19 Apr 2020, 21:19
Mandrakes for Medicine
Thankful that Ethen was willing to leave, Atlas picked up their cardboard box as she winced watching as the mandrakes wiggled around the box. The weight was unevenly distributed as she balanced the box walking it over to their Professor.
"All done!" She said over the shrills and screams as she placed the box down on the front table. "Thank you for the little uhhh activity." Atlas continued to the professor as she didn't want to be rude and say she wasn't a fan of mandrakes to her face. "It was definitely an eventful day to say the least!"
Taking her globes off and placing them in her satchel, Professor Jensen had mentioned there was another activity that may be more in their wheelhouse and all Atlas needed to hear was octopus tentacles and the Great Lake and she was on board!
"Ethen, the day isn't over yet! Another mission is afoot!" She called behind her as she raced out the door of the green house, feeling the gentle chilly breeze travel around her as she zipped up her jacket popping the color up around her neck for extra protection as she kept the earmuffs on thankful for the wind protection they provided.
She couldn't wait to see what their next test would be as she sprinted towards the Great Lake.
"All done!" She said over the shrills and screams as she placed the box down on the front table. "Thank you for the little uhhh activity." Atlas continued to the professor as she didn't want to be rude and say she wasn't a fan of mandrakes to her face. "It was definitely an eventful day to say the least!"
Taking her globes off and placing them in her satchel, Professor Jensen had mentioned there was another activity that may be more in their wheelhouse and all Atlas needed to hear was octopus tentacles and the Great Lake and she was on board!
"Ethen, the day isn't over yet! Another mission is afoot!" She called behind her as she raced out the door of the green house, feeling the gentle chilly breeze travel around her as she zipped up her jacket popping the color up around her neck for extra protection as she kept the earmuffs on thankful for the wind protection they provided.
She couldn't wait to see what their next test would be as she sprinted towards the Great Lake.
WC: 1,227/400
Leaving the Thread
Stamina: 15 / Evasion: 18 / Strength: 4 / Wisdom: 10 / ArcPower: 7 / Accuracy: 22
Broom: Varapidos
27 Apr 2020, 13:39
Mandrakes for Medicine
MOD POST ---
First Years - Mandrakes for Medicine
Updated: 27th April 2020
Successfully Completed Word Count so far:
Ruthie Greer
Piérre Marchonné
Grace Mint
Breana Oliveire
Pericles Dralt
Calanthe Choi
Ivy Bellamy
Lark Flaer
Crescent Moon
Flash Holmwood
Evelynn Decipio
Ethen Emrys
Atlas Reid
Jo Morgan
Everyone listed above has been sent a pair of earmuffs (random colour) and 2 House Points. If you're missing either, please let me know ASAP. Free feel to swap the colour of your earmuffs if you wish
In Progress:
Aura Lee - Owled
TO ANYONE ELSE JOINING:
I will endeavor to do another reward run on the 30th April (my time). If you complete this errand by the 29th, you'll likely be in for this month's cup.
Any posts on 30th or later might not be allocated until May, due to timezone differences.
This is my former staff account.
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
28 Apr 2020, 02:45
Mandrakes for Medicine
It seemed as though Teiki was beginning to get into a habit of being late. Perhaps it was simply because she rarely glanced at any clocks or watches, but even she was getting a little distressed by the habit. Well, she had some time later to fix it- now she would just have to deal with arriving a little later than everyone else. The young girl silently created a checklist as she walked down to the greenhouse. At least she was somewhat prepared.
Sliding into the greenhouse, she peered around at those who might've still been here and the mandrakes all piled into a box. It still seemed rather surreal to the girl- there was a virus that was spreading, and rather quickly by the sounds of it. At least she was still able to keep good contact with her parents through letter, but it was still rather worrisome to here about. However, the thing that confused her more was that she was able to help- an eleven year old? But glancing at the boxes certainly helped assure her that there was indeed something she could do. Even if it might've been a small thing in the scope of the virus, at least it was something.
