American Honey

Lyanna McClain, Spring Sprite in Training

[a-springin-herstep]

oh-phineas​:

In Memoriam || Phinly

Phineas let out a long breath. “…Yeah,” was all he really could say for a moment. Because what else was there to say? Phineas had never been particularly eloquent when it came to moments like this. But even if he was, he didn’t think there was anything he could say that would make this make sense. It was just… really fucking sad, was the truth of it, wasn’t it?

He looked at the flower Lyanna had made, reflecting on that for a moment and letting the silence hang in the air. Phineas was usually uncomfortable with silence. But right now there was something comforting about it. He could kind of understand why some people liked quiet.

They couldn’t not say anything forever, though, so Phineas pushed off the thought and looked up at Lyanna. “I think doing something like this’ll help. It’s gotta, right? I mean, I just hate feeling like I can’t do anything. And I know it’s not going to fix everything, but… I dunno, it’s the only idea I’ve got.” 

He shrugged. “So… I guess maybe we can use some of these flowers to do a little, uh, memorial thing? Like maybe we could do a poster board or something where people can write memories they have or something? Is that lame?”

The silence that enveloped them wasn’t thick like most silences. It was... comforting. Almost as if they were finding solace in it. And that was one thing that hadn’t been big with the group chat, at least. Everyone had an opinion or thought on what happened to Eric. Not a lot just took the time to... feel the sadness associated with the tragedy. 

She supposed that was what was meant when there were moments of silence for those that had passed. It allowed a collective to share their grief and to honor the fallen. She’d always done it out of duty before at football games back home and things like that but now... now she understood it. It made sense and it made her want to do something good for Eric, for the people that Eric left behind.

“I don’t think it’s lame. I think it’s a nice way for people to share memories of Eric,” she nodded as she traced her finger along another flower. “I think we could even talk to the Dean about setting up an actual like memorial thing. Like...” She paused as she bit her lip and shook her head. “Okay this is gonna sound really stupid but like in Pretty Little Liars, right? They had that bench thing as a sort of memorial for Allison? What if we did something similar?”

[a-springin-herstep]

the-name-is-chip​:

Be My Escape || Lyp

So, apparently, prom was a thing! 

Chip was freaking excited about it! He’d only seen stuff about prom in movies and TV shows, but never actually got to experience it for himself. That was total human bean culture (though he figured there were probably some School Borrowers out there who had their own little prom. That made sense.) But hey, turns out it wasn’t too late! Enchanted Garden, here comes Mr. Chip Jones! 

Hopefully…with a date. 

He’d hesitated about asking Lyanna, honestly. He had been seeing her super casually throughout the semester, but they’d never solidified anything thus far. He was chill with that– as a busy RAS agent, a relationship could be tricky. Plus, she was busy too. So maybe she wouldn’t be into the idea of prom. It might be too… coupley. 

Chip was taking his shot anyway. And oh, he was gonna go all out. You didn’t just ask a hot girl you were seeing to prom. You promposed. So observe: 

“Man so glad you could come out. I’ve been wanting to do an escape room forever!” Chip exclaimed as they got ready to do an Escape Room that Chip had may or may not planted some additional prom clues in. “You got experience with this kinda thing, I hope? You gonna be my Escape Room Sensei?” 

@a-springin-herstep

Lyanna maybe kind of sorta had a lot on her plate. Actually, she had entirely too much on her plate. But! She loved it, enjoyed it even. It kept her busy and from focusing too much on that still ever so present call that came from Enchantra. Even if she found herself making her way there more often than not on her downtime; even spending time there doing her homework. 

But! But today she had a different plan. She was going to take a well deserved break. With Chip! Their casual dating/hanging out thing was one of the many bright spots in an otherwise too busy schedule and she honestly really liked the guy. He was fun and exciting and he didn’t talk down to her or act like she couldn’t be strong and adventurous. And he didn’t think of her as a freak or weird for being all of those things.

It’d been a long time since she’d done an Escape Room. Apart from not having the time since she’d moved to Swynlake, she’d also not had anyone to go with. Either way, this was exciting and she couldn’t wait.

