to visit now and then.

🧠 What do you like most about the OC? funky lesbian go on adventure

✏️ How often do you draw/write about the OC? I... never have, actually. I just imagine comics with them and go :) about it. Someday I should actually try and draw her.

💎 Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

(^ not meant negatively, to be clear, it's just not something it's ever occurred to me to do)

💀 Does your OC have any phobias? Nah. The closest they've got is that outer space conceptually scares them a little to think about (it's VERY BIG and there's NO AIR).

🍩 Who is your OC's arch-nemesis/rival? Jules the Dolphin, another of my OCs (crewmember of the Sol Zone's archvillain, the cyborg pirate-queen Captain Octavia).

🎓 How long have you had the OC? A long time – they were one of my first OCs, back when I was... 12/13-ish, I think? So nearly a decade, wow.

[crissiebaby]

The Padded Palace Act III: Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: This story contains diaper usage, crossdressing, inappropriate language, humiliation, masturbation/diaper sex, and other ABDL themes. Be sure to check out the link in the description if you need to start all the way back from the first chapter in Act I! I hope you enjoy!

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

“Old MacDonald had a farm!”

“Ee-I-Ee-I-O!”

“And on that farm, he had some cows!”

“Ee-I-Ee-I-O!”

Singing back and forth in tandem, Latasha and Skye were making the most out of their time on the road by singing along to a children’s CD together. While kiddy songs weren’t something that Latasha or even Skye listened to on their own, car trip sing-a-longs were a favorite pastime amongst the Padded Palace crew. It was the perfect exercise to keep Littles active and engaged, preventing any road trip boredom from causing civil unrest.

For Skye, she was more than happy to play along with her Mommy. It wasn’t even a half-an-hour after they departed from the Palace that all thoughts of her “feud” with Latasha over Connor were left in the rearview mirror, washing away any bitterness she may have felt toward her caregiver. Meanwhile, the nebulous anticipation of going to her first ABDL convention in a few years was slowly shifting to something more tangible as they drove closer to their destination. “Awe we dere yet, Mommy?” she asked as Old MacDonald began to fade out on the car’s stereo.

“Still a good couple of hours,” said Latasha, reaching down to the console and silently skipping the next song before it could start playing. Seconds later, a whimsical version of Baa Baa Black Sheep began to echo out of the car’s speakers. She signed with relief before continuing to speak, “How’s your diaper holding up, sweetie?”

Shifting in her seat, Skye’s butt could be numb and the noise alone would be enough to tell her she was drenched. Luckily for her, she was able to feel every squelch that her diaper created, causing her to blush like crazy as she responded, “I-Ish pwetty wet buh I fink I gud fo nows.” With her eyes locked on Latasha to make sure she didn’t see anything, the pervy Little’s hand slowly slipped between her legs as she ran her finger along the crotch of her diaper, biting her lip seductively.

Believing herself to be extremely stealthy, it would come as quite a shock if Skye were to find out that Latasha was well aware of what she was doing even without having to look. Crinkly diapers had a way of letting Bigs know when their Littles were getting too handsy. Luckily for Skye, Latasha had no interest in disrupting Skye’s fun. It was a lengthy trip for anyone, especially a Little. As a seasoned Big, she knew in moments like this, it was best not to discourage self-exploration.

Still, it hadn’t gone unnoticed by Latasha that Skye’s horny nature was popping up more and more recently. Whether it was during naps, at lunchtime, or in the nursery, Skye’s hands were constantly slipping between her legs to grab a big, naughty handful of diaper fluff. She’d considered sitting Skye down to address the subject but decided against it out of fear that Skye would end up regressing back to her old, isolationist ways. Though, if things continued to escalate, she’d be left with no choice. The best thing to do for now was to cut her off nonchalantly when needed without tipping her off to the reality of how noisy her solo play sessions were. And since they were alone and on the road until at least 6 PM, she had no issue letting Skye go to town on herself.

As her breathing picked up, Skye began rocking back and forth in her car seat, her hips thrusting as her sex drive overwhelmed her senses. Due to masturbating two to three times a day on average now, Latasha had one massively horny baby on her hands. Ever since that weekend with Carol and Ellie, her arousal had become too much to control, causing her to crave similar treatment whenever her kitten began to moisten. Only, as much as she loved Latasha, she didn’t want that kind of relationship with her, but with Connor. She imagined his hand on her diaper as she pushed herself into a climax, emitting the tiniest of squeaks as she exploded in her diaper.

