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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 19, 2015 18:41:38 GMT -5
The whole detention was such an annoying concept it was pride-wounding for someone her age, but if it meant placating the Headmaster and especially her parents. Thankfully, the Howler was written in Dutch so none of the other girls understood what was being said, but they could only guess. The usual ‘you could have been killed’ came up with the occasional ‘don’t forget who you are’ bullnuts, but when it was all over she felt more so annoyed than embarrassed. Still, the whispers in the common room did make her nervous and she rushed out to her detention cheeks flushed red.
She had arrived 10 minutes early to the greenhouse, maybe if she was on good behavior she could be let go early, but she highly doubted it. Whatever she was forced to do she’d make quick work of it with her wand if there was one thing exile taught her it was being efficient with her spells.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jun 19, 2015 19:01:10 GMT -5
Keith looked up and smiled at the girl....woman. He wore khaki cargos covered in useful pockets and a dirtstained white tank top that was much more practical than long robes. He brushed damp brown hair from his eyes and turned down his music, muggle alt rock.
"Eiliyah, hello," he said, gesturing for her to shut the door firmly behind her. A long, thick vine slinked over his shoulder and he gave it a firm swat. "So, detention. Never fun, but at least with me you'll be doing something useful. You know, not polishing trophies or...I don't know, picking up feathers in the owlery or something."
He gestured to a table where he had already started. It was covered in pots and a large tray of writhing plants. "We're prepping for my fifth years, which is why I'm glad to have a seventh year helping. It's not dangerous, it's just..." he trailed off, thinking. "Well, okay, it could be, but mot much, and I'm here."
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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 19, 2015 19:14:33 GMT -5
Eiliyah shut the door and warily came closer. "Hello Professor Evans." If there was one subject she disliked it was herbology. During her time in exile she had come across many magical and muggle plants so she was quite familiar with a few of them, but that didn't mean she liked dealing with them. He was right though, at least she wasn't doing a pointless task. The aspect of danger only made her mentally groan, that roughly translated to she would be here a while... great. "So what plant are we dealing with?" she had a feeling she would regret her actions because of this detention. 'Hope your satisfied Headmaster' she thought she had to be smart about any future 'adventures'.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jun 19, 2015 19:32:37 GMT -5
"These are cuttings from a tentacula mobilia," he said, once again swatting the vine. It was the father, so to speak, of the plants on the table. "Not the most imaginative name, but it gets the point across.
"Fully grown they just tend to be a little touchy-feely," as if to prove his point, the larger tentacle slithered toward tje newcomer, "but at this stage they can be a little rambuctuous. We're getting them into these pots here, and in a few weeks they'll be out of this terrible twos stage and my fifth years can handle the next repotting."
Eventually these plants would be sent out to other schools and collections, but that was still a few steps away.
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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 19, 2015 19:43:26 GMT -5
As familiar as she was with plants this was one she never knew off. Then again plants did vary depending on region and climate so it was no wonder she never heard of this one. She took a step to the side avoiding the tentacle her nose scrunched up... yes this would be a while. "I'm guessing you're going to show me how to do it without being strangled?" she could already tell he really loved this subject and it made her wonder how. Eiliyah's spell-work was definitely above average her time spent in exile taught her more than any amount of years in school, but no matter how hard she tried she could never seem to 'get' plants... this was such a fitting punishment.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jun 19, 2015 20:03:25 GMT -5
"A little swat usually does it," Keith said, demonstrating on an adventurous cutting. He showed her how to repot it as he continued to speak. "Not too hard, mind you, we don't want to damage them, and they can't really hurt you, I'd get there in time, anyway."
Once the plant was in place he gently patted dark soil in place around it, leaving a few inches visible to wave mildly a them. "Of course, you could stun or petrify them, but potting them when they can't move freely can cause damage. Now, you try."
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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 19, 2015 20:24:17 GMT -5
Eiliyah wearily approached the plant she looked obviously weirded out by it. She kept reminding herself that if she did it right the first time she wouldn't need to spend much time on it. Eiliyah did just as Keith did, but a lot more struggle was involved. He made it look easy. Eiliyah fumbled a bit with the plant a look of disgust as she almost tossed it in the pot letting out a soft 'eek' in surprise. It "slithered' to her wrist but she dropped it in the pot before it could grab hold. She quickly patted soil on before stepping back. Yes, this was going to be a long night.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jun 20, 2015 11:09:20 GMT -5
"Brilliant," Keith said, nodding in approval and moving the new pot to a rolling tray for safe-keeping. "It gets easier the more you do, I promise." It would still take them a couple hours at least to get it done, but having her with him meant he wouldn't end up staying so late he had to sleep in the castle. "So, Firebrand didn't seem too happy with you when he contacted me," he commented.
