The Mandrake Whisperer [Isobel]

[Theo Delacroix]

The air was warm and damp, a welcome change compared to the chilled air outside as winter was in full swing. There was a rich, earthy aroma from the rich soil and the blooms of the surrounding plants. Theo Delacroix crouched down to examine a row of Mandrakes, tilting his head as he observed the tangled roots of their bodies. He reached up and adjusted his earmuffs to make sure that they were properly in place before proceeding any further. His eyes shifted over each of the plants until it settled on a hearty one on the right, the leaves looking particularly vibrant among the others. He did a little shuffle, centering himself. His eyes twinkled with amusement and gently prodded the soil, loosening the dirt around the roots. "There we are, there we are..." He whispered quietly.

It was sort of a side hobby of his lately, experimenting with new solutions to support the development of the Mandrakes in the greenhouse. Of course, he had to sneak out when nobody else seemed to be around to conduct his studies, but he found the quiet and solitude of the greenhouses comforting when everyone else was busy socializing and running about the grounds. His results were coming out favorable too, which was a bonus. As he loosened up the soil, he noticed a small object near the edge of the pot and reached down to retrieve, "Where did that come from..?"

[Isobel Evans]

Isobel was just finishing up in the greenhouse on a project she'd been working on for several days. However, a small charm had fallen from her necklace in the process. She groaned a little as she turned back into the greenhouse and looked around. It was a charm that was gifted by her father to bring her luck. She had been wearing it on the silver necklace around her neck for the past several years. If she didn't find it, she would be heartbroken. She started on the tables and underneath them. She let out a whimper as she came up empty-handed.

It was then she heard a whisper coming from the Mandrake pots. She fitted her ears with bright pink earmuffs and made her way over to the voice she'd heard. She spotted a boy, crouched down by the pots, sifted through dirt. She tilted her head as she approached but gently tapped his shoulder so she didn't scare him when she came behind him. "Excuse me....I don't mean to bother you...but I was wondering if you had seen a small cat charm while you were uh..." She trailed off, not really sure what he was doing. "Doing whatever it is you're doing." She scrunched her nose a bit and looked around at the mandrakes around him.