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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2016 11:02:31 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 11:02:31 GMT -7
Oh. Evelyn had been talking about different glove thickness. That made sense, Nat supposed. Some plants required a more delicate touch, so thick gloves wouldn’t work, but wearing thin gloves around the more dangerous plants was what made people end up in Natalia’s ward at St. Mungo’s. “Um…he works with dangerous plants a lot of the time, so a thicker one would probably be good?” Nat could add that to the list of things she had never thought to think about before. It was a long list, and if she was honest, Nat was a little mad she hadn’t thought of that herself before. How many times a day did she advise people to wear thicker gloves to avoid plant attacks!?
Nat nodded, understand Evelyn’s faux pas with the personal touch thing. “I’m not good at buying presents, I guess.” Nat said with a sigh. “First Christmas I’ve actually, you know, done this sort of thing.” On her own or at all. Why hadn’t every gift idea come to her the idea giving Andy a song had?
@evelyn
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2016 14:31:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 14:31:29 GMT -7
Ev nodded when Natalia suggested that thicker gloves would probably be better. "Well how about these ones?" She asked, lifting up a sturdy pair of dragon-hide gloves for Natalia to look at. They weren't the prettiest gloves, but they were meant to get dirty so Ev didn't see the point in getting ones that were nice looking. "Or there are some other ones over here you can look at," she suggested, not trying to make Natalia's decision for her.
"I'm not good at it either. I normally spend all year thinking about it, listening to my parents talk about what they want so that when the time actually comes I know what to get them. If I had to come up with something spur-of-the-moment, I don't think I'd be able to think of anything they would actually like," Ev confessed. She hoped Natalia understood her point, that it was ok to not be good at it. "And it's nice that you're starting to do it. I'm sure your family will appreciate the gesture, as well as your gifts." At least, Ev hoped they would. She wasn't entirely positive though, but she might as well lend supportive thoughts.
@natalia
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 26, 2016 12:53:20 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2016 12:53:20 GMT -7
Evelyn picked up a pair of gloves, and Natalia was immediately grateful. If she hadn’t had someone there with her, she probably would have spent forever just staring at the display without making a choice. “Those are fine!” Nat said, an edge of relief creeping into her voice. “Do you think I can charm them a different color?” Nat asked. “I know that brown doesn’t show the dirt, but making them scarlet and gold might be a little more…I don’t know, personal?” Like she hadn’t just walked into an apothecary and picked up the first pair of thick gloves she had seen.
Nat nodded when Evelyn agreed she wasn’t any good at getting gifts. “I don’t – you know, since they’re at school…” Nat said lamely. She didn’t really overhear the sorts of conversations that would lend themselves to giving good gifts. “Guess I’m going to have to try harder next year.” If anything was going to change, it would have to be Nat. It would be even harder to find gifts for Phil once he started working, and Andy, too. Nat bit her lip, sighing. At least the next year she’d be better off financially, so that she could stop working as much overtime.
@evelyn
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 26, 2016 13:51:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2016 13:51:05 GMT -7
Natalia seemed to really like the gloves that Ev picked up and she smiled. It was obvious that Natalia was relieved to have the choice made and Evelyn was glad that she could help. She shrugged at Natalia's next question. "I don't see why not. Maybe I would ask the clerk when you buy them if there are any spells that would stop you from doing that, but I think that would be a good idea." She thought for another moment before adding, "It would also probably make them easier to find, if he has a habit of leaving his gloves in the dirt or in other places. Gold and scarlet would be easy to spot."
Evelyn smiled sympathetically. "I can only imagine how hard that would be. I don't have any siblings though so ... I don't really know." Well, she had Dustin's sisters, but that was different. She hadn't gotten them anything for Christmas. Her mind froze for a second when she thought of them. Was she supposed to get something for them? Did you get gifts for friends and their siblings? Ev really wasn't sure. She didn't know anything about that. "Like I said, I think it's the effort that counts. And now that you're thinking about it, you can start getting ready for next year if you want." Hopefully that would make things less difficult.
@natalia
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 26, 2016 14:11:03 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2016 14:11:03 GMT -7
Natalia nodded when Evelyn suggested that she ask the clerk before doing anything like charming the gloves. It would be bad if she accidentally overrode the gloves’ protective powers because she had wanted to make them a pretty color. “I doubt that my – Neville.” Natalia corrected herself. She had been about to call him her father, and even though it had been nearly a year since she was adopted, the word felt strange on her tongue. “I doubt that Neville could lose anything. He always seems to have everything together.” Which Natalia was infinitely envious of, not that she’d say as much.
