Author Topic:  [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)  (Read 531 times)

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111 Posts 13 she/her played by Mickie
[greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« on: February 04, 2023, 08:10:29 PM »
On a cold and lazy Saturday morning, she was early. And that confirmed what she had already begun to suspect - her crush, unfortunately, was not wavering.

Hazel stood in the greenhouse, pink coat carefully hanging on her shoulders in an intentional effort to appear careless. She wore a matching beret and several silver bangles on her wrist that shimmered beneath the artificial light permeating the space. Crystal knobs shone in her ears, a small pouch swayed at her waist, and her hair hung in loose glossy waves over her shoulder. When she had examined her appearance before leaving, she made a mental reminder to owl the magazine a rave review of Valerie Vance’s thirteen step haircare routine.

An enthusiast for maintenance and organization, Hazel regularly put effort into her appearance. The accessories and high-exertion time-consuming hair routine were not out of the ordinary. This meant her actions were inconspicuous, and she was grateful. No one could unveil her motives, and by extension, her feelings yet. But she knew the intent behind her actions, and found herself embarrassed by it all, especially when the reason for her extra jewellery and shiny hair couldn’t read her mind and arrive here before her. He was supposed to want to impress her. She was the prize.

Hazel couldn’t help herself, though. She wanted him to think she was pretty, and while she was already certain of this, her daily look hadn’t elicited one compliment yet, so she revised her routines and sprinkled a little extra when she knew they’d be seeing each other. She had even used her nicest lipgloss today. If this didn’t gain at least a double take and an invitation to Honeydukes, she would usher him to Madam Pomfrey to have his eyes checked - and his warts healed after she politely hexed him.

At least it was warm and dry in the greenhouse - a welcome change from the glacial air outside and the mucky wet snow. She waited with her hands folded in front of her, annoyed at the idea of having to wait once again. But the moment he arrived, any violent thoughts faded like charcoal on parchment. Padding up to her with his ever-present smile and twinkling eyes, he seemed as carefree as she’d envisioned herself looking with this perfectly set coat. She could feel the warmth in her face and glared at him. “Took you long enough,” she huffed, despite him being on time. She tossed her hair haughtily, but primarily to allow him the chance to notice its sheen.

“The plants look fine.” They seemed a little dull, but unless they bloomed colourful flowers or fruit, Hazel found plants rather dull in general. The dirt and grime made her even less inclined to do any thorough inspections. "Maybe we should move them around. I think this one," She pointed to the plant closest to her, "needs to move more to the right." She began giving instructions right away to get things moving.

She had a plan - a quick inspection of their project, during which she would charm him with her impeccable sense of style and knowledge of what to do (theory came easily, but the practical part of this class often got in her way), then he would proceed to ask her on their first official outing. The simplicity could only mean things would work in her favour; the plan was foolproof.

290 Posts 13 played by Samm
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2023, 11:41:31 AM »
Benny stepped into the greenhouse and immediately shivered. The warm air hit his cold, exposed shins, and reminded him that he shouldn’t have been wearing cargo shorts in winter. He shrugged off the cold – it was worth it to have this many pockets! – and waved at Hazel. “Took you long enough,”, she said, and he nearly shivered again. “Am I late?” Benny asked quickly. He had let a dormmate borrow his watch yesterday, and was honestly not sure of the time. “Sorry,” he said, regardless of the time, he hadn’t meant to keep her waiting. Benny dug his hands into his pockets as he crossed the room to meet her.

The Gryffindor had always been the sort to go with the flow. If it didn’t hurt him (or others, or animals), then he didn’t mind taking orders from Hazel. And since they had already worked on quite a few projects together this year, Benny fell into step listening to what she thought they should do first. She was good at planning things, and he wasn’t, so when Hazel let him do the heavy lifting, Benny felt useful. “Like into the sunlight more?” Benny asked, stepping toward the plant, and walking past Hazel. “They smell good today,” he mused, sniffing and sliding the plant she had noted toward the window

“Okay, what’s next?” Ever since summer camp – when Tomie punched Matty Maverick for being mean to Hazel – Benny wasn’t sure how to feel about the Slytherin girl. They got paired for assignments a lot though, and she was nice enough to him, so he supposed they were friends now.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2023, 11:43:47 AM by samm »
drawing by evie <33 • sig artwork by daniele turturici

111 Posts 13 she/her played by Mickie
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2023, 11:29:54 PM »
This was ridiculous. She ignored his apology, only huffing softly in response, but there was an undeniable happiness blooming; she was pleased that he seemed to be worried about keeping her waiting. Hazel shook her head absent-mindedly, trying to will away the feeling, but whenever she would sneak a peek at him working diligently on their project, the emotion would return tenfold. She nodded at his question and froze for a second as he walked past. Distantly, she wondered if any of her professors could be convinced to perform a memory-altering charm on her. What were the ethics behind that? Hazel looked at Benny and decided she didn't care.

