26 Jun 2019, 14:48
Sprucing the Place Up
It was a bright, almost cloudless, morning as Tatiana made her way to the grounds. She had decided to stick around the school for the summer. She was busy catching up on studies, exploring the castle, meeting new friends- and was in no rush to return home, not yet. Maybe I'll just catch one of the later trains back, she thought to herself, at least that's what she had told her mother. But honestly, she wasn't entirely sure she planned to go back at all between the terms. Her relationship with her parents was close, and she loved them, but she had only just discovered her own magical ability upon receiving her invitation to Hogwarts, and she felt she had a lot to catch up on.This thread is open for @Maggie Parker and any students (maybe 2-3 others) who would like to join us for a little gardening and foraging!
The grass crunched beneath her feet, the humidity rising as the intense sunlight evaporated the dew that had gathered on the blades. The sun had yet to peak in the sky but was already hot on her skin. Anticipating being out there a few hours, she had chosen a sleeveless white shirt she tucked in to her navy cotton pants, sandals, and her short brimmed wicker hat. A typical outfit she had often donned when assisting her mother in gathering herbs to use in her various remedies. Somewhere between fair and medium toned, Tatiana didn't sun burn that easily, but thought it better to not take chances on this sweltering, mid summer day.
Hat on, and sunscreen in hand, she continued her way toward the greenhouses. She was planning to meet Maggie there for their cleanup. Just the day before, Professor Jensen had posted a list of errands that needed doing around the castle if anyone felt keen on volunteering their time to help out before returning home for break. Tatiana figured why not, as she had an abundant amount of free time on her hands and more than a little experience with gardening.
As she approached the first greenhouse, there was a small table set up outside, she assumed that was for them. Sitting on and around it were some various gardening supplies- a few sets of gloves, a shovel, smaller shovels, bags of soil, and baskets she assumed they could use to harvest the fruits and vegetables from the garden patches for cooking. They had posted a note in the small hall the day prior asking if anyone else would like to join, but the only one she was sure of was Maggie. She was a very friendly girl from Gryffindor that she had recently met in the library to work on herbology homework. Tatiana didn't know that much about her but figured that the day's work would be a good opportunity to spend more time with her and get to know one another better.
Upon arriving at their agreed upon meeting spot, she noticed no one else had arrived yet. I'm a little early, she thought, shrugging. That was pretty typical of her. She took a seat in a shaded area of the grass and decided to wait a few minutes for someone else to arrive before she began.
Word Count : 518
Last edited by Tatiana Crane on 1 Jul 2019, 03:58, edited 2 times in total.
Tatiana Isadore Crane : Perfectionist, Components
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
26 Jun 2019, 16:12
Sprucing the Place Up
Maggie groaned as sunlight filtered through the curtains of her dorm and attacked her eyes. Sheilding her eyes, she slowly sat up in bed and yawned, stretching her arms to the ceiling. She swung her legs out of bed and clambered out of the sheets, scratching her head. She was excited— she had a completely free day, she didn’t have to do anything. Maybe she’d meet up with some of her friends, or— she stood upright, stiffened, and muttered a few nasty words under her breath. In an instant, she was tearing around the room like a tornado, getting dressed in what seemed like record time. She slipped on a pair of dirty, red converse and a pair of athletic shorts, quickly throwing on a random junky t-shirt. She tied her hair up into a ponytail, not bothering to brush it, and quickly spit out her toothpaste. She bolted down the halls of Hogwarts, her echoing footsteps seeming to be the only sounds in the near-empty castle. The hot Summer air caused beads of sweat to form on her forehead, but Maggie just kept running, the thought of how incredibly late she was ever-present in her mind. She didn’t stop to admire the clear blue sky or the lush green hills, she just ran. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Maggie reached the greenhouses, and, panting, she said, “I’m— here—” she managed to get the words out, though she could barely breathe. “I think that was the fastest I’ve run in my life.” Maggie chuckled, but it came out as more of a short breath of air than a laugh. Before her were a few small tables, each with a number of gardening tools laid on them, Tatiana Crane, and a butload of work. Tatiana wore navy blue pants, a white tank top, sandals, and a wicker hat. She looked like a professional, and she probably was. Tatiana had helped Maggie with her Herbology homework, and she was an expert, at least, compared to Maggie. The humidity of the greenhouse made even more sweat begin to soak Maggie, and she asked, “So, what’s the plan?” as both an attempt to get out of the warehouse and as a means of conversation.