The girl took a few more steps into the greenhouse, slipping on the protective gloves that had been in her pocket. She claimed a pair of earmuffs, slipping them over her ears, trying to make sure that her hair wasn't too much in the way. At least it was in a ponytail- she wouldn't have to worry as much about it getting in the way while handling the Mandrakes. "Okay... pull out Mandrake, place in box." It seemed more of a mantra for the girl, still mouthing the words as she walked even if no sound came out.
The young girl didn't say much after that, finding herself a potted Mandrake. Considering how few words her instruction mantra had been, it didn't seem like this would be all that hard. And yet, considering the Herbology lesson she had already undergone, she knew it was a different story. She gave the pot a worried half-smile, before grabbing onto the base of the plant. A harsh pull and the Hufflepuff managed to get the Mandrake out of the pot. The girl winced in response to the loud screaming, quickly depositing the mandrake into the box with the rest.
"Now- repeat."
Word Count: 404
Stamina-7 | Evasion-8 | Strength-3 | Wisdom-7 | Arcane Power-5 | Accuracy-5
#b45f06 | Keen eye | iNPC Astrid Kovac
30 Apr 2020, 18:19
Mandrakes for Medicine
MOD POST ---
First Years - Mandrakes for Medicine
Updated: 30th April 2020
Successfully Completed Word Count since last mod post on 27th:
Teiki Laurent
Aura Lee
Everyone listed above has been sent a pair of earmuffs (random colour) and 2 House Points. If you're missing either, please let me know ASAP. Free feel to swap the colour of your earmuffs if you wish
TO ANYONE ELSE JOINING:
Any posts from now on will likely be rewarded in the May House Cup.
This is my former staff account.
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
1 May 2020, 22:51
Mandrakes for Medicine
The shadow of Greenhouse one loomed over Maria as she made her way inside. She and several other students were volunteering to collect baby Mandrakes today, to help make Pepperup Potions for a muggle disease called COVID-19. Her mother had written to her about it, saying that people all over the muggle world were getting it and it was bad. They even had to close the diner for a while, relying on delivery orders instead. She also mentioned how they all had to stay inside, to stop it from spreading and how she was going stir crazy running out of things to do. Her father on the other hand was unfazed. The nature of his work and of his personality in general made him more comfortable indoors, so not much had changed for him.
Making her way inside the only Greenhouse she and the people in her year were allowed in, she spotted several students and Professor Jensen already starting their work. There was a table of earmuffs, likely available for everyone to use. Maria selected a pair of plain maroon earmuffs before choosing a working spot. When she got to her work bench she set her beloved messenger bag down and rummaged through it for her trusty working gloves. Once she had them on, she put her earmuffs on as they had been taught in Herbology, and started on her first pot.
She gave the magical plant a sharp tug. Nothing happened. She put a little more force in her pull, holding the pot at the same time. Still wouldn’t budge. The young badger huffed and wrapped on arm around the pot and kept one hand on the Mandrake. She pulled with as much force as she could and it came out with a pop and a crunch. Congratulations, it’s a mandrake! The young witch felt a surge of pride go through her, happy with her small victory. The baby plant however, did not share her excitement. It’s already unattractive face contorted into a deep frown and it screamed with all it had. Maria flinched at the sound, still audible but luckily heavily muffled by her earmuffs. “I never thought I’d every say this about a plant but you missed out when they were handing out pretty points didn’t you.” She joked. The mandrake apparently didn’t share her humor and continued to wail. “Okay, okay, I’ll put you down, sorry I interrupted your nap.” Then she proceeded to place it in the box, put the lid on and moved on to the next pot. Needless to say it took a while for the mandrakes to calm down, and they would start crying again once another one was de-potted, a variation of screams ringing throughout the Greenhouse. Maria wiped her brow with her sleeve, sweat beading from all the effort put into pulling out the Mandrakes. The work was tiring, and it made her arms hurt, her hands sore and her ears ring, but it was for the greater good, so as always, the young badger carried on.
