9 Jun 2019, 19:57
In Soviet Russia, cat finds you
Alma stood outside the Magical Menagerie, suddenly feeling rather nervous. Logically speaking, she shouldn't be, seeing as she'd been planning for this day for months now. She'd read books and pamphlets about caring for magical pets and familiars, listened to her family's advice about what pet had what advantages and had visited the shop itself multiple times already to get the owners’ own opinions. Yet now that she actually stood in front of the shop, clutching the money she saved up, she felt surprisingly breathless.
It took someone physically bumping into her and causing her to stumble a few steps forward to shake her out of her stupor. She didn't even mind that the offender disappeared back into the crowd without so much as an apology (Alma had gotten used to the hurried and tense behaviour most of her family's clients in Knockturn had adopted). Instead she once more faced the Magical Menagerie, took a deep breath and stepped inside, mindful of the multitude of creatures scurrying through the dimly lit shop.
"Hello dear, back again with more questions today?" Alma turned after having made sure the door behind her was firmly closed to see that it was Anita that stood behind the counter today. Meaning her husband was probably tending to the animals somewhere in the shop. Alma didn't mind, she liked them both equally, as they were both kind and immensely knowledgeable about the animals they sold.
"No, madam, I'm actually buying today. I hope." Alma smiled a crooked smile at the woman, who gave a quiet chuckle in return.
"We will see, my dear. I have yet to meet a person who truly looked for a familiar that did not eventually find it. Now, are you still partial to cats?"
"Yes madam," Alma confirmed. "A Siberian...at least if one will have me. The pamphlet you gave me said that they can sometimes be rather picky about their owners?"
"The nature of most cats, I'm afraid. But don't fret so much, I'm sure we will find the right one for you. Now do you need help or do you want to look around in peace?"
"I should be fine, madam, but I'll call you should I need help?" Alma grimaced as her sentence sounded far more like a question than a sure statement, but the elderly lady didn't seem to mind, waving into the direction to where Alma by now knew most of the cats resided.
The next hour was spent in silent contemplation. There were cats of many colours and breeds, though Alma did indeed focus on the Siberian cats, partial to their long fur. Maine Coons were her favourite, having a soft spot for the gentle giants of the cat world, yet seeing as the Magical Menagerie didn't offer any of this breed, Alma had decided that a Siberian would come closest in terms of appearance and nature.
Knowing the breed however didn't make it any easier as there still were a variety of different cats to choose from. Alma stuck out her hand to some of them for them to sniff and make their own decisions whether or not they even liked Alma. It wouldn't make much sense to buy a cat if it hated you, after all.
A high-pitched wail caught Alma's attention and she raised her chin high to look at a cream and red coloured cat that was looking at her from a stack of crates that nearly reached the magically extended ceiling. Alma got the feeling that it tried to maintain the stoic, haughty expression only cats ever mastered, yet truly, it looked more miserable than anything else.
"Did you climb up there and now can't come back down?" Alma asked incredulously. The cat merely continued staring at her out of dark grey eyes. Alma giggled to herself. The cat was definitely stuck. It wailed again. Alma giggled again. The cat was a Siberian, but even for them it was a rather large specimen, so it was funny to hear it produce such tiny, high-pitched sounds.
"Have you found....oh dear, I see that you found something alright." Alma turned around to see that Anita had come to check on her. Then again, Alma had spent a good amount of time in here already, so it might have been warranted to see whether or not Alma needed help. "This young man here has a talent for getting himself into sticky situations. Now, dear, didn't I tell you not to climb up there anymore? Seeing as you never seem to be able to find your way back down?" Anita playfully scolded the stuck cat.
It wailed miserably and Anita just sighed. "He's not the brightest one, I'm afraid. Definitely curious and demanding affection at every opportunity....but not very bright."
Alma grinned. "I love him." Anita raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Are you sure, dear? You're bound to save him from trouble or high places quite a lot, should you adopt him." Alma merely continued to smile brightly as the cat continued to wail from his perch.
"I'm sure. He's perfect."
“Very well, if you are so certain, then I can only congratulate you on finding your partner in crime. At least I assume that you’re going to take him with you to Hogwarts?”
Alma nodded.
“Then how about you go ahead to the counter while I bring this young man down from his high throne?”
Alma did as told and it took only a few moments of waiting at the antique-looking counter (where she appreciatively traced the wooden grain) until she heard the clicking sound of claws on hardwood flooring. Alma turned to see the freshly rescued cat she’d been waiting for dash around the corner and jump first onto Anita’s chair and then onto the counter itself where the cat sat down to stare at Alma haughtily.
Alma merely grinned and offered her hand to scratch the cat behind his ears. Eyes quickly closed in appreciation.
“Well I’ll be. First you adamantly refuse to come down and then you run off ahead without me,” Anita bantered as she saw the cat and Alma already waiting at the counter, ready to leave.
“Now, dear, do you already have a name for this rascal or should I leave the spot for the cat’s name on the papers blank for now?” Anita asked, having produced a couple of parchments out of seemingly nowhere.
“He looks like a General Hux to me if ever I saw one,” Alma giggled. Anita merely stared so Alma gave her an apologetic smile. “A name from a rather famous muggle movie series. A friend of mine at school introduced me and I’m afraid I’m a fan.”
“Very well, if you deem the name to fit our young troublemaker here, then I’m certain you’ve chosen well. That will be 15 Galleons, then.”
Alma placed down the shiny golden coins, certain that she’d never make a better investment in her life.
