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Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: whoville
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Hogwarts RPG Name:
Mozart Bronwyn #ee6600
Gryffindor Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Maebry Grimaldi #ff8d6d
First Year
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19  Claudine was pleased with herself. It sort of made up a little for the slight chill she still felt from Bernie. Instead of focusing on her friend (ex-friend?), she watched the list on the board grow. And she watched Rainwater loose composure because of Heath’s answer. Really, Rainwater was such a happy-go-lucky man. How did one be like that? Did Rainwater offer lessons in that? Did she even want to be happy-go-lucky too?
Oh. This little spikiness was going to be hers? Lovely. Maybe her pet rat would love having it as company in the dorm by her bedside. When they were beckoned over, she allowed others to go first just so that she wouldn’t be caught too much in the crowd. Luckily, her view of Rainwater and his plant wasn’t too obscured by taller students.
Okay, so the demonstration seemed easy enough and they were required to work as a team or as a group. Which was a good thing because Claudine was once again starting to feel cool towards Bernie. She had definitely made the mistake of taking a station beside the Gryffindor.
Claudine silently got to work by first putting on her gloves and taking up her wand. Now… which leaf would work best, hmmm? Which was the largest? Because his leaf was cut up, Gus was going to use this time to walk around the greenhouse and check that the students were following his instructions to the best of their ability. He first checked in on Claudine, passing her a smile as she got to work. ”Careful work makes best, Claudine.” But he also knew that being careful was difficult when someone was watching you so he moved on. Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie Sometimes he wondered if Professor Rainwater was purposefully acting cheering as a means of trolling him. The man did not come off to him as the sort to be oblivious to personality traits. Quite the opposite, honestly. Though it was hard for Eiji to remain too grumpy in the face of compliments. Though the Slytherin had never really taken himself as the out of the box sort. In his world, there simply was no box.
Yeah. Edgy like that.
...and when the professor continued on to explain how they would be learning how to turn it the plant and its gel insides to a powder AND they got to keep the plant itself, well, Eiji Rasting was officially tuned in and dedicated. There was additional relief when the uses of their tools was acceptable over the use of a Severing Charm. Eiji was proficient in it, of course, but when it came to this sort of thing he much preferred to do it all manually. So out came his silver knife and off he was examining the leaves for harvesting. Though he was disappointed that they would not be learning how to magically dehydrate things themselves but...you win some you win less with others.
He took his time to examine each leaf before slicing off his personal favorite as close to the base as he could. Cutting it into slices was easily done as well and he lined them up on a tray - with his name clearly written on it - and then got up from his spot to insert them into the dehydrator. They were funny little machines, one he was somewhat familiar with since his mum used one sometimes in her baking. Back at his station he...refrained from handling his remaining slice.
He knew what aloe vera felt like, thanks. In another life, Gus probably would have been desperate for Eiji to like him. But...he wasn’t. He just hoped that he was at least going to take something from every class he held. That would be enough. No, no. That was enough. But, if he were to continue attending classes like he was supposed to, then he’d find that a lesson in the next month was based specifically on using magic to dehydrate plants. It just wasn’t this one. But it was planned and ready to go! Quote:
Originally Posted by hjhm Jillian chuckled at the professor's response to her about aloe vera. "Your skin is glowing, Professor" huh, maybe she should ask his formula to his this nice skin care routine.
Anyway it was time to move on to the activity. Jillian figured that they might explore more to this aloe vera plant but it is turning out to be one of those Potions lesson where they cut something and touch it.... Ewww. She's familiar of the texture and she's not a big fan of it. But she's not complaining. She took out her wand and pointed towards a large size aloe vera, holding the leaf with her other hand she uttered the spell. "Diffindo" she said in a soft yet audible tone and as the leaf separates from its stem, Jillian carefully placed it on the tray in front of her.
With the help of her cutting tool, she got in closer and sliced the leaf in 5 mm as instructed and demonstrated by the professor. Carefully moving them and making sure that each had enough space on the tray before she made her way towards the dehydrator. Of course she took note where her tray way and besides she knows the way she cut the plant.
As soon as she went back to her seat she stared at the leftover aloe vera in front of her. The professor wrote that they may touch it but again... she's really not a big fan. His skin was glowing? Oh no, that was just him blushing about the compliment. Gus gave Jillian a thumbs up and walked on past, leaving the Prefect to continue slicing and then getting her leaf into the machine at the back of the greenhouse. Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19 The Snakette eventually figured out which leaf she would like to work with: a thick and sturdy one. “Diffindo,’’ she stated confidently, doing the wand movement aimed at the base of the leaf. Once it was severed, she got to work by slicing it up. Claudine was careful to cut the leaf into five millimeters slices but that didn’t mean she got every slice perfectly. There were some slightly larger or smaller than the required measurement. Soon enough, she was done and all but one slice were resting on a tray. She stood up,looking uncertainly at the dehydrators. Fortunately, Eiji was taking the lead so she followed suit, sticking her tray next to his.
