water sprite

[sawyersmith]

ft. Daylight by Matt and Kim

We cut the legs off of our pants. Throw our shoes into the ocean. The wanderlust and pure happiness of the song speaks directly to Sawyer’s spirit, and her nearly carefree approach to her surroundings. She’s always carried the ideal self freedom, to make anywhere her home, and act freely and foolishly (in good conscience) to enjoy her surroundings and the people around her. I hope that someday I'll see without these frames. And as she explores the world, or even a small portion of it, she wants to know it with unbiased mind, witness its potential unfold (hopefully for the better) and see it anew with the knowledge, experience and understanding she’s gained in her journey. Without looking further into the lyrics, the music is at its core happy and vibrant with life; the Water Sprite is nothing less at any time, how could the song not be her?

[deltaxdavenport]

Common Grounds ☕

[sawyersmith]

wallflowerxnoah

It had been a struggle to decide whether or not to come to Echo, to volunteer for the bonding process - Noah wasn’t exactly a fan of having someone in her head, knowing how she felt. Hell, she didn’t want to be in her own head sometimes; then again, who did? Bur Meagan had really wanted to do it, and now she couldn’t; so Noah was going to. It had been a lovely morning in Noah’s mind, and even though she wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, she had gotten something to eat from Common Grounds, along with a chocolate milk of all things. The place was actually one of the most beautiful coffee shops she had seen in America. Noah was wearing an off the shoulder, black sweater, that read: ‘On a scale of one to ten, my obsession with Harry Potter is 9 ¾’, and a pair of denim shorts. Of course, her distraction of admiring her surroundings, caused her to knock into someone as she stood up from her seat. “Oh, my! I-I’m so sorry.. Are you alright?”

      Coffee, pastry, and then to work. Sawyer enjoyed the steady routine she fashioned herself since coming here. Somehow, the monotonous structure brought a peace of mind she hadn’t expect especially since she found her feet restless when during a full moon and abandoning her present home to make a shelter under the stars. The sporadic releases kept boredom at bay, but moments like these, the splash of her own coffee spilling over her hands and shirt, were a profound reminder the daily grind wasn’t entirely mechanical and had its surprises. “A little burned but now I smell like coffee, which isn’t too bad,” she said, shaking the liquid off her hand. “Are you?”

[sawyersmith]

      The woman was mindful of their home, careful not to be a burden on a man who seemed to let nothing mind him unless it was of importance, a particular event she still had yet to witness on Bishop’s behalf. Still, neither a neat freak or a slob, she kept her messes to herself and was diligent to clear them when she remembered where they sat. 

A glass of wine on the carpet, however, wasn’t something she could leave and tend to in the morning. Clumsy wasn’t an attribute easily put to her name, though the splay of color across the threads appeared as if she was professionally accident prone with a touch of disbelief of how the hell did it reach that high on the wall. She stared at the mess with a little admiration for how one glass could create such a display of art, granted it was the last glass of the bottle (second bottle) and she was too inebriated to act as quickly as she normally. But she had been alone, and when she came to some sense to not let the liquid stain she slumped down to sit in front of it and began her work. pulling the liquid from the carpet with intense concentration, and returning the droplets of ruined wine back into the glass.

@bishopashbourne

[sawyersmith]

fearsandfangs

William had seen exactly what curiosity could do to someone and bad didn’t even begin to describe some of it, but the girl was right. It could be all of the above, so his head dipped into a slight nod of agreement. “I like that. A crevice of a book rather than a horrible reality. It’s unfortunate others do not see it the same way. But you needn’t worry. You aren’t keeping me, if anything you’re offering me company.” With a small smile, William nodded. “That would be lovely.”

      “The town is the book. Unfortunately the rest of the world bears... I’m sure you’re aware.” Terrifying opinions, that although the world had yet to know of her gifts-- her father hadn’t known of her gifts-- it was near predictable to guess what their reactions would be when they found out. At the agreement, she smiled and stood, stooping down to collect her bags in her left hand while offering her right for introduction. “And I am grateful for your company. Sawyer,” she greeted. “Did you get your drink, or are you still waiting?”

