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**Wilber Winterbottom** · #1 (**permalink**) 12-27-2022, 12:45 AM

The large freshwater lake of Hogwarts is located just south of the castle. About half a mile wide in diameter, the lake dominates much of the school's landscape, a steely and ominous mass of icy water in the winter, yet an inviting and refreshing sight once the weather starts to heat up. On one of its banks, a towering beech tree stands sentinel, and is a popular location to meet and relax. Castle-side of the lake stands the boathouse.

You may swim in the lake, but be careful, and also mindful of the creatures that reside here. Merpeople, grindylows, and the Great Squid, to name but a few, call these watery depths their home. You would do well to leave them in peace. If they feel like it, they'll come to you; the Giant Squid, who goes by the name of Bartholomew Henry, has been known to bask in the shallows on sunny days.

OOC: Please do not RP for the Giant Squid.

astrocat · 05-07-2025, 10:07 PM

Phoebe hadn’t really adjusted to the castle yet. Being around so many people was bearable, but not comfortable. On this particular day, her usual haunt (greenhouse one) had been a little too crowded for her, and so Pheebs had searched for a quieter place.

The sky was overcast and grey, and the shores of the Great Lake, usually a lovely spot to sit with friends, were mostly deserted. It was there that Phoebe had set up her picnic for one: a blanket, a sandwich and fruit, and a Capri-Sun (or two). It wasn’t silly at all to throw herself a picnic, or at least she didn’t think so. It was nice to be alone, to take a break from studying and socializing, and to watch the lake from somewhere that wasn’t the inside of a dungeon.

Starfished on her picnic blanket, watching the sky, Phoebe might have been smiling.

sweetpinkpixie · 05-08-2025, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Phoebe hadn’t really adjusted to the castle yet. Being around so many people was bearable, but not comfortable. On this particular day, her usual haunt (greenhouse one) had been a little too crowded for her, and so Pheebs had searched for a quieter place.

The sky was overcast and grey, and the shores of the Great Lake, usually a lovely spot to sit with friends, were mostly deserted. It was there that Phoebe had set up her picnic for one: a blanket, a sandwich and fruit, and a Capri-Sun (or two). It wasn’t silly at all to throw herself a picnic, or at least she didn’t think so. It was nice to be alone, to take a break from studying and socializing, and to watch the lake from somewhere that wasn’t the inside of a dungeon.

Starfished on her picnic blanket, watching the sky, Phoebe might have been smiling.

Nyle hadn’t been looking for quiet exactly—but he always seemed to find it when he wasn’t. He had wandered down to the lake with the intention of collecting a few water samples and checking the condition of the moss beds near the shore (they’d started forming these strange but fascinating rippling patterns that he couldn’t tell if he loved or if they meant trouble), but stopped short when he spotted someone already there.

Phoebe!

At first he considered turning around, not out of rudeness but to preserve what looked like a really peaceful moment. She was lying on a blanket, very still, with the sort of relaxed expression he’d usually only seen on people who had just finished exams or just started a nap. Thus he hesitated yet again with sluggish steps, fretting over whether or not he was interrupting something not only peaceful but also sacred (dad especially had taught him that solitude could be that way), but curiosity nudged him forward. Well, curiosity that and the metallicy looking pouch in her hand, which he couldn’t quite identify. So, he approached slowly, making sure his boots crunched deliberately over the path’s loose gravel so she wouldn’t be startled.

"H-H-Hi, Phoebe! That looks, er, you look... peaceful," he offered quietly. "I was just collecting some lake moss and happened to pass by not. I promise I didn't follow you down from the castle or anything like that. Um...that was weird...um...er...anyway, what is that you're drinking, by the way?" he inquired, adjusting the strap of is satchel which gave a faint rustle of glass vials and paper scraps as he shifted.

A pause. Then, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he suddenly felt a though he simply HAD to share a thought with her ― and for once it was not exclusively plant related.

"Hey, did you know unicorns and salamanders are both symbols of purity in different magical traditions? Even though one thrives in flame and the other in forests. It’s strange, right? I read this article once about a hot spring in the Pyrenees where someone spotted both nesting nearby. No territorial drama, just coexisting. Like a ghost orchid and a fire lily blooming in the same clearing. It doesn’t seem exactly possible. but nature finds a way when the conditions are just right."

