Spring Flowers

[Lynette Chevalier]

”Thank goodness it’s finally getting warmer.” The relief in Lynette’s voice was extremely evident. ”I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the winter no matter where I go.”

Lynette mainly blamed it on her powers, although even before she’d manifested the cold season wasn’t her favorite. She much preferred spring when all the plants woke up and burst with color. Which was part of the reason she was outside and thoroughly enjoying the scenery and sun. With classes temporarily out of the way, Lynette was eager to take some time off to herself and enjoy the beginnings of spring after the cold winter. Especially since she couldn’t make the trip home for the break anyways. So she went outside and eventually stopped near the lake to seat herself int eh grass and enjoy the day.

”Now would be a fine time for me to accidentally fall asleep.” She mused while giggling. ”I bet I won’t even get tired now; just my luck.”

She still felt partially embarrassed for the number of times she’d fallen asleep due to the sun filtering in through a window. Thankfully everyone Lynette had encountered so far was very sweet about it, given how clumsy she could be. She still wanted to thank Gabriel again for being so kind and driving her home. However her attention was caught by someone else approaching. Lynette offered them a kind smile and a wave.

”Hello! Out to enjoy the spring air? I know I certainly am.”

[Silvia Almasy]

Silvia was carrying a book under her arm, and a blanket, as she made her way to the lake. The weather was too nice outside to stay in, and she had readings to do for her classes. She was looking for a spot away from prying eyes and thick vegetation; if she was going to stay in one place for a couple of hours, she wanted to make the least possible work possible for the Academy gardeners. The lake seemed like a good option, since along the edge it was sandy, and only lined with short grass. She could sit, enjoy the sunshine and the water lapping at her feet, and...

... oh. There was someone already there.

Silvia only noticed the woman when she came close and heard her voice. She stopped in her tracks, a little bit startled out of her thoughts.

>>”Hello! Out to enjoy the spring air? I know I certainly am.”

"Yes, miss" she said shyly, and a bunch of daisies popped up from the grass at her voice "I was looking for a place to study... But if you want to be alone I can go."

The daisies were joined by some dandelions that had been hiding in the fresh grass.

She recognized the woman as one of the Academy teachers. Clearly if she wanted the lake shore for herself, the foreign student would leave her alone...

[Lynette Chevalier]

"Yes, miss. I was looking for a place to study... But if you want to be alone I can go.”

Admittedly Lynette was a tad distracted by the sudden sprout of green-life around the girl to truly register what she was saying. From Lynette’s power, she could feel the plants responding to the girl’s emotions. Immediately Lynette knew what power the girl possessed, but her attention finally returned to the present a few seconds after Silvia finished.

”Oh!” She exclaimed, color rising softly to her cheeks. ”Please, don’t let me chase you away!” Lynette gave the girl a kind smile and sat up a little straighter. ”My name is Lynette. Sorry if I startled you at all. I wanted to come outside since the weather is so much nicer now.” Lynette easily admitted before spotting what the girl was carrying. ”Oh, did you come out here to read? That’s a good idea; I should’ve brought one.”

It was only after Lynette had finished speaking that she realized she was going on for a little bit. The color in her cheeks increased a little.

”Please forgive me, I have a tendency to go on and on.” She admitted with a giggle. ”It’s nice to meet you, at any rate.”

[Silvia Almasy]

>>”Oh! Please, don’t let me chase you away!... My name is Lynette. Sorry if I startled you at all. I wanted to come outside since the weather is so much nicer now..."

Lynette seemed very kind, and Silvia blushed none the less. Encountering a teacher outside of the context of the school was always a little awkward, and she did not do well with awkward. She was not sure how she was supposed to address her, even though she was not currently taking her classes.

"I'm Silvia" she said shyly, making a few more flowers pop up from the grass nearby.

>>"Oh, did you come out here to read? That’s a good idea; I should’ve brought one... Please forgive me, I have a tendency to go on and on. It’s nice to meet you, at any rate.”

"Nice to meet you."
she returned the greeting, then nodded "I came out here to read... because of my powers, it is good to be away from... most of the garden."

She was not sure if teacher knew about the mutations of all the students; she didn't want to assume so, but explaining it was not one of her favorite activities, so she decided to wait until she was asked. In the meantime, she sat down at a polite distance from Lynette, placing the books on the ground beside her.

[Lynette Chevalier]

”It’s very nice to meet you, Silvia.”

