Greenhouse-warming [Nathan] on Herbology

Isis Carter

October 13, 2016 5:02 AM

Greenhouse-warming [Nathan] by Isis Carter

Isis didn’t know a whole lot about plants. She had some experience with dead and dried (former) plant-life, especially after teaching Potions in the interim before Sophie O’Malley had been hired, but on a personal level, she’d never had much success. She had managed to keep a small bonsai tree alive for a few years now, mostly because it meant more to her than just some little shrub she picked up at a Walmart or something, but that was her highest achievement in the field.

Nathan, however, liked plants. As is it wasn’t clear enough by the meticulous care he took of the Gardens, he had worked hard and gotten certified to teach Herbology as well. And Isis was absolutely thrilled for him and his accomplishment, so she decided to do something nice for him. She would bring him a pretty little something to put in one of his brand new greenhouses.

But what to bring him was the real question. She decided immediately that a non-magical plant would be her best bet, simply for reasons of safety and its odds of survival in her care. However, even with that decision, there were so many factors for which to account. She’d paged through books on symbolism, certain that if anyone was knowledgeable about these things, it would be Nathan.

She had to pick the right message, but what was that? What exactly did she want to say? Isis had a lot of swirling feelings regarding this particular coworker, some that she’d been very hesitant to express but, admittedly, had a difficult time setting aside since a perfectly awkward and wonderful dance at the school’s ball last year. Eventually she settled on a potted yellow chrysanthemum, which, according to several of the books she’d checked, could be interpreted as symbolizing a secret admirer.

To that end, when she penned a little note to stick in the bottom--Congrats on the new position!--she left off her name, nerves winning the day. Isis carried the plant to the greenhouse that now served as his Herbology classroom. It was Sunday afternoon, so she didn’t expect to see him here and therefore didn’t think to look around the room very thoroughly before approaching his empty desk. She sat the chrysanthemum on top of it, adjusting the petals one last time and wiggling the notecard to be seen. Isis smiled briefly at her deed and turned to go, but when she spun away from the desk, she discovered that she had made an error in her predictions of his schedule.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, her heartbeat accelerating from more than just surprise. “Hey. I didn’t think you’d be here. I was just, uh..” Isis leaned to the side to ensure he could see what sat on his desk. She wore a crooked smile almost involuntarily, and despite the pounding in her ears. “For you.”

OOC: Sunday afternoon made the most sense to me for her to not expect to find him, but if that seems like a time that he'd definitely be there and she should have known that, then feel free to change the time this takes place.

12 Isis Carter Greenhouse-warming [Nathan] 31 Isis Carter 1 5

Nathan Oblivious Xavier

October 14, 2016 9:41 AM

Thank-you! by Nathan Oblivious Xavier

Nathan was puttering. This was likely his most obvious sign of nerves as the first full week of classes loomed. Without an advisor to, well, advise him, his curriculum was untested and while it made sense to him, he wasn't entirely confident that it would survive contact with students, particularly students who didn't have all of the background they should currently have. The beginner class would probably do all right. The first years were starting clean and the second years had an introduction at least. They'd had an abbreviated course last year, as Herbology at Sonora had been in its infancy and shared a time slot with Care of Magical Creatures, meeting only two of the five days in a school week, but they were practically on target compared to the seventh years coming into Advanced with no previous classes at all. The sixth years weren't quite up to intermediate level themselves, so this year was going to involve a lot of trial and error, he thought.

Hence, puttering. Normally, he wouldn't work on a Sunday, but making sure everything was in place for his first practical lessons was more calming right now than relaxing in the Teppenpaw Common Room and chatting with his House charges, which was his normal Sunday afternoon pastime.

Right this moment that preparation involved carrying ceramic pots for simple transplantation from the beginner greenhouse to the advanced green house and some extra bags of potting soil from his storehouse to the beginner greenhouse. Laden with one such giant bag, he didn't initially realize he had a visitor at his primary teaching desk (he had one in the other greenhouse, too, but the one in the larger beginner greenhouse was the one where he was keeping most of his stuff) until after he lugged it over to the closest student work table and dropped the bag with a grunt and a resounding thud onto its surface.

Slight movement where he wasn't expecting any made him startle a little, but then he recognized the guest presumably reacting to the noise he'd just made as Isis and he smiled. "Afternoon," he greeted pleasantly, his eye drawn to the potted yellow chrysanthemum she'd been setting on his desk before he'd interrupted her. She was probably unaware that it could have symbolic meaning of secret admiration, seeing as she was giving it to him, so he didn't read anything into it. "Thank you, I love yellow." This truth was quite fortunate given that he was the Head of Teppenpaw.