Reducio
Word Count: 372
maggie parker
stamina-5 | evasion-6 | strength-6 | wisdom-4 | arc power-4 | accuracy-9
26 Jun 2019, 19:00
Sprucing the Place Up
A few minutes had passed and Tatiana laid back on the soft grass. Knees propped up, hands resting intertwined on her stomach, she closed her eyes. Most of the times she'd ventured out on to the grounds were at night when it was cooler. But the heat felt nice on her skin, and she welcomed it, a pleasant change from her time spent holed up in the library that week.
Before she knew it, the sound of running feet broke the silence. Opening her eyes, she peered up to see Maggie, panting and out of breath, looking like she had just rolled out of bed. "Hi!" she greeted her, smiling warmly and standing up to meet her.
“I’m— here— I think that was the fastest I’ve run in my life," the girl chuckled. “So, what’s the plan?”
Tatiana laughed, brushing off some of the dirt and grass still clinging to her pants. "Well," she began, looking around at the supplies in front of them. "According to Professor Jensen's posting, we can plant some new flowers- either around the lake or the greenhouse, water all of them, and then I believe the produce needs harvesting."
She walked over to the table and grabbed one of the smaller hand shovels and a pair of gloves, putting them on. "I figured maybe I can start planting around this greenhouse, and you could grab the fruits and vegetables from the garden?" she suggested. "Really whatever you'd like to do is fine, I just thought maybe we could divide and conquer," she shrugged, picking up one of the bags of soil. "If that's alright with you, I think there's some baskets around here somewhere to make the gathering easier."
Before she knew it, the sound of running feet broke the silence. Opening her eyes, she peered up to see Maggie, panting and out of breath, looking like she had just rolled out of bed. "Hi!" she greeted her, smiling warmly and standing up to meet her.
“I’m— here— I think that was the fastest I’ve run in my life," the girl chuckled. “So, what’s the plan?”
Tatiana laughed, brushing off some of the dirt and grass still clinging to her pants. "Well," she began, looking around at the supplies in front of them. "According to Professor Jensen's posting, we can plant some new flowers- either around the lake or the greenhouse, water all of them, and then I believe the produce needs harvesting."
She walked over to the table and grabbed one of the smaller hand shovels and a pair of gloves, putting them on. "I figured maybe I can start planting around this greenhouse, and you could grab the fruits and vegetables from the garden?" she suggested. "Really whatever you'd like to do is fine, I just thought maybe we could divide and conquer," she shrugged, picking up one of the bags of soil. "If that's alright with you, I think there's some baskets around here somewhere to make the gathering easier."
Word Count : 264 (minus Alyssa's quote), Total : 782
Tatiana Isadore Crane : Perfectionist, Components
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
26 Jun 2019, 19:11
Sprucing the Place Up
The decision to stay at Hogwarts was not one that would be welcomed by his parents, Mac was certain. He'd sent them a long, apologetic owl explaining his choice to stay. He supposed that he was fortunate, being a muggle-born, that his father didn't know what a 'Howler' was; if he did, Mac would certainly be expecting one within the next few days. What was the harm in staying a few more weeks, anyway? It wasn't like he was staying for the entire summer. He had so much to catch up on, so much to learn at Hogwarts, and he simply didn't have the resources to explore his magical heritage at home.
Over the summer, he'd volunteered to run some errands around the castle. The extra sickles were a welcome bonus, though he was happy to pitch in regardless. Before he left the common room, he was sure to pack on as much sunblock as he could (the sun was NOT Mac's friend). He was dressed in an old (and frankly tacky) Pokemon t-shirt and a pair of worn-out jeans, along with some hand-me-down sneakers that he'd owned for far too long.
