Closed How lovely, the silence of growing things

Olivia Drage

Herbologist | Olivia's Greenhouse Owner
 
Messages
359
OOC First Name
Amanda
Blood Status
Mixed Blood
Relationship Status
Seeing Somebody
Sexual Orientation
Ernie
Wand
12.75" Chestnut with Essence of Belladonna
Age
March 27, 2024 (33)
Olivia arrived at the house by a combination of the Floo Network, a Portkey, and her own two feet. On the way, she got lost three times and had to rely on the directions of a kind stranger.

One of Olivia’s new customers, a potioneer, had given her this address. She climbed the stairs, awed by the assortment of flora enveloping the property. Not even the Herbology professor at Ilvermorny could match this. She noticed the large greenhouse in back and itched to peek around inside. But first things first.

Nestled in the crook of her arm was a yellow ceramic pot with a single asphodel plant. Except, the asphodel wasn’t looking so healthy- the leaves were curling in on themselves, mottled with vibrant blue rust. The petals were a sickly hue of pale pink. Her entire crop looked like this and if she didn’t act fast, she would lose them all.

The large woman knocked on the front door, hoping its owner was home. He had been well-recommended to her and she would be devastated if she couldn’t rescue her precious asphodel.

@Chalcedony Michaels
 
Chalcedony had been having an interesting week, that was for certain. He made his way back downstairs, on his way to the greenhouse from his apartment when he heard a knock on his door. How strange, it wasn't often he had visitors. He shuffled over to the door, opening it and finding himself about chest height with a fairly strongly-built woman. He lifted his head up to meet her eyes, a good four to five inches above his own. "Well, hello dearie." He took a step back, motioning her inside when he caught sight of the pot in her arms. "Gracious!" He looked startled, "Quickly, then, follow me," He motioned, moving through the small storefront, paying no mind to the dusty counter or the odd stacks of books everywhere.

He walked up the stairs and entered his apartment. It was a cozy place, with an open kitchen and sitting area, and the doors to the bedroom and bathroom along the back wall. It wasn't as cluttered as the shop below, but the shelves and the top of the television were full of odd knick-knacks. There were several hanging vine type plants along the ceiling, creating the illusion of a green and occasionally flowered ceiling. Vines crept down the walls a bit in places.

The most noticeable thing in Chal's apartment was a large, triple-tiered, dark oak trimmed flower garden. On the top, smallest tier were two elegant flowers. The first was an elegant, deep red rose with a dark ruby growing in its center. The roots of that flower came up above the soil, twisting and curving until the roots merged into vines that fell over the edge and seemed to connect with the flowers below.

The flower behind it didn't have roots that poked up out of the soil. It stood alone, appearing to be a mix of both a daisy and a lily. In its center was a misty blue gem, with petals that appeared to come out of its center in darkening shades of blue. The stem was deep green.

The middle tier began with a pair of nearly identical roses- one dark blue, one deep black. The blue rose had a black ribbon tied around its stem. Next to it was a pure white lily, with a matching ribbon. Between the three flowers and the two on the other end was a gaping hole in the dirt, as if the flower that had been there had been ripped from the soil, root and all.

Past the hole was a light burgundy rose with a bright sunflower by its side. All the flowers in the middle tier had the same roots that twined through the dirt and over the sides.

The bottom tier was the fullest, with six roses of varying colors and gemstones in their centers. The gemstones seemed to grow with the flowers, natural in their beauty. Directly beneath the ribboned roses were an onyx and sapphire-colored pair. Between them was a small, pure white bud. Around the stem of the sapphire rose was a white ribbon.

There was some space, and then three more roses- one amber, one jasper, and one amethyst.

Chal walked right by it, stepping on the discarded pink rose as if it wasn't there.

He walked to the table, pushing aside a few books. "Right over here, dearie," He motioned for the woman, assuming she had followed him.
 
Olivia smiled and managed a “Hello” before she was ushered inside. The man’s reaction told her she’d come to the right place. He clearly understood the seriousness of the situation. Olivia followed him into the apartment, ever-cautious with her body in small spaces. She’d enraged many a shopkeeper in the past with a careless movement of the elbow or hip.

