28 Aug 2018, 18:22
From Somewhere Far Away
Place: Owlery
Time: 07:55 PM
Time: 07:55 PM
"Thank you," Dot whispered gently to the feathery barn owl in front of her, who did not even hooted in reply.
It was more cold up here in the Owlery than Dot had expected - and the place was more cramped with owls than she had imagines. Gusts of cold wind flew in through the west tower's window on this windy evening, carrassing Dot's soft cheeks, which felt like sharp fingernails on her skin. The owlery smelled heavily of an animal scent that probably belong to the owls who hooted every now and then, making Dot jump with surprise.
For some reason, this little barn owl in front of her with a small fainted scar on its feathery talons, had not brought to her her parcel in the morning at breakfast, like it was supposed to. Maybe mama or daddy asked it to not deliver it in front of others? Or was the owl just stubborn and had its own ways of performing actions? Whatever the reason was, the barn owl preferred calling attention to itself when she was in the grounds, and make her follow it up to the owlery, where her parcel was neatly placed.
It was two letters and a covered box. Gingerly, she took hold of her belongings, wanting to open them after she is safely back in the warmth of the common room, but curiosity won out. Sitting down in the small cramped area that was not infested with owl droppings, she stared at the box carefully. It was a flat box, more in width than in height. A label taped on to it read:
It must have been a magical label, Dot guessed from the status that read delivered. Quickly, she tore the wrapping paper and peeked at the item inside. For a moment, she couldn't believe it.DATE: 28TH AUGUST, 2018
FOR: DOT DUTT
FROM: MARIA SALEH, HER MOM
STATUS: DELIVERED SUCCESSFULLY
The box was vibrantly colored with a green dragon with a large open mouth from where it attempted to swallow a human. It was as if her dream became true. She stared at it with widened eyes, thinking how much she wanted this pack and from how long she was saving pocket money so that she could buy this thing.
The text, although vibrantly colored, read perfectly well:
It was the fifth and latest addition of Dungeons and Dragons, Dot's favorite board game!D&D
STARTER SET
Includes:
- 6 Dice Sets
- 6 Bags
- 30 Paper Figures
- 1,000 Basic pre-generated characters
- Blank character sheets
- Dungeon Master's screen
- 1" Grid Map
A loud whoop escaped her lips which could be heard well even outside of the owlery, despite the hooting of the owls.
Last edited by Dot Dutt on 9 Sep 2018, 04:21, edited 1 time in total.
"When I die, I want free Wi-Fi fitted inside my tombstone, just so people will visit more often."
9 Sep 2018, 03:27
From Somewhere Far Away
[font=times new roman]James walked up the steps of the West Tower, heading for the Owlery. While he didn't own an owl of his own, he was hoping a school owl would be available. After being sorted into Ravenclaw, he was excited to write home and let his family know the news. He thought his mum would especially be thrilled to know, since she had been sorted into the same house during her time at Hogwarts.
As James got closer, he paused when he heard a loud, triumph cheer come from inside the Owlery. Apparently he wasn't the only student looking to send or receive correspondence. As James climbed the last few steps and entered the circular room, he rubbed his hands together. It was an early September evening and while the weather was comfortable on the grounds, it was colder up here. A gust of wind blew in through the open arc windows, making James glad he had decided to wear long sleeves.
As he scanned the room for an owl willing to take his letter, he noticed a dark haired girl sitting on the ground in an area that, luckily, wasn't covered in owl droppings. Now that he thought of it... James looked down and sighed. He supposed it was unavoidable to not step in the by-product of the owls' latest meals. It was nearly everywhere. Gross.
"It sounds like you got something good from home," James offered a smile to the young witch.
He approached a barn owl, who was in the middle of cleaning her feathers. He patiently held up the small, rolled up parchment and waited for the owl to acknowledge him. She didn't seem too pleased to be interrupted, but she slowly titled her head at James and stuck out her leg. With a grin, James gingerly attached the letter to the presented leg, "Thank you. This is going to the home of the Forrest family in Ingatestone."
The barn owl hooted in understanding, flapping her wings as James backed up to give her room. She rose from her perch and had soared out the arc window a heartbeat later. James turned to leave, but his eye caught the top of the box the girl had been excitedly gazing at. He curiously noticed the image of a dragon on the top cover.
