SnitchSeeker.com - View Single Post

MadAlice · 11-21-2022, 01:00 AM

Tapio stood back to give the students the opportunity to examine the plant, staying on the alert in case someone ignored his instructions not to prod it. He noted a number of them were making sketches of it --Ashley Fox, and Luther Starriver, who seemed a little afraid of it, but was at least trying. Unlike some others, like Alfred Devereaux, who seemed reluctant to approach it, though at least he was taking what appeared to be notes.

When Tapio felt everyone had had a chance to examine the Mimbulus (which was really an exciting thing--not all wizards got the chance, after all), he stepped back up front and called the class to attention.

"Very good, very good. I'm pleased to see you all taking notes and even drawing sketches--which is a very good way to make a record of plants you're observing, by the way. And several of you have given some useful information about the Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Miss Fox is correct in noting that the plant has boils which are filled with a substance called stinksap, which it uses to defend itself. And Mr. Anders correctly pointed out that this plant is believed to have originated in Assyria. And as you can see, the Mimbulus has a rather pulsating, squirming nature." Tapio looked over fondly at the plant, which was indeed gently moving and pulsing as it sat in its pot on the high stool he had placed it on.

"The Mimbulus Mimbletonia can live up to 50 yrs. if taken care of properly, though its color begins to fade a bit as it ages. If it starts to fade before then, though, it's a sign that something is wrong. This plant grows best in full sunlight and should be watered with either rainwater or, if you happen to have access to them, centaurs' tears. You should water until the soil is soaked through and there is about a half inch of soil on the top that is dry. And you should make sure your pot drains well.

In addition to its boils, the Mimbulus Mimbletonia also produces flowers, though very rarely. If you're lucky enough to have a plant that does this, they bloom in spring and usually produce pink flowers.

One other thing about the Mimbulus Mimbletonia--if you take care of it well and it is happy, it will make soft crooning noises for you when touched--it's rather the same thing as when a cat purrs for you." As he said this last, Tapio had reached out one of his large hands and begun very gently touching the Mimbulus Mimbletonia, which did indeed began to make strange crooning sounds. The professor and his plant seemed both very taken with each other.
Finally Professor DeVries seemed to remember that he was supposed to be teaching a class and pulled away from the plant, which subsided into its previously quiet state. Then he gently picked it up and moved it over onto its new home on one of the greenhouse shelves near the windows, where it seemed to bask cheerfully in the sunlight.

"Well, now," Tapio said as he returned to the front of the class, "as was mentioned before, the Mimbulus produced boils that are full of stinksap, which it uses for its own protection. But stinksap is also useful for wizards and witches. It's a green fluid that smells, unfortunately, a little like manure, but it is useful in a number of potions. For example, it can be used to heal creatures that are ill, and one enterprising wizard actually developed a toothpaste made out of it. The Mimbulus will squirt you with stinksap if you prod it or meddle with its boils incorrectly, but if you know what you're doing, you can extract stinksap yourself without danger. And that's what we will be doing today.

However, since we only have one Mimbulus Mimbletonia, and we don't want to extract all its stinksap from it, which would be harmful to it, I have acquired a number of plants from a different, though very similar type, which we are going to use to practice on. This plant is called [i]larryleachia perlatum] and it is even known in the Muggle world." DeVries turned and gestured toward a table set to one side, which held a number of strange plants that did indeed resemble the Mimbulus Mimbletonia. There were enough plants for everyone in the class.

"Now," continued the tall Herbology Professor, as he moved one of the new plants closer to him, "I will demonstrate one of the safer ways to extract stinksap from a Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Of course these plants don't contain Stinksap, but they have been charmed to mimic the substance for the purpose of this lesson. First, of course, you want to insert nose plugs and put on your dragon hide gloves, just in case." He paused to do so himself before continuing. "So, you need to touch the knobs on the plant, but gently and slowly, without startling it. I find the best way is to take a trowel and softly and kind of rhythmically stroke one of the knobs." Tapio began to stroke one of the knobs of his plant and humming under his breath. After a few minutes, a slow trickle of a yellowish-greenish substance began to seep down from the knob and Tapio caught it in a small glass vial.

"You see? It's not so hard, just be gentle and don't make any sudden moves. Now, one more thing before you get started--I"m going to demonstrate the Scourgify charm, which is important to know when extracting real stinksap just in case...just in case you handle it a little too roughly and have an accident. Again, the cleaning spell is Scourgify -- Skur-jih-fy -- and the wand movement goes like this. Tapio picked up his wand and swept it around in the distinctive 'S' movement. "Now I want everyone to practice this spell a few times, even if you think you know it, because when an accident occurs, you want to be able to do it right away, without having to think about or remember it. While you do that, I'll come around and pass out nose plugs for everyone. This fake stinksap doesn't smell nearly as bad as the real thing, but it still has an unpleasant odor which is somewhat similar."

