Contemplating Flight (mimosa)

Shifting the strap on his shoulder so it wasn't biting so deeply, Gaspard huffed in annoyance. It was a necessary evil for shopping. The satchel had been altered by his mother after his complaining about bags not being made to adequately keep his school things from being messed or the seals of ink jars being broken. After one disastrous packing, the boy had learned to keep his potion ingredients in a separate case before being inserted into his bag. The altered bag had become his favorite and he liked to use it for shopping to sort his parcels to keep them from being all jumbled together in a mess. He didn't see the point in buying a quill only to have the feathers be mussed and going the wrong way or bent because a book binding broke it. Gaspard had picked up some rather interesting blue feather quills at Amanuensis Quills. Those were secured in a protective pocket as had his next purchase of ink and a few different packets of parchment from Scribbulus Writing Instruments.

Gaspard was going to go into Obscurus Books to look at their selections which could be more fruitful than going to Flourish & Blotts, but he first came across Eeylops Owl Emporium. Deciding to reward himself after going into the pet store, the boy realized that he should likely stock up on some treats and such for when Archimedes decided to grace him with his presence with a letter from one or both his parents. The barn owl was one that technically belonged to the family. However, it could be said it mainly belonged to his parents since both used Archimedes a lot for business communiques. Perhaps it was time he got his own owl? He hadn't really seen the need before, and really didn't now. The only pro he could see to getting a bird was that he wouldn't have to use a school owl if he wanted to send a letter off or use it for owl order.

Pausing outside the shop, he tilted his head uncaring that his untrimmed bangs fell into his field of vision. He had more than enough money on his person for an owl and its accoutrements. The weight of the coins in his sports jacket pocket confirmed that. Scowling, he nearly turned on his heal and walked away but paused at the last second and entered the store. His senses were immediately assaulted with the smells and noise that usually accompanied such a place. Watching where he stepped, Gaspard did not want to learn what worked best to clean guano off suede, his gaze glanced around searching the section for the owls. Once there he knew he would be debating the different owls for quite awhile as he eyed them unaware that his contemplative mood about owls would be shifted to something else.

Brought out of his thoughts, the boy blinked and turned to stare at the girl that seemed to him to just appear. That was nothing unusual since when he was absorbed in something, he completely shut out everything else. While part of Gaspard was a bit irritated to be interrupted another part was annoyed with the question that was asked of him. More particularly how it was phrased. Instead of asking him if he knew anything about owls she should have just asked if he could tell her what he knew about them. Or if she was interested in a particular owl or behavior or something of the ilk. Instead she gave a generalized question that even someone who didn't know that much could reply that yes, they knew something about them. Owls were birds, they hunted mice and the like, and were naturally nocturnal. That was the basic information about them most people knew even it they didn't know specifics, which he believed was what the girl was really asking.

Inclining his head slightly in affirmation, Gaspard asked, "What exactly do you want to know?"

A thought crossed his mind that had him give the girl a second look with a considering gaze. "Or are you asking, because you wish to help me?"

Was the reason she asked because she was the one that knew about owls and was just testing the waters? Maybe she knew more than he did and was wondering if she could fill in blanks to help him pick a bird? Hadn't his parents told him not to jump to his first conclusions and to always look at the whole and make sure the puzzle pieces fit together?

The boy seemed stumped for a bit, or perhaps he was just surprised by her all American accent? Mimosa was really going to have to get used to this. England was okay and Hogwarts was very pretty but everyone here spoke funny. Maybe they didn't have good language teachers in the UK? She should tell Michelle that, Michelle was working with the little witch on her French and though Mimosa had no idea what words and phrases they were repeating half the time, the child was certain shew as very good at them.

"Everything," Mimosa answered brightly, glad that this boy was open to helping her. "I only watched an owl documentary that one time and even then I kind of fell asleep, so now I don't know anything except that they come in different colors and sizes." Truth be told, the birds still held a kind of fascination for the young brunette. Why would anyone use actual, living birds to deliver letters when they had email? Or maybe people here didn't have emails or phones, that's why they needed the birds?

