"Oi! Ichigo! Wha' kinda bird is tha'?"

"Huh?" grunted the oblivious strawberry. "What bird?"

Renji pointed up into the tree outside Ichigo's window, "Tha' one. With tha' crazy eyes."

"Some kind of owl... maybe a barn owl..." said Ichigo as he studied the bird that perched silently in the tree.

"Really? Never knew owls had eye's like tha'," he mused as the bird noticed him and focused on the redhead. Renji tilted his head, something he'd picked up during his stay in the human world.

The owl tilted it's head the same way.

"'Tha' hell...?" he blinked and tilted his head to the other side.

It continued mimicking him.

"Is it supposed ta do tha'?"

"I dunno. Prolly just thinks you're funny or something."

Renji leaned closer to the window, trying to get a better look.

Said owl hooted softly.

"Um... hi?"

Another soft hoot.

"Can tha' thin' understand me, Ichi?"

"It's a bird you moron, so no, it's can't."

"Then why does it keep makin' tha' sound?"

"They all do that," came the slightly annoyed reply.

"Huh... well I still think he's tryin' ta talk ta me," stated Renji defiantly.

"Whatever... If you want to have a conversation with a bird, then go ahead. Just going to confirm everyone's suspicious that you're completely insane." He got up and walked out of his room, saying he wanted a soda.

"We don't need him, do we Mr. Owl?"

"Hoot."

"'m Renji by the way."

The owl tilted his head again and hopped to a lower branch, closer to the window. "Hoot hoot."

"Sorry, I don't speak owl. Mind if I juss call ya Hermes?"

The owl blinked it's soulful eyes.

"I'll take tha' as a yes."

More blinking.

"So, how was your day Hermes..."

And as Ichigo stood outside the door, soda in hand, listening to his crazy lover hold a conversation with his new pet, all he could think was, "I never should have introduced him to Harry Potter..."

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Remind me to never read Harry Potter at three in the morning...

Blame my crazy ass sister. She made friends with a local owl a few days ago. Named it Mr. Hoot. She even had a conversation about lollipops. Started it by singing the lollipop song. I'm not making that up either. My family is nuts. Kinda helps ta explain why I'm so crazy. And why Isshin doesn't bug me at all...