[sawyersmith]

audreysong

Rey groaned into her arms, a muffled sound as her face was buried into them as she sat at her desk in the office of her coffee shop. Her day had just been one disaster after another, first her wonderful car, her penny had failed every check imaginable at the auto-shop and she was facing either a heavy payout to try and repair everything that was wrong with her or simply scrapping her off and buying a whole new car, then she’d scuffed her brand new heels whilst walking into work and almost got a full pot of fresh brew poured on her by her clumsy part-timer and she’d just managed to erase her entire order that she’d spent the past half an hour working on because her internet had cut out. Hearing a loud crash come through the closed door, she lifted her head and stared despondently into the screen wondering what entity she’d pissed off to deserve such a day.

Opening the door, her eyes were met with a sight she’d wished she had ignored. Her part-timer had dropped a whole tray of mugs and it appeared that not a single one had survived. Pinching the bridge of her nose and taking a deep, steadying breath, Rey strode out of the office and crouched down next to the fussing girl. “Just go home Amy” she said in a strained voice, “this is the third tray you’ve dropped in two weeks. Just go.” she stopped any words from the young girl with an impatient hand and continued to clear up the mess with an air of annoyance hanging round her.

      And at the crash of ceramics, Sawyer’s head popped up into view like a meerkat popping out of its hiding place. She remained quiet for the interaction, understandable between an employer and employee though she thought it slightly harsher than necessary. When the girl passed by Sawyer was on her feet and then to her knees, bent by her side quickly helping to clean the shards and splinters splayed across the area. “Don’t forget,” she spoke softly, with a glance up to the other. “Tomorrow is a different day, and this one will pass.”

[sawyersmith]

dainagillespie

“THEY’RE ANATOMY sketches.” He’d given the answer so many times before that it came out more automatic than not now. When the shadow loomed over his shoulder from his perch at the coffee shop…the usual table he haunted an hour before work, he answered without even glancing upward. Most people were unsettled seeing the human body open and detailed like that. Daina had been used to that since high school. Finally he gave an upward glance and a soft, though forced, smile. “Need something?”

      She was passing by, readying her way out when the drawings caught her sight. At first glance she recognized the image, at second she noticed the detail and stopped to observe. And then she was caught. Sawyer took a half step away as she spoke, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. They’re very detailed like they’re  black and white photos than sketches. I was admiring them.” Anatomy and biology always held an interest, but like something akin to admiring a museum exhibit: curious but not integrated. “They’re your sketches? May I look at them?”

[sawyersmith]

dauntlesskiing

      it was the sound of rustling leaves and earth moving that brought the werewolf near—-he always had to investigate disturbances while travelling among trees and foliage. arms fold over his chest as he spots the woman near a growing flame. “ you’ll earn yourself some enemies if you burn the trees down, you know. “    

      “You know, I didn’t think about that,” she smiled, turning her head back to the flames. She reached for her bag and began pulling out its contents between a six pack of cans, several foiled objects and a speaker, speaking while she worked. “Good thing I dug a hole before I built it, so the fire is in the ground. Oh, and that it’s roughly three meters from each tree. You know,” she added, looking back to him and tossing the bag aside. The smile on her lips was bubbling through, betraying her sarcastic speech. “I could even use the pile of dirt I made to put out the flames when I’m done. I offer again: you can join me, if you like, around this accidentally thought out fire.”

[sawyersmith]

fearsandfangs:

“Perhaps you’re correct.” William was typically good at controlling his emotions,  but being in such a place made it incredibly difficult. “Do not apologize for curiosity, for it is the thing that has allowed humanity to advance. Granted, it is still important to know the limit of good and.. not good.” He muttered, offering a small smile. “I met a witch early in my new life, and my maker pulled some strings to get this ring made. It’s why I didn’t need one of the rings provided here. It’s a family heirloom.”

      By words she was able to discern what he was, reaffirmed the more he described the object he played with. “Neutral and bad are generally the descriptives for ‘not good’, and I think curiosity can be all of the above.” She shrugged lightly as she looked away. “Admittedly, I’m trying to wrap my head a lot of it, still. It’s amazing, really, and feeling like I fell into the crevice of a book than a horrible reality. Hopefully I’m not keep you? Maybe we could find what you looking for while learning the city?”