“Hey! I’m glad you invited me. It’s been forever since I’ve done one of these.” She laughed as she moved in to give him a quick hug. “I don’t know about Escape Room Sensei but I definitely think we can kick this things butt together.”

[outfit]

[a-springin-herstep]

oh-phineas​:

In Memoriam || Phinly

Phineas lingered in the greenhouse doorway, watching, before he announced his presence. No matter how many months went by here in Swynlake, where people could practice magic openly, Phineas was still amazed by it. 

And… okay, not to get all emo here, but Phineas was kind of feeling emo and there was something about watching flowers grow when you had walked around campus all day feeling like there was a dark cloud over the day. 

He hadn’t known Eric either. But that didn’t mean Phineas felt okay about this. He felt disoriented, off-kilter– how was he supposed to process this? The truth was that it wasn’t supposed to happen. 

So he watched the flowers sprout up, not wanting to disturb Lyanna’s work, not really able to explain why he was getting all teary-eyed. And then he blinked that all away and walked in. “Yo! I should be thanking you, this looks sick!” Phineas laughed, his same lighthearted chuckle as ever, but it was the slightest bit hesitant, unsure. Not hard to see through. Phineas shifted uncomfortably. “How, uh, are you doing with everything?”

[outfit]

You know, it was easy to not focus on everything when she was using her magic. All she had to do was focus on the flowers she wanted to create, the way she wanted the earth to bend to her specific will. There was no need to focus on the outside world or things that are bothering her. A fact that was made obvious when Phineas asked her his question.

She didn’t really know how she was doing with everything. It was certainly very sad. Incredibly sad. She’d never had a class mate pass before. Even if she hadn’t known him it made everything a bit more real. It made her own mortality come to the forefront of her mind. She worried more about her friends and family, the people that she cared about. It was a terrifying thought that one day she could wake up to an email about them being gone; terrifying that she could wake up and they could be dead.

Still, she shook her head as she tried her best to smile as she shrugged. “It’s... It’s bizarre, right? I mean... I didn’t know him but... It puts everything into perspective a bit, right?” She bit at her lip as she let her fingers trace lightly over the petals of a beautiful yellow and purple shoeblackplant. “It-- It doesn’t make any sense at all.”

[outfit]

[a-springin-herstep]

eilonwy-notjustgirl​:

This is My Apology || Eilly 

At the offer, she reached over to give Lyanna’s hand a squeeze, trying to offer her any comfort she could. “Hanging out and sharing cookies is perfect. Plus I’m going to need somebody to keep me up to date on all the gossip and things happening in the dorms.”

Eilonwy smiled and looked around the space that was the closest to a home she thought she would ever get to have. Some of Barley’s DND minis were on the counter. Flyers for the gym that Laurel needed to review were on the counter. Blazey’s dog bowl was in the corner. And now, she had her baking supplies and the book she was reading nearby, mixed in with all the rest of the mess like it belonged there. There would probably always be a part of her that questioned whether it was really true, but it was enough to pretend that she believed it for now. 

“Well, one of the main places. I’ve even had my own room here since November, although I haven’t stayed in it a bunch until now. But if I’m not here, it’s probably Ian and Tony’s apartment. Or the Rock Shoppe. Or Chapter Three. Or Ice Queen. There’s just so many fun places around town you see,” she said, trying to sound teasing and light hearted as if this was something normal. 

Lyanna knew about finding home in different places. There were places back home that she missed dearly. Her safe spots. She was working on finding those same kind of spaces here but nothing would beat the forest she’d had in her back yard or the top of the high school where her and a couple other students had cultivated their own little hideaway or even the park where she’d spent so much time with her friends. Each of those places had a piece of her much like the places Eilonwy had listed had a piece of her. 

It was important to have places like that. Places you could go to heal or just exist. But it was also important to have people to share those experiences with, too. 

“And this is why you have to show me all of them! You clearly can’t be wrong because you introduced me to Pixies and that place is amazing,” she laughed. “Maybe I can find my own place in them or find new places to become a part of.” 

