22 Apr 2023, 14:45
Grow
Happy Earth Day Birthday to @AngelFyre McCubbin
Saturday, 22 April 2023
Birthdays were an amazing occurrence as they celebrated so much - they celebrated the day someone first made their official presence upon this Earth, they celebrated another trip around the sun, they celebrated just how special that someone was to those around them and life in general.
Simon had already attended one Birthday celebration for his girlfriend, AngelFyre McCubbin, back at her home in Scotland over Spring Break but now it was officially her Birthday and he couldn't let that go unnoticed. His girl was thirteen now - officially a teenager. He wished her success and all the best in the years to come but needed something more than a simple card. Perhaps by creating a moment - an experience - he could create a memory for them later down the line.
He packed up his enchanted satchel with more than enough items and set off for the Great Lake early to set up. Their usual spot when at this location was a fallen tree that they normally sat upon and Simon came upon it, placing his hand down on the makeshift seat and looked out to the lake. Once upon a time ago, on a frosty winter evening, he had begun to realize his feelings for AngelFyre McCubbin when they took in an ice skating session. They had shared much time there together since that day.Hey, Birthday Girl!
Skip the Great Hall for lunch today and meet me for a picnic at the Great Lake.
Love,
The enchanted satchel was placed down upon it and he opened it up, taking out first a beige blanket that he had Aunt Maggie send. He stretched it out on the grass nearby and then began to bring out some brightly colored plates, cups, napkins, containers of lemonade, sandwiches, fruit, and everything else that Aunt Maggie had sent (bakery goodie wise) and your basic picnic food (thanks to Mark).
When the picnic food was set out, he took out a few mason jars from the bag, unwrapping them and going to the lake to draw in some water into each and placed them down. His wand was brought out of his pocket. "Orchideous," he proclaimed confidently three times as he tapped each of the glass jars, conjuring up flowers in them.
From there, he took out a box wrapped in dark green metallic paper with a gold bow and placed it down amongst all the picnic things. All he needed now was the Birthday Girl to arrive. He sat down on the fallen tree while he waited for her and watched the wind slowly ripple across the water and make some reeds near the edge dance.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
23 Apr 2023, 16:54
Grow
Happy Birthday to Me from @Simon Kincaid
AngelFyre made the transition from 12 to 13 rather seamlessly. She felt absolutely no different physically. Well, that was not entirely true. There were changes, but those had been coming on over a period of time. It was not as if they suddenly sprang upon her overnight. The most notable of these changes, to other people at least, would be a growth spurt. She found it odd that in her grouping of three besties while growing up, she had always been the runt. That began to change around her 10th birthday, but these last 6 months in particular had seen her keeping somewhat apace with Simon. Keeping up with him was fine as she doubted she would ever surpass him, but even if she did, she knew they would be okay. He could be her Sonny to his Cher, except her Sonny would be a million times better looking and more talented than the real Sonny... and definitely more talented, vocally, than his girlfriend.
This growth spurt had rendered a number of her pants too short to be worn. Even some of her skirts were now scandalously short for her sense of modesty. She had spent a good number of sleepless nights cutting jeans into jean shorts and painting or embroidering little garden scenes on the pockets and on the legs. It was one of these re-imagined pair of jean shorts she decided to wear down to the Great Lake today.
She was always excited to do anything out of the ordinary with Simon, and skipping lunch in the Great Hall to have a picnic with him, on her actual birthday, was certainly that. Doing as directed, she hurriedly checked herself in her full length mirror before she made her way down to "their" spot. So many wonderful times had been spent there with him... and with Rascal, too... so her heart was beating in anticipation of whatever Simon had planned. Honestly, her best gift was him, and time alone with him most especially. That was true from the moment he accidentally touched her hand on the piano keys in the Rehearsal Room almost 16 months ago, and it always would be. Nothing recharged her like time with Simon.
As she drew closer, she caught sight of him walking to the water's edge and filling up two jars with water. She giggled and shook her head as the first thought that shot through her mind like a bullet train was that those jars were going to be their water, but she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw him casting a flawless "Orchideous," and beautiful flowers appeared in not two, but three jars of water. He had been practicing so hard on his casting lately, and it really showed.
