I really do need an Owl (Open)

Guest

Dan was bouncing on his toes, excitement bubbling through him at the prospect of purchasing his school supplies. The list had said he could bring one pet, though, and he loved Pygmy too much to leave him behind. So that meant the owl he was about to receive would have to stay at home. It was all fine with him, to be honest. His parents could use it to send him letters, while he could always borrow one from a friend or a professor if it came to that. Still, they were allowing him to choose the owl.

He skipped into Eeylops with a grin and began searching the many cages for a suitable owl. They didn't need anything terribly large, but he didn't want one that was too small either. And the plumage had to be exquisite, he wouldn't accept anything less. He had been there for at least an hour before he spotted it. A sooty owl standing regally on its perch. The black eyes gazed eerily at him and the owl turned it's head in curiosity before uttering a soft 'hoo'. Its plumage was grey with white speckles and it seemed to be gazing right into Dan's soul. A frivolous notion, to be sure, but he refused to believe anything else.

He turned to his mother and pointed with absolute assurance, "That one," he announced. He would name it Elton and he would love it.

Guest

They weren't due to start at Hogwarts for another few months, but Caelan was already excited to start. His two siblings and himself already had an owl each, courtesy of their respective godparents, each in their favourite species. There had only been one problem; the cages they received their owls in were not, according to the book Caelan had been reading ('Advanced Owl Care for the Dedicated Owner') suitable for their growth. Of course, Caelan brought this up with his parents and his siblings at once. Phillip seconded the decision to buy better and bigger cages; the only problem was he himself couldn't go out that weekend because he had been grounded for pushing Corienna into the fish pond.

Ellie had been off somewhere doing her own things, and so it was up to Caelan to purchase the cages. Both parents were busy with work, and he didn't want to wait another week and let the owls suffer, and as such he asked Uncle Parker to take him to the shops.

Stepping into Eeylops, he looked around, a small piece of parchment in his hand with the names of the owls and preferable cage size. Uncle Parker was the one holding all the money for safekeeping, although it was a mixture of all three twins' monthly allowance. Waiting in turn for a shop assistant's help - he wasn't sure how to measure the cages - Caelan turned his attention to the different birds around them, mentally going through the facts he knew about them.

As he looked around, he couldn't help but notice a boy around his age picking a blackish-whitish owl, and tilted his head slightly in thought; something felt familiar about the owl, and it took a few moments for him to realize what it was. "Sooty owl's are nocturnal," he commented softly, but not so soft that he couldn't be heard. "They don't go out in the daytime. If they were trained to, that's fine, but if they weren't, you'd have trouble sending and receiving mail."

Guest

Dan turned when a boy about his age approached and announced that sooty owls were generally nocturnal. He sighed and pouted petulantly but refused to pick something different simply because it was mildly inconvenient. This was his owl, he just knew it in his bones. The same way he'd known Pygmy was his the moment they'd met. Besides, the owl was mostly for his parent's benefit anyway and they stayed up later than he did, surely long enough for it to be comfortable for the owl to go out.

"He's not for me," Dan replied with a shrug. "Not really. My parents and sister are mostly going to use him." He didn't think Pygmy would like an owl very much either, seeing as the darn cat liked to jump at any birds it saw. "I'm Dan, by the way. Daniel Gjerstad," he stuck out his hand to shake. "What year are you?"

Guest

In most social situations, Caelan was flustered and nervous on the inside, and the outside he leaned more towards hesitance. The fear of being rejected and discarded as a failure was prominent. However, growing up with two audacious younger siblings and a possible third one, he knew how to keep up with their antics. He was, for the most part, able to thrive in situations that he was uncomfortable with. He grew a mentality that basically said; if I don't do it now, it'll never get done, and it was more forced than anything.

It probably also had to do with the fact that he was talking to a male and not a female. If he hadn't grown up with Corienna and Ellie as sisters, Corien less so but still, he would be terribly shy and terribly recluse around them. Something he was scared about was he would attend Hogwarts and just fail at making friends. However, once he made that fear he was able to rationalize why it was redundant. For one thing, he would always having Phil and Ellie there to have his back and he'd have Corie and Stephan.

Stephan. Just remembering his name was a burst of relief, Stephan was his best friend that could on occasion tell more stuff to than to Phil or Ellie.

Garnering up more courage that his best friend and brother would have wanted him to show he put a small smile on his face.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend by offering that knowledge, and I'm Caelan. I'm a first year, are you as well?" This was social norm, he told himself, he could do this, he added to affirm his confidence. "D-Do you already have an owl?" He added reluctantly scared his question might make the boy no longer wish to speak to him.

Guest

Dan frowned when the boy offered his apologies. Sharing knowledge was nothing to apologize for, and Dan certainly didn't mind. Though, the boy did seem a bit awkward, and unsure of himself where Dan had been perfectly comfortable in his skin almost from day one. All the same, Dan couldn't let this boy go on thinking that sharing knowledge was a bad thing. So, he smiled widely, "No need to apologize, it's useful information, after all," he soothed. "Nice to meet you, Caelan. I am a first year, or I suppose I will be, come September." Dan was fairly certain he would end up in either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff based on what he's read of the houses. After all, he's not very cunning or all that brave, to be honest.

"It is my first owl, actually. But he's not really going to be mine exclusively. My parents are going to use him to send me letters while I'm at school, and my sister might send one or two herself if she gets the time." He shrugged. His sister wasn't into writing letters very much, and she was rather busy with work and school, so Dan wasn't about to delude himself into thinking she'd be sending one every week or anything. "Do you have an owl?"

Guest

At being told that he did not need to apologize, he smiled just a little to himself, thankful. What he had been thinking when he had said those facts, he wasn't sure, but perhaps it was because he was distracted by the different owls to have thought it through. Reminding himself to be more careful in the future, lest he actually offend someone, he nodded at the words. "It's nice to meet you, as well," he responded, knowing that it was the right thing to say in these situations.

He nodded again, this time not adding anything; there was nothing to say. Mentally, though, he frowned a little, knowing that the owl species that Daniel was buying was not necessarily good for long distance travels. Unless, of course, it was cross-bred or fed special potions as it was growing up to strengthen it or alter it to allow for day time vision. If these potions actually existed, he wasn't completely sure; it had been something he read in passing and was only now remembering. He would have to ask his mum when he got home later.

For a third time, he nodded, but it was in answer to the question. Figuring he should add something verbally, he swallowed and said, "I do. H.." he hesitated, wondering if he should go on, then, realizing he had already uttered a syllabus, had to continue or appear as rude. "He was my birthday present."

Guest

God, this boy was terribly awkward, wasn't he? Probably didn't get out much. Dan put on his best southern charm, "Cool!" he commented. "What are you here for then? If you don't mind my asking?" Possibly treats or food, Dan figured. Which reminded him that he'd need some food and treats of his own as well. Maybe this kid knew what sooty owls liked best, seeing as he seemed to know quite a bit. The food would stay with his parents, but he'd have to keep some treats with him for when he received letters.

He was glad his sister hadn't come along on this trip, she would have likely gone absolutely bonkers with all this magic happening. And she would have likely taken over the entire trip to find things for herself. Probably would have persuaded their parents to get a different owl as well. That was one thing Dan was glad to be going to school for. His sister couldn't torment him any more, and her dog would stop tormenting his cat too.

Dan had always been good at making friends, and this kid looked like he could use a few good ones. "Do you know what kind of treats he'd like? Or is there just one universal kind or all owls?" He didn't think there was one universal kind, considering different breeds of owls had different tastes. Besides, he didn't care all that much if he looked like an idiot, so long as this kid stopped feeling so awkward.

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