Even as she said it, Lynette’s attention once again went to the sprouting flowers. She simply knew Silvia had similar powers to her own. Although from the sporadic way the flowers were appearing, Lynette guessed it tied in closer to Silvia’s emotions perhaps.

"Nice to meet you. came out here to read... because of my powers, it is good to be away from... most of the garden.”

Lynette felt sympathy go out to the girl. It was easy for her to see that she didn’t exactly have complete control over her powers from the way plants kept appearing nearby her. It reminded Lynette of her own manifestation.

”I can understand that. I overgrew my mother’s garden myself when I first manifested. Although I was much luckier than my brother; his powers came when he was at practice.” Lynette smiled a little before she realized something. ”Oh! Sorry, I assume your powers have to do with plant life as well. I have botanokinesis as well as some plant empathy, so I can feel them ‘reacting’ to you. Which I’ll admit sounds a little odd.” Lynette’s blush only grew. ”Although don’t worry, from what I can tell it’s all positive.”

[Silvia Almasy]

>>”It’s very nice to meet you, Silvia.”

She seemed like a nice person. Silvia always saw teachers as figures of authority and respect, especially back home where they were a lot less friendly than the Americans. At the Academy, most of the staff cared deeply about the students and all their special problems, and that still managed to throw the girl off sometimes.

>>”I can understand that. I overgrew my mother’s garden myself when I first manifested. Although I was much luckier than my brother; his powers came when he was at practice... Oh! Sorry, I assume your powers have to do with plant life as well. I have botanokinesis as well as some plant empathy, so I can feel them ‘reacting’ to you. Which I’ll admit sounds a little odd. Although don’t worry, from what I can tell it’s all positive.”

Silvia's eyes widened at the admission. Here was someone, a teacher none the less, who did not only have plant-based powers like she did, but could also sense her own, and tell that the flowers around them were reacting to it. Being able to sense how someone else's powers operated... that was an experience she had not had before.

"Wow..." she breathed, before she smiled and nodded "Yes, my powers are with plants as well. They react to being near me, or my voice, or my touch... but I can't really control them."

To prove her point, dandelions popped up nearby like little sunbursts. Silvia reached out and touched one, before looking up again.

"So... you can tell what plants feel?"

[Lynette Chevalier]

"Wow...Yes, my powers are with plants as well. They react to being near me, or my voice, or my touch... but I can't really control them.”

Lynette smiled and giggled a little as Silvia sounded a lot like Lynette had when she first started out. Of course Lynette had to focus in order to manipulate the vegetation, but from what Silvia was saying it sounded like hers was simply proximity.

”Don’t worry! Everyone starts out that way. Whenever I would practice I’d accidentally overgrow the whole room sometimes. It was especially bad when I tried helping with the garden’s growth at St. Bethany.” Lynette grimaced a little at the memory. ”They only let me back in when I taught there.”

While Lynette understood the staff’s reasoning she was still slightly miffed she’d had to wait so long; it hadn’t been that bad surely. Luckily once she’d become a teacher she’d been given free reign of the gardens and even helped from time to time despite the first time’s disaster.

"So... you can tell what plants feel?”

Lynette’s attention turned back to Silvia and she smiled. Lynette placed her hand on the grass and could feel the blades curl around her fingers.

”That’s right. It takes me some time to become attuned to it, but I can feel it. When I’m very connected, it can spread to my own emotions; which very well may explain why I’m normally happy in my classroom!” Lynette joked with a light laugh. ”Typically it’s similar to a gut instinct, where I simply know what they’re feeling.” Lynette gently removed her hand and glanced at Silvia. ”What about you? I take it you can’t tell what they’re feeling?”

[Silvia Almasy]

>>”Don’t worry! Everyone starts out that way. Whenever I would practice I’d accidentally overgrow the whole room sometimes. It was especially bad when I tried helping with the garden’s growth at St. Bethany... They only let me back in when I taught there.”

Silvia let out a sigh of relief, and smiled a little more freely. Here was someone, faculty none the less, who knew exactly what she was going through. Since she first came to the Academy, she had been wondering if it really was all that it was made out to be - not just a haven for mutant students, but also a place with people that could really understand what was going on, and had the capabilities to help. Ms. Chevalier, however, was the first one that made Silvia feel like there was a chance for improving her control on things.

>>”That’s right. It takes me some time to become attuned to it, but I can feel it. When I’m very connected, it can spread to my own emotions; which very well may explain why I’m normally happy in my classroom! Typically it’s similar to a gut instinct, where I simply know what they’re feeling... What about you? I take it you can’t tell what they’re feeling?”