“I’m gonna be stopping for lunch soon. Does a Happy Meal sound good?” said Latasha, waiting until she heard Skye finish before asking about food.

Sitting up straight in an attempt to act casual, Skye nodded shakily, still coming down from her pleasure high. “Uh, y-yes! Dat souns yummy!” she responded, feeling like the naughtiest girl in the world as she recovered from her “secret” orgasm. Looking out the window at the wide open plain filled with countless rows of corn, she sighed contently, knowing this would be far from her final orgasm of the weekend.

Seeing Skye’s satisfied expression in the mirror, Latasha could only smile at her precious, lustful baby girl. It had been far too long since it was just the two of them and with this weekend already starting on a high note, their time at CrissCon 2023 was bound to be a memorable experience. Her only regret was that Little ConCon could join them for his first con. She hoped he was having as much fun running the Padded Palace on his own as she and Skye were having.

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

“This is pure misery,” thought Connor, sweat beating down from his forehead as he rushed back into the kitchen to check on lunch. It had been an eventful morning for the freshman caregiver, to say the least. After two months of working as Latasha’s pair of extra hands, he had failed to realize just how much of a Herculean task it was to operate an adult baby daycare center on his own, “Seriously, how did Latasha pull this off for months on end?!”

Opening the oven, Connor looked at the pan filled with sizzling dinosaur chicken nuggets, nodding his head affirmatively as he shuttered the oven again and began setting out plates on the kitchen counter. “Perfect, another two minutes and those should be good to go,” he said to himself, the tiniest feeling of relief creeping up on him as he’d nearly managed to cross one thing off his extensive to-do list.

“CONNOW! I NEED HEWP!”

As he set a third plate on the countertop, Connor exhaled solemnly, lowering his head as an over-energized Little’s voice bellowed out into the hallway. “One sec!” he shouted back, barely hanging onto the kind, patient voice he tried to maintain at all times.

Exiting the kitchen, Connor jogged back into the nursery to find Ellie and Stacy playing tug-of-war with a long, caterpillar stuffy that had all 26 letters of the alphabet on its stubby legs and the numbers 1 through 12 lining its back. “Teww Stacy ta give him back!” shrieked Ellie, pulling on the plushy with all her might.

Clinging to the caterpillar’s lower half, Stacy’s hold on the stuffed animal was nigh unbreakable thanks to the way she had it clamped between her thighs. “My tuwns nod over yet!” she barked back, lifting a hand off the fluffy friend and pushing Ellie backward with a big shove.

The direct attack caused Ellie to instantly release her half of the stuffy, sending her tumbling backward onto her padded rump. It wasn’t long after that the waterworks kicked up. “WAAAAAAAAAAH!” she yelled mercilessly, forcing everyone in the immediate area to cover their ears.

Braving the reverberation of Ellie’s cries, Connor approached the wailing girl and brought her in for a comforting hug. “Shhh, shhh, shhh! It’s okay. It was an accident,” he said, lowering Ellie’s tantrum from all-out screaming to sniffling in seconds. Patting Ellie’s back to console her, he closed his eyes and soaked in the momentary silence, using his hug with Ellie as his own source of comfort.

“Why does Ewwie gets da hug?! I da victim hewe!” shouted Stacy, dropping the caterpillar to her feet as he placed her hands on her hips in a huff.

Connor glared as he turned to look at Stacy, letting his emotions get the better of him as he found himself unable to maintain impartiality. “I don’t care who started it. You know better than to get physical,” he said, continuing to pet Ellie’s hair.

“Connow’s wite,” chimed in Riri, who was contently minding her business as she knelt in front of the easy-bake oven working on her overly-sprinkled cookies, “Pwus, chus did pwomise ta let Ewwie have it wike an howr ago.”

Sticking her tongue out at Riri, Stacy was less than pleased with how everyone in the nursery was gaining up on her. “Chu weren even a pawt of dis, sho shush!” she said assertively, pointing a harsh finger in Riri’s direction, “It don even madder anyways cuz Connow towd me I cood have dis stuffy aww day if I wanted! Wite Connow?” She swiveled her head Connor’s way, narrowing her gaze and shifting her eyes down to his crotch for a split-second as a rotten smirk grew on her face.