Op, there he went rambling again. Surprise, surprise.

astrocat · 05-09-2025, 04:05 AM

Phoebe was lost in her head, imagining the passing clouds as thoughts that would come and go. With such a dark sky, though, it was hard to tell where one cloud ended and another began. She tried anyway. Consequently, she didn't notice the footsteps until they were very near- there was a tension in Phoebe as she propped herself up on her elbows, the stressing sort of tension that always appeared when she was around other people. She glanced over with a wary look, but relaxed when she realized that it was only a kindred spirit observing her.

"Hey." She smiled at him in a soft greeting before flopping back down on the grass. "I do feel peaceful." It was planting and watching things that were Phoebe's favorites. They made everything feel quiet and calm, and that was all she really wanted. "Um... I didn't think you were following me. It's not like I'm the only one who likes to come down here." Since this was a one-girl moment of peace, she probably wouldn't have appreciated it if he had indeed been following her, although she supposed it wouldn't be odd if he had a question for her about something. It wasn't like she'd announced that questions were forbidden and everyone should leave her alone, right?

Phoebe glanced at the silvery packet in her hand. "Hm? Oh, this is just my juice. I really like juice pouches, I guess. They make me feel like a kid again." Technically, she was still a kid, but- it was just different. Capri-Suns made her feel like a different type of kid. It was just different. She took a sip out of the small straw poking out of the package and sighed. "This stuff is the best."

Phoebe didn't say anything for a moment after Nyle shared his knowledge of unicorns and salamanders. It wasn't like she had nothing to say about it, though- but she had to process it for a while, playing with some of the friendship bracelets on her arm. "There are lots of different ways to be something. Sometimes those ways are unexpected, and odd friendships are formed." Like- like- unicorns were the more common representation of purity, but not the only one. And they could still find something in common with another creature, even one that people didn't always view with the same holy light. Phoebe took another sip of juice. "There are lots of different ways to be something. That's a reassuring thought." She thought it was reassuring, at least.

...

"I think I'm a salamander," she said quietly, without elaboration. She wasn't even sure what exactly she meant by that statement, but she was sure that she definitely wasn't a unicorn. Phoebe scooted over on her blanket in case Nyle wanted to sit- after all that, she had decided that she didn't mind making it a two-person picnic.

sweetpinkpixie · 05-12-2025, 03:05 AM

Nyle blinked, visibly stunned but not in a bad way by any means. He’d expected Phoebe to smile maybe, or nod politely, but not a full blown invitation through the beauty of gesture ― something so gently true it settled in his chest like a seed finding perfectly fertilized soil. He didn’t sit at first but did crouch beside her with knees drawn up under himself and hands softly resting in the grass like he was grounding himself. His eyes flicked to the lake, then to the cloud-swept sky, and then finally back to Phoebe.

"A salamander," he echoed, like it was a secret worth holding gently. "That makes sense. They have really pretty eyes." There was no teasing in his voice, just curiosity and the kind of quiet agreement that meant he saw it too... whatever it was she meant. "You can be born of fire and still be something soft," he added, plucking a blade of grass between his fingers. "Or maybe it’s that you survive fire, and that’s your softness. Like...like a crocus. You know they can bloom right through snow? First to arrive, even when it’s freezing."

He peeked down at his shoes and then the space she had vacated for him, finally sitting then but not on her blanket ― just beside it, close enough that their worlds overlapped but not enough so that he was encroaching too much since his clothing was a bit dirty already. "I used to think I had to be a unicorn. You know, soft and shy and careful. But maybe I’m neither... maybe I'm more like one of those plants that looks half-dead all the time but refuses to go away. A resurrection fern, or a ghost pipe. Sort of unassuming, but stubborn in the right weather."