[a-springin-herstep]

A Case of the Mondays || Kiln

There was a reason everyone said Monday was the worst day of the week. It marked the end of the weekend and the return to the boring work week, school week. Anything unpleasant always started on a Monday. But! In Lyanna’s opinion Wednesday was the worst day of the week. That mid-week slump was real and as work and school work and her social life piled up, she was beginning to feel the strain more and more.

There were so many things piling on top of her shoulders that she was losing a bit of control. Which wasn’t the best considering the newfound magic that had been bestowed upon her. It was enough to try and keep from ambushing her new roommate with random plants and flowers when she was studying. But as the pressure geared up, it was becoming harder and harder to keep that same magic from bursting forth randomly in halls and classrooms. 

Which only added more stress to her and kept her mind a swirl of emotions and thoughts.

So, really, it should have come as no surprise that on this random Wednesday when she was having the worst case of the Mondays, when someone rammed their shoulder into her and a random patch of green appeared followed by the random patches of dandelions. Except that even though this was Swynlake and it was a Magick friendly town, it didn’t mean that everyone was kind. 

It didn’t take long as she was picking up her books and also trying so very hard to will that patch of grass to disappear for someone to stop and say something on the sudden display of magic.

“Can’t you control that, freak? Some people have serious reactions to that much pollen.” The insult was sneered as Lyanna looked up at the boy with a frown of her own. “If I could do you really think I would have let it happen? You ran into me. Not the other way around.”

@sonotthedrama

[a-springin-herstep]

In Memoriam || Phinly

Lyanna didn’t really know Eric. But she still felt a deep sadness when the university had announced his death. After all, they were a community of sorts and something like death affected everyone involved. It was a strange phenomenon but not one that she would ignore. And it was an opportunity for the dorms to come together. This kind of sorrow always had the opportunity to do that.

Which is one of the main reasons as to why she had offered to get flowers for the memorial. 

She’d texted Phineas earlier in the morning to meet her at the green houses that afternoon and had made her way there shortly after. This was one of the first times she’d felt comfortable with her new abilities and the first time she wanted to do something seemingly important with them. 

Situating herself at one of the unused plots towards the back of the green house, she took a deep breath and focused on the flowers she wanted to create. Behind her eyes brilliant chrysanthemums, scorpion grasses, poppies, and irises danced. With another exhale her hands pressed deep into the Earth, feeling its power flow through her, and as her eyes opened she watched as the flowers she had visualized grew in front of her. 

This process continued until the entire plot and some of the neighboring plots were filled with various flowers that were suited for what she wanted. She just... needed that outside opinion to really nail down what would be used for arrangements. Or if any one of them were suitable. 

She looked up as the green house door opened, smiling as she wiped a hand across her forehead (and leaving a slight trail of dirt there) before she waved Phineas over. “Hey! Thanks for meeting me, I’ve got... quite a few choices here.”

@oh-phineas

[a-springin-herstep]

eilonwy-notjustgirl​:

a-springin-herstep​:

This is My Apology || Eilly

“Ok. Good.” It wasn’t enough for Eilonwy, and she knew she would spend a lot of time making up for it. But cookies were one of the ways she knew how to show love, to say ‘I’m thinking of you and I care about you’. So as soon as Lyanna had agreed to come here, she had put the cookies in the oven as a little thing to try and make her happy and make up for what had happened. 

“No, I’m sorry. I had a family emergency come up and there wasn’t any cell service so I wasn’t able to communicate with anyone. Then I got sick after. But I’m better now and things are fine.”

Sort of. She wasn’t fine, but Lyanna had enough to worry about as Eilonwy repeated the story she had agreed on with Dohmnall to cover the gasp in the truth that she wasn’t ready to share. 

See that did not make Lyanna worry any less. She wanted to know more about this family emergency. Wanted to know that Eilonwy was okay and that everything was good. It was also a way to let her friend know that she was there if she needed help. Lyanna could be as sturdy as a tree when it came to being someone to lean on. 

