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fandomhigh2020-03-26 03:44 am
arboreal_priestess) wrote in fandomhigh2020-03-26 03:44 am
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The Cryptozoologist's Field Guide, Thursday, Per 2
The Danger Shop today was set up to resemble a marshy wetland, with Verity and Liam standing in front of a small pond and several tables set up nearby.
"There are some cryptids out there lucky enough to not be actively hunted, either by those interested in eradication or those who are in it for sport," Liam began. "The fricken is one such group of creatures. While I'm sure that those who consider cryptids 'unnatural' would not hesitate to kill one if they came across it, they're considered inoffensive enough not to be worth actively hunting down. Likewise, sport hunters don't find them enough of a challenge, and they're too small to make impressive trophies," he rolled his eyes.
"But that doesn't mean they don't present their own issues or their own challenges for a cryptozoologist," Verity continued, "even when they're within their own ecospheres and ecological niches. In fact, some of these little guys represent the most dire threat of all: discovery."
A gesture and the marsh was filled with the sound of peeping frog noises. And onto each of the tables jumped several different frogs, each with distinctively colored and patterned feathers. "Like the furry fish and barnacle geese, one of the least offensive creatures is the fricken, a whole Order of feathered frogs, Anuraves, or bird-frogs. Sometimes scientific naming isn't all that creative." And then Verity's great-grandmother had come around and unilaterally declared them frickens. "Their general body structure is froglike and they go through lifecycle metamorphosis like frogs do, but their bones are hollow, their tadpoles can breathe air, and are covered in a soft down that eventually matures into proper feathers as they age."
One of the frickens jumped from the table - and didn't land, not before traveling several feet further than one would otherwise expect.
"Oh and they can do that," Verity added wryly. "It's gliding, not proper flying, but it's still quite startling if you don't expect it."
"Especially if you 'don't expect it' to the face," Liam felt compelled to add.
Not that he knew from personal experience.
"Your task today," he continued, as a box appeared on each table, each a jumble of feathers of all different sorts of colors and patterns. "Is to sort through these fricken feathers and place them accordingly." Maybe the live specimens (minus the one that had already flown- er, glided- off) would even stay put long enough to make that task relatively uncomplicated?
… Ahahaha, no, probably not.
"Try to figure out how many different fricken subspecies there are by the different types of feathers there are," Verity added. Not all parts of a cryptozoologist's job were exciting, kids, sorry. "And how something as small and innocent as the fricken here might be the reason cryptids are discovered within the next few years." She gave them a small smile. "Here's a clue: local frog populations are dying off due to a weird fungal infection. But the frickens seem unbothered. Why and why is this a cause for concern?"
"There are some cryptids out there lucky enough to not be actively hunted, either by those interested in eradication or those who are in it for sport," Liam began. "The fricken is one such group of creatures. While I'm sure that those who consider cryptids 'unnatural' would not hesitate to kill one if they came across it, they're considered inoffensive enough not to be worth actively hunting down. Likewise, sport hunters don't find them enough of a challenge, and they're too small to make impressive trophies," he rolled his eyes.
"But that doesn't mean they don't present their own issues or their own challenges for a cryptozoologist," Verity continued, "even when they're within their own ecospheres and ecological niches. In fact, some of these little guys represent the most dire threat of all: discovery."
A gesture and the marsh was filled with the sound of peeping frog noises. And onto each of the tables jumped several different frogs, each with distinctively colored and patterned feathers. "Like the furry fish and barnacle geese, one of the least offensive creatures is the fricken, a whole Order of feathered frogs, Anuraves, or bird-frogs. Sometimes scientific naming isn't all that creative." And then Verity's great-grandmother had come around and unilaterally declared them frickens. "Their general body structure is froglike and they go through lifecycle metamorphosis like frogs do, but their bones are hollow, their tadpoles can breathe air, and are covered in a soft down that eventually matures into proper feathers as they age."
One of the frickens jumped from the table - and didn't land, not before traveling several feet further than one would otherwise expect.
"Oh and they can do that," Verity added wryly. "It's gliding, not proper flying, but it's still quite startling if you don't expect it."
"Especially if you 'don't expect it' to the face," Liam felt compelled to add.
Not that he knew from personal experience.
"Your task today," he continued, as a box appeared on each table, each a jumble of feathers of all different sorts of colors and patterns. "Is to sort through these fricken feathers and place them accordingly." Maybe the live specimens (minus the one that had already flown- er, glided- off) would even stay put long enough to make that task relatively uncomplicated?
… Ahahaha, no, probably not.
"Try to figure out how many different fricken subspecies there are by the different types of feathers there are," Verity added. Not all parts of a cryptozoologist's job were exciting, kids, sorry. "And how something as small and innocent as the fricken here might be the reason cryptids are discovered within the next few years." She gave them a small smile. "Here's a clue: local frog populations are dying off due to a weird fungal infection. But the frickens seem unbothered. Why and why is this a cause for concern?"
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