"Do they?" She edged closer to the plants, face crumpled into wary uncertainty. Tucking hair behind her ears, she leaned in slightly. Her eyes widened the tiniest bit in surprise. They did smell nice. Hazel turned her head to smile at her companion but caught herself the minute her lip quirked. She stood up straighter and redirected her attention to the pouch at her waist in faux-interest.

What was next? She reached into the bag to retrieve a neatly folded piece of parchment with her notes. Unfolding the paper, she moved beside him, eyebrows knitted as she held it out for him to see. "We, that means you, have to repot the one on the left. It's very needy and if it doesn't get fresh soil every three days, it starts weeping until it dries out. Be careful with her because any little thing upsets the poor thing." This plant was Hazel's favourite. She watched carefully as he extricated it, wrinkling her nose as bits of soil fell onto the ground.

"How are you fine with carrying that?" she asked, half out of genuine curiosity, half out of wanting to get conversation started. She needed to set the plan in motion. "Not that I mind," she quickly added. "I don't want to get my shoes dirty." Surely he would be impressed by her shiny new lilac boots, sent over by her parents for Christmas.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2023, 11:36:14 PM by Mickie »

290 Posts 13 played by Samm
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2023, 11:04:07 AM »
“Yeah, they smell pretty,” Benny responded, watching Hazel step closer to smell them herself, “Right?” Hazel looked away, but Benny didn’t think anything of it, as he continued to slide one plant out of the way to make room for the one that needed more sunlight. If she said it had to be moved, he would move it. He was careful not to knock any of them off the ledge as he worked. Repotting plants usually was not too difficult, so long as you hadn’t emotionally tortured them first. Benny had learned that lesson the hard way.

Benny drummed his fingers on his leg as he waited for her to tell him the next step. She pulled out a list, and he smiled, relieved that she had a plan, because he always worked better when there was a plan. He’d never been a leader, Benny wasn’t very impulsive, he’d always done better when he had something (or someone) to follow. Most of the time that was his best friend Tomie, but today, it was Hazel. Benny nodded at the instructions, pulling a bag of fresh soil from the cabinet, and hauling it onto the slab worktable near them. “I will be careful, I know you like this one.” Benny promised. They had worked on the assignment long enough for him to remember she liked this one best.

Setting the plant on the worktable, Benny began the arduous process of dealing with a high maintenance plant. He remembered his lessons, stroking the leaves first and then letting the plant know what he was about to do with a little whisper. He wasn’t sure if they really understood English, but the intent was there, and with magic, sometimes intent was all you needed. Pulling the plant up with a firm grip, Benny was deliberate in his actions as he set it into the newer pot. He reached both hands all the way into the bag of dirt, it collected under his nails, but Benny didn’t mind.

“It’s not that bad, really,” Benny explained, shrugging as he sprinkled soil around the plant and patted it into place. Benny leaned to the side, seeing her shoes, “Those are cool boots.” He said, going back to patting the dirt. Reaching into the bag for another handful, Benny continued the process. “Do you want to tell the plant nice things, too?” Hazel said it was needy, so Benny imagined it would like both of their attention. 
« Last Edit: February 10, 2023, 11:04:17 AM by samm »
drawing by evie <33 • sig artwork by daniele turturici

111 Posts 13 she/her played by Mickie
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2023, 10:01:11 AM »
Another huff as she turned her face to hide the blush that crept up.

"That one's okay," she managed out, embarrassed at both her joy that he'd recognized she favoured that one over the others, and at the fact that she felt any joy in the first place. She brought her hands to her face, patting her cheeks to keep any obvious revelation of her crush at bay.

As he handled the plant, she switched between watching the two of them, half-making sure that he actually did handle it appropriately (she did like it a lot; it was high maintenance and very sensitive, which translated in Hazel's head to 'it had standards') and half-inspecting the current object of her confusing feelings. The artificial sun peeking through lit up his eyes and smile. He worked eagerly and without complaint, which made him seem almost mature? More than she'd thought him to be. Her stomach felt like a swarm of pixies had taken up artistic flying inside; she tried not to glare at him for causing it.