“Oh gosh. I hope it’s all worked out now,” she frowned as she nibbled on yet another cookie. “If there’s anything I can do... Just let me know. I really don’t mind.” She offered a small smile before grabbing yet another cookie. There was a good probability that she was going to eat the entirety of the first batch before the second batch was even finished.

With ease she hopped up onto the counter near her friend and kicked her legs back and forth. “So this is where you spend all the time when you’re not at uni or hanging out with me, huh?” 

[a-springin-herstep]

frostskader​:

Drowning Sorrows {Lyanna & Peri}

Peri couldn’t help the giggle the bubbled out of her, sure it might not be as fun but it was safe especially when she was here. The staff all looked out for her. Stopped her from making some certain really bad decisions.

One including a certain Sykes boy in her office.

“Nope, you can drink the normal drinks.” Peri stated simply as her shot was served to her. “But you’re more than welcomed to join me to party.”

The other woman’s laughter was a bit infectious and Ly couldn’t help but giggle as well as she ordered another drink. “Well, I’m far from a party pooper so I will definitely enjoy the normal drinks and party with you.” As the bartender handed her a new drink, Ly smiled and held the new glass up. “To a fun night we won’t remember in the morning!”

[a-springin-herstep]

♥ 340 LIKES

THEDEADSTARK: totally lucky to be @ellie_s’s model for her final project, if only I could keep this outfit

[a-springin-herstep]

labellerose-acheron​:

The Boss Lady *** [Lyelle]

Someone touched her shoulder.

She jumped slightly and then turned around and scowled. Belle did not have time to help someone with something they might need. Couldn’t they see that she was busy?

The words that the girl said didn’t even register to Belle at first. And then she blinked and realized: oh, this was the new employee that Hades had mentioned he’d hired. Belle’s gaze flicked across her face and then up and down her outfit, her eyebrows raised and lips pursed in disapproval as she stared at the girl’s bare navel.

Her eyes snapped back to the girl’s face for a moment–what was her name?

“That’s very well,” she told the girl, slightly peevishly, “but considering I own this place, I believe I can go were I please.”

“Hi!” Aidan said, waving the hand that was not holding his mother’s, unaware of the tension in Belle’s shoulders. “Hi!”

It wasn’t hard to note the distaste on the woman’s face. Though, Lyanna tried her best to keep her smile on her features. And then the woman revealed who she was and Lyanna took a step back and didn’t even attempt to hide the surprise on her face. 

“Oh.. I-- Wow. Sorry,” she spluttered before smiling apologetically at Belle. “What a way to introduce oneself. I’m Lyanna. And these must be your adorable children.”

Stooping down, she waved at the little boy clinging to his mother’s hand. “Hi! You’re just precious. What’s your name?” Looking back up to Belle, she tilted her head slightly as if in thought. “I don’t mean to overstep but if you’d like I could watch them for you while you do... whatever it is you have to do.”

[a-springin-herstep]

eilonwy-notjustgirl​:

This is My Apology || Eilly

.

As Lyanna pulled her into a hug, Eilonwy clutched her friend tightly, burying her head in her shoulder and just taking that in for a moment. There were still moments where she felt that strange detachment as if that crystal prison was still hovering inside her even though she knew it wasn’t true. Touch was one of the few things that seemed to bring her out of it, but she couldn’t ask for it. She didn’t know how. 

“I’m not planning on it, I promise. I’m sorry.” The next time she disappeared she planned to do it with plenty of goodbyes and promises to stay in contact for as long as she could. Even if she couldn’t tell most people the truth, she could cal and write and at least give them closure. 

“But, here, the kitchen is this way. And the first batch of cookies are done so no excuse to put off something if you want it.”

.

Following Eilonwy into the kitchen, Lyanna let out a small hum at the stronger smell of fresh cookies. She made some of the best vegan cookies and Ly was never going to turn down an opportunity to gorge herself on them. All while she tried to figure out exactly why her friend had disappeared for those few but long days.

“Don’t worry, these cookies are definitely apology enough for me,” she smiled kindly as she picked up one of the cookies and bit into it with a satisfied groan. “Totally, totally apology enough.”

