First Encounters [Multi-Fandom]

Skye & Damon

The BUS team rarely has time off given their status as the new and improved SHIELD, so when Director Coulson comes out and tells some of his agents to take the next couple days off and breathe, Skye happily links arms with Jemma and escapes before the newly named DC can change his mind.

Hunter is given a quinjet and told to drop off agents wherever it is they want to go- as long as it wasn't too far from base- and Skye and Jemma take a chance by blindly slamming a finger down on the map, letting Fate dictate their journey.

Virginia ends up being their state and after searching for the most eye catching city or town name, Jemma finds the name Mystic Falls the most appealing. So after doing a quick search and ignoring the number of suspicious animal attacks (it wasn't like they were going to go gallivanting in the woods), Skye deems the town worthy of a visit when she sees they're having a social event and tells Hunter to drop them off there. And lo and behold, Mystic Falls ends up being the rich little town where everyone knows everyone as Skye had guessed when she was reading up on the town cookout for that day.

People are milling about, friendlier than one person should be allowed to be, and talking among themselves about what their week had been like. Skye and Jemma feel almost like intruders, keeping to themselves but smiling and waving politely when they're noticed. There's hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and bins of soft drinks as well home-made lemonade being passed out, and the two girls quickly find themselves liking the small town vibe.

The sun beaming down on them is comfortable and even when the sun is long gone, the atmosphere is cool and energetic.

The two girls notice that everyone's gathering to one specific location, cloth-like squares being handed out from cardboard boxes that are eventually pulled open and lit up to reveal themselves as paper lanterns.

"Were they having some type of lantern ceremony tonight?" Jemma wonders.

"I guess," Skye mumbles, pulling free her phone to check the events of the night once again.

A local carrying her own cardboard box overhears, stopping in her tracks and backtracking with a friendly smile. She introduces herself as Elena and tells them that they are having a lantern ceremony- the ceremony being a yearly thing now where they release a lantern for a lost loved one. And remembering how many people this town has lost within the last several years, Skye understands the need for a lantern ceremony and finds it very heartfelt especially after seeing the first few lanterns already dotting the night sky.

"Do you, uh, wanna release one?" Elena sheepishly asks.

Jemma and Skye look at one another, one name in particular immediately coming to mind, and nod.

"Sure," Skye shrugs. "I think our friend Tripp would like that."

"Excellent." Elena smiles. "Come with me and meet my friends. Some are missing, but the ones worth meeting are here."

So that's how Skye and Jemma find themselves being introduced to a bunch of Elena's friends, the two girls getting a paper lantern each to be released in Tripp's name.

xXx

"So what brings you two ladies to Mystic Falls?" Stefan asks, quirking an eyebrow at Skye who's slowly sipping from a red solo cup. That girl Caroline apparently liked spiking drinks.

"Bossman gave Jem and I some much needed off time. We honestly picked up a map and flew wherever our finger landed."

"Flew?" Elena asks from her perch on Stefan's lap.

"Perk of our job," Jemma smiles, chuckling. "Private jet and what not."

"Yeah? And just what is it that you two do?"