He came over to get a better look. It was a fine specimen of it species and he said so. The card congratulated his promotion which further convinced him there was no hidden meaning behind the gift, utterly failing to note the lack of a signature since he already knew who it was from. "I think it would look great in my quarters," he added, "I was just thinking this morning that my dresser was looking pretty barren. Thank you," he said again.

"As long as we're both here, do you mind being put to work, or would you like to sit outside? I've got a nice frog pond with a bench out there, and I'd enjoy some company."

1 Nathan Oblivious Xavier Thank-you! 28 Nathan Oblivious Xavier 0 5

Isis

October 14, 2016 6:15 PM

You're welcome. by Isis

She met with an instant rush of both relief and disappointment when he didn’t seem to notice any of her quiet symbolism. Isis was glad there was no awkward let-down to be had, which is what she assumed was the inevitable reality when she eventually got it all out there. But a part of her, perhaps a crazy part, had some tangible hope for the best outcome, one where he saw her the way she saw him.

Maybe Isis was a fool. She rather hated the way these types of feelings meddled, how they made her feel stupid and young. She hadn’t really allowed herself to think of anyone in this way since her first teenage love simultaneously ruined her life, almost got her killed, and produced her greatest life accomplishment. There was too much damage, too many scars, to let herself go through anything like that again. But there was no “letting” herself feel anything with Nathan; she just felt it. Maybe it was because everything was so different from that childhood, child-bearing relationship. Nathan was kind and considerate, an appropriate Head for the Teppenpaw House and everything Deontay had never been, everything she should have always been looking for. Now she had found it, but time and inexperience had rendered her somewhat inept in her pursuit.

Still, at the very least, she was pleased that he purported to like the flowers. That was worthy of a little extra smile, which grew further as he offered possibilities of remaining in one another’s company. “I don’t mind,” she said of being put to work, a bit too quick, a little too eager. “But maybe you ought to take a break. You work so hard, and that pond does sound nice. Or…” Isis paused, drawing in a slightly labored breath. “Have you had lunch? If you’re up for it, we could go into town. I know a few nice places.” She’d perused the town with her other friends fairly regularly and, to possible surprise, had found more than just bars at which to spend the hours. And maybe, just maybe, he’d pick up the fairly strong hints in her slightly wavering tone, or the way she shoved her fidgety hands into her pockets. She was strong in all other matters, calm and collected if not almost distant in every other situation. It was only around him that she got so flustered. Her darker pigmentation did well to hide the threatening blush, but not even his relative obliviousness (she imagined) could mask her nervous body language as she all but asked him on a date.

12 Isis You're welcome. 31 Isis 0 5

Nathan Rationalizer Xavier

October 26, 2016 10:18 AM

De nada by Nathan Rationalizer Xavier

Nathan paused in the act of opening his mouth to suggest how she could help him with his preparations when she kept talking and he realized that her opening assurance that she didn't mind being put to work was not her last word on their plans. The aborted speech turn into a faint smile as she suggested he should take a break - and after lugging over that big bag of soil, his shoulders and back were in agreement with that sentiment, plus he was pretty proud of his frog pond and wanted to show it off a little. His mom had been duly impressed when she had seen it, but she was his mom and had expressed questionable opinions like 'you look dashing' and 'that young lady you danced with seems to think highly of you; you should ask her out to lunch some time' that night, so he wasn't sure that her opinion hadn't been hopelessly Mom-biased. Plus, the flowers hadn't been in bloom then like they were now.

And then that young lady he danced with asked him out to lunch.

His mouth fell open and he blinked at her a couple of times before he recovered enough to realize that she was probably just asking as friends and colleagues and his memory of his mother's suggestions combined with the secret-admirer flower meaning and he was getting three when he added one plus one. He'd heard the younger staff often went out to town together to get away from work and relax. Sure, he hadn't been invited before, but there was always a first time. Maybe her signs of nervousness were just because she was making an offer she hadn't made to him before, and leaving school grounds did kind of imply a closer friendship than just coworkers. He was entirely fine with that implication.

"Um, yeah, I mean, I haven't eaten yet. That sounds good. I don't get off campus much," he admitted. This was at least partially due to inertia and not having any good reason to make the effort to leave ... but he opted not to mention that the other part of it was that he was afraid the elves would get offended if he chose to eat somewhere else. But he was teaching staff now; elf morale was not one of his largest job responsibilities anymore. He'd make it up to them with lots of compliments after dinner.

And now he had a teaching staff salary, too, so buying lunch every now and then didn't sound like a retirement ruining proposition anymore.

