Twelfth Stroke Of Midnight [Terry]

[aurelia edith flint]

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August 1st, 2028

Aurelia's poor Venomous Tentacula, Alexander, had been off as of late. That was the only she could describe it, really. For supposedly being a semi-expert in plants, she struggled with figuring out what the actual issue was. It seemed to be eating well, though had become relatively aggressive towards her over the last couple of weeks, and had begun to drop leaves. The sudden shedding was the most concerning part, as the plant had never done that before and other tentaculas she had been in contact with over the years hadn't either. Based on several books she kept on magical plants, these were all signs that Alexander was dying.

A couple of owls later and Aurelia managed to get a druid she knew to come by and check the plant out, instantly being told what she suspected without her acquaintance even needing to look at it closer. Now, she spent every waking hour keeping plants alive and rescuing them. Calling it quits on poor Alexander wasn't an option yet, and she was open to more alternative methods of figuring out what was wrong with it. If she knew the issue, she could definitely make changes and slowly revive the plant. She had done it before with others.

Remembering an older classmate of hers from Hogwarts, Aurelia then contacted Terry Poole. She was apparently capable of speaking to and understanding plants completely, or something like that. How that differed from the druids 'understanding' plants, she wasn't quite sure yet. But she did recall once watching Terry use her ability in school, so it seemed only logical to rope her into this. Aurelia was willing to pay too. Handsomely.

"I put Alexander on the back patio," Aurelia explained as she lead Terry through the shop and towards the back door. "Mostly for pest control and security reasons. But it doesn't spray poison or anything, so as long as you give it distance you should be fine..." Most guests were, at least. Only creepy crawlies and critters seemed to have bad luck around Alexander, though personally she wouldn't try going near the plant without first stunning it. There were too many risks involved with its poisonous spikes.

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[Teresa Margarite Poole]

make a martyr outta me.

august 2027

NORMALLY TERRY DIDN'T DO HOUSE CALLS FOR plant care. She was an adult, she had a real job. She hadn't performed freelance plant whispering since she'd been a poor mediwitch-in-training. Back before she had left the UK to run around Europe learning obscure healing techniques. This was old hat, it was mildly embarrassing. And yet, she hadn't been able to refuse when the owl had come through. Like she owed it to her old classmates, or something equally mortifying. Mostly, she had forgotten anybody remembered she actually did it.

The shop was loud upon entry, the plants all preening and whispering and straining toward the light, toward Terry. Like a room full of gossiping purebloods. Terry didn't typically visit florists for this very reason. She batted away the creeping vines of a ruby string of hearts. Its leaves caressing the back of her jeans in what felt more like an assault than an attempt to make contact. She cleared her throat with an embarrassed flush, hurrying to sidle up to where Aurelia led her through the various displays of whispering plants.

"R-right, very good." She mumbled to break the awkward tension she felt. Pretending she had been listening very closely as she held the strap of her satchel especially tight. Shaking the desperate sounds of plants crying out for her attention behind her. "Do you sell a lot of magical plants- it's just... it's very loud in here." She confessed with a tight smile. "I should have come in the back," She muttered with a frown, rubbing at the skin behind her ears like it might block out the overwhelming sound.

"The back patio, you said...?" She asked, trying to appear enthusiastic. She'd met a few Tentacula's in her time, but never for a favour. They were a particular kind of plant that ventured a little too closely into 'pet' territory. Plus, her Kneazle would hate them on principle alone. She made a point not to mention it to Mags when she got home, so closed her coat tight at the collar to avoid any errant spurs that might find her.

"You know, I don't typically do this anymore." She rambled, clearing a frog from her throat as she eyed the buttery light that beamed in through the patios glass panels. "I have like... like a real job." She laughed drily before gnawing on her lip, feeling a bit silly. Is this how people remembered her, she wondered? If they remembered her at all. The crazy plant girl,. With a great gulp of breath, she smiled thinly and shook off her pride. "I mean, sorry, nevermind. Where is Alexander?" She turned to face the patio anew. 

aurelia edith flint

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[aurelia edith flint]

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Having been focused on talking and leading Terry towards the back of the store, Aurelia had not noticed the plants in her shop quite literally reaching out for her guest. The vines in particular were quite lecherous, and she’d never seen anything quite like it before. Magical plants tended to have a mind of their own, so it wasn’t completely unheard of, yet this was something else entirely. Staring over Terry’s shoulder, a long tendril of Devil’s Snare that she kept safely locked behind a storage room door had managed to find its way through the gap underneath. Strangely, she doubted it was for anything nefarious and more curiosity on the plants’ part. Whatever it was that Terry could supposedly do, they seemed to like it.

”I uhh…yeah about fifty-fifty between magic and non,” Aurelia answered as she turned her attention back to the other woman. ”Sorry about them, I guess…do all plants do this around you?” she asked as she moved closer to the back door that led directly to the patio. Clearly Terry didn’t like being in the shop longer than was necessary, and she was starting to feel bad about walking her through it. Not like she could have known any better.