His gaze softened and offered a small smile as he looked at her juice pouch. "I’ve... never had a juice... that looks like that. Usually the juice we have at home comes in a glass bottle or carton when we get it from the store...for sure nothing that comes with a plastic straw."

astrocat · 05-13-2025, 02:23 PM

SPOILER!!: Plant friend

Phoebe had always liked her eyes: they were a pretty green, deep like a well, or maybe even a lake. Looking at photos of her parents, she could tell that her eyes were only her own, and that was enough. But- but- nobody else had really told her that before. Not that she was looking for compliments... but, you know, she couldn't help but hold herself with a bit more confidence after hearing one.

Quietly, she held out a second juice pouch for Nyle to try. She never carried just one around, just in case she wanted more. "I guess it's that when something comes from fire, people assume it must be dangerous too. But that doesn't make it true. Not always." She knew, deep down, that she was her own Phoebe. It was just hard to believe in it sometimes. "And..." She paused. "...what you're saying about plants makes me think that sometimes a plant looks weak because it's hard to take care of and it doesn't thrive, but it must be strong if it's growing in the first place. Like crocuses growing through snow." Phoebe was quiet again for a while, trying to digest that on the inside. How did she reconcile the words she was saying with the feelings that she felt? How could she be telling this to Nyle, but not taking it to her heart? She sighed, then glanced over. "You could be a sidewalk plant, growing against all odds." It was a great compliment from Phoebe, who had always taken sidewalk plants as a source of inspiration and strength.

sweetpinkpixie · 05-17-2025, 08:16 AM

Nyle’s heart warmed at the sight of the juice pouch she extended toward him, more than an offering of sweetened hydration and so much more an acceptance of friendship. He took it gently, like it might wilt or explode if he touched it too fast. "Thank you," he murmured, cradling it in both hands like it was something incredibly rare.

Then her words fully settled in. Like...really truly settled in and he felt as though he were touching grass for the first time. His expression softened again, a hush falling over his features. "I think you just described every orchid I’ve ever tried to grow," he said quietly. "They look delicate, and some people give up when the petals fall off... but underneath, they’re all roots and survival. They keep going, even if no one claps for them." He paused, juice forgotten for a moment in his hands and still holding it as if it were a chick. "And sidewalk plants that’s... that’s probably the kindest thing anyone’s ever said to me. I mean, anyone not in my family because there is always loads of kindness to go around..." A flush crept up his neck and reached his ears. He often compared himself to sidewalk plants too, though usually from the perspective of how easily they were overlooked and stepped on as if they weren’t even there.

He gave her a soft, sideways smile, lifting the juice pouch a little in quiet cheers. "To sidewalk plants and salamanders then?" He fumbled with the straw, struggling to poke it cleanly through the little designated hole. A bit of juice squirted out, splashing onto his hand and dotting his shirt. Only slightly embarrassing in the grand scheme of things. He licked the juice from his fingers, then blinked in surprise. "Oh...this is sweeter than I thought it would be!"

astrocat · 05-17-2025, 09:05 PM

SPOILER!!: Nyle

Phoebe sat up, pulling her knees to her chest with one arm wrapped around. Her other hand was still holding her juice, of course! How else would she sip loudly through her straw and then sigh peacefully? She gave Nyle a soft smile, glad that she'd warmed his heart. There wasn't enough warmth in the world, you know? Phoebe herself was most definitely NOT a harbinger of warmth and happiness, but she tried. For the younger years. "I love orchids too. And cacti. And other resilient ones! Not that I don't care for the truly fragile plants out there... they still deserve to be treated carefully." She admired the ability to withstand anything, but in the perfect world, nobody would have to.

"Um, I'm glad to hear that your family is kind," she said quietly. "Even if lots of other people aren't. Families should always be that way." She knew all about what it was like to have a supportive family. Or, rather, she knew what the opposite felt like, and had therefore figured out why it was important. She was glad for him, really and truly. But she hoped people who weren't his family would compliment him more in the future- it always felt nice to be seen, or at least Phoebe thought so.