Back at her station, the second year tugged off her gloves while looking thoughtfully at the sole aloe vera slice. She had had an encounter with the gel a long time ago but by now, had forgotten what it felt like. It was the perfect time to refresh her memory. Wandering back through the workstations, Gus passed Claudine who was just taking her slices to the dehydrator. Another thumbs up in her direction, as he had been impressed with how careful she was. 5mm was recommended, but there was never a need to be exact. Not in slicing for this job. The slices would all dehydrate. The size just made them easier to powder down later. Quote:
Originally Posted by Anna Banana Isla hadn't been expecting the round of applause...literally...when she gave her answer. Apparently, Rainwater seriously loved beauty products. Who could blame him, though? The way he talked about aloe made her almost want to go out and buy some right now. It was interesting how it all played into Herbology, too.
Oh, they all go an aloe plant of their own? That was awesome! "Thanks, Professor Rainwater!" she said. As she listened to the directions, she pulled her gloved out and secured them on her hands. She glanced around her plant and chose the largest leaf she could find. She made a face when she heard the professor mention sewing fingers back on. Eww.
She placed her wand toward the largest leaf. "Diffindo!" she said, and then she carefully removed the portion she needed. She measured everything out and pretty soon, the leaf had been cut into 5mm pieces. Looking back up at the whiteboard, she noted where everything was supposed to. She kept a piece for herself and placed the other slices onto a tray. In to the dehydrator they went!
With all that taken care of, she went back to her workstation and removed her gloves. While she waited for the next set of instructions, she felt the gel in the leftover piece. Awesome! "Want me to cut you a piece or two, Professor?" she asked. Did he want a piece to be cut for him? Gus was confused by the question, because he’d already gotten his into the machine, but nevertheless, he smiled at Isla. ”It’s perfectly fine, Isla. Thank you for the offer.” He also had many aloe plants in his office and hidden in corners everywhere. It wasn’t a problem. It was a lifestyle. Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin "Garbage," Phoebe gave a pert nod as she dragged her aloe vera plant across the work station toward herself. "It kind of smells like garbage. Like not stinky bad four day old in the sun garbage, but sort of natural and moldy and icky." That was probably as good a description as she could manage.
She pulled her wand free from inside her pocket and pointed it at the largest leaf on the plant. She liked that leaf, though. It was her favorite one. Maybe she'd go with the third largest, which was also sort of wilting and ready to be pruned. "Diffindo." Surprise of surprises... it worked.
Now for the harder part: cutting the leaf into additional strips. Lots of little cuts, which required much more precise magic. "Diffindoooo?." Tiny little cut, but not a very good one. She'd keep trying... there was an awful lot of leaf left. Garbage? Oh…… huh. Right. ”Interesting sense of smell you have there, Phoebe.” He’d never heard of that one before. Not about this plant. About others, yes. But this one? Not at all. Never. Had anyone else? Now.. at least Phoebe was moving onto the leaf work and Gus noticed was she was a little apprehensive about the magic involved. He didn’t want to draw attention to it, because teenagers could be cruel when aware of things. He disliked them almost as much as he liked them. ”Perhaps use your cutting tools if you feel that would be easier, Miss James.” Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazinga She smiled to herself when he responded to her answer and then went on to talk about what they were doing today. Her smile grew, even more, when he said about taking the plant with them when they were done. Did she need another aloe plant? No, but would she take it? Yes, of course, she would. She loved plants and wouldn't just leave a perfectly healthy plant when given to her.
Once he was finished talking she pulled her materials out and put on her gloves. Pulling the plant a little closer she picked up her wand and very confidently, "Diffindo" doing the wand movement and cutting a very straight line so that the Aloe leaf came off nice and straight. Givin the plant a small thank you and a little massage where the cut was she set the leaf down in front of her.
She then took her wand and carefully made 5mm slices into it, gathering the pieces together, but one that she left on her work station. She got up and placed the others onto a tray. Another one that completed the activity with ease. Gus was always impressed with Chloe’s work in his classes and the standard of the homework she submitted. She had a talent with Herbology, that much was clear. And it wasn’t because of outside influences in her life, it was something she had in herself. A part of who she was. ”Well done, Miss McCarthy.” Quote:
Originally Posted by Daydreamer11 Naya appreciated the fact that the professor gave them notes in their cubbies. That meant she didn’t have to write down every little detail during class. It gave her more time to focus on what everyone was saying.