"Is that a game of some sort? I've never seen anything like it before," he asked, before realizing how nosy he was being. "Sorry, that's rather rude of me. I'm James, by the way. James Forrest. I remember seeing you during the Sorting Ceremony, you're a first year too, right?"[/font]
As James got closer, he paused when he heard a loud, triumph cheer come from inside the Owlery. Apparently he wasn't the only student looking to send or receive correspondence. As James climbed the last few steps and entered the circular room, he rubbed his hands together. It was an early September evening and while the weather was comfortable on the grounds, it was colder up here. A gust of wind blew in through the open arc windows, making James glad he had decided to wear long sleeves.
As he scanned the room for an owl willing to take his letter, he noticed a dark haired girl sitting on the ground in an area that, luckily, wasn't covered in owl droppings. Now that he thought of it... James looked down and sighed. He supposed it was unavoidable to not step in the by-product of the owls' latest meals. It was nearly everywhere. Gross.
"It sounds like you got something good from home," James offered a smile to the young witch.
He approached a barn owl, who was in the middle of cleaning her feathers. He patiently held up the small, rolled up parchment and waited for the owl to acknowledge him. She didn't seem too pleased to be interrupted, but she slowly titled her head at James and stuck out her leg. With a grin, James gingerly attached the letter to the presented leg, "Thank you. This is going to the home of the Forrest family in Ingatestone."
The barn owl hooted in understanding, flapping her wings as James backed up to give her room. She rose from her perch and had soared out the arc window a heartbeat later. James turned to leave, but his eye caught the top of the box the girl had been excitedly gazing at. He curiously noticed the image of a dragon on the top cover.
"Is that a game of some sort? I've never seen anything like it before," he asked, before realizing how nosy he was being. "Sorry, that's rather rude of me. I'm James, by the way. James Forrest. I remember seeing you during the Sorting Ceremony, you're a first year too, right?"[/font]
9 Sep 2018, 04:12
From Somewhere Far Away
Dot was grinning at her set of game, moving her slender fingers across the packaging while joy was spreading inside her. She wanted to open the thing right away, and start reading the player's guide book she had only read half online, back at her Muggle home. Even that time, she had only --
She turned her attention back to the game on her lap, wondering if he had heard her whoop. Embarrassing, she decided. The boy walked across the area and reached the nearest owl - a barn owl, the feathers informed - and show it a rolled-up parchment, apparently not thinking that she was awkward. Or if he did, he didn't show.
Quickly, Dot grabbed the letters and the now-useless gift wrapping paper, along with the starter game pack, and shuffled to her feet. A hoot made Dot wince at it's shrillness, and she casted a look at the barn owl. She looked ready to fly.
Shrugging, Dot was about to turn around and leave for the dormitory when the boy spoke again.
Startled, Dot jumped slightly. She looked up at the intruder newcomer, blinking rapidly. A boy, tall one, with fair skin and dark, almost black, hair. His blue eyes caught her attention, extremely piercing, before she replied, "Oh yes, I got something very good," in an enthusiastic voice."It sounds like you got something good from home,"
She turned her attention back to the game on her lap, wondering if he had heard her whoop. Embarrassing, she decided. The boy walked across the area and reached the nearest owl - a barn owl, the feathers informed - and show it a rolled-up parchment, apparently not thinking that she was awkward. Or if he did, he didn't show.
Quickly, Dot grabbed the letters and the now-useless gift wrapping paper, along with the starter game pack, and shuffled to her feet. A hoot made Dot wince at it's shrillness, and she casted a look at the barn owl. She looked ready to fly.
Shrugging, Dot was about to turn around and leave for the dormitory when the boy spoke again.
Dot looked at the game set, nodding. She was about to open her mouth to explain to him about the game when he spoke up once again, an apologetic tone to his words."Is that a game of some sort? I've never seen anything like it before,"
Shaking her head negatively, Dot said, "Nope, it's not rude at all." A pause, when she glanced at the pack she was holding. "And yeah, this is a game. A Muggle one, actually. Dungeons & Dragons. Maybe you're heard of it?""Sorry, that's rather rude of me."
"Yup, a first-year." Dot said, nodding. "Nice to meet you, James. I'm Dot Dutt.""I'm James, by the way. James Forrest. I remember seeing you during the Sorting Ceremony, you're a first year too, right?"
"When I die, I want free Wi-Fi fitted inside my tombstone, just so people will visit more often."
9 Sep 2018, 17:19
From Somewhere Far Away
[font=times new roman]"Nice to meet you, too, Dot," James smiled politely to his new acquaintance, "Dungeons and Dragons? I can't say I've heard of it. But it sounds a little dark for a Muggle-made game..." he trailed off as he scratched the back of his head.