She couldn't help but snort as Nyle sprayed himself with juice by accident. "Careful, there's not that much in the pouch." Not that she didn't have a whole box of them in her dorm... Phoebe had a huge sweet tooth. "To sidewalk plants and salamanders."

sweetpinkpixie · 05-20-2025, 09:08 AM

Nyle lit up almost immediately ― he sat up straighter, legs awkwardly angled under him as he half-leaned in Phoebe’s direction, juice pouch forgotten in one hand and his entire posture tingling with over eagerness. "Yes! Exactly!" he exploded like a firework. "Resilient plants are incredible! Like, did you know some orchids can live completely suspended in air? They cling to trees and just pull moisture right out of it. They're epiphytes, which sounds like something gross but is actually really cool. And cacti! They have these stomata that only open at night to conserve water, which is why they can survive in literal deserts. And they have spines instead of leaves to cut down on evaporation and also for protection." He took a breath, barely giving her a chance to interject, his words tumbling out faster now, caught up in his own rhythm. "And then there’s resurrection plants! They look dead for years, all curled up and brown and brittle, but the second they get moisture again they unfurl and turn lush and green. It's amazing!"

He suddenly caught himself rambling, flushed a little, and gave a sheepish half-laugh as he looked back at Phoebe. "Sorry. Got carried away. And, well, you probably already knew most if not all of that...." He tapped the juice pouch lightly against his knee, careful not to squish it any and loose more of the overly sweet liquid inside, his smile a little crooked but sincere. "But you’re right. All flora deserve gentleness. Some of them only bloom once, and you have to really be paying attention to even catch it. I think that’s kind of beautiful too....reminder to be present and in the moment because they can be fleeting."

Nyle’s smile softened, the brightness in his eyes settling into something quieter, more thoughtful. He looked down for a moment, idly turning the button on his satchel between his fingers....an old habit when his thoughts dipped below the surface. "They are," he smiled. "Or… they’re trying to be. We all are, really." He glanced over at Phoebe, not quite meeting her gaze at first. "Mum, well, she’s an empath, clairvoyant too, in that way where she can feel what others are going through, especially the people she loves. Which is brilliant… but also kind of a burden sometimes, I think, even if she doesn't let it show to Iris and me." His thumb stopped moving on the button and exhaled slowly. "Dad… wasn’t kind for a while. But not because he didn’t want to be." But THAT was enough about THAT. He finally looked up at Phoebe again, a flicker of fragile honesty behind his quiet smile. "We’re healing now. As a family. I guess I’m learning that kindness isn’t just about how things are when it’s easy… it’s about what you choose to be after everything breaks a little."

He took another, proper, sip from his juice pouch and hugged his legs to his chest...which was becoming an awkward endeavor to accomplish as his limbs continued to grow longer and ganglier like vines.

astrocat · 05-24-2025, 05:27 PM

SPOILER!!: Nyle

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Nyle lit up almost immediately ― he sat up straighter, legs awkwardly angled under him as he half-leaned in Phoebe’s direction, juice pouch forgotten in one hand and his entire posture tingling with over eagerness. "Yes! Exactly!" he exploded like a firework. "Resilient plants are incredible! Like, did you know some orchids can live completely suspended in air? They cling to trees and just pull moisture right out of it. They're epiphytes, which sounds like something gross but is actually really cool. And cacti! They have these stomata that only open at night to conserve water, which is why they can survive in literal deserts. And they have spines instead of leaves to cut down on evaporation and also for protection." He took a breath, barely giving her a chance to interject, his words tumbling out faster now, caught up in his own rhythm. "And then there’s resurrection plants! They look dead for years, all curled up and brown and brittle, but the second they get moisture again they unfurl and turn lush and green. It's amazing!"

He suddenly caught himself rambling, flushed a little, and gave a sheepish half-laugh as he looked back at Phoebe. "Sorry. Got carried away. And, well, you probably already knew most if not all of that...." He tapped the juice pouch lightly against his knee, careful not to squish it any and loose more of the overly sweet liquid inside, his smile a little crooked but sincere. "But you’re right. All flora deserve gentleness. Some of them only bloom once, and you have to really be paying attention to even catch it. I think that’s kind of beautiful too....reminder to be present and in the moment because they can be fleeting."