Opening the door, a warm breeze passed through her and into the shop. Soon she wasn’t going to want to do that. Once autumn came through, the back door was only opened when she needed to make the turn up to her flat above the shop. An unfortunate design flaw of the building, of course. Making her walk outside in all sorts of elements for a grand total of five feet. The one bonus was that her morning commute never had any delays.

”No, I get that,” Aurelia stated, now unsure if she had made some sort of mistake asking Terry to come. It didn’t sound like she wanted to be here, but here she was anyways. ”Right out here,” she said as she fully stepped out onto the patio and held the door open for her guest. Alexander sat against the far wall, wilted and poorly looking. A few branches that had been perked up the day before were lower now, and a fresh pile of leaves lay at its base. ”I really just need to know if there’s any chance at reviving it…but only if it’s a long term situation. I don’t want to get it back to full health just to have it die during the first cold snap we get this year.” As resilient as the plant was, it felt like its time was up.

Teresa Margarite Poole ● 434 ● song by artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Teresa Margarite Poole]

make a martyr outta me.

august 2027

FEIGNING POLITE INTEREST, TERRY HUMMED along as they walked across the shop floor. In actuality, she was having a minor crisis and fending off not only the lecherous branches of vines and leaves, but the oncoming hint of an almighty headache. Aurelia was polite about her discomfort at least, she didn't ask any awkward questions if she noticed the stiff quality of Terry's posture.

Leading them both back towards a glassed in patio that filtered in a buttery late summer light, it was almost too easy. Terry squinted, but took note her surroundings curiously. The succulents weren't screaming at her at least, she noted with quiet amusement as she was led over to a large corner where the Tentacula clearly wiled its days. It wasn't the largest Terry had seen by any means, but it was the sickest. She tutted, stepping forward and noting how it didn't even lift its nasty head at Terry's proximity. The only sign that it remained alive at all was the slight shiver of its nearest leaves, the few that had yet to shrivel and fall off.

"This is a sorry sight." Terry muttered, her interest suddenly piqued as she dropped her back and lowered herself into a crouch for a better look. "And how long has she been like this?" Terry asked, reaching out to a run a finger along a dull peripheral leaf. It's sharp edge curled around the tips of Terry's fingers. She reached into her bag and pulled out a large jar. Inside the dark contents undulated with creeping legs and knocking carapaces. Chizpurfles, the horrid little creatures. The emerald kind that cost a small fortune, but were like gold dust to a Tentacula.

"What do you think?" She asked Alexander, lifting the jar to be displayed above its downturned, eyeless head. "Imported all the way from Austria." She declared with awe, patting the outside glass and listening tot he contents hiss angrily. "I bet she was beautiful." Terry commented, turning to look at Aurelia over one shoulder. "Before she got sick..."

aurelia edith flint

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[aurelia edith flint]

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A sorry sight indeed. Aurelia could only stand to the side and watch her poor plant get looked over once again. It was strange to say that she already missed the minimally aggressive plant in its healthier state. The way it had been acting these last few weeks had been completely out of character, and she was worried that either herself or someone else would get seriously injured by Alexander if they got too close now. She really didn’t care if it was her, as she had ways to treat the venom if it was shot at her. The tricky part was avoiding the spikes. What would have maybe once stunned her, was more than likely deadly now that the plant was sick. Aurelia wasn’t in the market to test that out at all.

Before she could give any warnings, Terry got relatively close to the plant and started to inspect it further. That was definitely far too close for comfort for Aurelia, at least as of late. Her guest then produced a jar full of chizpurfles, and Alexander didn’t react at all. Now that was new. ”A few weeks. But it had been eating relatively fine until right now…” Maybe the plant didn’t like the imported ones? Preferred a more domestic flavored chizpurfle? ”I thought it was a normal fall shed until almost all of the leaves fell off. That’s when I started doing research on it, and sort of came to the conclusion that it was sick.”

Terry wasn’t wrong by stating Alexander had been a beautiful plant while in full health. Dangerous, of course, but that was why it was on the back patio. ”So…it sounds like we might be out of luck then?” Aurelia asked tentatively, still keeping her distance. While it seemed like Alexander was fine with Terry approaching, she was afraid the plant would react poorly if she got any closer. Which was a shame, because she really wanted to see what was plaguing her old friend.

Teresa Margarite Poole ● 333 ● song by artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Teresa Margarite Poole]

make a martyr outta me.

august 2027

THE JARS HISSING GREW LOUD WHEN TERRY shook it gently, unscrewing the lid to very gently pluck one of the insects out. Avoiding the nasty pincers and sharp teeth before she shut the jar once again and tucked it away in her bag. They had been doused in a especially ground root powder that made them lethargic enough to handle without much injury. It also happened to taste just good enough that Tentacula's tended to shiver with delight at the prospect of just one seasoned Chizpurfle. Terry threw it on the ground in front of Alexander and scooted back on her haunches curiously.