He set the gift plant prominently in the center of his desk, then took a step toward the door, smiling at Isis, "So what's your favorite lunch spot?"

1 Nathan Rationalizer Xavier De nada 28 Nathan Rationalizer Xavier 0 5

Isis

November 02, 2016 1:25 AM

These middle names are increasingly inconvenient by Isis

He seemed a bit nervous. That was, Isis hoped, actually a positive sign. Maybe he was actually picking something up here. Then again, Nathan was somewhat awkward in general, but this seemed exceptional. And either way, he was being agreeable, perhaps even a little eager, she dared to let herself believe. “That’s fine,” she replied to his confession. “I’m a pretty good guide.” With a slightly coy smile, she started toward the door.

She paused in the doorway and looked back, catching him position her flower directly in the center of the desk before stepping toward her. His smile made her heart flutter in a way that she almost forgot about how much she hated the youthful feeling of a fluttery heart. Isis was by no means a purely intellect-based individual, but she was strategic, and she’d had to grow up fast. Anything superfluous and silly had been abandoned a long time ago. Yet here she was, grinning like a teenager with a crush. Maybe she wasn’t as grown up as she liked to think.

“Well,” she answered, leaning against the door frame. “There’s a nice little coffee shop I’m pretty fond of. It’s usually fairly quiet. Plus, their food menu is actually pretty impressive. A lot of teenagers around, though, but given our professions, I doubt that’s much of an issue.” Even at their worst, teenagers weren’t that bad. Her own daughter, she was loathe to think for the sensation of age it forced upon her, was now among their ranks.

“It’s almost ironic how much I value dark and quiet places, given the House they gave me,” said Isis, half-laughing at herself. Dark and quiet were not horribly accurate descriptors for Pecaris, but she supposed not every House could get such perfect and fitting Heads as Teppenpaw found in Nathan. “...Not to imply this place is horribly dark or something. It’s not, like, seedy or anything. Mostly just quiet. Peaceful.”

There was a pause, wherein she took a deep breath. “Sorry. I’m, uh, not usually this dumb. I’ve just….” Isis looked up at him. “...got a lot on my mind, I guess. Shall we go? Unless I’ve made this too weird.”

12 Isis These middle names are increasingly inconvenient 31 Isis 0 5

Nathan Found-a-Ticket-for-the-Clue-Bus Xavier

November 10, 2016 11:32 AM

What do you think of this one? by Nathan Found-a-Ticket-for-the-Clue-Bus Xavier

Nathan was beginning to suspect his conclusions may be in error. Had her nerves simply be because she was extending in invitation into her closer circle of friends, it should have resolved when he agreed to join her for lunch on the town. If anything, it had increased. She was stammering, apologizing for being dumb when she was one of the smartest people he knew, and smiling at him in ways he thought might be almost flirty, and the crowning clue was that she was worried she had made things 'weird.'

"To clarify," he began, uncertainly, because the new conclusion he was coming to now was not one he had previously encountered in his life and one he had written off as 'probably impossible' to ever occur some years ago when he had joined the ranks of middle aged men. "Do you," he stopped because the idea was too new, too unlikely. Such a brilliant, attractive woman couldn't like him when there were other men in the school far younger, more attractive, and more articulate than him.

However, he'd had an inkling this maybe wasn't just-friends, and he kind of wanted to know if he was entirely off base. "Is this as-friends or a," he hesitated, then committed to the question, "a date?"

1 Nathan Found-a-Ticket-for-the-Clue-Bus Xavier What do you think of this one? 28 Nathan Found-a-Ticket-for-the-Clue-Bus Xavier 0 5

Isis

November 10, 2016 11:50 PM

Better by Isis

Her heart beat so loud that she was afraid that even at a respectful distance, Nathan would hear. For a split second, Isis had thought it had stopped completely, but after a single skipped beat, its strength and volumed returned, pounding in her ears. She almost couldn’t hear him finish the question. The second question, that is, since he’d redirected and rephrased from how it began. She was grateful for that; anything beginning “Do you” was likely to be a bit more direct than she wanted to be.

This one was still a bit out of her comfort zone, but she supposed she brought it on herself with her apparent inability to behave like a normal human being around the man to whom she was attracted. Isis did feel a bit better that he was asking such a question as opposed to being completely repulsed by the notion, not that she thought Nathan of all people would ever really be that way. It was nonetheless reassuring.