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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 20, 2015 11:36:02 GMT -5
It felt good to hear something positive; guess she wasn't a total screw up. Eiliyah moved to the next plant and was about to start, but froze from his last statement. She swatted the plant rather aggressively, but was sure it wouldn't really damage it. She potted it in the next one this time much more gracefully. When she was done, she turned to look at the professor and shrugged. "Firebrand doesn't like it when people drink and make the school look bad." she almost sounded bitter, but it was more so to do with the type of punishment than actually being punished. It wasn't that she didn't deserve it, but his expulsion talk did irritate her a bit. Had he had followed through with an expulsion she wouldn't know what to do with herself. Everyone her age had graduated and working respectable jobs while she was stuck being a student. "He said something about the school's reputation. I wasn't around, but it couldn't have been that bad was it?" Eiliyah started with the third plant.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jun 20, 2015 11:42:10 GMT -5
"Hogwarts used to have quite the reputation a few years ago, that was back when the Blackwood-Hardts and he were still students. Things have been mostly quiet, but every now and again some trouble shows its face again," Keith said, busying himself with a plant. Like Lyric. He mentally shrugged those particular memories away. "You're in seventh year. All you have to do is behave yourself for a year, long enough to take those N.E.W.T.s and you'll be out of here and can do whatever you want."
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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 20, 2015 11:51:15 GMT -5
As she dealt with the third plant, it seems to be more stubborn than the rest; she had to swat it a few times before quickly putting it in the pot its vines moving wildly. Taking soil she threw it in and stepped back... she hated plants. "I shouldn't even be at school. I should have been graduated and at home helping my people not chained here like some rabid animal." Eiliyah was frustrated, but even more so surprised she was saying anything at all. Her brows came together as she remembered flashes from the night before; she could remember a photographer, dancing, and then something happened to stop it and that was it. Eiliyah went back to the plant she just potted and tried to fix the soil, but it moved about so wildly that she finally turned to the professor. "Could you?" she said finally defeated by a stupid plant.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jun 20, 2015 11:56:33 GMT -5
Keith gave a well-practiced and well-aimed swat at the most rambunctious vine, which recoiled. If it could have expressions, it would have shot a positively hateful look at him. Almost as if to apologize for the hit, he gave a little extra care while patting down the soil. "Why are you here? Why not finish elsewhere? There are programs where older people can finish their exams." He lifted the pot to eye level to examine it before setting it aside and dusting his hands clean. Well, cleaner, at least.
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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 20, 2015 12:03:25 GMT -5
Eiliyah thanked him before moving on to the next one warily approaching it. "It's safer here. The ministry can keep a better eye on me I guess...,” she continued on moving slowly hoping it would make them less aggressive to a gentler touch. It seemed to be fine she barely swatted it when a vine snapped forwards coiling around her upper arm. Eiliyah swore loudly in Dutch attempting to pull it off, but it just held on tighter and she let out a gasp in pain.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jun 20, 2015 12:06:18 GMT -5
Keith was on it in an instant, unraveling the struggling vine. "Believe it or not," he said, gripping the thing in his hands and debating whether or not it was worth using his wand on this one, "this is one of my favorite species." Perhaps that tied into some of his more private preferences, or maybe he just enjoyed the more gentle adult versions. He wrestled the plant into the pot and glanced toward her arm. "You okay?"
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Post by Eiliyah Morgan on Jun 20, 2015 15:47:04 GMT -5
It would definitely bruise, but she could always get a salve from the hospital wing. Eiliyah had been hurt far worse before she’d be over it soon enough. “I’ll live.” She wondered how someone could love such a plant, but then again it was perspective wasn’t it. “You like the dangerous kind don’t you.” She wasn’t referring to anything specific, but more so as a lifestyle. Some people liked to live life on the edge, maybe he was one of those. She studied him from the corner of the eye he didn’t seem like the type, but she had learned that looks can be deceiving.
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