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fandomhigh2020-01-16 02:23 am
arboreal_priestess) wrote in fandomhigh2020-01-16 02:23 am
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The Cryptozoologist's Field Guide, Thursday, Per 2
There had been a lot of discussion with the office staff, particularly the moose (who seemed to take point in most discussions with the teaching staff, for some reason), regarding Liam and Verity's class topic for this semester. Because, quite frankly, it would be difficult to pull off (safely) without involving the Danger Shop for a number of the classes they had in mind.
And after last semester, well. They'd needed the assurance that the Danger Shop would cooperate. While they did have plans to eventually have the students deal with cryptids live and in person, it wouldn't be until after they'd proven themselves capable of interacting with them and not dying.
Verity wasn't sure what was said or done (or if her threat to go after the room with an axe and then set fire to the remains had been at all involved), but they'd gotten a promise that the Danger Shop wouldn't act up. 'Mostly.' That 'mostly' still had Verity side-eyeing it, but she supposed that was the best guarantee they could get.
"So," Liam said, once everyone had arrived. "We figured for your first interaction with cryptids, we'd start you off with something cute and easy."
One of those things was true.
"Today, we're talking about lesser griffins and their Australian counterparts, the garrinna." Verity held out her arm. Moments later a creature the size of a corgi landed on her outstretched forearm; it had the foreparts of a raven, the hindparts of a Maine coon, and, though the class couldn't tell upon seeing it, the mind of an imp from the depths of hell.
Much like most cats, really.
"While greater griffins have been hunted to extinction, several species of lesser griffins still exist in the wild, though their numbers are dwindling," she continued. "We have recorded about twenty known species in the wild, though eight have also gone extinct. North America has four confirmed species that have made their homes here, with unconfirmed sightings of several more. As with most non-sapient cryptid species, most people will only encounter lesser griffins by accident. Development has destroyed much of their habitats, leaving them to scavenge for food in areas where humans populate. Some people do keep them as pets, which is both very brave and also stupid, because lesser griffins are intelligent and are known for being able to figure out locks and simple mechanism and will absolutely get into your fridge or garbage can."
"The garrinna, meanwhile, is proof that cryptid species are not exempt from the phenomena of convergent evolution," Liam continued. "As they too have foreparts that resemble those of a bird and hindparts that look kind of cat-like. Unlike the lesser griffin, however, garrinna are marsupial, meaning that the mother bears live young that are nursed in her pouch for… about two months?" he glanced over at Verity for confirmation. As he spoke, a creature that looked as if it were part galah, part thylacine, slunk out from… somewhere… and surveyed the class with an air of affected disinterest. "We don't know a lot about them, because, well, Australia. Almost everything we do know is thanks to a handful of specimens that had been imported to North America from Australia, all of which ended up escaping captivity rather quickly, and unfortunately, they were not prepared to survive in the wild of an unfamiliar environment."
"As a tip, kids, don't bring species into a new and unnatural environment," Verity said with a sigh. "It's generally bad for everything in the ecosystem when they inevitably escape. Anyway, Griffins and garinna are both mammals, for all that they partially resemble birds, and their feathers are made of keratin, the same way hair is, but isn't exactly either. By all rights, griffins shouldn't be able to fly, as they don't have hollow bones and they do have dense muscles, but screw physics, they're half cat, half bird, they do what they want. Which brings us to today's lesson." She grinned at them, and sent the griffin on her arm up in the air as the Danger Shop shifted into a decent-sized trailer park around them. "Today, your job is to try to round up all the griffins and get them away from human habitation. Good luck!"
"There's gloves and goggles here if you think you might need 'em," Liam said, in a dry tone that suggested it would be highly advisable. Sure, the scratches and bites would only be simulated ones that would fade as soon as the program ended, but it was best to get into good habits before graduating to dealing with real live cryptids.
And after last semester, well. They'd needed the assurance that the Danger Shop would cooperate. While they did have plans to eventually have the students deal with cryptids live and in person, it wouldn't be until after they'd proven themselves capable of interacting with them and not dying.
Verity wasn't sure what was said or done (or if her threat to go after the room with an axe and then set fire to the remains had been at all involved), but they'd gotten a promise that the Danger Shop wouldn't act up. 'Mostly.' That 'mostly' still had Verity side-eyeing it, but she supposed that was the best guarantee they could get.
"So," Liam said, once everyone had arrived. "We figured for your first interaction with cryptids, we'd start you off with something cute and easy."
One of those things was true.
"Today, we're talking about lesser griffins and their Australian counterparts, the garrinna." Verity held out her arm. Moments later a creature the size of a corgi landed on her outstretched forearm; it had the foreparts of a raven, the hindparts of a Maine coon, and, though the class couldn't tell upon seeing it, the mind of an imp from the depths of hell.
Much like most cats, really.
"While greater griffins have been hunted to extinction, several species of lesser griffins still exist in the wild, though their numbers are dwindling," she continued. "We have recorded about twenty known species in the wild, though eight have also gone extinct. North America has four confirmed species that have made their homes here, with unconfirmed sightings of several more. As with most non-sapient cryptid species, most people will only encounter lesser griffins by accident. Development has destroyed much of their habitats, leaving them to scavenge for food in areas where humans populate. Some people do keep them as pets, which is both very brave and also stupid, because lesser griffins are intelligent and are known for being able to figure out locks and simple mechanism and will absolutely get into your fridge or garbage can."
"The garrinna, meanwhile, is proof that cryptid species are not exempt from the phenomena of convergent evolution," Liam continued. "As they too have foreparts that resemble those of a bird and hindparts that look kind of cat-like. Unlike the lesser griffin, however, garrinna are marsupial, meaning that the mother bears live young that are nursed in her pouch for… about two months?" he glanced over at Verity for confirmation. As he spoke, a creature that looked as if it were part galah, part thylacine, slunk out from… somewhere… and surveyed the class with an air of affected disinterest. "We don't know a lot about them, because, well, Australia. Almost everything we do know is thanks to a handful of specimens that had been imported to North America from Australia, all of which ended up escaping captivity rather quickly, and unfortunately, they were not prepared to survive in the wild of an unfamiliar environment."
"As a tip, kids, don't bring species into a new and unnatural environment," Verity said with a sigh. "It's generally bad for everything in the ecosystem when they inevitably escape. Anyway, Griffins and garinna are both mammals, for all that they partially resemble birds, and their feathers are made of keratin, the same way hair is, but isn't exactly either. By all rights, griffins shouldn't be able to fly, as they don't have hollow bones and they do have dense muscles, but screw physics, they're half cat, half bird, they do what they want. Which brings us to today's lesson." She grinned at them, and sent the griffin on her arm up in the air as the Danger Shop shifted into a decent-sized trailer park around them. "Today, your job is to try to round up all the griffins and get them away from human habitation. Good luck!"
"There's gloves and goggles here if you think you might need 'em," Liam said, in a dry tone that suggested it would be highly advisable. Sure, the scratches and bites would only be simulated ones that would fade as soon as the program ended, but it was best to get into good habits before graduating to dealing with real live cryptids.