“Well,” she began, the traces of her blush just barely visible. “I mean, I’d like to call it that, if it’s…. If it’s something you would want.” She fought to keep her eyes up, nervousness wanting to pull her gaze into the ground. For the most part, she did well, but an involuntary dart every so often foiled her efforts. She amazed herself at how hard (how far?) she fell, normally very “no nonsense” and straight to the point of things. Rejections didn’t normally phrase her, just a yes or a no and then there were new actions, either she got her way or she didn’t.

“Look, I’m not really very good at… this sort of thing,” Isis confessed, able to be a bit more up front and reclaim some of that practical bluntness when it came to self-depreciating facts. How odd, she thought, that her negative traits were almost a security blanket, building her some strength. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been.. interested in someone like this.” She swallowed. “I’m very, very interested in you, Nathan. So, yes,” she managed with the most conviction she’d had all day, taking a bold step forward. “I’d like to call it a date.”

“If you just want to be friends, that’s fine,” she added. “Just say so. We can get lunch anyway and I promise not to bring this up again.”

12 Isis Better 31 Isis 0 5

Nathan Astounded Xavier

November 11, 2016 10:44 AM

Well then by Nathan Astounded Xavier

Wow. Nathan was astounded and had no idea what to say so Isis just kept talking until she got to the answer to his aborted question and then he really couldn't say anything so she kept talking more until she eventually ran out of words and waited for some in return.

Nathan's stunned brain tried to work through this new information. He liked to think he was a pretty smart guy, but it still took a little longer than Isis probably would have hoped for him to process it properly.

"That, wow, okay," he began, then realized those words were likely not helping his companion's nerves. "Not too weird," he promised, returning to an earlier concern he hadn't answered at the time, "I mean, not in a bad way, I'm just, I wasn't, wow, okay, this is new for me, too. Let's, let's definitely have lunch, as, as maybe a, like a pre-date, maybe? If that's okay? I'm still transitioning my brain from co-worker and colleague. I didn't think, you're a, I thought you and Alfie, but obviously not, so ... my brain needs some time to catch up yet."

He smiled, tentatively and nervously, "But I do like the idea of dates with you."

Another thought occurred to him, and his smile turned more wry, "My mom is going to be impossibly smug when she hears about this. She really liked you and told me to ask you out. I hadn't thought you were interested though, and didn't want to make things ... too weird."

1 Nathan Astounded Xavier Well then 28 Nathan Astounded Xavier 0 5

Isis

November 12, 2016 3:24 AM

*Astounding by Isis

There was something rather comforting about having so much out in the open, but it was starkly contrasted with the feeling of being powerless as now everything was in Nathan’s hands. He didn’t start out very strong, but the immediate reassurance of it being “Not too weird” did make Isis feel a bit better. Then he started babbling and not making a ton of sense, with his thoughts seeming to overrun one another, redirecting after incomplete sentences to try another idea. Still, she noted silently, it was kinda cute to watch him so off-kilter.

What she could make out from his chatter was, at least, mostly excellent news. A pre-date was fine since he was apparently so blown away and needed to process what she’d told him. (Why it amazed him so much, she could hardly fathom; if anything, she was the unworthy participant in the potential relationship.) His mention of Alfie caused her heart to sink momentarily, but at least he brushed it off pretty easily now since she’d spelled out her feelings to him. Isis could see why someone might misinterpret her relationship with Alfie, although the more questionable parts were just between them, Amelle, and, she imagined, Richard Tallec. Still, Isis had a very deep friendship with the Defense professor. They were, in many ways, kindred spirits, both from messy upbringings that they didn’t like to talk about, both with things behind them of which they were not proud. It was a mostly silent understanding for which she was thankful, but it was a surprisingly platonic intimacy.

“But I do like the idea of dates with you.” And he smiled. She couldn’t help smiling back, feeling a bit silly for the production this whole thing had become when, evidently, there were mutual feelings abounding.

His smile changed when he mentioned his mother, and Isis was unable to suppress a short laugh. “She’s a smart woman,” she commented merrily. “I had a feeling she saw through me. But then again, I can’t imagine I’ve been nearly as subtle as I was hoping to be. And to tell the truth, I didn’t expect you to be interested in me.” She considered herself too private a person to be really attractive or in any case dateable, perhaps bordering on secretive; there were things most people didn’t know (although Amelle and Alfie each had knowledge of different instances of her past) that she specifically kept out of conversation, but she felt like it had to be pretty obvious by the way she kept so generally vague that she came with a lot of baggage. Most men didn’t particularly want broken pieces with “some assembly required”.

“Anyway,” she said, her smile renewed, “Let’s get going, shall we? We’ve got a pre-date on our hands.”

12 Isis *Astounding 31 Isis 0 5