As much as Connor wanted to call out Stacy’s obvious bullshit, he knew outing her lie now would only result in her outing the pull-ups he was currently dawning. Begrudgingly, he had no choice but to relent. “Sorry, I-I forgot I said you could all day if you wanted,” he said, his heart filling with unfettered guilt as he stared into the shocked expressions that Riri and Ellie now wore.

“See? Towd ya!” said Stacy, presenting her tongue once again to Riri, this time in victory. Sniffing the air, her sadistic smile only grew as the scent of char filled the air, “By da way, it smewws wike sumfings buwning.”

With his eyes going as wide as the empty plates he had set out on the kitchen counter, Connor released his grip around Ellie’s shoulders and jumped to his feet. Dashing toward the kitchen, he beelined straight to the oven and pulled the door open, only to be met with a puff of smoke and two dozen nearly-black dino nuggies spaced out evenly on the metal tray. He shut the oven door quickly so as not to allow the smoke to set off the fire alarm. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, leaning his head against the microwave that was built in the space over the stovetop.

“I-Is evewyfing okie?”

Whipping around, Connor was disheartened to find three sets of concerned, hungry eyes. Well, more like two sets. Stacy was still smirking up a storm, which somehow made Connor feel even more incompetent than if she just felt sorry for him. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, he knew there was no way to cover up the mistake he had made. Flashing a wide grimace, he did his best to stay positive in the face of mounting anxiety, “So uh…w-who’s up to order pizza?”

TO CONTINUED…

« PREVIOUS l FIRST l NEXT »

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

Heyyo! Can't wait until next week for more Padded Palace!? Subscribe to my Patreon, where you can get early access to main series chapters like this one, as well as exclusive content you won't find anywhere else! Join my dollhouse at patreon.com/crissiebaby!

Edited by AllySmolShork

[gray-soul]

What your Valorant main says about you in my perspective after playing Valorant for some time (and as a Cypher main):

Brimstone - Oh I can trust you with everything, Daddy Brim for the win. You either have a ton of lineups for that molly which land and you often clutch or if you're a new Brim enjoyer you die inside as your lineups don't land and the enemy gets the win. You're either very responsible, or just like how much of a meme he is. I like ya.

Viper - You're either a mean egirl, or just some guy that swears he only plays her because he can't smoke. We all know you're just here for her hotness, which I can't argue with. I don't recall many bad Vipers, and as I play as her sometimes you're a solid person.

Omen - oh come on who doesn't main Omen. He is a solid character that has a good kit, good background and is overall fun. You're either an edgy kid that tps instead of walking or you're actually just a chill m8. Please if you play in low elo learn how to smoke, it is painful to see some of these smokes fr. No Agos, I will not main him just because he looks cool. Also some of you that play as Omen are actual sweethearts that smoke me if I ping, and I appreciate you for that.

Killjoy - You're either fun, or you instalock and then tell me the most obvious fact about placing trips. If you instalock KJ and then force me to fill, well you're rude. Don't do that. I used to main KJ and please for the love of God change that turret position sometimes. Sometimes maining KJ is a phase, other times it's a lifestyle. Get off tiktok while you're chilling in backsite and maybe sometimes get off B on ascent. Everyone knows the KJ setup on B ascent and it's boring af /j. Overall you're chill, unless you get on my nerves with using your alarm bot on flank when there's already my trip there.

Cypher - You have good taste my friend. Even though it pains me when you don't have any setups, or when you place a bad trip on flank. Just kneel, and get that damn trip at the right hight. But overall you're fun if you know anything about using his utility, but you're making me cringe if you don't use the damn utility at all. Trip flank well, use that damn camera flash, and don't play like a duelist.

Sova - You probably played CS before switchinf to Valorant. You're most of the time a chill person, sometimes you steal avaragejohnas's lineups, sometimes you make your own. I love teaming up with a Sova and destroying people. You're cool, but the disrespect I feel when you kill me with a shockdart is agonising

Sage - Unpopular opinion, I don't like bad Sage mains. Specifically battle Sages. Oh for heaven's sake IF I PLACED A TRIP ON FLANK DON'T WASTE THE DAMN WALL TO COVER IT! This should be common sense! Your wall has so much potential bro! Or when you revive someone just to waste your ult at the end of the round, or when you only heal yourself. But. If you're a good Sage, I bow and kneel to you. Because you are a mountain.