Making her way inside the only Greenhouse she and the people in her year were allowed in, she spotted several students and Professor Jensen already starting their work. There was a table of earmuffs, likely available for everyone to use. Maria selected a pair of plain maroon earmuffs before choosing a working spot. When she got to her work bench she set her beloved messenger bag down and rummaged through it for her trusty working gloves. Once she had them on, she put her earmuffs on as they had been taught in Herbology, and started on her first pot.
She gave the magical plant a sharp tug. Nothing happened. She put a little more force in her pull, holding the pot at the same time. Still wouldn’t budge. The young badger huffed and wrapped on arm around the pot and kept one hand on the Mandrake. She pulled with as much force as she could and it came out with a pop and a crunch. Congratulations, it’s a mandrake! The young witch felt a surge of pride go through her, happy with her small victory. The baby plant however, did not share her excitement. It’s already unattractive face contorted into a deep frown and it screamed with all it had. Maria flinched at the sound, still audible but luckily heavily muffled by her earmuffs. “I never thought I’d every say this about a plant but you missed out when they were handing out pretty points didn’t you.” She joked. The mandrake apparently didn’t share her humor and continued to wail. “Okay, okay, I’ll put you down, sorry I interrupted your nap.” Then she proceeded to place it in the box, put the lid on and moved on to the next pot. Needless to say it took a while for the mandrakes to calm down, and they would start crying again once another one was de-potted, a variation of screams ringing throughout the Greenhouse. Maria wiped her brow with her sleeve, sweat beading from all the effort put into pulling out the Mandrakes. The work was tiring, and it made her arms hurt, her hands sore and her ears ring, but it was for the greater good, so as always, the young badger carried on.
WORD COUNT: 508/400 WORDS
Leaving Thread
Tryna solve a problem like Maria.
Stats:Stamina 8||Evasion 7||Strength 5 || Wisdom 8 || Arcane Power 8 ||| Accuracy 9
8 May 2020, 13:02
Mandrakes for Medicine
As Dealla made her way down to the greenhouses, she briefly considered whether the event was even still going on. She'd heard about it a bit late - like she seemed to hear of everything late, if at all. She should probably work on her information network - or read announcements properly. Had there been a time stated?
Thankfully, when she entered the greenhouse, there were still students strewn everywhere. Suddenly in a hurry, Dee grabbed a pair of blue earmuffs off the table next to the door and put them on. She was not keen on taking a trip to the Hospital Wing today. Thinking about it, she had been lucky none of the mandrakes had been screaming when she had walked in.
Lost in thought, Dee made her way over to one of the workstations, for once not in the mood for conversation. Not that much conversation was possible between the earmuffs and the screaming mandrakes.
Dealla had heard about the pandemic, in passing. She wasn't very worried about her family - her mum could probably brew the Grand Pepperup Potion in her sleep, provided she could get a hold of the ingredients, and Dee really didn't know her grandparents well enough for them to be on her mind a lot - but there had been a lot of other Muggles in her life. All of her neighbours, her friends, all of them and their families were in danger. Old Mrs Wicker who lived across the street back home and had always given Dee cookies apparently was especially at risk. So, since there was something Dee could do, she wanted to help.
Realizing she had been standing there and staring into nothing for too long to be normal, Dealla quickly took a glance around. Everyone else was throwing the Mandrakes they had pulled out of their pots into cardboard boxes, so she grabbed one of those, and then focused on the Mandrake in the pot in front of her. They had learned this in Herbology, and while Mandrakes weren't pretty, or otherwise pleasant to work with, there was worse. Her earmuffs and protective gloves were all she needed.
Taking a deep breath, she reassured herself that her earmuffs were placed correctly, sealing her ears off tightly, and then grabbed the Mandrake by the leaves sprouting out of the earth.
Since Dee was even for her age rather skinny, took her a second yank, and a third, until she had finally gotten the Mandrake completely out of its pot, and Merlin, it was ugly.
With a disgusted look, Dee threw it into her cardboard box, then smiled. There, that hadn't been so hard, had it? It was actually kind of fun. Dealla's greatest interest in Herbology was for ingredients for potions, but she did like working with plants.
With a quick glance at the clock, she decided she could do a few more before she had to leave, and she set to work with a determined frown on her face.
