Creature Languages, 02/02, Period 3

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

There is a small white rat sitting on the lectern, while Dream stands to one side. At Dream's nod, the rat addresses the class in English in a voice that is clear, though high-pitched.

"Hey, kiddos. I'm Racso. I'm supposed to help teach you guys Rat. Heh. Might be easier to just teach all us rats English. But whatever, I ain't getting paid for my opinion.

Anyhow, your professor is passing out a vocabulary sheet. You're supposed to try to ask me a question from it in Rat. Go into English if you hafta. But study it over the weekend, 'cause on Monday, you're gonna need to talk to each other in Rat."

He turns to Dream. "Anything else I gotta say?" At the shake of Dream's head, Racso gnaws on the lectern briefly, then addresses the class again. "So who wants to go first?"

[OOC: Racso is loosely borrowed from "Racso and the Rats of NIMH", though my memory of the book is imperfect. Forgive any canon fumbles. Also, work is looking busy, so I may be slow.]

Comments

Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Talk to Rasco or each other here.

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi looks over the vocabulary sheat.

/How is it that you guys always know when a.../

There's no rat equivalent on the sheet for the rest of her question so she switches to English.

"...Ship..." /...is going down under the water? Or is that a.../ "...fallacy?"

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

If a rat could shrug, Racso would.

//Dunno. I never been on a sinking ship. Some shipyard rats say they can just tell -- you know, like it's a smell or something -- but they like to brag anyhow.//

"Sorry I don't have a good answer," he adds in English.

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

/Oh no. It's a fine answer./ said Pippi.

/So where did you learn to speak like people and do you like it?/

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[swerval_zero]

Zero blinks at the page and wonders if her throat will be able to produce all of these sounds.

//"Are there many rats here? How did you get on with the--// er, gremlins?"

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

//There are a couple. Not too many.//

In English, he adds, "We can't swim so good, so it was hard for us to get over from the mainland before they built the Causeway. And now it's just inertia. Plus, gremlins are mean sumbitches."

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter looks the piece of paper over and shakes his head. He has nothing he wants to say to a rat. The last thing he wants is empathy with vermin.

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Dream notices Walter's hesitation and shakes his head at Racso; while he would prefer all students participated, he understands sometimes that isn't possible.

The rat calls on the next student.

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[upforachase.livejournal.com]

"Oh, ew," Cordy says under her breath, eyeing the rat with disdain and a bit of disgust.

"Um... //Do you have many friends? What is your favourite hobby?//"

Cordy squirms in her seat a little.

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Cordy might get the disconcerting feeling Racso is smirking at her.

//I got a couple good friends, yeah. You need to have pals you can trust in this world.//

//I guess my favorite hobby is exploring -- just gettin' out and seein' what I can see.//

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[upforachase.livejournal.com]

Cordy smiles cautiously at Rasco.

//I like exploring too. Are you far from where you were born now?//

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

Blair bounced happily while reading the vocab sheet and making notes.

/What's the biggest problem facing rats today and can humans help?/

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Racso snickers at this. //Biggest problem? Gotta be you guys tryin' to kill us.//

"So to help, quit poisoning us. We don't eat much, and bubonic plague is really rare."

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[pure-blooddraco.livejournal.com]

Draco looks over his vocab sheet.

/So...do you guys really like cheese over all foods or is that a lie?/

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

//It's the mice that like cheese,// Racso says vehemently. "Give me a nice scrap of meat or some chocolate anyday."

Dream makes eye contact with Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, please stop by my office after class."

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[anole-x.livejournal.com]

Victor was estatic that he was learning how to speak rat. he was a big rodent fan, and thought long and hard about his question.

//I know rats like to chew. Is there anything I can offer to stop a rat from chewing on something that I don't want him to chew? Like my bed?//

He hope he got it right, but he pledged to practice if he didn't. Rats were cool!

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Racso seems to think about this a moment, but finally makes a gesture that seems to be an attempt to shake his head. //Sorry. If we want to chew, we're gonna do it.// He pauses. "You could put out some chocolate, or something, to distract us. //Or get a cat. We don't like those so much.//

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander read through the vocabulary sheet and scratched his head. It was a good thing Rasco spoke English too. (And how sad was it that animals who spoke English didn't remotely faze him anymore? Three years of knowing Buffy and his ability to be surprised by anything but... his ability to still be surprised by human nature? Pfft. Blown into tiny little dusty pieces.) What he wanted to ask was weird enough in any language; he still wasn't entirely sure how to put it together.

//I've got this friend// he started, //at home.//

"Well, she's in at school with another friend, actually, in another dimension but I knew her back home."

//She//

... okay, no word for spell on the list. Which made sense, because how many rats knew magic? And did he really want to know the answer to that question, actually?

//...changed into a rat. She's//

He looked at the the list and winced. Yeah, of course they'd have that word.

//trapped that way. We think so, since she can't speak//

"English"

//to talk to us.//

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Racso winces, and utters a a curse in rat that certainly isn't on the vocabulary sheet. //That sucks for her,// he mutters, though "sucks" probably isn't on the vocabulary sheet either.

//If you're asking what I think you're asking...// he says, then stops, making himself switch to English.

"From what I've seen, if she's a normal rat, she can probably pick up a few words of English, if that. I'm kind of a special case. Some scientists messed around with my pa, gave him some extra abilities. The talking bit is kind of a gift with purchase. But I don't really know a lot about people who are stuck in rat bodies. Sort of an unusual situation."

//She might be happier as a rat, though,// he adds, switching back to Rat. //It's a fine way to be, ya know?//

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

Uh, //What do you do during your day normal?// Vala attempted.

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Racso squints a little at the syntax, but understands the question.

//Eat. Sleep. Chew stuff. Explore. The usual.//

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Somehow Sakura seems to be amused that she isn't grossed out by a rat. He's white, isn't he? Obviously, if his coat is white like that, he's clean. She eyes the worksheet.

"Umm..."

//At least you don't have to speak in rhyme like//

"Lockheed"

//did...// She frowns. What the hell do you ask a rat? She tried to think of something conversational, rather than a question. She failed.

//How's about you ask me something, to be different? //

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Racso snorts at the mention of speaking in rhyme. //Yeah, there ain't many rat poets, thank the gods.//

He considers her other point, bouncing a little on the podium. "Okay. What's your favorite thing to eat?"

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[stykera]

Stark nods to the rat.

//hello, Racso//

He paused to look at the vocabulary sheet.

//Do you like it here in Fandom?//

Re: Class Discussion, Creature, 02/02

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

//It's okay. Lot of nice people. I need the big city, though.//