xp_logs | Ororo and Jay | Wednesday morning (Reply)

As per their e-mail, Jay stops by Ororo's office to see if the 'unique' plant she's offering fits his needs.

Jay logged off the computer in immediate search of Ororo while Kevin was elsewhere in the school. He was eager, if impatient to see what she had that was special for him. He loved Valentine's Day and half tempted to decorate the suit, but refrained from being too cheesey. He kept reminding himself as he walked, if he wasn't careful, he was going to fall into permanent mushy ground where it concerned his boyfriend and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Making his way to her office, Jay knocked on it lightly and waited for her word to let him in, if she was in at all.

"Come in." Ororo smiled as the door opened - all day long students had been sneaking into her office to consult with her about flowers, and she was very much enjoying the nervous smiles and excited giggles that seemed to accompany them. "Ah, Jay, I was wondering when you might show up."

Jay slipped into her office and closed the door behind him, pushing off the door and approached her desk. "Ya, Ah got a minute away an' Kev might show up whenever so Ah wanted ta get it done before 'e noticed anythin'." He shrugged and stood in front of her desk for a moment before realising he should probably sit down. "Ya gotta picture o' it - whatever it is?"

"Actually," Ororo said with a small smile, leaning over to pull open one of the deep drawers of her desk, "I can do one better than that." She reached inside the drawer and lifted out a small potted plant; she didn't normally keep plants in her drawers, but it had only been a few hours. It was a rather unspectacular looking specimen, small and green with fern-like fronds curling over the edges of the pot. "Meet mimosa pudica."

Sitting up with interest, Jay watched as she pulled a potted plant from her drawer. "Mimosa Pudica? Sounds like... never mind. Wha's a mimosa? Ah mean, it's cute. Can Ah hold it?" He held out his hands, eager to take it and look over the little plant to see if it was satisfactory. But even as Ororo held it, he already knew it was special or it wouldn't look as pathetic as it did now.

"Go right ahead," the headmistress said warmly. As Jay reached out to take the plant, his hand brushed one of the fronds, and the plant reacted. The branch he had touched shrank inward, the leaves folding in and drawing away from him. Ororo's smile grew.

Jay took the plant and watched it in fascination as it recoiled from the brush of his touch. His smile grew wide and his eyes glazed with excitement as he could barely contain it. Holding it tight, he found he couldn't take his eyes off it and blew on the other branches. They did the same, the air against them hard enough to trigger it to close. He laughed, half standing up, pushing himself out of the chair. "Ah reckon yer tha most beautiful woman in tha world righ' 'bout now." And he could have hugged her right there. "'es gonna love it."

Ororo considered briefly asking who the lucky 'he' might be, but decided against it, not wanting to interrupt Jay's excitement. "I'm very glad. It is a relatively easy keeper - just make sure its soil is kept moist and that it gets enough sun. It should do well enough with that care." She paused, reaching up to tap one finger against another of the branches, watching it droop away. "I hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day."

Jay's smile didn't flatter even a fraction. He wasn't too worried about it living. Kevin had a knack for keep things alive while Jay had a knack for forgetting to water them. "Oh ya, ya bet'cha, an' you too." He headed for the door and paused as he opened it. "Yer a smart woman, so Ah'm gonna hafta make an appointment fer birthday ideas."

"You know where to find me." Maybe I ought to start up a business...