fandomhigh | Basic Cryptozoology - First Period

"One of the most well-known category of cryptids," Abigail Irene began as the students began to file in, "are shapeshifters."

She waited until they were all in their seats before she continued, smiling brightly at them. Her clothes were now straight, her eyes bright and cheerful... and there was still a rather telling red spot at the side of her neck from a lovely sort of pirate lout who'd gotten a bit feisty with her. Her short hair, as helpful as the length usually was, did nothing to hide it, though she'd ignore any looks at it she got. Or smile.

Mike, her small patchwork terrier, padded out to sit at her feet just as she continued.

"This might be a reflection of the array of creatures which vastly change their appearance in the natural world... or perhaps just an explanation for the wildly varying accounts available and shoddy research."

She paused for a smile.

"I'll be covering a few of these creatures today in class and asking a couple of questions. And make sure to listen at the end of class, as there is a very small assignment for each of you due next class."

[ocd ~~coming~~ up!]

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She'd wanted to put something together for this class, but she just hadn't had her head in the game this week.

That said, she knew the subject and provided ample material for her students. After all, that ThD hadn't earned itself!

Reno was actually paying decently close attention to this lecture, today.

There was something about the notion of people turning into other things that had a crazy way of holding his attention. Where he came from, it was less a cryptid thing, and more a freak-science-experiment thing.

In between one section of her lecture and the next, she turned just so and favored him with a knowing smile.

As if to let him know that she'd noticed the shift to 'actual interest' and appreciated it.

There was nothing further, however.

Reno returned the smile with one of his own and a bit of a nod, and then decided that, if ever in his life there was a time to take notes, this lecture might as well be the one.

There was a first for everything, after all.

After perhaps overindulging in the tap rum yesterday, Jenny had taken the hair of the dog that bit her before class, but her hangover was still an annoyance. Her kingdom for an aspirin. But she did her best to pay attention to the lecture.

Savannah was listening closely and taking notes.

Ella carefully peeled and munched on a clementine as she listened, doing her best not to get juice on her notes. Despite the snack, she was paying close attention.

Chad rubbed his neck a little in between taking what felt like awkward notes. Yeah, he knew it was mentioned that it was being covered, but it didn't really process in his head how awkward it was going to be to sit in a class about shapeshifters when you were dating one...

"Is something the matter, Mister Yasutora?"

She was an investigator, a forensic sorceress. Those skills didn't just shut themselves off when left New Amsterdam, and discomfort was one of the most telling and useful feelings to pick up on in her trade.

"Uhhh," Chad rubbed his neck a little again, thinking of how to answer. "It's just kinda weird," he admitted. "Talking about shapeshifters like they were creatures when you've been dating one for over a year..."

She nodded, matter of factly.

"While I've never personally been close to one, a good friend of my own holds one of the wampyr in close esteem. I have never met him, but what I have heard of him makes me think well of him."

She leaned back against her desk and scritched Mike's ears.

"Think of it almost like an anatomy class. When you discuss the skin or the organs or such, they are the very same ones you have. But such study is important as it provides us a greater understanding.

"Don't you think?"

Making it an analogy to anatomy didn't really do much to settle Chad's discomfort; if anything, it only seemed to settle him in a direction going distinctly toward things that he felt weren't appropriate to be thinking of in a classroom settle.

"I...guess. He's not really any of these types, though; he's kind of from space and stuff."

"Yes," she agreed, having no idea what that might mean, "but if the similarities are sufficient to cause you some discomfort, I would say there are questions and concerns being raised that apply.

"I can't say, as I don't know the young man in question," and my they were very upfront about such things here, not that she minded in the least. Oh no, not at all. "But might he have concerns like the tanuki, questions as to the meaning of form and what makes a person who they are. Or those of the unknowns: form versus function, and is changing one's form wise when it can give many different people different ideas."

Chad thought about all this carefully, tapping his pencil lightly against his forehead in a gesture of consideration.

"I think he's comfortable with it; I mean, when I first met him, it was one of the first things he showed me, and it was no big deal for him; I was the one who was all freaked out. He's just kind of comfortable in his own skin, I guess, whatever form it might be in."

There was a slight pause before he added, somehow feeling it was important, or maybe just because he couldn't quite get over the fact, "He's currently working on being a chair."

"Then perhaps you might have these questions to ask of yourself."

The mention of the chair got him a bit of a blink.

"...would you happen to know why he might want to be a chair?"

"Oh, he's just working on inanimate objects now," Chad explained easily. "Because before he really only did animate ones."

"Interesting indeed.

She turned to the class at large.

"To keep things on topic, many shapeshifters are known to transform into inanimate objects. Tanuki, as I'll be bringing up, as well as kitsune; the Hedley Kow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hedley_Kow)..."

She grinned.

"I'll try to think of more if he'd like to read about them."

"...That might be good," Chad decided after a moment, with a nod and a slight grunt. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome. I'll see what I can bring for him next class."

Liz listened carefully to the lecture and took notes.

This particular subject interested Bumblebee quite a lot, being something of a shapeshifter himself. His eyes shone bright as he listened closely.

Alice was taking notes, frowning as she considered the topic.

Basic Cryptozoology - First Period - Wednesday, 7/23

Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves

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Re: Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves

Re: Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves

Re: Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves

Re: Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves

Re: Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves

Re: Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves

Re: Listen to the Lecture / Chat amongst yourselves