Phoenix - Flash me again and I will find and punch your ass.

Jett - You're dead.

Reyna - A lot of times I have more kills than you, and yet you're calling me bad fr. You go mid and don't do entry then die giving the enemy a number advantage orrr you're afk. There was only one Reyna main that was fun to play with and it was an 11 year old boy.

Raze - eghem: "MY TRIPSS NOOOOOO" I yell after a Raze nade destroys my trip. I like my team Raze, because you're chill, probably love movement characters and have a good music taste, but the enemy Raze always makes me dead inside.

Breach - Oh you're cool I like you. Basically the same reaction as with Brim mains. You're a solid part of the team.

Skye - Flash me again and I will kill you part 2. You're either a great source of info, or you're a troller. You're alright ^-^

Yoru - You either troll or pop off. Flash me again and I'll kill you part 3

Astra - Never seen a bad Astra main. You're probably having the time of your life playing this forsaken game. You're smiling after basically getting match mvp and drinking tea. You're a great person.

Kay/O - flash me again and I'll slay you part 4, I love a good Kay/O main, and sometimes I wish I was you. Kay/O is hot.

Chamber - You're popping off too hard, and Riot next patch will nerf you. Or you're a child, or a simp.

Neon - Please stop only buying a judge just so you'll have funky clips. 90% of the time it doesn't work. Other then that you're a very chill person.

Fade - Emo girl or an Emo boy. You're very chill, miss your lineups if you even have them and basically chill.

Harbor - You.... exist? Wow. Yeah Harbor can be hard, and if you master him, congrats! But I do have a lot of clips where I destroy Harbors...

Gekko - Let's be Honest you would die and will die for your silly animals. Wingman stole your heart.

Deadlock - Instalock her and I'll laugh in your face. I'm sorry but she's imo one of the worst Sentinels. Please choose a better character... please.

Anyway, this was made in a /j manner. Don't come after me if you feel insulted. This is all for fun and you should play who you want to play ^-^.

[dead-loch]

I'm trying to make sense of Skye's life for fic purposes and these are the notes I've taken so far:

Cath says she was Skye’s first girlfriend when she was 20 (or broke her heart when she was 20?? Who knows how long they dated).

Cath and Dulcie lived in Sydney prior to moving to Deadloch. Skye lived in Sydney at the same time they did (at some point, anyway).

Cath and Dulcie moved to Deadloch 5 years ago, and Ray moved to Deadloch, on Skye’s recommendation, prior to that.

Skye and Nadiyah and Tom only moved to Deadloch a year ago.

Between Sydney and Deadloch, Skye lived overseas (established when the other bodies pop up in the lake that Skye could not have killed them).

According to trivia, Skye was a teenager during the 1990s, which means she was born at least in the 1980s or slightly earlier?

Nadiyah is 30 years old currently (also based on trivia, unsure if she is exactly 30 or just in her 30s)

Skye says in her interview that Vanessa outed her, and that after that Trent and Gavin started bullying her, followed by adults, incl. her dad and Rod Dixon, “getting involved”. Skye is in that photo of the football team as a teenager, so still in Deadloch and evidently has not been outed yet, possibly when she's between 15-17?

In the same interview, Dulcie says Skye made her “triumphant return after 22 years”. If Skye is (let’s say), 37, that would mean she left at 15 (which I don’t believe works out in the timeline?). If she’s 40, though, it would mean she left at 18. This would mean she had Tom at 23, not as a teenager.

It would also mean that she had Tom years after leaving Deadloch, and after dating Cath.

It would mean she dated Cath after she left Deadloch, too.

I think I assumed that Cath is from Deadloch and that when she and Dulcie moved there, she was returning home. Did I make that up or is it said at some point? I might have assumed just cause she inserts herself into other people's lives like she's known them forever.