[sawyersmith]

cxtheastrophic

Thin eyebrows threaded into one another as the brunette stepped closer to the other “Sure, why not?” she asked, not exactly expecting an answer or anything of the sort. “Do you mind me asking what exactly you were doing? Not to sound rude or anything– but I am mildly confused.”

      “Well,” she started, turning back to her steel wool. She rubbed the battery over the fine hairs and waited for the sparks to become abundant enough that they could survive while she transported it into the heap of wood, blowing on it as she tossed small scraps over it to catch fire. “Exactly, I’m building a little camp to sit by and relax. What’s confusing?”

[sawyersmith]

themaelstrcm

     Hard to really drag your eyes away from someone who was as busy as the blonde in front of her. At least she tried not to be rude about it, but she chewed on the croissant that she brought with her, wondering what the hell was really happening. It wasn’t until after a short while that she realized exactly what the hole in the ground was meant to do. Meant to be. She traipsed her way toward the woman and her pit, stopping almost right next to her to peek inside.  “What are we going to be doing?”  Tori seriously hoped the answer was smores. 

      “I brought drinks,” she replied, turning back to finish her work. The smoke coming from the metal was a chemical haze but Sawyer worked quickly to ignite the tinder and then relocate the flames into the center of the pit to catch hold. “And sweet potato fixings. Also a speaker for music. I wasn’t intending on doing much, I just wanted a nice campsite and fire and to feel warm.” As the licks slowly took hold of the fresh and dead wood alike, she rested back on the palms of her hands in accomplishment before reaching for her backpack and looking to the other. “What did you have in mind?”

[sawyersmith]

bishopashbourne

BISHOP COULDN’T help but laugh at the sputters and coughs. What was more, she reached for the glass once more after heaving her lungs out. Glutton for punishment. He could admire that. “That they want to get completely wasted as fast as possible? Or they’re cheap because they want a quick buzz off of low grade liquor? You know they make top-shelf long island’s right?” His elbows came to rest on the edge of the counter one space down from the petite blonde. It seemed as if Bishop’s grin was permanent tonight. “Want to try and find out?”

      The smile to her own tiers remained wide the entire time-- how could anyone deny matching a smile they found attractive-- and if she was honest with herself, there was delight in their banter especially since she had expected to enjoy her time with other passing drinkers or alone. “I know, but I don’t need anything special to enjoy a drink. But I would think the same thing if this is your drink.” And he lingered, resting close by when she was sure other patrons would be demanding his attention soon. A natural reaction she leaned onto the bar with one elbow while she continued to insist on drinking the liquid she hoped would be easier to swallow with each gulp only to be let down by the sharp bite. “What if I don’t know how to flirt,” she asked, glass hovering near her lips while she spoke. “If I get caught up with handsome faces and trip over my words when I try? I would never be able to convince you.”

[sawyersmith]

ambroseana

“I WOULD imagine that normally donors aren’t. It’s part of the giving the gift of life schtick that’s usually sold to humans, by humans. However we also use donations for scientific research. Means to congeal blood for longer storage for consumers and so on. Really whatever else may pop up that seems handy. So we pay the donors and it gives them incentive to come back and consider donating again.” Ana paused at a doorway to reach for the key card at her hip and swipe it. When the door opened she ushered the blonde through. A short cut back to the ground level’s reception. “You’ll be typed when you donate.” She gave another pause, “I’ve done this for a while, even before coming here. It’s something I believe in.”

      “It still sounds very generous, as I’m sure health clinics use blood similarly: for advancements and tests, in addition to need for patients. But now that people know what else it can be used for, they may not be so forth coming, despite how considerate it is.” And the more she discussed it, the more she reasoned away her former apprehension when she first stepped in, making her walk more pointedly toward where she was being guided. The donation process, with an additional monetary incentive, was more than considerate to any imagined alternative. “I'll be interested to know what it is. Have you always offered donation blood as alternate means of source? Before everyone came forward?”