It didn’t take long before she’d easily eaten two more cookies before leaning against the counter. “Is everything okay, though? Like for real? It’s not like you to just disappear like that.”

[frostskader]

Drowning Sorrows {OPEN}

Peri was mopey. A mopey Peri usually meant she wanted a drink and a Peri that wanted to drink usually meant she was off the clock. Or well she should be. It was kind of hard to be off the clock when she drank at the place she worked at. But come on, her boyfriend wasn’t even in the country with her and she needed a new headliner for the second time in less than two years.

Smacking her head onto the bar top, Peri let out a small groan. This place was getting too busy for her to be as pouty as she was.

“Okay that’s it, break out the fairy drinks. I wanna party and I’m off the clock. Simple as that!” Peri decreed much too loudly glancing at the person beside her. “Trust me you don’t want Fairy Alcohol unless you want to be knocked on your ass within one shot.”

[a-springin-herstep]

It wasn't often that Lyanna visited Pixies before the night life was swinging. But she had just gotten off work and she had some free time before her scheduled homework/study session. Which meant she was well entitled for a drink or two.

Instead of gravitating immediately to the dance floor, Ly made her way to the bar. She was determined that she wasn’t going to let the lure of Pixies distract her (even if she really was deserving of a distraction). However, as the blonde next to her sighed and declared her shift over, Ly couldn’t help but be a little curious.

“Fairy alcohol sounds interesting though,” she fake pouted as she swirled the last dregs of her own drink around in the glass. “Besides, no one should party alone. It’s not safe, you know. And not nearly as fun.”

[a-springin-herstep]

♥ 223 LIKES

THEDEADSTARK: answering only to the queen of spring until fall #happyeaster #happyspring

[labellerose-acheron]

The Boss Lady *** [Lyelle]

@a-springin-herstep​

Belle was running late. She always felt like she was these days. It wasn’t so different from a few years ago, considering she’d always been absentminded, but now it bothered her more because it wasn’t her fault! She had been trying to get a hold of a client whose deadline was at the end of the work day and, of course, they had called her back right before she gave up and headed out the door. That had made her late picking up the twins from InterPride’s daycare.

Which had made her late for getting to the shoppe. By the time she entered, holding Bellamy on her hip and Aidan by the fingers (since he’d learned how to use his legs, he basically screamed any time you picked him up), the bun she had put her hair in for work was starting to fall out and Bellamy needed his diaper changed.

She was planning on swinging by and changing Bellamy’s diaper, picking up her husband, and heading to Town Hall for a town hall meeting. The shoppe was rather quiet, even though there was still a few hours before closing, so Belle just made her way into the back towards the staff room where she could have a bit of privacy for a moment.

“Come along, love,” Belle tugged Aidan, who was trying to make a beeline to the familiar children’s nook. “We must find Daddy, hm?”

He better not have left without me, Belle thought in annoyance, even though she was sure that was the case. He was mayor now. Couldn’t be late.

She got to the back and let go of Aidan’s hand so she could reach for the door handle of the staff room…

[outfit]

[a-springin-herstep]

So far, Lyanna really enjoyed working at Chapter Three. The vibe was so chill and the people were really nice. She didn’t mind her co-workers and Hades was really good at not over-scheduling her. Everything was going well despite the slight hiccup that came with the arrival of spring. But working at Chapter Three had been helpful with the whole Sprite thing as well. In between assisting customers and making sure things were in their proper place she could look through the books to find anything on her apparent new status.

She was in the middle of that when a woman came into the store with two small children. Ly smiled as she stood up from where she’d been kneeling to replace something on a bottom shelf but it quickly turned into a slight frown when the woman bypassed her easily and headed towards the back of the store.

Well. That was strange.

Before the woman could open the door, she cleared her throat and touched her shoulder. “Uhm, excuse me, that is for employees only. Can I help you with anything?”

