Disclaimer: I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.
Warnings: This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers. Please exercise understanding of personal sensitivities before and during reading.
Author's Note(s): So I did an Ask Game on my Tumblr for flash fiction prompts and Jet asked for something in The Quiet Calm, specifically a quick meeting between Penelope and Luna.
Song Recommendation: "Moon" by Sleeping at Last
Timeline References: Pre-S01Ep01 (Extreme Aggressor); Post- War (Not Epilogue Compliant); Pre-The Universe Inside
Challenge/Competition Block:
Stacked with: MC4A (Games/Special Events Circle)
Individual Challenges: Beauty of the Abstract; Writing with Music; Ravenclaw MC; Magical MC; LEO MC; Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion; Zed Era; Old Shoes (Y); New Fandom Smell; Wheels Up; Skittles [Bi Femme]; In a Flash; The Story Goes On; Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Greatest Gift
Other MC4A Challenges (Prompt): SpB [5D](Tea); SuB [4B](Orange); AU [4A](Librarian); FaB [5B](Hot Beverage); Set [3E](Daytime); Chim [Otis]("Wait for It" - Hamilton); Fire [Hard](It Continues); Hunt [Sp Con](Tea); Garden [Word Song](Fantastic); Hang [03](Nontraditional Family); Harvest [Fandoms](Criminal Minds)/[Items](Cup)/[Settings](Coffee Shop)/[Trope](Meet Cute)/[Relationships](Nontraditional Family)
Representation: Autistic Luna Lovegood; Penelope Garcia; Team as Family; Background Luna/Harry QPR
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenge(s): Under the Bridge; Getting On; Jet Fuel; Soul-Like; Second Verse (Bechdel Test; Ladylike; Not a Lamp; Found Family; Nontraditional; Zucchini Bread; Middle Name; Unwanted Advice; Car in a Tutu; Lovely Coconuts; Muck & Slime); Chorus (Odd Feathers; Wabi Sabi; Tomorrow's Shade; A Long Dog; Unicorn; Abandoned Ship; Head of Perseus; Surprise!; Turtle-Duck; Sitting Hummingbird)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse); SN (Rail); FR (Liberation; Satisfaction); O3 (n/a); RoIL (Exuviation; Satisfaction); TY (n/a)
Word Count: 526
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Infinity
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"Let there be light." – Sleeping at Last, Sun
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Penelope spotted the blonde mostly because of her love of body art. The woman was wearing a skirt the exact color of New York Style vanilla ice cream and a tank top that was pale gray. Combined with the woman's pale skin and nearly white hair, Penelope had almost lost her in the equally pale backdrop of white marble that surrounded the little coffee shop near the FBI headquarters.
But Penelope's eyes had gotten caught on the fantastic tattoos that spiraled up the woman's left arm from wrist to shoulder. It was just a repeating pattern of circles with dots in the center and jagged looking lightning bolts. There was three lines of it, each in a different but bold color (blood red, jet black, and cobalt blue). Vines of ivy and wisteria twisted up the woman's right arm.
"Oh, gorgeous," Penelope squeaked, reaching out before she could even think about stopping herself. The woman twisted around to grab her hand before it brushed against the dark green leaves. Penelope squeaked again when she found herself staring into eyes the color of tempered steel. The woman squeezed her hand briefly but refrained from releasing it.
"You shouldn't touch strangers without permission," the woman said in a flat-ish tone. Penelope felt her face heating up, because she knew that already (working with survivor groups like she did, how could she not?), but it had not even crossed her mind in her excitement. She had just reached for the colors without even pausing to think. The woman's gaze cut away towards the pick-up counter. "You look very pretty, too. Like a quetzal bird."
Penelope grinned as she petted the puffs she had styled her hair into for the day. She had gone a bit wilder than she normally would, because Hotch had been extra strained the last few weeks because of his wife's pregnancy issues and Gideon still being on sabbatical. Seeing her bright colors tended to make Hotch just as happy as it made her, and when Hotch was happy, so were JJ and Morgan. She didn't mind making a stranger happy at the same time.
Especially one with a pretty British accent.
"Thank you," Penelope replied just as the barista called out for Luna. The blonde gave Penelope's hand a stroke before finally dropping it and stepping away. Penelope immediately stepped closer again, not wanting the woman to leave just yet. "Luna is a pretty name. But then I guess it would have to be, wouldn't it? Otherwise, how could it fit the moon?"
"How indeed," Luna agreed with a slight smile. Penelope watched as she licked her lips, suddenly seeming much more nervous than she had been just a moment prior. "I need to pick up my tea and get back to my friend's place. You take care of yourself, little quetzal bird."
And just like that, the woman was gone again. If Penelope spend the next few weeks looking up pictures of Mexican birds, then that was between her and her own security programs. No one needed to know how she couldn't shake the memory of a hand on hers and gray eyes that smiled.
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An Ending
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