As he stepped outside, his very first instinct was to turn around and walk right back into the castle. It was a beautiful summer day with hardly a cloud in sight, which spelt out nothing but trouble for Mac. Even with all the sunblock, he could already tell that he'd end the day with a light sunburn. Maybe he could find someone to turn him into a vampire, so he'd have an excuse to never be in direct sunlight again. Still, he'd already agreed to go through with this, so he made his way down to the greenhouses, all the while trying to keep in the shade whenever possible.
As he made his way to the first greenhouse, he saw two students standing outside, though he could hardly make out who they were from this distance. His footfalls quickened as he approached them, embarrassed by the realization that he may have been late.
"Hi," he said simply, clearing his throat as he looked up at the other students. There was Maggie, who he recognized instantly, and a familiar-looking girl that he might've seen around the Ravenclaw commons once or twice over the school year. He gave them a curt smile, along with a little wave. "Sorry to interrupt... am I late?"
WC: 404
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26 Jun 2019, 21:04
Sprucing the Place Up
“Hi.” Maggie turned her head to find Mac, wearing a Pokémon t-shirt, worn out jeans, old tennis shoes, and a noticeable amount of sunblock. “Sorry to interrupt... am I late?” Maggie grinned at her good friend, “No later than I was, Matt, trust me. I just got here.” She glanced to Tatiana, who had just finished explaining what they were supposed to do for Professor Jensen. “Mac, meet Tatiana Crane, herbologist extrodinare,” Maggie grinned, “Tatiana, meet Mac Murphy, magizoologist extrodinare. I think you two are going to get along quite nicely,” she smirked, chuckling lightly. “Tatiana was just telling me— we have to plant some flowers, water some flowers, and harvest the produce. Should be fun, or at least bearable.” Maggie chuckled again. She walked over to the table of tools, letting Tatiana and Mac introduce themselves to each other on their own terms, and studied her options. She slipped on a pair of old gloves and grabbed a shovel, partly because that’s what she’d seen Tatiana do, and she trusted her to know what she was doing. She picked up a few packets of seeds, notably taking all of the ones with pictures of red flowers on the front, and slipped them in her pocket, ready to plant them later. One of the only reasons she was actually doing this was for the money, and so she could get to know Tatiana and Mac a little better. As anyone who’d ever taken Herbology with her would know, she had a kind of anti green thumb, in the sense that she was terrible at anything to do with Herbology. She turned to Mac and Tatiana, who seemed like they’d finished introducing themselves, and said, “Right, should we get ‘goin then?”
Reducio
Word Count: 290
Total Word Count: 662
Total Word Count: 662
maggie parker
stamina-5 | evasion-6 | strength-6 | wisdom-4 | arc power-4 | accuracy-9
26 Jun 2019, 21:42
Sprucing the Place Up
Just as she was sorting out where to begin, a boy approached wearing an old pokemon tee. Nice, she thought to herself. Having attended a muggle school, she was very aware of their media and entertainment, and pokemon had been one of her favorites.
"Sorry to interrupt... am I late?" he asked. He and Maggie seemed to know each other already, and he seemed a bit familiar, maybe a fellow Ravenclaw she'd passed in the common room before. As Maggie proceeded to introduce them, Tatiana couldn't help but laugh at her new label as 'herbologist extraordinaire'. And having heard Mac described as a 'magizoologist extraordinaire', she thought Maggie might be right about assuming the two of them would get along well. Some of her most pondered curiosities since she had arrived at Hogwarts involved magical creatures and the like, and she thought she might like to hear his knowledge and opinions on them one day.
She waited while Maggie explained the stipulations of today's errand to Mac. Setting down the bag of soil, she walked over to him and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, fellow extraordinaire," she began, smiling. "And you're definitely not late, we've yet to get started. But feel free to use any of the equipment Professor Jensen provided for us, and I'm perfectly satisfied with taking whichever of the tasks you two don't choose."
She could see Maggie was eager to begin, and with as hot as it was getting, Tatiana was as well. "Did you have a preference?" she asked Mac, offering him a set of gloves from the table.
"Sorry to interrupt... am I late?" he asked. He and Maggie seemed to know each other already, and he seemed a bit familiar, maybe a fellow Ravenclaw she'd passed in the common room before. As Maggie proceeded to introduce them, Tatiana couldn't help but laugh at her new label as 'herbologist extraordinaire'. And having heard Mac described as a 'magizoologist extraordinaire', she thought Maggie might be right about assuming the two of them would get along well. Some of her most pondered curiosities since she had arrived at Hogwarts involved magical creatures and the like, and she thought she might like to hear his knowledge and opinions on them one day.