Simon was a very kinetic fellow, and she adored just being able to watch him when he was unaware of it. Even when "being still"... or what counted for being still for Simon... he was moving in some fashion that simply fascinted his girlfriend. He tapped his quill when studying and thinking. When lying in each other's arms, he was always playing with her hair or moving his hand over her in gentle caresses. Even in his sleep, it seemed to her he got more REM time than mere humans as his eyelids were always moving. She leaned against a tree trunk and marveled that as active as he was, there was a commanding serenity and control and fluidity to his movements that did not give way to any display of "awkward teenager", but spoke to a confidence beyond his years. He was never in a hurry... unless chasing after Rascal... and she giggled quietly to herself thinking on those times. But really, Simon was a fine piece of art and often it was she who felt awkward and all the embarrassing things he was not.
As she continued to watch him survey the picnic he had set out for them and put his final touches in place, she wondered how long it would take her to move through her awkward years and smooth out her rough edges. She felt like she was beginning to leave pieces of her "childish" self behind, not by conscious choice really, but because daily circumstances drew her attention elsewhere. When moments of her younger self peeked through, like her bounce sitting or bounce standing in place, and she was cognizant of doing it in the moment, she had lately been embarrassed about it and would immediately stop. She honestly did not know if that was the right thing to do or not. Maybe that, too, would organically be something she would grow out of as she grew into a young woman. Who knew? She sure as heck did not, but what she did know was that it was time to meet up with the most wonderful boy in the world as he seemed to have finished his preparations and was now waiting on her.
Stepping from behind the tree and walking up to their spot, she smiled broadly at him as she quipped, "Thank goodness that water was for the beautiful flowers to drink and not for us. You had me momentarily worried there," and she chuckled. She let her eyes wander over everything he had set out for them and she could feel her cheeks becoming rounder and rounder as her smile grew larger. She looked back to him, just beaming, and told him, "Oh Simon, it all looks so beautiful," and she ran to him, wanting nothing more in that moment than to be in his arms.
The magic is real.
28 Apr 2023, 02:48
Grow
Happy Earth Day Birthday with @AngelFyre McCubbin
Moments passed and he kept her where he liked her best - there in his arms. But the moment demanded them elsewhere or else it really wouldn't have been much of a Birthday celebration. No, he had made other plans that afternoon and it was only right to let them play out. This might not go down as one of the most eventful moments in their history, but it still was thoughtful and deserved recognition.
"I had lots of help," he said, speaking of the layout. If it weren't for Aunt Maggie and her boyfriend Mark, much of this wouldn't have been possible - although he was pretty sure he could have called the school elves for a favor like he had with 'Their Own Royal Banquet' - what Simon thought of as their own private little dance instead of attending The Spring Court.
"Please, sit," he said as he gestured to the blanket. Simon would wait for her to sit before following to sit beside her, careful not to disturb anything already placed out for their picnic. "First, we eat. I enlisted Mark's help to create some of your favorites. As you know, he runs a steakhouse so I was a little hesitant at first but he went out of his comfort zone to concoct some new vegetarian dishes and believes he has some successful new options now for his restaurant. He sends his gratitude."
Mark Prescott, Simon's Aunt Maggie's boyfriend, had a wonderful way of combining fancy dishes with comfort food to create tastes that so many simply adored. His restaurant was quickly becoming one of the most sought after establishments in London.
Simon played waiter.
He pretended to have a [pretty awful French accent and introduced himself as Jacques, asking if she'd prefer tea, fresh water, or lemonade for a drink, before announcing what the dinner would be including for the night. "And you will dine along zee bank of zee Great Lake, alongside a very handsome garcon, non? C'est si bon!" (*garcon, non? =man, no? + *C'est si bon = it's so good)
The two ate. Halfway through he placed on his wizarding radio which was playing some sort of instrumental classical music at the time that reminded him from something from the Baroque period. One never quite knew what was going to be broadcasted on the WWN, especially around mid-day. It was relaxing and melodic and worth having as background music while he shared this special meal with his special girl.
As they finished up, he casted Scourgify to help with the cleanup and got everything put away that didn't need to be out, knowing that Rascal would appreciate some of the leftovers later (especially of Aunt Maggie's baked goods).
"I know we already celebrated your Birthday back in Scotland, and I know I already gave you a gift, but seeing as today is your actual Birthday - I wanted to give you one more," and he brought out of his bag a dark green box with a metallic gold bow. "Happy Earth Day Birthday, AngelFyre McCubbin."