She listened as the professor explained what they would be doing for their activity. Naya was happy that they would have an aloe plant to keep. It would definitely brighten up her dorm room, now that Sierra was gone. Plus, she could always use a little aloe juice for emergencies. The one thing that worried her though was the thought of a class full of students (of various experience levels) using the severing charm at the same time. She would have to remain alert while she was completing her task. She wanted to leave the class with all of her body parts intact.
Naya put her gloves on and examined her aloe vera plant. She wanted to pick just the right leaf to use for her powder. When she had chosen what she thought was the best one, she aimed her wand at the leaf. “Diffindo”, she said, while removing a large leaf chunk. She debated using her knife for the next part, but decided against it. Repeating “Diffindo” several times, she cut her 5mm slices of leaf and laid them on the tray. She almost forgot to save one, but remembered at the last minute. After putting one aside, Naya took her try to the dehydrated and placed it inside.
Returning to her workstation, Naya removed her gloves and picked up her aloe slice. She was quite familiar with the plant, but squeezed the gel onto her hand anyway and rubbed it in. Of course it felt good, but she took a moment to really notice the results. Her hand felt smooth and moisturized. She really needed enough for both of her hands, rather than one little patch. For now though, she just had to wait for the next set of instructions. He was always intrigued to see which students went with a sole magic approach to the slicing part of this activity. He preferred to use his tools for the intricate work, but things were much smoother if he used magic to get the leaf off first. Mish mash of the two methods. Gus gave a nod of approval to Naya before she went off with her tray and then he moved on too. Quote:
Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl Bernie was SO going to keep this aloe alive. So easy. She was happy to have a cheerful plant to put in her dorm. A little sunshine for the girls' room. Wonderful. It was almost as awesome as Rainwater absolutely losing it over Heath's answer, heheeheheheheh.
She followed the professor's instructions easily, casting diffindo to remove one, ONLY ONE, leaf from her aloe.
It was much more difficult to get her wand to make small, 5mm thick slices. This took a LOT of concentration, and Bernie felt more than a few beads of sweat break out on her forehead. She got through it, though, and put all but one of her slices on the tray and the tray in the back.
Then she poked around at the spare one, eying Claudine as she did so. "Hey Claudine," she casually addressed her former best friend. "Hey. Hey. Have you ever tried this stuff?" You know, like, licked it? Because she had before today, not now and it was VERY bitter. Another double magic user. Interesting to see that Bernie was finding it a little fiddly, though. At least she powered through it and managed to get hers into the machine. ”No eating it in class, Bernadette. I’m watching.” That was nOT the aim of their lesson !!! Quote:
Originally Posted by Waterloo Erm.
.......... hello?
She had participated, hadn't he heard!? ACTUALLY participated. In a class discussion. Her. Cora Dredworth. HELLO?
Not a fan of being ignored, Cora narrowed her eyes at Gus and actively chose not to listen as he droned on and on and on and on. She often zoned out when teachers spouted their nonsense but usually, it just happened naturally and this time she was doing on PURPOSE. So there. Take that, Gus.
And of course that meant that while everyone else started following his instructions, Cora had no idea what was going on. Not a single clue. She kicked Józef under the table and wiggled her eyebrows in his direction. "Aloe aloe aloe, fancy seeing you here."
Ahahahahaa. Could he just ignore a student for the rest of the class? Because… honestly, Cora was heading for a one way ticket to detention. He didn’t want to let her school behaviour go home to Stemp House, but he had already drafted a letter to Lorelai in his head about Cora’s behaviour and it was disappointing that he was going to have to send it. She hadn’t even started the activity, and without it.. She wasn’t going to be able to complete the rest of the class.
Still, he said nothing and walked past her workstation without a look. Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy O_______O What the heck just happened?! One moment, the class was having a normal discussion about the uses of aloe (or as normal as anything that ever happened in this class, anyway), and the next thing Heath knew, the professor was laughing like a hyena… because of his answer. His ears and face, though partially hidden behind his long dark hair, turned bright red, and he started at the floor to hide it… either that or to avoid the judging eyes of his classmates.
Idiot! he berated himself. Despite his answer being factually correct, he couldn't help but feel he'd said something very wrong! He should've guessed someone would react to his answer like that; he just never imagined it would be the professor. Could the floor just swallow him up now, please?