The witch carried her diseased plant up the stairs. She wasn’t prepared for the beauty inside. The tiered garden, the endless vines- she was positively in heaven. She lived with siblings who didn’t understand her need for greenery and life. This was refreshing. She could almost taste the extra oxygen in the house.

Olivia was stunned further by flowers that were normally nonmagical- roses of all different colors and a daisy-lily hybrid- studded with gemstones. She had never seen anything of the like. Olivia wanted to ask about them, but the current issue was more pressing- and she didn’t want to reject the man’s hospitality.

She nodded, setting down her poor asphodel in the space he had cleared for her. “All my asphodel- are in this way,” she said, her voice even, “happened overnight. I don’t know why.”
 
Chal took the pot, pulling over a seat and studying the plant closely. "Oh dearie, goodness me," He murmured, not seeing anything with the plant itself. He dug into the dirt itself, humming and hawing softly to himself. "Ah, here we are." He stood, moving to his drawers and digging through them, coming back after a few moments with a small bag. He sprinkled a little bit over the dirt, massaging it in. "It seems a small infestation went through and took most of the nutrients from this dirt, it's been a long time since I've seen it, but it's a very small bug that drains your plants quickly." He stood, offering her the bag. "I've only dealt with it a handful of times in a dozen years, sprinkle this into some new fertilizer and replant your garden, they'll be healthier within the week, dearie," He instructed, smiling up at her. "Oh! Goodness me, where are my manners? Chalcedony Michaels," He introduced himself.
 
Olivia stood back and watched the man inspect the asphodel. She didn’t want to crowd him or make him feel uncomfortable, but she couldn’t help watching closely. She was delighted when he diagnosed the problem. And so quickly! Olivia had agonized over her sick plants for half a day before seeking help.

Beaming, Olivia gratefully accepted the bag of fertilizer. Then she remembered her bag of galleons, sickles, and knuts, hoping she had enough to repay him. “Pleasure to meet you, Chalcedony. You truly are a master gardener.” She bowed her head slightly. “Olivia Drage.”

She couldn’t help asking, “Do you know if this insect can damage other species?” The witch had many, many plants to worry about, and she wanted to stamp out this infestation before it could attack the rest of her leafy and flowery babies.
 
Chal chuckled a little nervously at the woman's comment. "Well, dearie, I've been doing this near forty years now, I certainly hope I have some idea what I'm doing," He grinned wryly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Drage." He turned back to his table, moving some books over onto the counter. "Well, dearie, it's hard to tell. Sometimes they pick a single plant to take, others they'll sweep through the entire garden. Watch the rest of your greenery, dearie, and do come see me if there seem to be any more problems. Watch your soils, as well, they'll change colors if the infestation moves through to the other plants." He instructed calmly.
 
Forty years. Olivia had dabbled in Herbology since enrolling at Ilvermorny, but it was difficult to comprehend the breadth of knowledge that would come with that much time in the field. She liked the honest, physical work, the connection to living things. Olivia could perform rudimentary wand magic, enough to graduate from wizarding school, but it had never clicked with her. Although she’d just met Chalcedony, she was happy to encounter a kindred spirit who appreciated less-animate living organisms.

Olivia held the bag of fertilizer to her chest. “How can I repay you?” she paused, then added, “Or rather, what can I pay you for your services?”

The witch shuffled her feet slightly, feeling uncertain. She hoped Chalcedony was accepting of fledgling practitioners. Last week, another pop-up seller in Obsidian Harbour had chewed her out for also advertising bottled bubotuber pus. She hadn’t stopped her hustle, of course, but she was baffled by the wizard’s aggressive attitude. Olivia thrived on collaboration, not competition. Ultimately, she thought sharing her ambitions was the right thing to do.

“I moved to New Zealand recently, near Obsidian Harbour,” she offered, “I’m trying to start my own business as a herbologist. Magical plants and products, mostly.” She smiled. “But it seems I still have a lot to learn.”
 