I might be missing some info, hard to believe with the number of rewatches, but I feel like with Mads Sami, Kate Box and Alicia Gardner all being in their early 40s in real life, it tracks that Skye would be around the same age (even though I had pegged her as younger tbh and thought that meant she'd had Tom at a very very young age)

[wahlpaper]

Never Ever Getting Back Together Review

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

CW: Past Cheating, Gaslighting, Swearing, Heavy Drinking, Regrettable Drunk Behavior, Pitting Girls Against Each Other, Past Abandonment, Underage Drinking, Toxic Relationships, Slut Shaming, Mistreating Service Workers, Emotional Abuse, Toxic Obsession, Discussion of Sexual Content, Dangerous Environmental Events, Sexism, Biphobia, Car Accident, Vomit

4.5/5

I have read every Sophie Gonzales book (that's made it to audiobook), so it's only natural that I read Never Ever Getting Back Together too. Although, it is quite likely that I would have read this novel even if I had never heard of Sophie Gonzales. After reading The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun in 2021, I had been craving another queer reality dating show book. So thank you to Gonzales for satisfying that craving, you could never disappoint.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is centered around a second chance reality dating show for the brother of a girl who married into European royalty. Out of all of Jordy's exs, 6 agree to come on the show. While most are there to give it a real try, Maya wants revenge. When Maya was 16, he cheated on her and gaslighted both her and the next girl, Skye. Skye doesn't let many people in, but she and Jordy ended on confusing terms. She comes on the show cautiously willing to see if she can find love this time. This love just might not come from where she expects it. The contestants will have 7 weeks to discover how they feel about Jordy.

I have never been cheated on, but I've definitely tried dating people that weren't worth it. This book was cathartic for me to read. Jordy was a virtue signaling jerk with a serious commitment problem. His character seemed realistic in all of the intentionally horrible ways. While Maya, and later Skye, were there to get revenge on him for cheating on them, thus providing the catharsis element of Never Ever Getting Back Together, I like that they weren't perfect or consistently likable. Maya has moments of being impulsive and harsh, not looking out for herself or others. Skye is always ready to assume the worst and can be annoying about it at times. These girls, alongside their well-written competitors, quickly won my heart and had me rooting for them anyway. Having an ensemble of interesting and complex characters, including Jordy, made this book the success it is.

If you're looking for bi representation specifically, Never Ever Getting Back Together is a great choice. Both Skye and Maya are bi and out. They take the time to talk about their experiences as they dance around the idea that they might like each other. The pair share a gay producer who is trying to win a trip for his boyfriend and himself. There are other characters in the story who are implied to be queer as well. I love living in a time where there are an abundance of books written with queer identity as a casual thing. While there is nothing inherently wrong with coming out stories or the informative queer tragedies, it's absolutely time for queer bliss. More stories that can talk about queer existence without having to validate it please!

There were some elements of Gonzales's novel that I struggled with, the pacing and the age of the characters. The competition portion of the story is supposed to take place over 7 weeks, but felt shorter than that. I will cut it some slack, though. Reality shows are edited to fit into less than an hour per episode, so it makes sense as a reflection of that. We got a sped up version of their story, but with many more details than the TV audience would have received. As for the ages, Skye and Maya didn't seem like they were about 18 or 19 years old. It was a mixture of the audiobook narrators sounding older and the fact that they were on a second chance romance show. If all of the contestants and Jordy were in their late 20s, I wouldn't have been surprised. That being said, neither of these things ruined Never Ever Getting Back Together. It was a great read!

If you're looking for a dating show book where the contestants fall for each other instead, let Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales be that book. You'll get to read about woman solidarity, service workers who stop putting up with the abusive client, and the reminder that life works in unexpected ways. I hope this book will be cathartic for you as well!

[purenguyening]

For the name + question thing: N A O - (A) L I C E + M Y S T (E) R (I C A)

spell your name in my ask, fandom edition!

N, your favourite crackship:

Nakamori Aoko/Mouri Ran, mostly because I like to poetically name the ship "A blue orchid". I do think they should meet and they'd definitely get a long, though.

A, fandom you blog about the most:

Going based on tumblr, probably Touhou Project? It's the fandom that saw the most activity out of me.

O, tell us about your favourite AU for one of your ship:

In the same Touhou Modern AU, I like the idea of Yoshika and Kasen running a Dim Sum shop together, but like with every other alternate universe, I never dedicated time to actually sit down and flesh it out further...

--

A, fandom you blog about the most:

I think second most might be Ace Attorney (though I have never finished Spirit of Justice and ever started the Dai Gyakuten Saiban series). I used to write a decent amount of meta thoughts on it and had a short list of what I imagined an Ace Attorney Investigations III would look like, it's still floating around somewhere on Tumblr under my old blog...