When he asked if she wanted to help him, the girl looked up at him curiously. 'Well, I'm here to buy an owl, I start Hogwarts in... whenever the next year starts. But I can help you too if you'd like. I'm really good at helping people!" The girl nodded, as if affirming her own statement, she was really good at most things so why would helping people be any different?

"Oh, my name is Mimosa, like the flower," she added, reaching out to shake his hand, belatedly realizing she may have been impolite in not introducing herself earlier. "Mimosa Harrington. And now I can even say that in French," she added cheerily. "Bonjour, je ma pel, Mimosa 'Arrington."

So, she hadn't been responding to any subtle clues that he hadn't an idea what kind of an owl he wanted and had been trying to provide help. No, she didn't even know the basics. If he was the type he would have facepalmed. As it was he just blinked and deadpanned with, "'Everything', is quite extensive and would take some time."

Keeping his first opinion to himself on the matter of her being here to buy an owl, he instead opted for addressing the first part of her sentence regarding Hogwarts. "You'll want a messenger one then. Depending on the where you're sending or receiving mail, limits your options."

Those 'options' were what Gaspard had tried to mull over before the girl had shown up. And it seemed like she was 'happy' type of person that usually had Gaspard quickly rush past or ignore. Except, he had been the one to initiate conversation wasn't he? He could have said no when she had asked if he knew anything about owls. The other reply could have been that he didn't work there and promptly left. Instead, he had opened up dialog between them. In other words he had no one to blame but himself for this.

"Gaspard Kylar," he replied shaking her hand not really knowing what to make of this girl person. Intrigued, he wondered if there was more to her statement then met the eye but considering what she'd already said, he rather doubted it. He sighed at the fact that he wouldn't luck out and find something or someone that interesting this easily. At the same time he had to ask, "I don't suppose you were named that for a reason?"

"I have time," Mimosa replied, raising another curious glance up to the boy. He must be older than her, he was taller, even if only by a little bit. "My Clara is buying the school books so I have... " The child tried to calculate how much time she had but failed, instead settling on. "I guess however big their Divination collection is. Clara could be in there for days."

And then it struck her, maybe he was the one running out of time. The young witch appraised her new acquaintance carefully, trying to find signs that he was in a hurry but couldn't come across anything in particular. Oh well, even if he was in a hurry, he could still stop to help her just as she's offered to help him.

His explanation did give her pause, there were non messenger owls? So there were owls who just did nothing? Were they better or worse than owls who delivered mail? Did this boy know about the secret world of owls Mimosa was completely unaware of. "Umm, I don't really write letters," she admitted, trying to think of how to explain to this boy her current situation. "The only place I have to send actual letters to are Versailles, everyone else I know has a phone or laptop or tablet or watch." A much more secure method of communication but the brunette kept it to herself.

"So i guess I need an owl who can occasionally go to France but mostly just... be an owl. Are there any semi messenger owls here?"

When he introduced himself in return, the little witch grinned. "I like your name," she quipped, glad that his handshake wasn't the kind that hurt. "It's unusual." At least she had never come across anyone named Gaspard before. When he asked why her name was Mimosa, a look of confusion crossed her delicate features. Why was anyone named the way they were?

"I don't know, were you named Gaspard for a reason?"

'Of course you do,' Gaspard thought with resignation when the girl stated that she had time. He was only half listening but he nodded being able to relate to finding a something that you would gladly hole up in for a set time. Wondering why she was looking at him as she was, he gave a small frown that didn't really mean anything. He was used to looks of contempt, of condescension, etc. And really, he was the one that was used to giving the one he was receiving towards other people.

"Okay," he staid at her statement. He didn't write letters that much either even though it had nothing to do with technology as it seemed to be in her case. Scratching at the back of his head he sighed. "Then you'd want an owl that can cross the channel."

Even while he was going through what he'd seen of the owls to be able to hep this girl, another train of thought had him wondering why she wasn't attending Beauxbatons if her family lived in France? Unless it was a pen pal? Did people even do those anymore? Gaspard knew that some people did that at Hogwarts. They would randomly write a letter and let chance dictate who received the letter than would communicate with the responder.

Semi messenger? Shrugging, he confided, "I was looking for a delivery owl. But they should have some that are strictly letter carriers."

Not sure what to say when she'd said she liked his name he gave a hesitant thanks. That was the first time he'd ever gotten that response after giving his name. Some had to make comments, but none had ever said they liked it. "So is yours?"