Chal chuckled at her question. "Save your gardens," He smiled at her. "Bring me pictures once they're healthy." He finished moving the books to the counter instead, leaving the table clear. "Oh, are you now? How marvelous." He set about putting on a pot of tea. "Would you care for a spot of tea?" He asked. "My own blend, of course. We could chat about your new venture." He gave her a gentle smile.
 
Olivia nodded, feeling this was a reasonable request. She moved her hand away from her robes, as she wouldn’t need to retrieve her coin purse. “Of course! I can bring photos sometime.” She made a mental note to ask Seth if she could borrow his camera; she didn’t own one herself. He used one extensively in his work as a dragonologist.

Olivia was excited to go home and apply the fertilizer to her sick asphodel, but she couldn’t refuse Chalcedony’s generous offer of tea and company. “I would love a cup of tea,” she said, warmly, taking a seat at the table. She wanted to ask if she could tour the greenhouse at some point, but it wouldn’t do to be impatient. The witch’s attention span was always at a deficit; she was conscious of this and wanted to maintain a good impression.

“Is there a particular variety of plant you specialize in?” Olivia asked. After forty years of experience, she imagined Chalcedony was an expert in many species.
 
Chalcedony smiled as she agreed to both the photos and the tea, turning and setting about putting on the kettle and gathering his favorite set of cups. Chal chuckled at her question. "I like to think there's hardly a plant out there I haven't studied. Forty years tucked away in here has left me with plenty of time. I never did marry, you know." He chuckled. "My sister did that, had quite the herd too. Three children and six grandchildren," He smiled, moving the tea to the table as the kettle began to whistle. "Honey? Sugar?" He questioned, pouring her a cup and setting it in front of her.
 
The thought of marriage was exhausting to Olivia. Children, even more so. She came from a large family herself. Watching her mother raise four children single-handedly had really put her off on the idea.

“I’m not certain that’s in the cards for me either,” Olivia said, smiling at Chalcedony. Her mind was not completely made up, but she had other priorities. Chiefly, her budding business. “Sometimes, it seems that humans are more prolific than plants.” Of course, she was joking. Roughly 82 percent of life on earth was botanical, and she knew it.

Olivia admired the delicate teacups, with their purple flowers, gold-plated handle, and ruffled saucers. “Honey, please.”
 
Chal chuckled, handing her the honey so she could add it in to her liking before sitting down with his own tea. "It does seem so, doesn't it? I think it's the noise of babies that makes them seem more significant," He mused, shuddering a bit at the memory of the twins as babies. He sipped his tea, giving his guest a smile. "You mentioned something about a business, dearie?" He questioned, curious now about his visitor.
 
Olivia winced at the thought of wailing babies. She plopped two teaspoons of honey into her teacup, swirling it into the dark liquid. “Thank you,” she said, pulling her cup and saucer towards the edge of the table. She inhaled the aroma of the tea with pleasure.

The witch blushed as Chalcedony asked about her business. “It’s not much at this point, just a start-up,” she said, hesitantly. “I sell magical plants and ingredients.” She took a drink before continuing. Olivia was usually a woman of few words, preferring to consort with plants instead of him. For her, this was a positively chatty day.

“I grow everything at home. Right now, it’s a mobile market stand. I usually set up in Obsidian Harbour, but I’ve gone to Brightstone Village once.” Olivia smiled at her host and tipped back her teacup.
 
Chal sipped his tea, listening quietly. "Well, dearie, you're two steps ahead of me. I often forget I have a shop." He chuckled lightly. "Aside from the rare visitor- such as yourself or one of my sisters brood- I spend most of my time tending to my gardens." He sipped his tea again. "Would you like a walk through the gardens, dearie?" He asked, knowing if it was him, he would prefer the gardens to the conversation.
 
Olivia brightened even more at the thought of a walk through the gardens. “Certainly, that sounds lovely.” She drained her cup and rose from the table. Olivia felt fortunate to have made Chalcedony’s acquaintance. She couldn’t shake the feeling, although she wouldn’t voice it out loud, that this could be the blossoming of a new friendship.
 

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