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fandomhigh2018-01-03 01:17 am
livingartifact) wrote in fandomhigh2018-01-03 01:17 am
Entry tags:
Earth Zoology
Jenkins had managed to keep the same classroom this semester as the last one, which was to say a standard classroom, rearranged into warmly lit room cluttered with aging electronics and ephemera, with a single long table featuring enough seats for every student, and a rolling blackboard.
Look, you spend a good few hundred years at least hanging out in one type of room and see if it doesn't end up what you're most comfortable with.
The class this semester was a small one, but that suited Jenkins perfectly well. For one thing, it meant less students to ensure didn't get trampled by megafauna. He greeted them with a nod and smile as they entered, and once all were gathered, clapped his hands together once to signal that they were to begin.
"Welcome," he said. "I'm Jenkins. This is Earth Zoology. If you've gotten it confused with Cryptozoology, that's only fair; the line between the two can at times be a bit blurred." Especially when you were a magical individual who spent most of his time around other magical individuals, without much concern as to what had yet been noticed by the outside world. "Cryptozoology is, of course, the study of animals whose existence has for one reason or another not yet been proven in the eyes of Natural History as a whole. In this class, we shall be concerned with those creatures we can physically interact with ourselves."
Which, yes, would occasionally mean some crossover with cryptozoology. It happened.
"This week, though, I thought we'd start off nice and easy. As it says in the class title, we will be studying animals which are native to the planet Earth, which generally are extant in what most folks on the island would agree to term the 'modern era'. I know at least two of you are not from Earth or the modern era, so I thought we might start off with each of you introducing yourselves, and telling us a little about an animal that you know of from your own universe. Nothing too in depth is required, a simple description of its physical attributes and some fun facts about its habits or home life will suffice." He pointed to one of the students. "If you would start us off?"
Once the introductions had been dispensed with, there was still plenty of class time left. Jenkins reached under the table and pulled out a cloth covered cage.
"With that first day tradition dispensed of, let's meet an animal, shall we?" He pulled the cloth from the cage, revealing a small, long eared creature nibbling on some clover. "This is a rabbit. You have quite possibly seen one of these before — there are at least a few who live on the island — but it's certainly possible you've never had the chance to observe one close up. As prey creatures they are naturally quite skittish, and their long hind legs make them remarkably fast. Fortunately for our purposes, there are domesticated breeds — that is, lineages of animals who have been selectively raised to be friendly and useful to humankind. For centuries, humans on Earth have raised rabbits for food, textiles, and companionship. Our friend here is a blanc de hotot. Note the black bands around the eyes, giving the illusion that the animal is wearing dramatic eye-makeup. This one's name is Chloe."
He opened the cage and gently picked the rabbit up, setting it down on the table.
"She's quite friendly and used to being handled. Chloe was raised by a performing magician and is very familiar with human contact. While performing can be quite stressful for some animals, I assure you, the only lasting side-effect Chloe has suffered is a curious obsession with hats."
Look, you spend a good few hundred years at least hanging out in one type of room and see if it doesn't end up what you're most comfortable with.
The class this semester was a small one, but that suited Jenkins perfectly well. For one thing, it meant less students to ensure didn't get trampled by megafauna. He greeted them with a nod and smile as they entered, and once all were gathered, clapped his hands together once to signal that they were to begin.
"Welcome," he said. "I'm Jenkins. This is Earth Zoology. If you've gotten it confused with Cryptozoology, that's only fair; the line between the two can at times be a bit blurred." Especially when you were a magical individual who spent most of his time around other magical individuals, without much concern as to what had yet been noticed by the outside world. "Cryptozoology is, of course, the study of animals whose existence has for one reason or another not yet been proven in the eyes of Natural History as a whole. In this class, we shall be concerned with those creatures we can physically interact with ourselves."
Which, yes, would occasionally mean some crossover with cryptozoology. It happened.
"This week, though, I thought we'd start off nice and easy. As it says in the class title, we will be studying animals which are native to the planet Earth, which generally are extant in what most folks on the island would agree to term the 'modern era'. I know at least two of you are not from Earth or the modern era, so I thought we might start off with each of you introducing yourselves, and telling us a little about an animal that you know of from your own universe. Nothing too in depth is required, a simple description of its physical attributes and some fun facts about its habits or home life will suffice." He pointed to one of the students. "If you would start us off?"
Once the introductions had been dispensed with, there was still plenty of class time left. Jenkins reached under the table and pulled out a cloth covered cage.
"With that first day tradition dispensed of, let's meet an animal, shall we?" He pulled the cloth from the cage, revealing a small, long eared creature nibbling on some clover. "This is a rabbit. You have quite possibly seen one of these before — there are at least a few who live on the island — but it's certainly possible you've never had the chance to observe one close up. As prey creatures they are naturally quite skittish, and their long hind legs make them remarkably fast. Fortunately for our purposes, there are domesticated breeds — that is, lineages of animals who have been selectively raised to be friendly and useful to humankind. For centuries, humans on Earth have raised rabbits for food, textiles, and companionship. Our friend here is a blanc de hotot. Note the black bands around the eyes, giving the illusion that the animal is wearing dramatic eye-makeup. This one's name is Chloe."
He opened the cage and gently picked the rabbit up, setting it down on the table.
"She's quite friendly and used to being handled. Chloe was raised by a performing magician and is very familiar with human contact. While performing can be quite stressful for some animals, I assure you, the only lasting side-effect Chloe has suffered is a curious obsession with hats."
Sign in
Re: Sign in
Re: Sign in
Listen to the lecture
Re: Listen to the lecture
It didn't look like anything special to Peridot. Or, at least, it didn't look nearly as cute as Pumpkin.
Introductions
Re: Introductions
She offered an almost apologetic smile.
"The Earth I've spent time on is presumably the same as this one, and I haven't actually encountered many animals native to it yet anyway. And Homeworld, where I'm from, doesn't have organic life at all. If it isn't a Gem, it's probably a robonoid."
She wasn't counting Gem corruptions as animals. She'd made that mistake once before.
Re: Introductions
"Actually, Ms. Peridot," Jenkins said, giving her a small nod. "I was rather hoping you might tell us a bit about your pet. She is as far as I know unique in the multiverse, after all, and came into existence in your own universe."
Re: Introductions
"Pumpkin!" She bounced around a little on her toes in delight. Any chance to show off Pumpkin, she would. "She's what happens when Steven licks a pumpkin seed! She's a dog, but she's a pumpkin, and she likes chasing her own tail, hugs, and saving the whole entire world!"
Look, these were the facts as Peridot knew them.
"Oh! I could go get her!"
Re: Introductions
"Ah. . . ." Jenkins said. "She is -- certainly entirely welcome in the classroom," he allowed. "But I would hate for you to miss any of the lesson."
Also, Chloe might decide she looked like lunch.
Re: Introductions
Either way, Peridot tilted her head and thought about that for a moment, before nodding her acknoweldgement.
"People will just have to believe that she's amazing, for now. I can prove it later."
Re: Introductions
"A very wise decision," Jenkins said.
Re: Introductions
Oogle the animal
Talk to Jenkins
OOC