Cross Species Communications - Monday 10/02 - Birds

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

Mary stands before the class as the students file in.

"Good afternoon children, I trust you have all had a chance to review the vocabulary lists you handwavy received and that you didn't give my TA much in the way of difficulty while I was gone."

She looked around the classroom with an expression that implied this better be the case.

"Today, as you know, we are discussing the language of birds." Mary said as she passed out a packet with information about language of birds.

"In Kabbalah, Renaissance magic, and alchemy, the language of the birds was considered a secret and perfect language, the key to perfect knowledge, sometimes also called the langue verte, or green language. The concept is also known from many folk tales (including Welsh, Russian, German, Estonian, Greek), where usually the protagonist is granted the gift of understanding the language of the birds either by some magical transformation, or as a reward for some good deed by the king of birds. The birds then inform or warn the hero about some danger or hidden treasure... That would be where we get the phrase, 'A little birdy told me.'"

"Today a little birdy will be answering your questions in the language of the Starling."

Mary moved aside and reveled a small bird to be perched on the podium. The starling cocks his head, taking in the class, and then opens his beak. The sound that results is strangely like a doorbell.

"Starlings have diverse and complex vocalizations, and have been known to imbed sounds from their surroundings into their own calls, including car alarms, and human speech patterns. The birds can recognize particular individuals by their calls." Mary explaned. "parrots are the best known for being able to mimic human speech, and studies with the African Grey Parrot have shown that some birds are able to associate human words with their meanings and form simple sentences."

The Starling made a noise that sounded something like a cel phone ringing.

Mary glanced at the bird.

"Good luck."

[[ooc: Please wait for OCD OPEN! Sorry about there not being a "you mysteriously get a packet" post. But I'm done moving! ... Now I just need to unpack. *facewall*]]

Comments

TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

The bird seems terribly amused by you all.

//Hi kids! How many of you can understand me?// Starling asks.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

Naomi went over to the Starling //Hi, how are you?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//I'm feeling pretty good. How are you?//

The Starling, while small and pretty, has a bit of a... Cockney, for lack of a better word, flair to it.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

Cedric had trouble with this language.

//Hello...you.//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//Hello Guv! What's new?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[chasingangela]

//I can,// Angela said, surprised that this seemed to be an easier language for her than the others. //How are you?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//Good for you!// The Starling said cheerfully. //I'm doing pretty good, how's yourself?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

//Hello?? Lana said carefully. //It is good to meet you.//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//Hello luv! It's good to be met!//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn was having no luck at all. She didn't understand the question, and sat there looking very confused.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

The Starling cocked his head at Dawn.

//Heeeeelloooo.// He sand, slower and louder. Because that's what one does when one encounters somebody who doesn't speak their language... At least, that's what American Tourists did.

//Hooooow aaaareeee youuuuuu toooday?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[2-twin-devils-2.livejournal.com]

Kaoru wandered over to the bird after sometime, nervous about trying to speak this language. He was pretty slow at it.
//I...can...sort of...// He seemed pretty nervous, he didn't want to offend the bird. //What...is..your name?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//Good on ya!// The Starling chirped cheerfully. //My name is...//

And here, the Starling made a sound like a doorbell again.

//But I know that's hard for people, so you can just call me by the name of my kind. What's yours?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[cat-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

"//I can!//" Schrodinger said. "//How are you?//"

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//Good for you...// The Starling said cautiously checking out the cat-boy.

//To be honest, I'm a little...//

And here he makes a noise like a British ambulance siren.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[notajar]

//I can,// Door answers, though she missed 'kids,' really. She gathers the bird was addressing them, but the word could be any thing from 'class' to ...something insulting about their parentage, though she doubts it was that.

//Home is big with Starlings, but I sing it not as high as Pigeon,// she adds.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//Well, we should do something about that, because we Starlings sing prettier then Pigeons.//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[bruiser-in-pink.livejournal.com]

Molly did not understand. She looked down at her vocabulary sheet, but that didn't help at all.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

The Starling noticed the pink-girl not answering.

//Greetings.// He said simply.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[stykera]

//Hello// Stark chirped. Then he coughed, because chirping felt odd.

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

//Hello!// The Starling chirped back. //I have trouble singing new sounds too sometimes. It generally gets better with practice.//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

It was a bit tricky to pick up the accent, but River focused hard on it.

//I think I can understand you. Can I ask you something?//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"I can!" Willow said, then corrected herself. //I can. Hello!//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[dude-its-jude.livejournal.com]

"Dude!" Jude bounced. //I totally can!//

Re: TALK TO STARLING

[notawitch.livejournal.com]

Will read over her sheet a few times before approaching the bird, hopeful that she'd caught everything during the lecture.

//Hello there. Any good worms today?//