Nyle’s smile softened, the brightness in his eyes settling into something quieter, more thoughtful. He looked down for a moment, idly turning the button on his satchel between his fingers....an old habit when his thoughts dipped below the surface. "They are," he smiled. "Or… they’re trying to be. We all are, really." He glanced over at Phoebe, not quite meeting her gaze at first. "Mum, well, she’s an empath, clairvoyant too, in that way where she can feel what others are going through, especially the people she loves. Which is brilliant… but also kind of a burden sometimes, I think, even if she doesn't let it show to Iris and me." His thumb stopped moving on the button and exhaled slowly. "Dad… wasn’t kind for a while. But not because he didn’t want to be." But THAT was enough about THAT. He finally looked up at Phoebe again, a flicker of fragile honesty behind his quiet smile. "We’re healing now. As a family. I guess I’m learning that kindness isn’t just about how things are when it’s easy… it’s about what you choose to be after everything breaks a little."

He took another, proper, sip from his juice pouch and hugged his legs to his chest...which was becoming an awkward endeavor to accomplish as his limbs continued to grow longer and ganglier like vines.

Phoebe chuckled, happy to see a younger year being excited- both about her favorite interests, and in general. Excitement was good!! Nobody could last long in the world without finding something that they cared about, and for Phoebe, it was definitely plants. It was nice to have someone who felt the same way and wasn't going to tease her about her plant obsession.

"No, don't shush yourself. I like hearing about your favorite plants. Especially the cacti." Claude was always telling her not to shut herself down, you know. Phoebe thought Nyle needed someone to tell him that too, maybe. "Even supposedly fragile plants surprise me sometimes with their resilience." Without adaptations, without hardiness, without years of evolution... some houseplants just really wanted to live. "Imagine getting to see a flower that blooms once every hundred years. I think I would feel really special and lucky if I saw that happen." It was on her bucket list!!

Phoebe's look of relaxation fell away as the topic of family came up again, and she retreated her limbs towards herself a little- almost like a shell. Because, like, what was she supposed to say about family? Um, my family is evil, and I'm a monster myself. Noooo thanks. She hesitated for a while. "Um, I... that's good... I'm glad." Phoebe chewed on her lip, silently hoping Nyle would change the subject back to something that wasn't this. Preferably before she got all bitter again- and angry at the world- and things like that that she didn't know what to do with. Please.

"I recently started taking care of some kalanchoe," Phoebe said helplessly. "I put it in a special pot that magically repels pets, so I could protect my cat. His name is Smudge, and he's great." That was another thing she liked- cats!! Cats were waaaay better than family. If Nyle didn't mind, she was like, so happy to tell him about her cat!!

sweetpinkpixie · 06-04-2025, 04:27 AM

Nyle’s lips curved at her encouragement, a quiet sort of smile that reached his eyes easily. He looked down at his knees for a moment, then back up at her with an expression alight with quiet gratitude. "Thanks," he murmured. "I... don’t really know how NOT to ramble when it’s something I care about...or really not ramble in general...and I get told that I ramble too much and admittedly do see the way that people's eyes can glaze over as disinterest sets in and their ears get all numb. Suppose that's partly why I think plants just… make sense in a way that people don’t always."

Hi eyes flicked to Phoebe as she curled in on herself ever so slightly, like a fern at dusk or one severely lacking water. It was subtle, but noticeable if you were used to watching ~~plants~~ people closely. The way her voice faltered. The shift of her body, the way her words tiptoed rather than danced.

"Um," he murmured, soft with realization. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to…" He let the sentence trail off, the end unspoken but understood. He hadn’t meant to make anything heavy and he most certainly hadn’t meant to make her retreat. Iris was right: he did talk too much. He looked down at his hands, thumbs rubbing at a faint spot of dirt beneath one fingernail, then tried to smile again without overdoing it. Just enough to say: it’s okay. You don’t have to explain.

There were parts to his own family he hadn't quite figured out how to talk about yet too. And he dared not utter the words curse or exorcism or Dark magic around anyone that wasn't immediate family - or his potted friends who were always remarkable listeners.