James had been raised in a wizarding community his entire life and, to the best of his knowledge, there were no Muggles in his family. He knew little about Muggle games and inventions. While he was glad to know Hogwarts had a Muggle Studies class, he was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to take it as an elective until he was a third year student.
He couldn't help but notice the proud gleam in Dot's eye when she spoke about the game. Her dark eyes were big and expressive, and James found her excitement to be rather contagious. Again, he glanced down at the box in her arms and studied the green dragon on the cover.
He smiled at her and pointed to the box, "I know Muggles don't believe in the existence of dragons, but the dragon on the cover looks close to a Common Welsh Green."
James stuffed his hands into the pockets of his school robe as a particularly frigid gust of wind blew through the Owlery, "I don't know if you have enough people to play with already, but I'd be willing to learn if you ever needed another player."
James' father was a dragonologist, so he was always fascinated by the winged beasts. But the young wizard couldn't fathom what the Muggles accurately knew about dragons. And if they could create a game together based on their limited knowledge. But he was always willing to try something new and learning a new game would be rather fun, especially if it included making friends.[/font]
James had been raised in a wizarding community his entire life and, to the best of his knowledge, there were no Muggles in his family. He knew little about Muggle games and inventions. While he was glad to know Hogwarts had a Muggle Studies class, he was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to take it as an elective until he was a third year student.
He couldn't help but notice the proud gleam in Dot's eye when she spoke about the game. Her dark eyes were big and expressive, and James found her excitement to be rather contagious. Again, he glanced down at the box in her arms and studied the green dragon on the cover.
He smiled at her and pointed to the box, "I know Muggles don't believe in the existence of dragons, but the dragon on the cover looks close to a Common Welsh Green."
James stuffed his hands into the pockets of his school robe as a particularly frigid gust of wind blew through the Owlery, "I don't know if you have enough people to play with already, but I'd be willing to learn if you ever needed another player."
James' father was a dragonologist, so he was always fascinated by the winged beasts. But the young wizard couldn't fathom what the Muggles accurately knew about dragons. And if they could create a game together based on their limited knowledge. But he was always willing to try something new and learning a new game would be rather fun, especially if it included making friends.[/font]
9 Sep 2018, 17:48
From Somewhere Far Away
h. montgomery
Hestia had been trailing behind the Ravenclaw boy in an attempt to reach the Owlery. She was going to send a letter off to the Durmstrang Academy in the hope that it would somehow reach Leo. She wasn't quite sure if it would work, but she knew that it was better to try.
As she headed up the high steps, a sudden yelp sounded from the Owlery. At first, Hestia was hesitant, but soon realised that whoever had whooped had been incredibly happy. With a small smile on her face, the first year Hufflepuff headed into the Owlery, looking around for the source of the sound. The Ravenclaw boy had reached the entrance quicker than her, and seemed to be engaging in conversation with whoever had whooped.
Hestia walked to the owl that was closest to the two, trying her hardest to look interested but not as if she was intruding. She nervously handed the letter to the school owl - she'd nearly been bitten by one a few days previously - before turning around.
"Dragons and Dungeons? Why do Muggles want to play games involving dragons?" Hestia inquired, although the questions were meant to stay in her head. She regretted asking it, but it wasn't as if she could un-ask the question.
h. montgomery || played by rose
10 Sep 2018, 01:36
From Somewhere Far Away
Little dark? No way. Dot grinned as she explained, "If you think Muggles can't create some seriously dark stuff, then you don't know anything about Muggles. I recommend watching their horror movies. Fright is guaranteed." Dot brushed back a strand of dark lock, when another person seemed to enter the owlery."Dungeons and Dragons? I can't say I've heard of it. But it sounds a little dark for a Muggle-made game..."
A girl, with fluffy brown hair and a Hufflepuff crest on her robes. She held a letter in her hands, looking maybe a bit nervous about it, but Dot wasn't exactly sure.
Hmm, so she had listened in, Dot thought, but her smile never wavered. She was about to say that dragons isn't the main theme of the game when James spoke up."Dragons and Dungeons? Why do Muggles want to play games involving dragons?"
To be honest, Dot knew nothing about dragons from the wizarding world. Since she wasn't going to have the subject for this year at Hogwarts, she didn't read countless books on magical creatures, but she did have a basic knowledge. Unlike so many books she has read on potions and spell-casting, she had only listened about the magical creatures from her adoptive father, who had claimed he was a squib at the last minute."I know Muggles don't believe in the existence of dragons, but the dragon on the cover looks close to a Common Welsh Green."