Nat nodded again when Evelyn said that she couldn’t imagine the hardship of picking out gifts for people she only saw occasionally, and who hadn’t really been a part of her life not all that long ago. “People always say that it’s the effort that counts, but I hardly believe that.” Nat replied. “I mean, who’s going to accept a poor gift just because it had thought behind it?” As she was asking the question, though, Natalia realized the answer: she would. Andy could give her a standard quill and Nat would accept it gladly, because it came from her sister. When had she gotten so sentimental. “I guess we can buy these, then.” Nat said, taking the gloves from Evelyn and moving towards the checkout counter. “I’ll meet you outside?” There were still a number of gifts to be found.
@evelyn
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 26, 2016 14:49:52 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2016 14:49:52 GMT -7
Natalia said that Neville seemed to always have everything together, but Ev didn't like that assumption. No one had it all together, always. She used to think that her parents had everything together, but the older she got, the more she realized that wasn't true. She didn't want to upset Natalia but Ev felt like something needed to be said. "I think it's easy to think someone has things all together, but much less common for that to actually be the truth," she commented with a smile. She didn't want Natalia to think she was angry or to get angry herself.
Ev shrugged when Natalia disagreed with her. "I would, but maybe you're right. I doubt that everyone is like me. I just think that family, at least, cares more about the people than the gifts they give." Woah. When did Ev get so sentimental? That sounded like something that's Dustin or Rocco would say- not that it was a bad thing, it just didn't sound like her. Maybe Natalia wouldn't know that, since she'd only now just met Ev. She smiled and nodded when Natalia said she would meet her outside. Ev made her way to the front of the store and walked outside, careful not to run into anyone this time while she waited for Natalia.
@natalia
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 27, 2016 14:56:04 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2016 14:56:04 GMT -7
Natalia shook her head when Evelyn suggested that maybe she just thought that Neville had everything together. “Trust me, if it’s true for anyone on this entire earth that they have things together, it’s Neville.” She said confidently. There were a lot of things that you could say about Neville, some good and quite a few bad, but no one could ever say that Neville wasn’t put together. He always had a plan. Granted, sometimes they probably weren’t good plans, but he had a plan, even when others didn’t.
Nat nodded. She felt bad for asking the question about crappy gifts so scathingly, especially since she was one of the people she had asked about, but it was too late to admit her folly now. When she finished checking out, she met Evelyn outside, and bit her lip. “I don’t suppose you have any gift ideas for a magizoologist, do you?” Nat asked. That was the only thing she knew about Alice, so it seemed a bit difficult to get her adoptive sister a gift just based on that information.
@evelyn
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Dec 27, 2016 15:12:23 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2016 15:12:23 GMT -7
Evelyn nodded her head when Natalia argued that Neville was definitely more put together than anyone else. Was Ev supposed to know this Neville? Keeping a smile on her face, Evelyn racked her brains. The only person she could think of whose name was Neville was professor Longbottom. Not that Ev knew anything about him. Surely Natalia was talking about some other Neville. Oh well. Really, Ev didn't need to know who they were shopping for; as long as she could help Natalia she would feel good about it.
Ev's head cocked to the side as she tried to think of a gift for a magizoologist. "I'm assuming they'll already have the more common books as well ..." she trailed off as she thought for a moment. "Maybe a pet they don't have? If they like pets. Or maybe a sketchbook if they like to draw pictures of the animals they study. Or a journal to record in for the same reason." Was that even going to be helpful? Ev had no idea, but trying to come up with ideas for a stranger was strangely fun for her. Maybe because it was challenging, but she liked it.
@natalia
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Jan 11, 2017 14:42:03 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2017 14:42:03 GMT -7
Natalia nodded. Alice was a lot like her father in the respect that she seemed to want as much knowledge as possible about her subject matter. From what Natalia could tell, Alice’s hatred of Ravenclaws had stemmed mostly from the fact that she had wanted to be one, though the Sorting Hat had evidently disagreed with her. In any case, Alice read a lot, and she’d definitely have common books. “I worry about pets, because if she travelled someplace for her work, she’d need to take it with her or leave it with someone else.” Natalia answered. Alice had spent the summer with the Scamanders in America the previous summer, and Nat doubted that if she went on such a trip again she’d want to be lugging another animal along. And she might have had a cat already? Nat couldn’t remember. “A journal might be nice.” Natalia said. That way Alice would have a place to put her thoughts about animals and the like. “To the bookstore, I suppose.” She wondered if Evelyn was going to get bored being dragged around the Alley like this, but Nat didn’t mind the company.