Then, gently, at first at least, he latched onto her shift in subject like a sprout following sunlight. "Kalanchoe!" he echoed, perking up and shedding the rest of his attempt to be gentle in transition from one topic to another. "That’s a lovely choice! Some varieties bloom in the winter, which I always thought was kind of rebellious of them and fantastic since people associate blossoming with spring. Like they’re saying ‘I’m not waiting for spring, thanks.’ They from the same Crassulaceae family as jade plants too! The flowers can last aaaaaaaaaaaaaages if you deadhead them properly. Which I always feel bad doing, honestly, because they try so hard, but it does help them keep blooming…" He smiled properly now, eyes crinkling. "They're really pretty too, the blossoms, and easy to care for comparatively. Mum often recommends them to friends who are not exactly on possession of a green thumb but want to add some greenery to their homes. Improve indoor air quality too, but you really need LOADS of plants to make a significant difference. Just too bad they are toxic and pets and familiar will chew on them because they don't know any better. Jade plants are really special and used in Feng Shui because is considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity. My therapist has several in their office." Guess who hadn't noticed they were rambling? "So it really is a stroke of genuis to put them in a pet-repelling pot. What is that like... the Animalis Not-Fidelis Charm?" he added, nodding seriously. "Suppose it would have Latin something in it and not a 'not'.... but Smudge is a cute name. Is Smudge all white but with like...a dramatic swoosh of black across their fur that looks like an ink stain, the ones that you do accidentally because you were writing too fast across your parchment?"

astrocat · 06-06-2025, 03:43 AM

SPOILER!!: Nyle

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Nyle’s lips curved at her encouragement, a quiet sort of smile that reached his eyes easily. He looked down at his knees for a moment, then back up at her with an expression alight with quiet gratitude. "Thanks," he murmured. "I... don’t really know how NOT to ramble when it’s something I care about...or really not ramble in general...and I get told that I ramble too much and admittedly do see the way that people's eyes can glaze over as disinterest sets in and their ears get all numb. Suppose that's partly why I think plants just… make sense in a way that people don’t always."

Hi eyes flicked to Phoebe as she curled in on herself ever so slightly, like a fern at dusk or one severely lacking water. It was subtle, but noticeable if you were used to watching ~~plants~~ people closely. The way her voice faltered. The shift of her body, the way her words tiptoed rather than danced.

"Um," he murmured, soft with realization. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to…" He let the sentence trail off, the end unspoken but understood. He hadn’t meant to make anything heavy and he most certainly hadn’t meant to make her retreat. Iris was right: he did talk too much. He looked down at his hands, thumbs rubbing at a faint spot of dirt beneath one fingernail, then tried to smile again without overdoing it. Just enough to say: it’s okay. You don’t have to explain.

There were parts to his own family he hadn't quite figured out how to talk about yet too. And he dared not utter the words curse or exorcism or Dark magic around anyone that wasn't immediate family - or his potted friends who were always remarkable listeners.

Then, gently, at first at least, he latched onto her shift in subject like a sprout following sunlight. "Kalanchoe!" he echoed, perking up and shedding the rest of his attempt to be gentle in transition from one topic to another. "That’s a lovely choice! Some varieties bloom in the winter, which I always thought was kind of rebellious of them and fantastic since people associate blossoming with spring. Like they’re saying ‘I’m not waiting for spring, thanks.’ They from the same Crassulaceae family as jade plants too! The flowers can last aaaaaaaaaaaaaages if you deadhead them properly. Which I always feel bad doing, honestly, because they try so hard, but it does help them keep blooming…" He smiled properly now, eyes crinkling. "They're really pretty too, the blossoms, and easy to care for comparatively. Mum often recommends them to friends who are not exactly on possession of a green thumb but want to add some greenery to their homes. Improve indoor air quality too, but you really need LOADS of plants to make a significant difference. Just too bad they are toxic and pets and familiar will chew on them because they don't know any better. Jade plants are really special and used in Feng Shui because is considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity. My therapist has several in their office." Guess who hadn't noticed they were rambling? "So it really is a stroke of genuis to put them in a pet-repelling pot. What is that like... the Animalis Not-Fidelis Charm?" he added, nodding seriously. "Suppose it would have Latin something in it and not a 'not'.... but Smudge is a cute name. Is Smudge all white but with like...a dramatic swoosh of black across their fur that looks like an ink stain, the ones that you do accidentally because you were writing too fast across your parchment?"

