Closed Slow Bloomer

[Daria Bright-Root]

It was too cold to be here, really. Aotearoa was freezing compared to Thailand, and Daria was still getting used to the chilly winters. She should have been in the Common Room, curled up with a hot chocolate and a good book. But she missed nature, even if it wasn't a good time of year to get started in the Wild Patch yet. She could at least take a little time in the garden to reconnect with the flowers. She had brought her sketchbook and a few pencils, thinking it might be fun to draw the plants in their smaller, winter forms. As soon as she sat down though, Daria realised it had been a bit ambitious. It took a lot of fumbling to get a good grip on her pencil, struggling in the bulky gloves she had worn for warmth. And she definitely didn't want to take them off in this weather. She did her best, getting more frustrated and upset as the graphite smeared on the page when her glove swiped over it, ruining the drawing.

 

[Penelope Marshall]

Penny loved being out in the gardens, they were so pretty and peaceful. She had been a bit sad, so decided a walk in the gardens might just be the thing to cheer her up. She wandered through the gardens, even though almost none of the flowers were out in the cold weather. She blinked when she saw Daria drawing, but she looked sad. Penny hesitated for a moment, before speaking up. “Daria, are you okay?”