She waited while Maggie explained the stipulations of today's errand to Mac. Setting down the bag of soil, she walked over to him and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, fellow extraordinaire," she began, smiling. "And you're definitely not late, we've yet to get started. But feel free to use any of the equipment Professor Jensen provided for us, and I'm perfectly satisfied with taking whichever of the tasks you two don't choose."
She could see Maggie was eager to begin, and with as hot as it was getting, Tatiana was as well. "Did you have a preference?" she asked Mac, offering him a set of gloves from the table.
Word Count : 260, Total : 1042 (I'm gonna go way over, but that's fine!)
Tatiana Isadore Crane : Perfectionist, Components
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
27 Jun 2019, 02:16
Sprucing the Place Up
"Well, I wouldn't call myself an 'extraordinaire'," he laughed, a light blush coloring his features as he shook her hand, "... but it's nice to meet you. Are you a Ravenclaw? I feel like I've seen you before." With a curt 'thank you' under his breath, he took the gloves that she'd offered him before slipping them on. They were clearly designed for someone with bigger hands; the fabric bunched up around his fingertips. He supposed that didn't matter much, though. They'd keep him from getting grime underneath his nails, at least.
As he pulled at the hem of his gloves, he looked over the table of tools splayed out in front of them, presumably left there by the professor. Gardening wasn't new to him, so this was sure to be a breeze. Of course, the plants he worked with back at home were much more... orthodox, but it was basically the same concept. Not all of these plants were magical, either.
There were a number of things that needed to be done around Hogwarts. Between the three of them, they would have to tend to the garden, which meant they would need to water and harvest the plants, as well as re-plant. That left an individual task for each of them. If he had the first pick, then he supposed he'd have to go with the harvest. Harvesting was always his favorite part of tending to the crops back at home; there was something undeniably satisfying about reaping what you've sown.
"I guess I'll harvest the fruits and vegetables, then," he said with a little nod towards the both of them as he retrieved one of the wicker baskets. "If that's okay with the two of you, I mean."
WC: 288
Total: 693
Last edited by Mac Murphy on 27 Jun 2019, 03:42, edited 1 time in total.
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27 Jun 2019, 02:59
Sprucing the Place Up
“For sure!” Maggie said as she re-tied her hair back into a ponytail, not bothering to make it look nice. “I would say that I’d plant the flowers, but I don’t trust myself with that— Tatiana should probably do that, if you want to of course.” Maggie grinned and chuckled lightly. “I kind of have a reverse green-thumb, so I think I’ll stick to watering the plants.” She grabbed a watering can from the table and waved it slightly. “I’ll be done in a jiffy, so I’ll come down and help you guys when I’m finished.” she started to walk out of the greenhouse, but before she actually got out of the door, she turned back and asked, “Do either of you have a broom by any chance?” she quickly shook her head, that would be too much trouble— and they were first years too, so they probably wouldn’t have them. “Nevermind, I’ve got it covered— I’ll see you guys in, like, half an hour. Hopefully.” Although Maggie had a small feeling that she was underestimating the workload, it couldn’t be that bad, right? She decided to voice this and joked lightly, “I mean, come on, it can’t be that bad, right?”
Reducio
Word Count: 204
Total Word Count: 868
Total Word Count: 868
maggie parker
stamina-5 | evasion-6 | strength-6 | wisdom-4 | arc power-4 | accuracy-9
27 Jun 2019, 04:44
Sprucing the Place Up
"Are you a Ravenclaw?" Mac asked, taking the gloves from her hands. "I feel like I've seen you before." "Mhmm," she nodded. "I thought your face looked familiar." She watched as he put on the gloves, obviously intended for adult hands, but workable nonetheless. Even old and worn gloves in sizes too big were better than none at all, she supposed.
In response to her question, he offered to harvest the produce and grabbed one of the baskets. Maggie agreed, pulled her hair up into a quick ponytail, and suggested she would water while Tatiana did the planting. Which she was more than fine with, of course. It was a task that was both rewarding and relaxing, and honestly the one she was hoping to end up with.
