Fur, Feathers, and Scales: The Biology of Domestication, Thursday, Period 2

[puppy_fair]

Class this week had been told to meet in one of the classrooms, which, like several other classes this year, had been stripped of desks and chairs in order to haul in a large assortment of cushions. And a couch. You better believe Zack moved that couch in all on his own, too.

It also had a playpen in the middle of the room, occupied with about a dozen wrestling, wriggling, happy little puppies.

The much larger puppy at the front of the room wasn't wrestling or doing much wriggling, but he certainly seemed pretty happy about the situation. Even if he had been told to leave his sword at home today.

"Hey, guys!" Zack grinned at the students as they made their way into the room. "I'm Zack Fair, and this is Biology!"

It was so not biology.

"This semester I'm going to pick a new animal every week that people have brought into their lives on the regular, either as companion animals, working animals, or food animals, and we're going to spend some time getting to know them! This week I figured I'd start with the pretty straightforward one. Probably the first thing anyone thinks of when someone says the word 'domestication' is dogs, right?" He moved his hand to the side, his palm resting lightly on the head of a sheltie-type breed who was sitting very politely beside him. "At some point in time, people took a look at an apex predator and said, 'hey, I want to have that wolf as part of the family.' And so... dogs!"

There you go, kids. That was your history lesson. Zack gestured with his free hand toward the playpen.

"We're going to take things pretty easy today," and every other day, "so let's do introductions. Your name, any animal allergies if you have them, why you took this class. And if you aren't allergic to dogs, you can totally introduce yourself while playing with them. They don't get nearly enough love or affection, really."

They got so, so much.

[OOC: Open!]

Comments

Sign In!

[puppy_fair]

Like PUPPIES.

Re: Sign In!

[hourtohour_notetonote]

Simon Spier

Re: Sign In!

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Prince Sidon

Re: Sign In!

[intotheout]

Gratuity Tucci

Lecture!

[puppy_fair]

This is not going to be the most educational biology class you've ever had.

But at least there are puppies!

Re: Lecture!

[hourtohour_notetonote]

Simon just kind of... snagged the nearest squirming puppy and buried his face into its fur.

All of a sudden, he was homesick; he was sure that Bieber was heartbroken without him.

Play With the Puppies!

[puppy_fair]

And, uh, introduce yourself. Name, animal allergies, why you're in this class.

But mostly play with the puppies.

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[intotheout]

Oh yeah, Tip was right in there with the puppies.

"I'm Tip," she said, since 'informal' seemed to be the name of the game in this class. "As far as I know I don't have any animal allergies, and honestly, I signed up hoping to get to do exactly this."

'This' being sitting on the floor while several puppies climbed over each other trying for the chance to lick her nose.

Living the dream right here.

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[puppy_fair]

"Hi, Tip," Zack said, grinning brightly. "I'm glad the first class isn't disappointing. Are there any other animals you're hoping to learn about?"

'Learn about.'

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[intotheout]

"I'm pretty easy," Tip said. "I'd be interested in them all. I grew up a city girl, so I've only really met dogs and cats." And koobish. "And one lion. But those were extenuating circumstances."

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[hourtohour_notetonote]

"So..." Simon said, sidling up to Tip. "What are your thoughts on pets in the dorm?"

Just, y'know. An idle question. No reason.

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[intotheout]

"If you clean up after it and it doesn't try to eat Bill, I'm fine with it," Tip said. "We've got a cat and a really large dog back home, so I'm pretty used to having a couple animals around."

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Puppies, yes!

And these puppies already knew Sidon, too!

Sidon was just going to sit there with a blissful smile on his face as he let the puppies climb all over him, slightly confused maybe because this wasn't where they usually got to climb all over him, but who were they to complain.

And for once, he didn't go for his usual introduction, but the grin at the end was there. He just couldn't fist pump when there was a puppy in his arm.

It was a very worthy sacrifice to make, indeed.

"I am Sidon! The Zora Prince! And I took this class because I am so intrigued by all the animals on this world, and I would love to learn more, and of course, I know Zack is quite knowledgeable," apparently, knowledge and enthusiasm were the same thing in this case, "about such things, so I knew I could trust him to give a rousing and exciting experience!"

And he had not been wrong so far!

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[puppy_fair]

Zack grinned sheepishly.

"A lot of what I'll be teaching the class is going to be things the Tuesday vet at the shelter told me," he admitted.

You know, big scientific points like, 'dogs came from wolves.'

"But I hope this semester is everything you hope it is!"

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[hourtohour_notetonote]

When it was his turn, Simon somewhat reluctantly pulled his face away from his puppy and looked up. "I'm Simon," he said, "and I'm not allergic to anything, as far as I know. Maybe something exotic, like an emu? I dunno, I've never seen one in person before."

Scritching his adorable puppy behind the ears, he added, "And I signed up to learn about animals, so... This is pretty much perfect."

And that would be him burying his face in the puppy again. Hope you don't mind being a pillow, puppy!

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[puppy_fair]

"Hi, Simon," Zack said, smiling over at him. Awww, they were friends! "Be sure to let me know if you ever need to leave the room because of a reaction to anything new, okay? I won't keep you at all."

There was a moment's pause before he added, "And I work Tuesdays at the animal shelter, if you're ever feeling puppy deprived. They always need people to come play with them."

He could see you getting all emotional on that little buddy, Simon.

Re: Play With the Puppies!

[hourtohour_notetonote]

"I will, uh, keep that in mind," Simon said, although this time it was a little muffled. "Thank you."

Talk to Zack!

[puppy_fair]

And his dog, Girl. She is a very good Girl.

Re: Talk to Zack!

[intraspective]

Of course Ino was going to show up when it was Zack's first class ever.

"Hey," she said cheerfully, leaning in the door. "You and the puppies all good?"

Re: Talk to Zack!

[puppy_fair]

"Every single puppy is well and accounted for," Zack laughed, straightening up from his own puppy pile to give Ino a cheerful wave. "You're welcome to come join us! We have a wiggly bunch in here today."

Re: Talk to Zack!

[intraspective]

"Oh, I don't know," Ino mused, wandering over to grin down at all of the puppies, including Zack. "All of you together might be too much for me."

Re: Talk to Zack!

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Zack! Hello!" said Sidon, even though they clearly head already greeted each other earlier in the class, but whatever. "Excellent class, just as I suspected it would be! But may I ask if you need any assistance getting our wonderful furry visitors back home? I figured it would make sense for me to offer, as I'll be going in for my shift now."

Re: Talk to Zack!

[puppy_fair]

"Oh! Actually, that would be great," Zack replied, smiling brightly as he ushered a couple of pups into one of the waiting carriers. "If you wouldn't mind helping me move the animals both ways, even better. Sooner or later I'm going to have to bring something extra squirmy, you know?"

Somehow more squirmy than puppies. They probably existed.

Re: Talk to Zack!

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"It would be my honor!" Sidon announced. "And my pleasure! Truly, the least I can do, and it might make the animals feel better to be transported by someone already fairly familiar to them. I know, if anything, when you do a lesson on felines," and he had better be doing one on felines!, "I can get some of those little fellas to follow me anywhere."

Because they wanted to try to eat him, but...semantics.

OOC!

[puppy_fair]

I was all worried about what sort of important information I was going to share about dogs.

And then I remembered that this is a Zack class.