L, a quote from one of your fandoms which you absolutely adore:

Haibara: Oh, since when did I become your assistant?

Conan: Not, assistant, partner.

&

Haibara: Moreover, I also believe in him as my partner.

This is a bit of a cheat because I think it works specifically if you know they're from back to back movies (the former from Movie 11 and the latter from Movie 12). They're a very lovely pair of moments that I think captures a lot of the trust and faith Conan and Ai have in each other.

I know the term they specifically use is 'aibou' but I have heard it's slowly becoming a term to have a romantic sense and I, personally do like the term partner as a romantic term, too...

I, a book you can read over and over:

A Tour of Calculus by David Berlinkski. I like reading about the history of mathematics. I don't know if I can fully read it right now and follow all of the logic since it's been a long time since I've read anything about mathematics in full detail, but I would like to give it a go in the neat future.

Also, I love that one of the chapters is just title "Yo."

C, which fandom do you know the most about?

Touhou Project just because of sheer scale and how long it's been running. I would argue, even though I only focus on like a small faction of Touhou, it's still a lot.

It's a very dense series and even if you only focus a small section you end up learning a lot.

E, a character you think you’re the most like?

Ema Skye from Ace Attorney. I can't help but feel a lot for her about her frustrations in her career path and wanting to repay my debts to others but not able to due to circumstances out side of my control.

--

M, your favourite writer/s

I had to think about this because I tend to only read a small fraction of a writer's works and it's rare for me to read all of their works.

Off the top of my head: blackidyll, huppaduppa, mimicteruyo, and rabbiteclair

For a more traditional published author, Rebecca Traister has been lingering in the back of my mind lately.

Y, which of your favourite shows has the worst writing?:

Detective Conan, but I think is in part to Aoyama wanting to push for like 200 volumes and so there's a lot of easy points.

One moment that I find particularly off-putting is Haibara's restrained reaction to Kid tazing Conan. It just felt off and it's one of those moments that I really felt my suspension of disbelief breaking.

The other moment is during the London Arc where Ran shouts at Shinichi to "deduce her heart". That moment made me incredibly uncomfortable.

S, which ship do you have an infinite amount of songs for?

Honestly, none. I have like one romantic song that I will shamelessly slap onto all of my OTPs instead.

It's Nodey's Đôi Khi ❤️

(Yes, the heart emoji is very important) There's some details of the song that I know won't work for every OTP, but I just adore the refrain too much:

Đôi khi em trông thấy anh

Đôi khi lại không

Đôi tay ta ôm lấy nhau

Không đi về đâu

Sometimes I see you,

Sometimes I don't

Our hands embracing

Into nowhere.

The above is the official translation (like, what you'll see when you turn on English Subtitles) but the way I've always understood the song is:

Sometimes, I see you, sometimes I don't. (With) our hands entwined (we're) going nowhere.

Functionally, they're the same, but my read of it is a little bit more personal? And I always thought it suited a bit more once you know the featured artist, Suboi, is married to Nodey.

I digress.

T, favourite female characters?

At the moment, Makomo.

I don't know why but when I'm alone I find myself muttering "Everyone shut the fuck up, right now, Makomo's here" every time I saw her and it's kind of evolved a bit where my friends will send me art with the caption: "Everyone be quiet!!! She's here!!!" and I just get really happy? I love her dearly.

E, a character you think you’re the most like?

Haibara Ai, I just love her arc and her coming to terms with the past and how it doesn't define her who she is today. She's rebuilding her life and finding joy in the people who love her.

R, best book to film adaptation, in your opinion?

This is cringe and a failure on me since I don't have usually pick up a lot of books and movie adaptations together so my only answer is, sadly, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I, a book you can read over and over

I'm not entirely sure if I should count it since I'm really only reading it for one specific chapter but, One-Winged Butterfly, specifically the chapter "For Those Who Do Not Smile."

There's a lot of fun details that just bring a smile to my face.

C, which fandom do you know the most about?

Free! Probably in part there's a lot of magazine articles and interviews that have been translated over the years so I end up picking up a lot of the thought process behind the making of the series.

A, fandom you blog about the most

Going by my blog's tags, Free!