Heath was only half listening to everything that was said after that. The storm of his emotions… confusion, embarrassment, fear, disappointment, maybe a bit of anger… made it practically impossible to concentrate. Besides, he'd completely lost interest in aloe, to the point that he didn't even bat an eye when he heard they were allowed to keep the plants. If that had happened five minutes ago, he would've jumped at the chance, but now the smiley face pot he once liked was nothing but a bad reminder of his embarrassment.
So what were they doing now? Right, powdered aloe, cut large leaf, 5mm slices, all but one go in the dehydrator. Whatever. Heath didn't care anymore; he just wanted to get through the rest of this lesson without drawing any more attention to himself. The sooner he got this done, the sooner he could be alone with his thoughts! He tugged his gloves on - a task made much harder by his suddenly trembling hands, though he didn't know if the shaking was out of fear or rage.
Ugh, not today, please! Heath really didn't feel like making a million failed attempts at spell casting right now, so he did what he always did when he needed to escape his own emotions: act out someone else's… someone who wouldn't take this kind of embarrassment lying down, and Heath knew exactly who that was! Channeling his inner dark side, Kylo Heath (or was it Heath Ren?) brandished his wand, aiming at the largest leaf on his aloe plant. "Diffendo!"
There was a slight edge to his voice, and he waved his wand a bit more aggressively than intended but it got the job done. Now he just had to do it again several times to cut the leaf into 5mm slices. "Diffendo! Diffendo! Diffendo!" he repeated, imagining his wand was a lightsaber. He had to admit slicing the aloe leaf was pretty satisfying, maybe not as much as smashing a mask against a wall or taking a lightsaber to a chair, but still.
By the time he was done, there were five equal sized slices. Still very much in character, Kylo Heath placed four of the slices on a tray and walked with confident, commanding strides to the dehydrator. After placing his slices in the machine, he returned to his station and removed his gloves to touch the remaining slice. It wasn't anything special. It just felt like cold goo. Since his laughing fit, Gus had moved on and almost had forgotten about the little poop doodle that his magic marker had done. Clearly, Heath hadn't moved on and Gus could tell by the way he held himself and the sharpness of his shoulders. He lingered around in case the casting went awry and more so in case he ended up as the target of it. What a way to go. Severed over a poop doodle.
Yikes.
Whatever happened, Gus was avoiding old sulky shoulders over there for a while longer. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - As he watched the last couple of trays go into the machine (minus Cora’s non-existent one), Gus headed that way. ”Okay!” Did he have their attention? Hello? Yes? Hello! Clicking the doors shut, he pressed the button on the front of the left door and let it begin it’s work. It wasn’t loud, there was a very small hum coming from the machine if you paid enough attention to listen, but the greenhouses were never really quiet enough for a noise that small to be heard.
”It shan’t take long to dehydrate the leaves, actually. So we’ll do a couple of things and then we can have them to use!” Magic was their friend in this situation. Lessons weren’t that long and their project was time sensitive in preparation. ”Let me brinnnng you back to when I mentioned how aloe is good for both hair and scalp health! Roll your brains back. Are you there? You look like you are!” Did they though? Probably not. Nevermind. HE WAS THERE !!!!!! ”Our school is in Scotland. And, as you’re all very aware by now, the weather is pretty dreadful up here. When it’s cold, it’s collllllllld. And do you know how bad that is for your skin? AND for your hair?”
He could feel it.
Vomit.
The word kind.
The rant kind.
THE HAIR RANT KIND!!!!!!!!
And so Gus gave himself a spin on the spot to distract himself and pushed his hair back. Oh, his hair. His hair that had really struggled with moisture since being here. But he’d gotten to a good place with it again. It had taken a lot of experimentation, but he’d figure out his own hair routine and things were going well with it. His scalp was in good health and he actually hadn’t had an issue with slow hair growth either!!!
”This is my first time in Scotland, and my hair has been on a significant journey since September. It’s been dry, my scalp has been flaky and itchy -- and no, none of you gave me lice -- but it’s been stressful. There’s a need to deep-condition and sometimes to use dry shampoo remedies to survive from wash to wash, because… washing your hair every single day is ACTUALLY bad for it! Did you know that?! I didn’t until I went to university.” And then he’d been all about getting things right and knowing everything he could about what to use on his hair. And it all started with knowing your hair type and figuring out what you needed.
”SO. All hair types are different, some are curly, some are straight, some are between. Some are thin, some are thick. Some are naturally oily and some naturally dry. What can you tell me about your hair type and what are some of the NATURAL ingredients in your hair products?” OOC: Feel free to play catch up for the mini activity! All trays would have been in the machine before Gus closed it, so your character would have their leaf slices in there! (Besides Miss Cora, but that’s a different story)
We’ll move on in about 48 hours from this post! <3
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