Word Count: 501/400 - Complete
Open to interaction if someone is interested, otherwise leaving the thread here.
"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."
12 May 2020, 22:47
Mandrakes for Medicine
Opeila had not thought about it twice when she had put her name down for this. The first year was still small and she knew that it was very likely that she'd change her opinion a few times still- at least that's what she had heard what comes with puberty- but at the moment she could imagine becoming a healer sometime. Maybe it was because her mother was in a hospital right now. Maybe it was because her muggle father would not get as good treatment in a muggle hospital as he would in a magical one, should he ever need it.
Whatever it was, Opeila wanted to help. She had sent about four letters home, never got an answer. She wouldn't admit it, but it scared the heck out of the girl. Yes, Opeila was used to not hearing from home. Yes, she knew that this might just be another of those cases where her father read her letters, hid it from her grandmother and simply wouldn't go near Hardin. Hardin was the family owl, he belonged to all four of them, but somehow, her fathe had always disliked him. Maybe he was just another symbol of the magical world to him, a world he despised for a reason that Opeila could only guess.
Anyway, she hoped her father was okay. Lady Margary, her grandmother was intelligent but not exactly strong. She would for sure be able to brew her father the cure for the virus if he had it, but then he cared enough for her to not let her go outside.
Opeila was so fed up with this anti-magic stubborness. So unnecessary.
The little girl had been quiet since she had entered the greenhouse. She had barely looked up, simply taken some earmuffs and gloves, then got a box.
Mandrakes. She remembered that lesson. It had been an okay one, not her favourite, but okay. Opeila had a hard time not to see the screaming plants as abused living beings. They had a face and moving... hands? Hand...like... thingys. Anyways. It felt weird to just pull them out of their pots.
The little Slytherin exhaled before pressing her lips together and pulling a mandrake out of it's pot. She would not look at it's screaming face. She would simply put it down in the box, carefully. When she looked at others, who just tossed her mandrakes in the boxes, she frowned a little. She wanted to see the others being pulled out of a pot by their hair and then being thrown away. They would never lay hands on a mandrake like that again.
Whatever it was, Opeila wanted to help. She had sent about four letters home, never got an answer. She wouldn't admit it, but it scared the heck out of the girl. Yes, Opeila was used to not hearing from home. Yes, she knew that this might just be another of those cases where her father read her letters, hid it from her grandmother and simply wouldn't go near Hardin. Hardin was the family owl, he belonged to all four of them, but somehow, her fathe had always disliked him. Maybe he was just another symbol of the magical world to him, a world he despised for a reason that Opeila could only guess.
Anyway, she hoped her father was okay. Lady Margary, her grandmother was intelligent but not exactly strong. She would for sure be able to brew her father the cure for the virus if he had it, but then he cared enough for her to not let her go outside.
Opeila was so fed up with this anti-magic stubborness. So unnecessary.
The little girl had been quiet since she had entered the greenhouse. She had barely looked up, simply taken some earmuffs and gloves, then got a box.
Mandrakes. She remembered that lesson. It had been an okay one, not her favourite, but okay. Opeila had a hard time not to see the screaming plants as abused living beings. They had a face and moving... hands? Hand...like... thingys. Anyways. It felt weird to just pull them out of their pots.
The little Slytherin exhaled before pressing her lips together and pulling a mandrake out of it's pot. She would not look at it's screaming face. She would simply put it down in the box, carefully. When she looked at others, who just tossed her mandrakes in the boxes, she frowned a little. She wanted to see the others being pulled out of a pot by their hair and then being thrown away. They would never lay hands on a mandrake like that again.
WC: 437 Words
Errand Complete!
14 May 2020, 18:02
Mandrakes for Medicine
MOD POST ---
First Years - Mandrakes for Medicine
Updated: 14th May 2020
Successfully Completed Word Count since last mod post on 30th:
Maria Dee
Dealla Prince
Opeila Seilun
You have not received rewards yet but will do before the end of the month.
TO EVERYONE IN THIS THREAD/ NEWCOMERS:
This Activity will be closed to participation Sunday, May 24th
This is my former staff account.