@evelyn
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Jan 14, 2017 21:55:51 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 21:55:51 GMT -7
Evelyn nodded as Natalia seemed to weigh her options with the choices Ev pointed out. Not that her ideas were the only ones, but it was nice to feel like she had some pretty good ideas. "No to pets then," she agreed easily. Did Natalia like the book idea then or was she coming up with something on her own? Ev decided to wait, not wanting to push her new friend. After all, they'd just met a short while earlier. Dustin was definitely going to laugh when he heard about this encounter. Then maybe he'd be proud of Ev for trying. Ev gave a small smile when Natalia seemed to decide on a journal. "Sounds good to me," she answered, enthusiastically for her. "I never mind going to a bookstore." Honestly though, Ev loved any and all bookstores. She could rarely enter one without buying at least a couple books. Add to that the fact that she loved the general atmosphere of a bookstore and Ev couldn't be happier. She walked in the bookstore and moved toward the section with the journals in it, not at all ashamed to show Natalia how well she knew her way around here. Natalia knew she was a Ravenclaw. It shouldn't be a surprise. "What do you think of these?" Ev asked, gesturing to the books in front of herself.
@natalia
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Jan 15, 2017 11:29:59 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 11:29:59 GMT -7
Evelyn said that she never minded going into a bookstore, and Natalia smiled at her. “Not sure if I could count myself as a Ravenclaw if I couldn’t agree.” Then again, being a Ravenclaw wasn’t all about book smarts. It was for Natalia, mostly, but there was also the fact that she considered herself people smart – or at least, good at not pissing people off. Not that she would have ever used the words ‘piss off’ before meeting James, but that was beside the point. Natalia followed Evelyn through the bookstore, unsure where she was being lead. When the other girl stopped in front of a shelf of journals, she asked what Natalia thought of the books. Nat considered them carefully, and then picked one up off the shelf, weighing it in her hand. “This one’s nice.” She said noncommittally. “Is it personal enough?” Natalia asked worriedly. Not that Alice would probably care, but Nat would.
@evelyn
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Jan 30, 2017 18:30:09 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2017 18:30:09 GMT -7
Once they were looking at the journals, Evelyn was a little distracted. She liked looking at journals. She wasn't very good at writing in them, but she wanted to be. Then Natalia said something to her and Ev turned to look at the book in her hands. Ev moved closer so she could see the book better. "I think that one is nice." She opened it to look inside. "It doesn't have lines on the inside so she can use it however she wants, whether that be drawing pictures or using it as a journal. I think it's nice." Ev wasn't sure if that was enough to satisfy the other girl, but she'd tried. No one could deny that.
@natalia (ooc: I lost this thread. My bad.)
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Feb 9, 2017 17:49:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2017 17:49:32 GMT -7
Her shopping companion appeared to be getting rather distracted, and Natalia couldn’t blame her. If she hadn’t been so worried about buying all of her Christmas presents, she probably would have wanted to linger in the bookstore, too. Evelyn agreed that the book was nice, and that was about all that Natalia could hope for. Alice probably wasn’t expecting much from her anyways, given that they’d hardly spoken and Natalia was a Ravenclaw and all. “I guess I should get it, then.” Natalia said, rubbing her hand across her face with a sigh. She was beginning to get stressed from all of these presents, and she wasn’t even halfway done yet. She considered taking a break, but then figured that it would probably be better just to get it all done in one go rather than drag herself out to the shops again when they were even busier from all of the last-minute gift buyers.
@evelyn
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last online May 3, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -7
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Feb 10, 2017 19:00:35 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 19:00:35 GMT -7
Evelyn nodded her head enthusiastically. "You should. It's one-of-a-kind and I'm sure she will love it." She followed the other Ravenclaw to the counter and waited for her to buy the journal. They walked outside once more and Ev turned to Natalia. "So, who else do you need presents for?" Ev asked curiously. She liked this. It was almost like a game, figuring what to give people that she didn't know. She spent the rest of the afternoon with her new friend, finding presents and enjoying herself at the same time. ---the end--- @natalia
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