Word Count: 1160 words
‘Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. Ghosts are transparent.’ - Severus Snape, Half-Blood Prince
It took someone physically bumping into her and causing her to stumble a few steps forward to shake her out of her stupor. She didn't even mind that the offender disappeared back into the crowd without so much as an apology (Alma had gotten used to the hurried and tense behaviour most of her family's clients in Knockturn had adopted). Instead she once more faced the Magical Menagerie, took a deep breath and stepped inside, mindful of the multitude of creatures scurrying through the dimly lit shop.
"Hello dear, back again with more questions today?" Alma turned after having made sure the door behind her was firmly closed to see that it was Anita that stood behind the counter today. Meaning her husband was probably tending to the animals somewhere in the shop. Alma didn't mind, she liked them both equally, as they were both kind and immensely knowledgeable about the animals they sold.
"No, madam, I'm actually buying today. I hope." Alma smiled a crooked smile at the woman, who gave a quiet chuckle in return.
"We will see, my dear. I have yet to meet a person who truly looked for a familiar that did not eventually find it. Now, are you still partial to cats?"
"Yes madam," Alma confirmed. "A Siberian...at least if one will have me. The pamphlet you gave me said that they can sometimes be rather picky about their owners?"
"The nature of most cats, I'm afraid. But don't fret so much, I'm sure we will find the right one for you. Now do you need help or do you want to look around in peace?"
"I should be fine, madam, but I'll call you should I need help?" Alma grimaced as her sentence sounded far more like a question than a sure statement, but the elderly lady didn't seem to mind, waving into the direction to where Alma by now knew most of the cats resided.
The next hour was spent in silent contemplation. There were cats of many colours and breeds, though Alma did indeed focus on the Siberian cats, partial to their long fur. Maine Coons were her favourite, having a soft spot for the gentle giants of the cat world, yet seeing as the Magical Menagerie didn't offer any of this breed, Alma had decided that a Siberian would come closest in terms of appearance and nature.
Knowing the breed however didn't make it any easier as there still were a variety of different cats to choose from. Alma stuck out her hand to some of them for them to sniff and make their own decisions whether or not they even liked Alma. It wouldn't make much sense to buy a cat if it hated you, after all.
A high-pitched wail caught Alma's attention and she raised her chin high to look at a cream and red coloured cat that was looking at her from a stack of crates that nearly reached the magically extended ceiling. Alma got the feeling that it tried to maintain the stoic, haughty expression only cats ever mastered, yet truly, it looked more miserable than anything else.
"Did you climb up there and now can't come back down?" Alma asked incredulously. The cat merely continued staring at her out of dark grey eyes. Alma giggled to herself. The cat was definitely stuck. It wailed again. Alma giggled again. The cat was a Siberian, but even for them it was a rather large specimen, so it was funny to hear it produce such tiny, high-pitched sounds.
"Have you found....oh dear, I see that you found something alright." Alma turned around to see that Anita had come to check on her. Then again, Alma had spent a good amount of time in here already, so it might have been warranted to see whether or not Alma needed help. "This young man here has a talent for getting himself into sticky situations. Now, dear, didn't I tell you not to climb up there anymore? Seeing as you never seem to be able to find your way back down?" Anita playfully scolded the stuck cat.
It wailed miserably and Anita just sighed. "He's not the brightest one, I'm afraid. Definitely curious and demanding affection at every opportunity....but not very bright."
Alma grinned. "I love him." Anita raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Are you sure, dear? You're bound to save him from trouble or high places quite a lot, should you adopt him." Alma merely continued to smile brightly as the cat continued to wail from his perch.
"I'm sure. He's perfect."
“Very well, if you are so certain, then I can only congratulate you on finding your partner in crime. At least I assume that you’re going to take him with you to Hogwarts?”
Alma nodded.
“Then how about you go ahead to the counter while I bring this young man down from his high throne?”
Alma did as told and it took only a few moments of waiting at the antique-looking counter (where she appreciatively traced the wooden grain) until she heard the clicking sound of claws on hardwood flooring. Alma turned to see the freshly rescued cat she’d been waiting for dash around the corner and jump first onto Anita’s chair and then onto the counter itself where the cat sat down to stare at Alma haughtily.
Alma merely grinned and offered her hand to scratch the cat behind his ears. Eyes quickly closed in appreciation.
“Well I’ll be. First you adamantly refuse to come down and then you run off ahead without me,” Anita bantered as she saw the cat and Alma already waiting at the counter, ready to leave.
“Now, dear, do you already have a name for this rascal or should I leave the spot for the cat’s name on the papers blank for now?” Anita asked, having produced a couple of parchments out of seemingly nowhere.
“He looks like a General Hux to me if ever I saw one,” Alma giggled. Anita merely stared so Alma gave her an apologetic smile. “A name from a rather famous muggle movie series. A friend of mine at school introduced me and I’m afraid I’m a fan.”
“Very well, if you deem the name to fit our young troublemaker here, then I’m certain you’ve chosen well. That will be 15 Galleons, then.”
Alma placed down the shiny golden coins, certain that she’d never make a better investment in her life.
Word Count: 1160 words
What animal do you wish to purchase? Silver Siberian
What do you want to name it? General Hux
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? 12th August 2018
‘Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. Ghosts are transparent.’ - Severus Snape, Half-Blood Prince
13 Jun 2019, 13:31
In Soviet Russia, cat finds you
This is my former staff account.
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)
I also play: Serena Towers (Graduated PC), Arjan Oberoi (Graduated iNPC), Xiomara Torres (Current Student)