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
16 May 2020, 07:52
Mandrakes for Medicine
Mentions @Hjørdis Jensen and @Boniface Murtagh MacTavish
Well, wasn't this exciting? Mars had just done all that research on COVID-19 and now, they got an opportunity to do something about it. It seemed so simple in practice, using a readily-available—if difficult to brew—potion to cure something the muggles had gone into a global panic about.
Treading over the grass in the direction of the greenhouses, Mars sighed. It was nice weather today for sure, perfect for Herbology. The Ravenclaw hadn't attended a class they hated yet, but there was something calming about plants. When they weren't trying to kill you, which was often of course, but then, what in the wizarding world wasn't trying to kill you at any given moment?
They liked Professor MacTavish as well—he seemed like a bubbly guy with a rich history. They were a bit nervous to work with mandrakes—after all, there's only so much one can learn from a lecture and they hadn't worked much with sentient plants, but nothing wrong with just biting the bullet.
Still making their way across the large expanse of the field, Mars let their thoughts wander back to their family. They hoped Lady Estella wasn't going stir-crazy. They'd seen once how she'd made the T'ien boys play dress-up, forcing them into various suits and cravats—what in heck even was a cravat?—to the young boys' dismay. Let's just say it didn't end pretty. Far too many tears for Mars' liking.
Still though, that would be better than any of them getting sick. Mars shuddered to imagine any of their brother's bedridden, even from the common cold, so the reality they might be sick with a fatal disease was kind of eating them up inside. They hoped this wizard remedy would actually work and that the muggles would buy their lies. Although it sounded far too close to "homemade medicinal recipes" or an essential oil gag for Mars' comfort. Never mind. It'd probably work at any rate.
Finally reaching the greenhouse door, they pulled it open and were immediately hit by a wave of thick, humid air. The air around Hogwarts was quite thin normally, and dry too, due to the elevation, but the greenhouses always felt like entering some kind of tropical paradise. That was added to by the wild assortment of plants growing in every avaliable space.
Looking around the room, they could already see a bunch of wixes scurrying around the room. Whoops. By force of habit, they checked their wrist, then winced. Right. Muggle tech was a no-go. At any rate, they were late.
Standing in the entrance, they gave Professor Jensen a sheepish smile. They noticed the table of earmuffs soon after. Ah, right. Not dying or being knocked unconscious was probably a good thing. Reach out to grab one, they stopped.
"Sorry I'm late. Can I—take one of these?" they asked the Head of Slytherin. Well, that might have been a slightly stupid question. Who else would these be for? Assuming she'd probably say yes, Mars grabbed a pair and went over to the table that held the pots of mandrakes. As they arrived, a Slytherin girl started to pull one out. Frantically, they slipped the earmuffs on, holding them tight to their ears as she ripped it out. Even through the noise-cancelation, they could hear the muffled screams as the plant wailed.
Turning away from it, Mars pulled their dragon-skin gloves out from their back pocket. They wiggled them on, eyeing the plants in front of them. Each of the wixes had a cardboard box which was rapidly beginning to fill up, so they toed one over to themselves. Finally getting the gloves into place, they pulled a pot up in front of them. Grabbing firmly at the "roots," they gave it a hard tug, holding the pot steady with their left hand. It gave with a pop, sending Mars stumbling back a step or two.
It was kind of—cute, in a way. Mars almost felt a little bad for it, holding it out in front of them by the supposed hair, letting it scream and writhe. Wincing, they set it gently into the box at their feet. They hadn't asked Professor MacTavish if these things had nerves. They didn't want to cause it more trauma than necessary, but then again, they were all going to be chopped up and brewed anyway. Mars decide to just assume they didn't have feelings, for the sake of their own sanity.
After a couple of minutes, their box was pretty jam-full. They carried it up to Professor Jensen, thankful that she had her own magenta-colored earmuffs. Placing it by the Head of Slytherin's feet, they looked around, a bit lost. Was this where it was supposed to go? Oh, well. They smiled at her and left the greenhouse.