Dot shrugged as if to say maybe before speaking up. "Actually, guys, D&D isn't all about dragons. Dragons are just an attractive alliteration the creators found for naming the thing." A pause. "It's a roleplaying game, you see. We make characters, then our characters go on adventures. It could be a bustling city or a deep and cold dungeon or anything literally. Our characters have 'quests' they have to complete, for example, fill a vial with some dragon blood - to finish off some plague that came, because in our own imaginary world, dragon blood is a medicine." She stopped again, wondering how to say it right. "Well, it's complicated to explain. The game is much deeper than that, but..." I just can't explain, Dot shrugged as she smiled apologetically.
"When I die, I want free Wi-Fi fitted inside my tombstone, just so people will visit more often."
10 Sep 2018, 02:55
From Somewhere Far Away
[font=times new roman]James noticed another student had entered the Owlery while they were discussing Dot's Muggle board game. He was glad that someone else had the same initial reaction towards the game. Though, he was a little thrown off by her sudden comment and lack of introduction. But then again, they were conversing in the Owlery - it wasn't the biggest or private place to hold a conversation.
Even though the game was called 'Dungeons and Dragons', it didn't necessarily have dragons? Very odd. At least wizards had the decency to not be misleading with their game names. Wizard's Chess was straightforward, Exploding Snap was played with an exploding set of cards, and Gobstones was played with, well, gobstones! Dot didn't create the game, so she wasn't responsible for naming it. James knew it wasn't her fault that he wasn't a fan of the ambiguous title.
He listened to Dot's explanation of the game and, while he had no point of reference, he felt he was slightly understanding the premise of it. Whether it was a wizarding or Muggle game, James supposed it was nearly impossible to verbally explain any type of complex game without actually playing or having someone physically demonstrate. And besides, she seemed rather passionate about this Dungeons and Dragons while attempting to teach them about it.
"So..." James hesitantly began, "It sounds like a game of 'make believe' but more complex with rules and such. I think I can understand the basic concept, without actually playing at least. It sounds interesting!"
He shrugged his shoulders casually and breathed a soft laugh out of his nose. He knew he'd meet students who had much more contact with Muggles than he did, but he didn't expect their games to capture his interest. He was certainly mistaken.
[/font]
Even though the game was called 'Dungeons and Dragons', it didn't necessarily have dragons? Very odd. At least wizards had the decency to not be misleading with their game names. Wizard's Chess was straightforward, Exploding Snap was played with an exploding set of cards, and Gobstones was played with, well, gobstones! Dot didn't create the game, so she wasn't responsible for naming it. James knew it wasn't her fault that he wasn't a fan of the ambiguous title.
He listened to Dot's explanation of the game and, while he had no point of reference, he felt he was slightly understanding the premise of it. Whether it was a wizarding or Muggle game, James supposed it was nearly impossible to verbally explain any type of complex game without actually playing or having someone physically demonstrate. And besides, she seemed rather passionate about this Dungeons and Dragons while attempting to teach them about it.
"So..." James hesitantly began, "It sounds like a game of 'make believe' but more complex with rules and such. I think I can understand the basic concept, without actually playing at least. It sounds interesting!"
He shrugged his shoulders casually and breathed a soft laugh out of his nose. He knew he'd meet students who had much more contact with Muggles than he did, but he didn't expect their games to capture his interest. He was certainly mistaken.
[/font]
11 Sep 2018, 16:51
From Somewhere Far Away
h. montgomery
Oh, ok. That made a lot more sense, Hestia thought to herself, listening intently as Dot gave a brief description of the game. It seemed pretty cool, and Hestia smiled. Muggle customs were ever intriguing to the redheaded Hufflepuff, and she'd definitely be researching this when she was next at home on a holiday. She'd loved playing pretend when she was younger, and this just seemed like an even more awesome way of doing just that.
Suddenly, it dawned on Hestia that she hadn't actually introduced herself and had blatantly interrupted the conversation between James and Dot. Her face instantly turned the colour of a tomato as she realised this, and she opened her mouth to correct herself. "I'm so so sorry, I interrupted this conversation... I was just excited... I'm really interested in Muggle things, y-you see," she tried to explain herself, occasionally stammering over her words.
Bashfully, Hestia gazed down at the floor before eventually looking up after deciding that she better introduce herself. "I'm Hestia. Hestia Montgomery. First year Hufflepuff," she introduced herself, a little more awkwardly than she would have normally. Although the red in her face had gone slightly, the embarrassment Hestia was feeling had not disappeared at all.
h. montgomery || played by rose