He'd never met anyone named Mimosa. Nor had he ever come across that as a given name before. It was rather interesting which was why he'd asked. That and the fact that it was the name of a genus of 'mimic' flowers. Giving the girl an assessing gaze of his own his stood a little straighter if a bit stiffer as he gave a sharp nod. "Yes, I was."

Unsure, he didn't give the reason not liking that he had no idea what the girl would say if he revealed that the reason he was given the name wasn't for one Gaspard but several. His parents while not believing in some things that were rote with both Muggle and Magical, did believe that a name meant something. And that perhaps if they gifted their son with the name that was held by physicists, mathematicians, and philosophers, that he too would do well. And the fact that it happened to be his great grandfather's name as well.

"Why do you want an owl if you don't write much? The school has owls you could borrow. That's what they're there for," he told her not unkindly just factual with some curiosity.

"The Channel?" Mimosa asked blankly, unsure if the boy had misspoke or she misheard. Why would she need an owl that could change channels? Unless owls were also TV enthusiasts. Was that just another thing owls did that she wasn't aware of. "What kind of channels?" She liked Disney Channel but maybe owls liked something a bit more mice centric?

"Or did you mean Chanel?' she continued, pronouncing the brand name perfectly, a brand she had worked with quite a few times before. The last time she had been in Versailles, she had seen a billboard of herself advertising the latest line of Chanel Le Petit collection. Perhaps owls, much like clothes, came in designer brands too, and he knew she would need a Chanel owl.

"What the difference between delivery and letter carriers?" Mimosa asked, curiosity once again the prominent tinge in her light blue eyes. It seemed like Gaspard knew a lot about owls so she should take advantage of that and learn all she could. And then, if she got it wrong, maybe she could return it, even if that would be too much of a bother. For a moment, the brunette wondered what the return policy on owls were. Did they fly themselves back to the shop or did you have to bring them in a cage?

When the owl expert pointed out that her name was unusual too, the girl paused. Was it? "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I haven't really met anyone called Mimosa before but the flowers everyone knows. Oh and some adults like to drink this orange juice drink with bubbles, its called Mimosa too. So my name can't be all that unusual if so many things are named after it." Because in her head, the flower, the drink, they were all named after her instead of vice versa. Mimosa had always suspected the world revolved around her and so far, there was no evidence to the contrary.

"Borrow?" The girl made the world sound as if it was an expletive. "But what if I don't like any of the school owls?" It was a very valid question in her mind. What if they weren't pretty? Or cute? Or fluffy? So aghast was the child at the idea of borrowing an owl that she nearly forgot his first question.

"Oh, I need it for Grandmere and Grandpere, they don't allow technology at their home. So i have to write letters to keep in contact with them."

"The English Channel. The body of water between England and France..." Gaspard was a bit confused how she thought perfume had anything to do with it. Yes, he knew what chanel was. He wasn't that ignorant. He knew designer labels be they muggle or magical. Despite not being a clothes hog, he chose his clothes with care even if it was just a t-shirt. But how she didn't know what the English Channel was even at her age. Unless her education had been skewed? His own had gone quite different than most people's when his parents and his first primary school agreed that it would be better if he were home schooled. Personally, he believed the teachers had just been fed up answering his questions and not satisfied that he just didn't accept their 'Because' answers like most children did.

"Um," Gaspard tilted his head back to think and stated, "Well, some of the lighter faster owls are restricted to just letters. They don't weigh as much as packages. Typically a delivery owl is used for delivering packages and such from home, or mail order catalogs."

That was what the boy was planning on using his owl for. Who needed to go into Hogsmeade or even here in Diagon if one could just get it delivered via owl? And some products that were of better quality were owl order only.

At the point about her name with the flowers, he just settled for blinking and giving her a shrug. His eyes went a bit wide the next minute though when it seemed he said something wrong about her using a school owl. Giving her a blank stare he got a wicked glint in his eye as he deadpanned, "What if its you they don't like?"

So, her family were halfbloods or muggleborns in a wizarding community? Or was that like an old person thing? Sighing, he pointed at the usual screech owls and barn owls. "Those would be your best bet."