A couple of feet past the threshold and they realized the world was oddly quiet. They put a hand to their ear—sh*t, they were still wearing the earmuffs. Turning around, they yanked them off, a bit embarrassed. They hadn't meant to take any equipment. But then, they stopped. On the greenhouse door, there was a poster they hadn't noticed before.
It said that all earmuffs were to keep. Oh. Well, how lucky. There was also something underneath that—another task. Something about the Great Lake and... octopus tentacles. Well. They check their wrist again and then sighed. Right. They had to break that habit. Well, they probably had nothing better to do anyway.
Tucking the earmuffs around their neck, they turned and started up to the Great Lake. The weight around their neck was nice, comforting, familiar. They smiled. It was nice weather out.
WC: 939/400
Errand Complete, Thread Left
[ Home, they said. I should like to go home. ]
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
21 May 2020, 14:08
Mandrakes for Medicine
Interacting with @Hjørdis Jensen
When Aaron Jones heard about a way to help with the coronavirus pandemic, of course he jumped at the opportunity. Coming from a family of muggles, he felt like the very least he could do was help Hogwarts' efforts. So here he was, standing at the edge of the greenhouse and grabbing a pair of white earmuffs that nicely contrasted with his black hair. When he looked around the room, he quickly caught on to the process. The twelve-year-old grabbed a box and found a table that was empty. Despite the familiar faces, the topic of today's efforts led to him wanting his own space (for once). The normally talkative badger was lost in his thoughts as he began pulling mandrakes.
The only reason he was even stuck at the castle during Easter break was because of the pandemic. His mother didn't want him coming home during Wales' quarantine. Aaron already tried to explain that he couldn't catch coronavirus - being a wizard and all - but she had always operated under the "better safe than sorry" attitude. He wasn't going to argue with her, especially since a few of his other muggle-born friends were going through something similar: parents who didn't fully understand about wizards' immunity to certain muggle diseases. He wasn't even sure he understood it himself.
Since he agreed to stay at the castle, Aaron insisted that she owl him often with updates about the family. With Hogwarts hosting these coronavirus helping events, he was coming to terms with how serious the pandemic really was. His mother had clearly sheltered him from the worst of it, and after owling his brother a couple times, he now knew that it was a global problem and that it was even affecting people in Wales. Although he wanted to enjoy the Easter break with his friends, he knew he owed it to his family to participate in these events. He hoped that if any of his family did wind up with the disease, his participation here meant he would be allowed to have one of the cures for them.
Aaron snapped out of his thoughts when he saw someone move nearby. It was just a fellow student moving in front of him, but it had successfully dragged him out of the depths of his mind. He looked around the room, now registering the muffled screams of the mandrakes. In fact, he was holding one in his gloved hand now. He looked at the box next to the pots he had grabbed, realizing there were already six mandrakes in there. Had he done all of that? Aaron placed the seventh mandrake into his box and realized his table was out of pots. Should he grab more?
The boy looked around the room and decided that he should probably allow others to handle the rest. There were still people arriving and leaving, and he didn't want to do more than his fair share and keep others from getting to participate. He stacked the empty pots and put them away before grabbing his box of mandrakes. They had quieted down by now, so he turned his attention to the staff member in charge.
Professor Jensen. He recalled her from the Wizards Batting competition that Hufflepuff and Slytherin had been participating in. She was Slytherin's Head of House, so he didn't know much about her. She was really pretty, but she seemed a little... cold? Or maybe he was reading her wrong. Either way, Aaron found himself a little hesitant as he approached her.
"Good afternoon, Professor.. um, I just wanted to make sure I did this right," he said, being a bit louder than normal because of the earmuffs. He wasn't yelling, though, and wondered if she would even be able to hear him. He presented her with his box of mandrakes anyway, his shyness disappearing in favor of a big smile at his handiwork. The young wizard felt like he'd done a good job.
Word Count: 661/400
PC: Aaron Jones | iNPC: Madeleine Nakamura | Former staff account: Marcus Iwasaki
2nd Gen PC: Idalia della Torre
Best way to contact me? Discord or owl Idalia