"Hm," She hummed in answer, listening intently as the plant shook from its slumber at the intrusion. Her attention was split between Aurelia and the intentions of the plant. She felt the first ripple of intuition rattle through it unpleasantly. Tentacula's were naturally a very prickly plant to begin with, but an unwell Venomous Tentacula was borderline unbearable. She let out a long breath and felt a sweat begin to break along the back of her neck. "They're pretty hardy plants, to be fair." Terry said absently, a vacant look about her as she watched the Chizpurfle amble from its back and attempt to shake free of the powdered sedation, hissing angrily as it skittered in a dizzy circle. The plants leaves shivered noisily as it attempted to move, a week spike shooting from its mouth and missing the insect entirely.

'Sick, sick, sick', the thought rattled around Terry's brain like a barb that ached at her temples. 'Dry, dry, dry', came after and she sat back with a shake of her head, feeling unbearably thirsty all of a sudden. "No, not necessarily," Terry croaked, rubbing a sticky palm against the phantom ache in her throat. She knew she wasn't actually thirsty, but the force of the thought was so compelling, she almost believed it. "She's still alive... just... not at her best."

Terry stood quickly when a second, nastier barb nearly caught her in the shoulder as the Tentacula tried again to snap up the beetle-like creature, the branches bending forward stiffly. Though she wondered if that particular one was actually meant for her. "I- I think I've seen enough." Terry said hurriedly, a sad frown creasing her forehead. "We can go inside for now, let her eat in peace." She shifted, moving to step inside the back room and out of ear shot.

"She's fairly sick, it's true." Terry gave a pursed little nod, clasping her hands in front of her as she considered what little she had gleaned from the creature in its faded, sickly state. "The thing- my... skill," She cleared her throat awkwardly, hating the acknowledgment of her 'quirk', though it was the only reason she was actually there. "Tentacula's hate me, I mean I nearly lost an eye in third year." Terry scoffed a laugh, turning to squint through the glass, a barb had finally speared the beetle to the ground, but Terry could see that Alexander was having trouble retrieving it. "They're incredibly unsocial, I'm sure know." She almost wanted to help, but refrained as more leaves seemed to drop at the plants movement. "They don't like that I can interfere, even when I'm helping."

Turning, Terry pulled the jar from her bag again and handed it over to Aurelia. "Here," She offered with a shrug. "You can keep them for her, she'll love them eventually." Her thoughts were ticking over all of the possible answers, but Terry felt certain of what it might be. She had just wished it wasn't. "I think it's... I've heard it called sun sickness?" Terry looked thoughtful, even a little green around the gills herself. "When they get old, or just kind of miserable and contrary, they start rejecting the sunlight... sort of." She blew out a breath, almost smirking as she added. "It's like hitting the self-destruct, but... accidentally."

Biting her lip, her smile faded and she realised what exactly she was offering. "There isn't really a cure..." Terry admitted, though she knew this went against what she had previously said, she wasn't quite finished. "Well... not usually." Terry had already realised she'd made a terrible decision agreeing to the job. Of all the people to come diagnose the miserable old plant, it had to be her. Aurelia was going to owe her big time. If, of course, she agreed to do it all. She crossed her arms and heard a crunch through the glass as the Tentacula finally got its maw around the snack, pulverising it with a slow, cranky shake. 

aurelia edith flint

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[aurelia edith flint]

▲

Everything Aurelia was hearing and seeing from Terry was not optimistic, even if the words the other woman was using made it sound like there was a chance. Alexander, as Terry had put it, was a hardy plant. There had been plenty of harsh winters the last few years where she thought the plant was going to kick it for good, but it always managed to pull through. And stronger at that. Aurelia saw enough of sick and dying plants to know when one didn’t have long left. The complete shed it had gone through wasn’t done in the normal way, and the fact that she had been allowed to collect leaves with very little interference…it wasn’t a good sign in her opinion.

Terry went on to explain that Tentaculas didn’t typically get along with her and had violent tendencies whenever she tried to speak to them. This made the Flint girl shrug. Weren’t they always like that? Her own just happened to give up most of the time because Aurelia was out of reach, and it was incapable of spitting its venom at her. For that, she was thankful. Otherwise she would have gotten rid of it years ago.

”Thanks,” she said as she took the jar of chizpurfles. She hated the little crab-like pests. They always tried to get into her potion storage, occasionally knocking down bottles of plant grow that she had brewed herself. That stuff wasn’t cheap either, and without it, put a hamper on some of the more delicate plants she was attempting to grow.

She nodded her head as Terry continued, explaining that it could have been sun sickness. The issue with a Tentacula was that she couldn’t really put it inside her shop or flat. It would just be in the way. An already violent plant that was then sick, and in the middle of a store with customers? That was a recipe for disaster. ”Suppose I could put an awning over it…” she mused, looking up at the wall that butted against the back of the plant. ”But thanks for your help. I’m usually pretty good with these sorts of things, but this one really has me stumped. The more exotic magical plants always do…” If she did everything Terry was suggesting and it still didn’t work, her next option was finding a druid. They always seemed to know how to fix plant problems.

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