Whoooops, and here it was. There was always at least one in the group.
SPOILER!!: Bree
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rosa Chispa Princessa
Bree had read about nice adventurous fairies growing up and even hoped she may meet one now knowing she is a witch. She felt compelled to know what was so bad about fairies that the professor would talk nonchalantly about flesh eating orchid that lures them to their death with a scent of lilac. She raised her hand said, "Professor, what is so bad about fairies that you talk about a plant killing them as no big deal. I know that fairies are the flesh eating orchids food source but I think its sad they go that way based on my perception of fairies.", Bree said seriously. She then started to write notes because she did not want to fall behind. She then applied her gloves and checked that her robes covered both of her arms whole. She then looked over her work station and while doing so was relieved to hear they would not be working with orchids with preserved fairies. Seeing that all was there she waited for the lesson to continue.
Or... perhaps not quite.
"What's so bad about them?" she echoed, uncertainly.
"Well nothing, as with all of Mother Natures creations, there's nothing wrong with fairies at all... but at the end of the day, everything has to eat, and it just so happens they prefer fairies..." there was nothing more to it than that. It was a simple concept. Food ate food, humans ate food, another source of life was that food.
...
"Would you say that chicken and vegetables are bad, simply because I thought to eat them last night?" It was a legitimate question.
SPOILER!!: Cris
Quote:
Originally Posted by
FireboltAvis88
...and then his question was answered. Those were indeed fairy-eating orchids. Now what did they say about looks can be deceiving? Who would have thought something as beautiful as these orchids, were dangerous. Cris shook his head sadly even as he listened first to Professor Bentley's explanation. Writing down what she was telling them about this specific species of flesh eating plant, Cris had to reluctantly agree that the orchid's way of trapping was very deceptive indeed.
He did however cringe at how it digested its prey immediately pitying the fairy. Being slowly digested while still alive was a horrible way to perish. Cris wouldn't wish it on any living thing. But that was Darwin's Theory. Only the strong survive. Big fish, eat the little ones.
Once he had completed writing down his notes, Cris dropped his journal and his quill into his pocket, and then checked the gloves he was wearing to ensure that they were securely pulled up, before pulling his shirt sleeves all the way down and tucking the ends under his gloves.
Having done that, he moved over to the potted orchid sitting at his workstation and leaning over it, he began examining the flowers. Identifying a few that did look like they were fairy full at the moment, Cris took note of their locations.
Lastly, he made sure that his workstation has a swab, a scalpel and a jar available for use. Yep. They were all present and accounted for. Now all they had to do was wait for the Professor to demonstrate what to do next.
As he waited, he heard a young Gryffindor ask Professor Bentley a question. Ahhh...here was another humane soul. While Cris waited for their Herbology Professor to reply to her question, Cris decided that he would ask one of his own.
"Professor I know that here's another example of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, but why is there a need to make the prey suffer after it has been captured? Granted the fairy has been immobilized but from the sounds of it, the fairy is still alive while being broken down." Cris paused to keep his emotions in check. He could feel a lump forming in his throat just at the thought of the fairy suffering.
"Am I wrong? Does the fairy die almost immediately before the breaking down process starts? Or does the orchid require for it to be almost alive during the process?" Cris hoped the Professor would say the former.
And it didn't surprise her that once one person voiced their concerns that others would follow... or at least, one other. She appreciated that they were being so considerate of the fairies, and asking questions was a practice she condoned.
"Ahhh, not at all," she replied, shaking her head.
"It doesn't die immediately, more like it becomes petrified... loses consciousness and I assure you it doesn't feel any pain. Research conducted in Italy and the Amazon where they have been successfully introduced have found that fairies that have been coated in resin are in fact lifeless and are not able to feel any longer." The research also indicated that there was little that could be done to bring them back from petrification once the process was complete, the digestive enzymes saw to that.
...
But on a better note, it was time to get started!
"The process is fairly simple, if not a little messy, so I do urge you to be cautious and should you get any on your clothes be sure to scourgify them immediately, dragon hide is extremely durable to the substance but if you have non-standard gloves I would recommend you borrow a proper pair from the stores cupboard by the entrance."
Turning her own potted orchid slightly so it was facing the students side on, Seren took up her swab and picked up her jar.
"While they prefer fairies, the Fairy Orchid also feeds on various insects, the resin it excretes is greater however, when fairy dna is detected on its column." She indicated to the centre of the orchid flower with a gloved finger.
"The swabs you have in front of you have fairy dna on them, so what I'd like you to do... is take it, ad very gently rub it against the orchid flowers column until the lilac cololured resin begins to discharge... like so," she mused, extending her swab to the centre of the flower and giving it a gentle rub there. It didn't take long for the resin to begin to ooze, and while elevating the swab stick, she placed the jar beneath the orchids lip, ready to collect the substance.
"Collect it as it trickles slowly.. it takes a little while to get started, and its surface will soon solidify, when that happens, remove the swab and wait for the next instructions..."
Where they following her lead? Seren observed them as she continued to hold the jar for the resin.
OOC: The next step will come in approx 22-23 hours.