With their separate chores assigned, each grabbed what they needed from the supplies. Before leaving, Maggie asked if either of them had, of all things, a broom- the likes of which she certainly hadn't considered to bring. Why would she need a broom to water? Tatiana thought. But before she could bother to respond, Maggie had whisked herself away and agreed to meet them in approximately half an hour. In an effort to be helpful, though she still had no idea what the girl intended on doing with it, she shouted after her, "there may be one in one of the greenhouses!"
Unsure of whether or not she'd heard her, Tatiana shrugged and turned back to the table. There was a small box filled with seed packets and small, pregrown containers of flowers ready to be replanted into the garden boxes. Which of these lovely little things to plant first? she wondered. She took a moment to peruse the options before her. She finally decided on a few clusters of pale white begonias and sky blue hydrangeas to line the greenhouse with, as well as several packets for the fruit and vegetable plants that would need to be replanted. Having preset the flowers in the boxes where they'd need to go, she grabbed her shovel and the bag of soil and got to work.
In response to her question, he offered to harvest the produce and grabbed one of the baskets. Maggie agreed, pulled her hair up into a quick ponytail, and suggested she would water while Tatiana did the planting. Which she was more than fine with, of course. It was a task that was both rewarding and relaxing, and honestly the one she was hoping to end up with.
With their separate chores assigned, each grabbed what they needed from the supplies. Before leaving, Maggie asked if either of them had, of all things, a broom- the likes of which she certainly hadn't considered to bring. Why would she need a broom to water? Tatiana thought. But before she could bother to respond, Maggie had whisked herself away and agreed to meet them in approximately half an hour. In an effort to be helpful, though she still had no idea what the girl intended on doing with it, she shouted after her, "there may be one in one of the greenhouses!"
Unsure of whether or not she'd heard her, Tatiana shrugged and turned back to the table. There was a small box filled with seed packets and small, pregrown containers of flowers ready to be replanted into the garden boxes. Which of these lovely little things to plant first? she wondered. She took a moment to peruse the options before her. She finally decided on a few clusters of pale white begonias and sky blue hydrangeas to line the greenhouse with, as well as several packets for the fruit and vegetable plants that would need to be replanted. Having preset the flowers in the boxes where they'd need to go, she grabbed her shovel and the bag of soil and got to work.
Word Count : 333, Total : 1375
Tatiana Isadore Crane : Perfectionist, Components
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
Stamina : 6 | Evasion : 4 | Strength : 4 | Wisdom : 9 | Arcane Power : 9 | Accuracy : 8
27 Jun 2019, 23:33
Sprucing the Place Up
Mac watched, dumbfounded as Maggie made her way over to the door, asking for a broom of all things before she went out to water the plants. Unfortunately, he didn't own a flying broom, if that's what she was after. She didn't specify, so he wasn't sure if she needed the bewitched kind or the kind to sweep up dirt. Either way, it didn't make much sense to him.
Before he could respond, she was out the door, prancing off to do her share of the work. "Um- good luck!" he called after her. Looking over at Tatiana, he rolled his shoulders in a shrug. The 'reverse green-thumb' that she'd mentioned stood out to him, but he was sure it wasn't as bad as she thought it was. Of course, Mac wasn't one to talk; he wasn't any better when it came to crops, and he'd been raised on this sort of thing.
On the opposite end of the greenhouse were some tomato plants, which seemed like a good enough place to start. They looked ripe enough to be picked and there didn't seem to be any visible damage to them. His blue eyes narrowed as he looked over the plant, lifting up the leaves to check for discoloration that might hint at an infestation. For the most part, they seemed perfectly healthy. He wondered if Hogwarts used pesticides, though he doubted it. Knowing how things worked around here, they probably had some sort of charm or jinx in place to keep critters off the produce.
He plucked the tomatoes one by one, gradually filling his wicker basket to the brim. "So... Tatiana," he started as he worked, just to fill the silence of the greenhouse with conversation. He looked back over his shoulder to see her sowing the pre-planted flowers into the soil. "Are you staying for the summer?"
WC: 311
Total:1,004
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