::Open RP on the Grounds::

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

Outside was intimidating. The sky was too big and formless, the wind seemed to come from all directions at once, and the ground was lumpy and uneven under his feet.

But L thought he could be brave. L wanted him to be brave. And A has his wand, after all, and a growing arsenal of hexes to go with it (even if he hasn't actually tested most of them yet).

And so he's exploring the outside of the castle now. The sun is out this time, and it's already warmer than it was when L took him wand-shopping.

And there is new green grass, smelling so fresh and clean, and there are tiny flowers dotting the grass. The daisies A knows, and the foxglove, but botany was not something he studied much and he can't identify any of the others.

But oh, all those tiny shivering alive things in all the terrifying rush of air!

It's a sort of peace he can barely recognize.

Comments

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri wanders the grounds slowly, inventorying the plants he knows, memorizing the ones he doesn't so that he can test them later. While his case, firmly strapped to his back, is full at present, it is wise to be prepared to refill it and to do so, he needs to know what plants are around to make medicines from. On the grass, his geta are almost silent, but his case jingles softly.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

In the relative calm, with only the sounds of wind and birds, even subtle sounds are easy to spot, at least for someone with an exaggerated startle reflex like A's. From where he's crouched to get a closer look at a pale-bluish flower, A overbalances and falls, groping for his wand as he looks up to see who's approaching.

Please don't be B.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"Are you all right?" Kusuriyuri asks as the boy stumbles before him. "I am sorry, I did not want to disturb you." Though he knew that mononoke probably weren't in the school, the boy looked like he'd been targeted by one.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I just didn't expect..." A's head is bowed. "I suppose I didn't expect to run into anyone. Foolish, yes, outside is big and many people can be outside. I was just exploring, and I saw the flower."

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm not in your way, am I?"

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"I am becoming acquainted with the grounds so that I will be able to find medicines." After a moment, he adds, "I am Kusuriyuri." In a slightly bemused tone, he adds, "I will be teaching here." It still amuses him that his calling would be something that could be taught.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I'm A. I'm trying to learn things," A said with an anxious smile. "Symmetrical. Are you... are you a doctor?"

A was afraid of doctors.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

He remembered this question from before. A slight frown at the boy's reaction. It seemed out of proportion. "I only travel from town to town and give people medicines when they need them. If this is a doctor, then I suppose I would be. I was told I am." He glanced at the ground, at the flowers. "If you wish, I could explain the uses of some of these plants. They are not all familiar to me, though."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

Matt isn't really an outdoors sort of person. But he needs to think about some things, and take a break from his computer/magic experiements, so he's heading down to the Quidditch pitch to do some flying.

He spots A on the way.

"Hey," he says. "Did you speak to L?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A recognizes Matt, recognizes that he's been friendly, and gives him a timid grin.

"I did. I told him, told him, and we practiced a countercharm. I found some more hexes to learn but I haven't tested them yet."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a relief. Matt wasn't sure if L had gotten his owl, but if A spoke to him anyway it was alright.

"Awesome. I bet he was proud, right? You've hexed Mello and B now, and neither of them are exactly soft touches."

(He knows he probably sounds a bit patronising towards A, but he doesn't mean it. It's just difficult to know how to be gentle towards him; he doesn't want to upset the guy. It sounds like he's been through a lot.)

"What do the other hexes do?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"There's one that makes you vomit slugs," A whispers delightedly.

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"Slugs?" Matt blinks, then laughs. He'd been imagining things a bit more - deadly, really. "So what would happen if you cast that one right after the freezing one?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Ohhhh..." A's eyes light up, imagining. "If you made them lie on their back, yes, yes, oh yes...!"

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

Well, after getting chalk dust in his face, yeah, Soichiro WOULD want to get outside. Good thing he has no outdoor allergies.

"Hello," he waved to the person nearby. His back was turned to him, so Soichiro couldn't tell if it was L or Attempted.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A was peering at the various foxglove plants, trying to determine which were first year's growth and which were second (not that difficult, it seemed, but it was a good start to using his new knowledge) and he started visible at being hailed.

Looking up, he smiled nervously, vaguely recognizing Soichiro from his sorting.

"Hello."

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

Ah, Attempted. Looking a lot less spooked than when they first met, that's for damn sure.

Walking a bit closer and looking down (he's not too keen on kneeling down just yet), he asked, "What are you doing?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Kusuriyuri was telling me about foxglove," he said softly. "How it can be used to make heart medicine, and which ones are safe to use to make medicine from. So I am looking at them to tell which is which."

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"Really?" He didn't know that. "So you like plants, then, Attempted?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I think I do. I never really saw many before. But they are so alive, and they smell so clean, and oh, they're so beautiful!"

[mightymorfin.livejournal.com]

Morfin was out walking his rabbit Horatio. Horatio wore a very safe and sturdy bright blue rabbit harness (http://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Deluxe-Rabbit-Harness-Pink/dp/B000GJ3DXG). Amid the grasses, the little rabbit could scarcely be seen, and Horatio was browsing in an unhurried fashion, so from a distance Morfin would appear to be standing around holding a blue nylon leash attached to nothing.

Eventually, though, Horatio lolloped over to where A was looking for foxgloves.

"Don't eat those, Horatio," Morfin informed the rabbit. "They aren't good for you!"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A looked up at that. "They're not," he agreed in a soft voice. "They're poisonous."

[mightymorfin.livejournal.com]

"See, Horatio, it's not just me saying it. A agrees!"

Horatio looked up briefly, then went back to nibbling nontoxic grasses. Whether the rabbit understood a word of what was being said could not really be determined.

"A, your kitty isn't with you, is he? Horatio might get scared ..."

Horatio didn't appear to be scared of much of anything.

"Horatio is my bunny," Morfin explained to A, unnecessarily.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"He's very white," A observed. A approved of white-furred creatures. "He is a pet?"

Rabbits could be used for meat or fur, A knew. But if that were the case, frightening him likely wouldn't be an issue.

"Schrodinger is in my room. I haven't been outside very much, and I wasn't sure if it would be safe for her. I'm supposed to keep her safe."

[mightymorfin.livejournal.com]

Morfin, in turn, approved of safety.

"Horatio is a pet bunny, yes. He is not for animal testing or anything like that! He's my bunny friend." Morfin stooped and squatted to pet Horatio between the ears, but Horatio, apprehensive this might mean getting picked up off the ground, hopped a few rabbit-lengths away, drawing the harness taut so Morfin would have to stand again and take a step or two.

"It's very important to keep your pets safe. That's why Horatio has a harness. You could get a harness for Schrodinger too!"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Oh, she would hate that!" A looked scandalized. "She is so brave and curious, and she likes to explore. I don't want to tie her up, no, no, I wouldn't, I won't, I won't..." Unconsciously, he rubbed his wrists. He hadn't been restrained often, but...

A stilled, forcing himself to breathe. "I found a spell I can use, to bring her close again if she starts to wander."