[sawyersmith]

im-og-en

Imogen had been studying the way the woman had seemed almost at one with the cold blue water, moving with it as though she were liquid herself. Her sketch had melded into a mixture of styles, a woman dancing with the waves whilst the bright sun blazed in the background. A shiver ran through her bones, her eyes canted to the left and she saw the woman lay there still wet with pale skin that screamed for warmth. She was dressed somewhat inappropriately for the temperature of the water, but Imogen wasn’t one to follow fashion too closely, although she like to think she was a little stylish. Not wanting the woman to catch ill, she cast a quiet heat spell to quicken the process of her drying as she continued with her sketch.

      And Sawyer had been cheating in her own way, slowly pushing the liquid away from her hair and skin faster than gravity would encourage it but certainly not something worth noticing. To any passerby she was drying off in the sun and gaining warmth with each drip. Yet it wasn’t the sun just warming her, and the moment the wave of heat came over her, Sawyer shot up to sitting, bringing her arms into view and looking over her skin. Perhaps has her skin been still kissed with the water’s dew the heat could have been dismissed as a warm breeze, but on bare, dry flesh she was fully aware of its presence. “Did you feel that,” she asked. “I swear I-- It felt like a warm breeze without wind.”

[sawyersmith]

      It only took about a half hour to find a decent clearing, another half hour after that to set it all up: digging a circle quarter of a meter into the earth, lining it with rocks before finding bundles of fallen branches. By time the pit was completed her pants were decorated in splotches of dirt that could almost be claimed as intentional design with more dirt embedded in the creases of her hands. She pulled the small square of steel wool and a battery, setup her tinder and ignited it, only to notice the person beside her, unaware of how long they might have been there. “Would-- Would you like to join me?”

[sawyersmith]

praefervida

“There is a special place in hell for people who dog ear and write in library books…” Clara mumbled, flipping through a copy of Catcher in the Rye that some high school student had taken out and proceeded to write notes on in pen and folded over several pages. “This thing is practically falling apart- I mean, look at it!” 

      “Really,” she asked incredulously, the page in her own hand nearly folded in preparation for the page turn. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? It’s not a sin, in fact I think it means it’s well loved. Look at it.” She nodded toward it with a long sigh, and a small grimace at the title. “Not my particular taste, but it’s been opened so many times the story is practically living in people and in turn, the people are living in it."

[sawyersmith]

fearsandfangs

Giving a nod in understanding, William realized that perhaps he too ought to follow the blonde woman’s lead. There was no telling how long he would be staying in Echo, and consistently taking directions seemed like a rubbish idea. “Ah,” he muttered, fingers stilling against the ring. “After a couple centuries, it would be rather unfortunate if it tightened now.” Dropping his hands to his side, he cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, still not used to saying such things aloud. “Unconscious habit of mine. I’m not sure I’d deem it nervousness or impatience. Perhaps deep in thought?” 

      A couple centuries. Her mouth opened as if to speak but closed with a shake of her head, realizing how she would have to get used to similar phrases denoting the differences between them all. For years she had never thought to consider such things, and no doubt they were becoming more common with the passing days but then, who was she to assume so simply. “Maybe all the above at once? Is that... I’m sorry, I don’t what’s appropriate to ask or not. I’m curious if that’s one of those special rings, or is it just one you normally wear?”

[sawyersmith]

ambroseana

“AH. FIRST time donor.” Ana’s eyes seemed a bit warmer at the prospect…or as warm as a vampire’s could be. She gave a small nod to the petite blonde and gestured for the hallway between them. “Primarily the blood here serves as an alternate means for the vampires of Echo to have consumption however we donated a good portion of our stores to the wounded after the events in the past months. It’s a bit of a serve-all in that regard. Donors are kept anonymous and are quite well paid for their services.”

      She nodded in reply and began walking down the hallway where the woman directed, listening and keeping eye contact as she did. There was a comfort in her words, but Sawyer supposed it was it was the normal run-down to any newcomer who had their doubts. “Oh, I didn’t think we were paid for it. I thought it was civic duty or something like that but, I didn’t do it in my home city either. I don’t even know my blood type. It seems more important now, maybe like I should,” she laughed lightly. “Are you used to easing people into this? You seem to know exactly what to say.”