When she would open the box, she would see that it was filled with seeds. "I was thinking we could scatter them around the Great Lake here....zee Great Lake," he momentarily tried to slip into his Jacques accent again and grinned widely. "And hopefully the fleurs - I mean flowers - will take seed and bloom and in the years to come, as we meet at one of our most special spots at Hogwarts, we can enjoy them; as can others. Maybe even, perhaps, they'll thrive so well, that other generations at Hogwarts can enjoy them," like maybe even their children.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cellophane baggie like he normally kept his lemon drops in and shook it, showing that he too had some seeds to scatter along the edge of the Lake. It was not only to create a moment for them as a couple and her as the Birthday girl, but to also tie into doing something environmentally friendly for Hogwarts and the Scottish Highlands. He had done his research and every species that he had seeds of would be beneficial to the environment and none were harmful or invasive.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
30 Apr 2023, 23:59
Grow
Sowing a future now with @Simon Kincaid
[1] s'il vous plaît = if you please"Please thank Mark for me, too, then. Everything looks delicious, and I sincerely appreciate his efforts given his clientele is normally of the carnivorous kind," and she smiled brightly as her hungry eyes gazed over the feast before them. Simon tickled her funny bone as he attempted a French accent while playing Jacques, their waiter. It was adorable while obviously bad, although she was no one to be judging when it came to accents. Born and reared in Scotland and she was still not able to speak with a native brogue of her own. She often wondered if her inability to carry a tune and speak in accents were related. Maybe she was just all around tone deaf. It was rare, but possible.
With laughter still in her voice, she replied back to Jacques, in an equally bad French accent, that she would like some of the lemonade, "s'il vous plaît,"1 and "Oui! Un beau garçon, en effet."2 Then they both laughed as sadly, her French accent, bad as it was, was maybe even better than her Scottish one. "I know what I am going to do over the summer while missing you. I am going to hire a voice coach and work on becoming the next Meryl Streep, mistress of any and all accents. That should come in handy in the drama club, doncha think?" and she giggled. "I would hire a singing coach, but honestly love, I am not certain there is enough money in the world to fix that mess," and her giggles turned into happy laughter.
As they ate, her very patient and very talented boyfriend talked to her about singing and breathing from her diaphragm. It was not that she did not understand the concepts; it was just a matter of never finding that sweet spot where it all seemed to click and run smoothly. "I will practice and put your suggestions to the test, I promise I will. I DO NOT promise success, however. Besides, I am rather fond of holding the title for Hogwarts' Best Worst Singer. I mean, other than being Simon Kincaid's girlfriend," and she lifted her eyebrows at him a number of times, "that precious title is what makes me unique here. I lose that and I am just another face amongst many in a crowd," she teased him. "Maybe it is that very thing that draws you to me, unbeknownst to the both of us," she teased again, only this time with a completely believable, yet perfectly feigned look of earnestness.
Simon just stared at her, a small smile threatening to turn the corner of his lips up, but he was fighting that smile valiantly. His lips were trembling just the barest amount, but she noticed it. "No dice, eh?" He continued to look at her while shaking his head, "No. Sorry, love. No dice," he said while now letting himself grin widely. He leaned over and kissed sweetly on the lips before following up with, "Points for out of the box thinking though," and then he nuzzled her neck. "You always rack up points in that category," and delightful chills went down her spine as her ears were suddenly filled with him breathing warm breaths on her neck as he laughed softly in Jacques' French accent.
"I try," she said and winked at him. "I most certainly do try."
Minutes later they had finished their repast and Simon Scourgified everything. She had turned her attention to the beauty of the day and the Great Lake before them when his movement caught her attention. AngelFyre's eyes lit up at the sight of the beautiful box wrapped in dark green paper with the metallic gold bow he brought out of his satchel and was now presenting to her. He had her complete attention as he explained not wanting to let the actual day itself go by and she got a lump in her throat at her fellow's thoughtful sentimentality. They were a perfect match on that front it would seem, but he absolutely blew her away when he told her he had tied this gift into Earth Day as well. "Happy Earth Day Birthday, AngelFyre McCubbin," she heard him say and it was just about that time that she had opened the box and saw all the packets of seeds.
"I sow love this idea, and because you cannot read my mind, the spelling of "so" in that sentence was changed to "s-o-w"... pun definitely intended," and she leaned over to kiss him for a long, sweet, lingering few moments. Coming out of it, she whispered in his ear, "This is perfect, Simon. It really is," and she pulled back so that she could look into his eyes. "Yes, we will enjoy them for sure, but the possibility that our children will also as well just floors me. Have I told you today how much I love the way you think of us?" and she began to do her excited bounce sitting in place as she looked at the various species he had included in her box.