Of the hundred of Witch Weekly articles she'd read on crushes and how to deal with them, not one had properly prepared her for this.

Benny continued to work at plant upkeep and Hazel stood there, trying not to wince anytime he sunk his hands in the soil. When he commented on her shoes, though, she beamed, which morphed into not-quite-a-smile-but-very-close-to-a-grimace at his follow up. If the boots were so cool, why wasn't the next question: "Do you want to go to Honeydukes with me?" Hazel tried not to let it ruffle her. Men were just daft. This would be a process, as she expected, and she had to be patient.

"I don't know what to say," she confessed, stepping closer and looking at it with some reserved uncertainty. "What do you tell it?" She looked at him for an answer and, after a thought, fluttered her eyelashes. According to Witch  Weekly, this was one of the first steps to securing a crush's attention.

290 Posts 13 played by Samm
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2023, 04:58:09 PM »
Benny had piled up enough dirt around the plant that he was certain it would feel safe and snug, but he continued to pat the soil into place regardless. The last thing either one of them needed was this plant going rogue in the night and climbing out of its pot. He wasn’t sure if this plant was the sort to do such a thing, but it was better just not to take the risk.

“Anything you want,” he said with a shrug. Giving the soil another pat, Benny leaned toward it. “You will be nice and warm now,” he told the plant with a small smile. He pulled away again, turning to face Hazel and wiping his hands on his slacks. “I think they just like to be talked to,” Benny explained, even though he did not have a ton of expertise in this subject. He was decent at herbology, but he was still only a third year. He was learning.

“You could show it your boots, maybe?” He half suggested, half asked, before sticking his (still dirt covered) hands into his pockets.

drawing by evie <33 • sig artwork by daniele turturici

111 Posts 13 she/her played by Mickie
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2023, 03:03:18 PM »
“You’re the best plant here,” she affirmed, placing a hesitant finger on a leaf. It felt strange to be treating a plant of all things like this - as if it were a pet or a friend or even sentient at all. She hated being made to feel stupid and whispering to a flower seemed to be on the cusp of making the list of silly behaviour that inspired the feeling. Still, she went on at Benny’s encouragement.

“Um, yes. None of these other plants are as good as you.” She watched in surprise as it began to respond positively, stem curving then stretching straight as if doing a little dance. She fought off a laugh as the petals shook slightly. Encouraged by the performance, Hazel continued, confidence spreading throughout her tone. “I mean, these other plants don’t even have standards like you do. They’re just happy with sunlight, small amounts of water. Some of them are even happy to stay in mucky little places, stuck in the dark. It’s ridiculous. You really are the best.” Her features donned a look of pride at the end. She really did have good taste, even in plants.

The onslaught of compliments and comparisons achieved another jig, and Hazel beamed. However, she didn’t count on any other reaction to her words. She ignored the jerky movement of the plant, believing it to be another silly dance. It only just caught her attention with a hawking sort of sound that made her skin crawl and nostrils flare. She glanced down only in enough time to see it jerk forward and send a wad of slimy green sap on her new purple boots.

“My shoes!” she shrieked in horror. Reacting on impulse, she swatted at the plant and sent it tumbling over. Down went their project. Her eyes widened as she registered what she'd just done in a high panic. "Oh no!" she cried desperately, forgetting Benny's presence and herself as she scooped at the dirt, completely ignoring that she was getting her hands dirty. "All this because I wanted to go out with a stupid Gryffindor!"
« Last Edit: February 20, 2023, 03:04:33 PM by Mickie »

290 Posts 13 played by Samm
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #7 on: February 28, 2023, 01:07:25 PM »
Benny listened as Hazel began to compliment the plant, but he kept his hands busy by getting another pot ready if there were any others she wanted repotted this afternoon. By now, there was dirt under his fingernails, and he’d wiped a good amount of it on the thighs of his pants. He didn’t mind though, it would all wash out eventually.

He smiled at the way she praised the flower, but it slowly turned into a grimace. Telling the plant that it was wonderful was good, but propping it up by putting the others down was not the way Benny would have gone. Slowly, he turned to look at the other plants, and hoped they couldn’t hear Hazel’s whispers. Hoped they wouldn’t get any bad ideas.