Phoebe set her juice down, leaning back on her hands and looking up at the sky. "Don't stop rambling. Or liking things," she muttered. "Don't let the world change you too much." It was much better to live your life not caring about what everyone else thought- or at least Phoebe believed that. She cared so much about how she was perceived. Maybe she was even a little obsessive... she didn't wish that sort of thinking on anyone. Do as Phoebe said, not as Phoebe did, Nyle!

As the younger boy started to apologize, Phoebe recoiled further. Not at the apology, exactly, but at the idea that she needed to be apologized to- admitting that his words upset her would mean admitting to being upset, and she wasn't ready to explain or share. "I am fine," she insisted, even though that wasn't something she typically said when she was actually fine. "Nothing is wrong." Or... she didn't want there to be anything wrong, okay? Not with her life, not with her feelings, and definitely not with her. She felt relieved when Nyle let her change the subject without pressing her with questions. It was easy to stay quiet, to let him go off on his tangent while she collected her heart a little.

"I appreciate how forgiving they are," Phoebe commented. "Both of their growing environment and of me." Because Phoebe was something of an expert gardener, but even expert gardeners could have bad days. "I wanted to add a little more color to my life, but I didn't feel prepared for additional intensive work on top of caring for the plants I already had." She cracked a smile when Nyle mentioned Smudge- she couldn't help it. While the little cat was small and somewhat sickly, he was Phoebe's hero, snuggling up to her whenever he sensed that she was upset. "You're pretty close. He's grey and white, like you got several bits of graphite on him and erased it poorly. That's how you know my animal-repelling charm is strong- Smudge is my best friend, so I take every care to keep him safe. I guess you could think of my charm as an animalis not-fidelis force field? Or kind of like a mini version of the spell that hides Hogwarts from nonmagical people?" It was hard to tell the actual mechanism, though, because Phoebe was not a cat.

sweetpinkpixie · 06-10-2025, 11:22 PM

Nyle’s fingers curled gently into the grass beside him, grounding himself there while Phoebe looked skyward and said quiet words of affirmation: Don’t let the world change you too much. They landed soft and heavy all at once, like cherry blossom petals in spring but also like pebbles flung into the lake. He didn’t answer right away, but something in him folded the phrase up and tucked it into a safe pocket of memory where he could unfolded it and recall it time and time again.

"I—yeah—I won’t," he said finally, his voice more a breath than sound. "Or I’ll try not to, at least. Sometimes change is inevitable and not changing actually a bad thing. A seed that just remains a seed forever never gets the chance to live."

He didn’t press when she insisted she was fine... her words weren’t quite convincing. Nyle knew the signs of someone who wasn’t ready—he had a parents embodied them. The third year was that someone. So he offered her what he always hoped someone would give him: a way forward that didn’t require unraveling. "I think… that’s one of the best things about kalanchoe," he said, gently picking the thread of conversation back up. "They don’t mind if you forget to water them for a few days, or if the sun’s a little off. They still give you these bright blooms like nothing happened. It’s kind of like...they believe you’ll get it right next time."

He smiled, a real one, when she described Smudge’s coloring. "That’s perfect. He sounds like he was sketched with the side of a pencil and enchanted into existence! And I love that you made him a forcefield. Not just a charm, but like… a protective dome of affec—" Nyle froze, his mouth still slightly open around a half-formed word as he felt the unmistakable tickle of tiny legs scaling the side of his calf. His eyes darted downward and suuuuuuure enough...there it was: a tiny glossy and bulbous creature with eight legs and four spots on its back and absolutely not where Nyle ever wanted it to be. He knew they were important but there were too many legs that were too fast and too many surprise facefuls of webs and there had been on instant where contact had resulted in the worst sort of disorienting and sharp-edged visceral experience that had left him with nightmares for weeks. Not THIS kind of eight legged, er, acquaintance, but it was hard not to lump them all together — totally unfair of him, he knew this. His breath hitched, spine rigid with alarm, but he didn’t swat or twitch or scream. Instead, he sat there, statue-still, hands hovering awkwardly in his lap as if he could will his body to become less leg until it passed. "—tion,” he finally finished, not moving a single muscle except his lips. "E-e-enchantments are pretty, uh, well, um, they are pretty cool like that."

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