Looks like she had not quite outgrown that bounce sitting just yet. Ah, well. She did not really think her fellow would mind.
She leaped to her feet and offered her hand out to him while holding tight to the box of seeds. "I see in our immediate future a gloriously happy couple who is about to spend a fabulous time together sowing seeds for the here and now and for the future in one of their most meaningful spots. Do we need any special tools to sow them into the earth or do we broadcast them loosely on top of the ground and let nature takes its course?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.
If she knew her boyfriend, he had studied up and knew exactly what they were supposed to do. Herbology was kind of turning into an obsession of his lately, as it went hand in hand with his interest in healing. If she had been a betting girl, AngelFyre would have put good money down at this time on Simon becoming a healer as his future career. He had a knack for it and he really enjoyed it.
As he took her hand and rose from the blanket, it struck her that this might be a little bit of himself they keep quiet, if possible, around her parents, for as long as possible. It might help soften the blow to know that their daughter would be marrying the equivalent of a doctor in the magical world who, by the way, just happened to be a dhampir. Maybe they would be so impressed with the first part that the second part might slip right past them.
Doubtful... very, very doubtful, but that was a worry for another day. Today she and her fellow were going to be the Scottish and British equivalents of an American folk hero. Raising some of her seed packets above her head, she proclaimed, "Happy Earth Day, Hogwarts. Let Operation Johnny Appleseed commence!"
------- ----------- -------
[2] Oui! Un beau garçon, en effet, = Yes! A handsome fellow, indeeed.
The magic is real.
5 May 2023, 14:02
Grow
Tell me of this Johnny Appleseed and let us kiss under the sunlight, @AngelFyre McCubbin
Simon didn't know of Johnny Appleseed and asked for clarification from AngelFyre as the two began to open up their packets of various wildflower seeds. They decided on a common plan of execution and that would be to sprinkle a variety of seeds around the areas in which they placed them, letting an assortment have the chance to grow there instead of one kind all in one place.
There wouldn't be any competing against the others, as Simon had already consulted several Herbology books in the school library to ensure that all types that he had with him today were companion plants. Companion plants was the agricultural practice of growing different types together in order to maximize the benefits of each plant.
Plus, he liked the idea of a scattering as opposed to grouping them by variety. It would be quite symbolic of what Hogwarts hoped to achieve and AngelFyre and Simon wished for the school as well - that all: seers, dhampirs, werewolves, part-giants, part-goblins, metamorphagi, parseltongues, wizards, witches, purebloods, halfbloods, and muggleborns could all live and learn and love harmoniously together. They were far more open-minded and accepting than the other wizarding schools but there was a long way to go. Perhaps, if Simon and AngelFyre would be so fortunate to have at least twelve little dhampirs in their future, by the time they got to Hogwarts this vision of complete acceptance would be achieved.
They began by placing seeds in very particular places - a few by their favorite sitting place, some by the banks of the Lake, a few over in one place to create a sort of meadow. When they were about two-thirds of the way finished, Simon went back over to the radio and turned it on and turned it loud before coming back over to where AngelFyre stood along the Lake on that beautifully sunny Earth Day.
He kissed her quickly on the cheek before coming and sliding his free hand to take hers in one quick motion - trying to be all smooth, and he slipped closer to her until he was right up against her. "It's quite bright today. I hardly noticed because I've been so focused on you," he said to her in a soft voice. A bright day was fine - never could he complain on a day he was spending with her by his side; nor would he want to. He'd spend every day with her if he could.
"With wildflowers, one should compress the seeds into the soil but then allow them full sunlight, not to cover them with the dirt. This gives a better seed-to-soil contact and allows for a better chance at germination. It's said that you can walk on the seeds or use a roller. Well, I don't have a roller and dancing just seems so much more enjoyable than a boring old walk. I learned quite a bit ago that you dance, AngelFyre McCubbin, so let's give these last bit of seeds a good scattering and then might I have this dance?"
Maybe they had already danced, but he knew his girl loved it and he just loved having her close to him. Sometimes, they could be cuddled up right next to one another and it still didn't seem close enough nor did the time together seem long enough. Such happened when one was completely and irrevocably in love.
With his hand still holding the seed packets he gave it a good shake like confetti up into the air where they stood so that the remaining seeds could fall to the ground and then slipped the now-empty flower seed packets into his back pocket. He wouldn't dare litter on Earth Day!
He then tapped his forehead to hers and gave the Birthday girl a kiss under the sunshine that scattered across the Scottish Highlands.
Thread complete.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)