"No..." Silvia shook her head, running her hand over the grass too. She could feel the blades reaching up, not the way they curled around Lynette's fingers, but rather in a way that showed their burst of growing energy. "They just... react to me. If I sit here long enough there will be weeds and long grass... and if I speak..." she pointed at the daisies and dandelions around. "The only one I can control, I can make trees grow fruit by touching them." she blushed "I made pomegranates in the green house." she admitted in a spurt of honesty.

[Lynette Chevalier]

"No… They just... react to me. If I sit here long enough there will be weeds and long grass... and if I speak… The only one I can control, I can make trees grow fruit by touching them. I made pomegranates in the green house.”

Lynette couldn’t help but giggle a little at Silvia’s admission.

”That’s not so bad! I’ve gotten into much worse situations myself; my brother has too!” Lynette assured her. ”As for powers, it’s alright. They’re all very different. While my twin and I may share the same base power, his is more chemical in nature. He can make the most amazing mutations! Roses of multiple colors, or an apple tree that grows three different types of fruit!”

Lynette’s expression- while bright- grew a little wistful as she thought of home. She couldn’t help but miss it even though she had come to Bellefonte willingly. She soon retuned to reality however; she didn’t want to be rude to Silvia.

”Control is always difficult. I’m actually very similar because I can control my power far better when I’m touching what I want to manipulate. Perhaps I could try helping you?” Lynette offered with a smile. ”Although I warn you that I’m not a true trainer, so I’m likely not as good for teaching this.”

[Silvia Almasy]

>>”That’s not so bad! I’ve gotten into much worse situations myself; my brother has too!... As for powers, it’s alright. They’re all very different. While my twin and I may share the same base power, his is more chemical in nature. He can make the most amazing mutations! Roses of multiple colors, or an apple tree that grows three different types of fruit!”

Silvia's mouth formed a little "o" as she listened in awe. Lynette did not only have similar powers, and experienced similar things, but she even had a twin that shared them. That must have been amazing, having someone else who could do the same... Silvia didn't have siblings, and sometimes she envied people who did. She also found the possibilities fascinating: She could grow things, but not mutate them... That would have been a whole other world of things to learn...

>>”Control is always difficult. I’m actually very similar because I can control my power far better when I’m touching what I want to manipulate. Perhaps I could try helping you? Although I warn you that I’m not a true trainer, so I’m likely not as good for teaching this.”

"Yes!" Silvia said, and it came it would more enthusiasm than she'd expected, making him instantly blush again. Some dandelions poofed into their fluffy forms "... I mean... I would love that. It would be great... I never met someone with similar powers..."

She trailed off, not sure what to say to the opportunity. She was a little bit overwhelmed.

[Lynette Chevalier]

"Yes!”

The sheer enthusiasm behind the word did startle Lynette a little bit. She had no idea her offer would be met with such positivity! However she was more than happy to help the girl, especially seeing as Silvia reminded Lynette so much of herself.

"... I mean... I would love that. It would be great... I never met someone with similar powers…”

Lynette smiled kindly and giggled a little as more flowers popped up around the two. It was clearly evident that they would have a bit of work ahead of them, but Lynette didn’t mind one bit.

”I think people with our particular set of powers are hard to find. I haven’t met many other plant manipulators, although I remember there was another one I knew briefly here. I’m not sure what happened to her.” Lynette paused for a moment in thought before shaking her head. ”In any case, I’d be happy to help! However I think the very first thing we should focus on is controlling these.” Lynette reached out to almost fondly fiddle with one of the dandelions Silvia made grow. ”Can you feel whenever it’s about to happen? Whenever your power reaches out to make things grow?”

[Silvia Almasy]

>>”I think people with our particular set of powers are hard to find. I haven’t met many other plant manipulators, although I remember there was another one I knew briefly here. I’m not sure what happened to her.”

There were other people out there with powers like hers. Silvia never really thought about that; she had gotten used to the idea that mutant powers were so diverse and unique that one could go through life never meeting one exactly like hers. And even among those, Silvia's abilities had always seemed to be rare.

>>”In any case, I’d be happy to help! However I think the very first thing we should focus on is controlling these. Can you feel whenever it’s about to happen? Whenever your power reaches out to make things grow?”

"No..." she admitted, looking at the flowers "It is kind of... always on." she glanced around "If I sit here a while... you'll see how the grass grows faster. In a circle around me... that's how far my powers reach. But I can't really turn them off..."