Their plant began to move around, and Benny didn’t yet know enough about herbology to understand exactly what it was doing. So when it started shooting, he was as surprised as Hazel. If there had been more room, Benny might have tried to jump in front of Hazel, but the plant was too quick, and the slime had already hit her boots. He gulped, frowning, but glad it had only gotten on her shoes. “Are you alright?” he began to say, but her desperate cry easily drowned out his words.

And then she said something that surprised him even more. “What?” he said immediately. What did she mean? What had she just said? Surely Benny must have misunderstood her, because Hazel didn’t like boys like Benny. They had been working together for months, and he was pretty sure Hazel So didn’t like anybody.

In a matter of seconds, Benny rationalized that whatever she’d just said surely had nothing to do with him. She didn’t mean go out like, go out, and he wasn’t the stupid Gryffindor she mentioned, and he’d just misheard her. “What did you say?”
drawing by evie <33 • sig artwork by daniele turturici

111 Posts 13 she/her played by Mickie
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2023, 10:03:34 AM »
No,” she said in a huff of anger. “I am not alright. My new shoes have goo on them!” She gesticulated to her feet as if he needed assistance figuring out what goo or shoes looked like, then let out another shriek as soil spilled from her palms to the boots.

Hazel paused, looked down at her hands, realized she’d touched the dirt like a savage while her wand rested in her pouch, then further realized exactly what she’d said - that she’d completely forgotten herself - and froze in a mixture of shock and annoyance. Her mind needed to work quickly, but she was still coming down from a panicked state. The whirring of her mental cogs was lagging, evident by her messy hands.

Open-mouthed, she stood, eyes darting from him to the fallen plant, to her hands, and she knew this was not the way she intended to confess her feelings. In fact, she did not intend to confess them at all. If Benny insisted on playing dumb and turning this into a game of cat and mouse, then Hazel would simply make the pursuit even more difficult. She scoffed.

“I said all of this to go out with a Gryffindor,” she responded, glaring. “As in out here, in the greenhouse, with you. To do homework.” Hazel turned her head, clapping her hands away from her body to rid them of any excess dirt. She opened her pouch in precious motions, holding the zipper between two fingers, doing her best to avoid touching it too much lest it end up dirty as well. She was hyper-focused on her actions, needing to look anywhere but at Benny Rivera. He was not allowed to see through her ruse.

“What else could I have meant?” she asked, plucking her wand from the bag to start cleaning things up. “Surely not that I wanted to go out out with you!” Her expression was incredulous to seal the deal. “Are you mad?” As he replied, she continued working at her tidying and exhaled shakily, hoping she'd done enough to send him off her trail.

290 Posts 13 played by Samm
Re: [greenhouse] love dive • (benny)
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2023, 10:01:56 PM »
“Oh, uh, sorry about your boots.” Benny said with a bit of reluctance. He felt guilty, as if this had been his fault, but it wasn't, and he didn’t like that he felt that way. He did not like that she was yelling at him as if he’d been the one to muck up her shoes. And besides, they were cool boots, but it wasn’t the end of the world. It wasn’t even toxic. It would wash off and they would still be cool boots, and Benny didn’t understand the significance.

She explained what she meant, and he felt his shoulders relax—but only a little because she was still glaring at him like he was the enemy—and he exhaled. “Oh, yeah, right, makes sense, that.” They could have left it at that. Benny would have found a cloth to wipe her shoes off, or maybe a spell, and it could have been done with and never spoken of again, but that was just not his luck today. What else could I have meant? she said, and in an instant he felt his cheeks warming and his shoulders going stiff again.

At first, he said nothing, just busied himself with cleaning up some dirt that had gotten all over the counter. (It was a greenhouse, there was dirt everywhere.) But eventually, that bit of warmth in his cheeks and ears turned into fire, and he shot a look at her. “Why not?” he said back, startling himself for asking the question, because he hadn’t thought of anything in the realm of going out with Hazel before right then.

He’d asked Tomie out over the summer, and she had said no initially. But then she said yes, but then going out felt like being best friends, so nothing had changed. Benny was more confused than when she’d said no in the first place. “Must be. Let’s just get this done.” He said when she called him mad. Grumbling under his breath, Benny returned to sweeping dirt from the dirt covered counter onto the dirt covered floor with his dirt covered hands.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2023, 12:12:25 PM by samm »
drawing by evie <33 • sig artwork by daniele turturici

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