[outfit]

[a-springin-herstep]

vanecessary-conditions​:

Discover University || Lyanna and Vanessa

–

“Is there anything I could eat?” Vanessa blurted out. That was her first instinct. Sure, a flower would be nice and pretty and whatever, but it would be really cool if she could… grow a lima bean or something. And then make it and then eat it. Maybe with Violet or Mei or Eilonwy or any other one of her friends. Or! Maybe she’d make it for Tiana and show off that she could cook. “Would a tomato plant work in a dorm? Or a lima bean? Or… well, I guess I could actually join gardening club and have a space there.” 

Lyanna couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her at the question. It wasn’t that she was making fun of Vanessa or her desire to grow something edible. In fact, Ly thought it was a rather good reason to want to grow something. “Of course! There’s all sorts of vegetables you can grow that aren’t super hard to take care of. You could do lettuce, green beans, peas; the list goes on. And joining the gardening club would give you all the help and space you need.”

[a-springin-herstep]

trip-downtheriverstyx​:

That New Book Smell || Lyades.

Of course part time was acceptable– and really he hadn’t expected more than what she said. 

He nodded, mulling his own schedule and needs over in his own head. Until he got a more concrete idea of Lyanna’s own, he’d probably still have questions and be uncertain. But at least he’d have someone to come in, eh? He couldn’t afford to be as picky as he used to be when he was working in this place near full-time. This was a period of transition in his life- in his family’s life. Though who knows if it would eventually mean leaving Chapter Three behind for good…

Hades hoped not. But he was bracing himself it it became necessary. 

“Yeah, do that. Just send it to the same email you sent your application,” said Hades. “Twenty hours should be rather fine, more or less. You can always give me a heads up before any schedule  if you need less or more, I know uni kids tend to fluctuate like that, what with exams and all.” 

And then Hades grinned and offered his hand. “But it looks like you’ll be joinin’ the team, eh?” 

Lyanna felt like she really lucked out with this job. Hades seemed to be really understanding and aware that her schedule could fluctuate and it made the young girl feel that much more confident that she had applied at the right job.

“Of course! I can send it to you now,” she nodded even as she pulled her phone out and started up the email. Efficiency was a virtue she prided herself on greatly after all. Not to mention she was just excited that she was going to be working and making her own money rather than depending on the money her parents sent every month.

Taking Hades hand, she grinned widely as she shook it. “It does look like it. Thank you so much for taking a chance on me. I really do look forward to working here.”

[eilonwy-notjustgirl]

This is My Apology || Eilly

@a-springin-herstep​

Eilonwy knew she had plenty of apologies still to make. It didn’t matter how much Laurel told her that she had nothing to apologize for, she felt like it needed to be a series of apologies for the way she had made people worry. For the way her old life had touched on her new life in a way that had sent it so firmly off the rails. For the text messages she had ignored and the plans she had missed and the disaster it felt like her life had become. 

This one was a little different though. This time around, Lyanna was coming to her for an afternoon of cookies and movies to make up for the study breaks she had missed. She had just pulled the batch of Lyanna’s favorite vegan peanut butter cookies out of the oven and set them to cook when she heard the doorbell ring. 

Going over to open it, she smiled softly at her friend. “Hey, thanks for coming over. And welcome to the Lightfoots house. Or, well, my house for at least a little while. Come in, please. Can I get you anything to drink? Or - or anything?”

[a-springin-herstep]

Worry had bloomed within Lyanna much like the random flowers that seemed to sprout whenever she was in a good mood these days. She tried to suppress it and stomp it out but it was always there, always in the back of her mind. It wasn’t like Eilonwy to miss out on study sessions or opportunities to bash roommates. It also wasn’t like her to go days without speaking to Lyanna. And even after all the ignored texts, Ly still worried for her friend.

So when she finally, finally got something back from Loni, she didn’t hesitate to race to the address given to her. She wanted an explanation more than she wanted to chide her friend for disappearing off the face of the earth for a few days.

As the door opened, Ly didn’t hesitate to pull the other girl into a tight hug. “One, I smell cookies and two, don’t ever disappear on me like that again, alright?” She huffed through a small smile as she stepped into the home. “I’m fine though. I’ll save the drinks for cookies when they’re ready.”