[OOC: Main activity will pick up tomorrow, Nov. 21]

11-21-2022, 01:00 AM	#22 (permalink)
MadAlice Puffskein Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,394 Hogwarts RPG Name: Hope Archard Ravenclaw Fifth Year	Tapio stood back to give the students the opportunity to examine the plant, staying on the alert in case someone ignored his instructions not to prod it. He noted a number of them were making sketches of it --Ashley Fox, and Luther Starriver, who seemed a little afraid of it, but was at least trying. Unlike some others, like Alfred Devereaux, who seemed reluctant to approach it, though at least he was taking what appeared to be notes. When Tapio felt everyone had had a chance to examine the Mimbulus (which was really an exciting thing--not all wizards got the chance, after all), he stepped back up front and called the class to attention. "Very good, very good. I'm pleased to see you all taking notes and even drawing sketches--which is a very good way to make a record of plants you're observing, by the way. And several of you have given some useful information about the Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Miss Fox is correct in noting that the plant has boils which are filled with a substance called stinksap, which it uses to defend itself. And Mr. Anders correctly pointed out that this plant is believed to have originated in Assyria. And as you can see, the Mimbulus has a rather pulsating, squirming nature." Tapio looked over fondly at the plant, which was indeed gently moving and pulsing as it sat in its pot on the high stool he had placed it on. "The Mimbulus Mimbletonia can live up to 50 yrs. if taken care of properly, though its color begins to fade a bit as it ages. If it starts to fade before then, though, it's a sign that something is wrong. This plant grows best in full sunlight and should be watered with either rainwater or, if you happen to have access to them, centaurs' tears. You should water until the soil is soaked through and there is about a half inch of soil on the top that is dry. And you should make sure your pot drains well. In addition to its boils, the Mimbulus Mimbletonia also produces flowers, though very rarely. If you're lucky enough to have a plant that does this, they bloom in spring and usually produce pink flowers. One other thing about the Mimbulus Mimbletonia--if you take care of it well and it is happy, it will make soft crooning noises for you when touched--it's rather the same thing as when a cat purrs for you." As he said this last, Tapio had reached out one of his large hands and begun very gently touching the Mimbulus Mimbletonia, which did indeed began to make strange crooning sounds. The professor and his plant seemed both very taken with each other. Finally Professor DeVries seemed to remember that he was supposed to be teaching a class and pulled away from the plant, which subsided into its previously quiet state. Then he gently picked it up and moved it over onto its new home on one of the greenhouse shelves near the windows, where it seemed to bask cheerfully in the sunlight. "Well, now," Tapio said as he returned to the front of the class, "as was mentioned before, the Mimbulus produced boils that are full of stinksap, which it uses for its own protection. But stinksap is also useful for wizards and witches. It's a green fluid that smells, unfortunately, a little like manure, but it is useful in a number of potions. For example, it can be used to heal creatures that are ill, and one enterprising wizard actually developed a toothpaste made out of it. The Mimbulus will squirt you with stinksap if you prod it or meddle with its boils incorrectly, but if you know what you're doing, you can extract stinksap yourself without danger. And that's what we will be doing today. However, since we only have one Mimbulus Mimbletonia, and we don't want to extract all its stinksap from it, which would be harmful to it, I have acquired a number of plants from a different, though very similar type, which we are going to use to practice on. This plant is called [i]larryleachia perlatum] and it is even known in the Muggle world." DeVries turned and gestured toward a table set to one side, which held a number of strange plants that did indeed resemble the Mimbulus Mimbletonia. There were enough plants for everyone in the class. "Now," continued the tall Herbology Professor, as he moved one of the new plants closer to him, "I will demonstrate one of the safer ways to extract stinksap from a Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Of course these plants don't contain Stinksap, but they have been charmed to mimic the substance for the purpose of this lesson. First, of course, you want to insert nose plugs and put on your dragon hide gloves, just in case." He paused to do so himself before continuing. "So, you need to touch the knobs on the plant, but gently and slowly, without startling it. I find the best way is to take a trowel and softly and kind of rhythmically stroke one of the knobs." Tapio began to stroke one of the knobs of his plant and humming under his breath. After a few minutes, a slow trickle of a yellowish-greenish substance began to seep down from the knob and Tapio caught it in a small glass vial. "You see? It's not so hard, just be gentle and don't make any sudden moves. Now, one more thing before you get started--I"m going to demonstrate the Scourgify charm, which is important to know when extracting real stinksap just in case...just in case you handle it a little too roughly and have an accident. Again, the cleaning spell is Scourgify -- Skur-jih-fy -- and the wand movement goes like this. Tapio picked up his wand and swept it around in the distinctive 'S' movement. "Now I want everyone to practice this spell a few times, even if you think you know it, because when an accident occurs, you want to be able to do it right away, without having to think about or remember it. While you do that, I'll come around and pass out nose plugs for everyone. This fake stinksap doesn't smell nearly as bad as the real thing, but it still has an unpleasant odor which is somewhat similar." [OOC: Main activity will pick up tomorrow, Nov. 21] Last edited by MadAlice; 12-07-2022 at 12:54 AM.