Fandom High School

The desks have been arranged into a semi-circle today. The silver tea/coffee set and petit fores are back as well.

"Good afternoon students. Today you will give your final presentations in front of the class. I'm very pleased with the progress you've all made. Very pleased. So there's no reason at all to be nervous about presenting infront of myself and your classmates."

Mary smiled at the class.

"So... Who would like to be first?"

[[ooc: Open. Please give the grade you think your character should get when you sign in. A *handwavy* description of your project is fine. The point of the class is to have fun, not to cause stress. Post is considered open until Wed only for plottish reasons.]]

What? You think that just because the teacher and more then a few of her students were kidnapped and/or involved in a complicated and violent rescue attempt that there isn't going to be a creature languages class?

You've got another think comming.

It's going to take more then two days of imprisonment without food, water, or proper toilet facilities to make Mary Poppins miss a day of work.

There is, however, a large tea service set off to one side. Coffee, tea, and a large variety of pettifores set out to one side.

Once the students had what they wanted to eat and drink, Mary addressed the class.

"Well, I'm glad to see you all here after this past weekend. I'm just going to say that I'm very pleased with you how you all handled yourselves. Even Ranma, who thought about using diapers as a weapon. Which actually isn't all that unbelievable if I were to stop and think about it which I won't because... ew.

Normally, this would be a review class, but you all did very well with Penguin, and we... Unfortunately, had to skip Spider so... This is a free period. You may review any language you like if you are so inclined.

Please be aware, however, that the next session you will all start work on your final project. This will be a presentation of some sort in the language, or languages, of your choice. You may do this alone or in groups of no more then four.

So you may want to start thinking about that now. Otherwise. The period is yours."

[[ooc: please wait for OCD open!

Once the class was settled, Mary addressed the class.

"Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are an order of aquatic, flightless birds living exclusively in the extreme Southern Hemisphere. Penguins communicate by vocalizing and performing physical behaviors called displays.They use many vocal and visual displays to communicate nesting territories, matinginformation, nest relief rituals, partner and chick recognition, and defense againstintruders Penguin calls (vocalizations) are individually identifiable, allowing partners torecognize each other and also their chick. This is important since the members of a largecolony of penguins are nearly indistinguishable on sight

As it states in the packets you handwavey recieved, There are three main kinds of penguin calls.
a. The contact call is usually used at sea to assist in visual recognition of colony members. The contact call of emperor and king penguins can be heard one kilometer (0.6 mi.) away
b. The display call is the most complex of all the calls and is used between partners in a colony. The call must convey information on territorial, sexual, and individual recognition
c. The threat call is the simplest and is used to defend a territory and warn against predators.

This may seem rather limited, but the combination of vocal and visual cues can make for a very complex vocabulary as I'm sure you'll discover talking to our guest speaker.

His name is Popper."

//No relation.// Popper said with a wink.

[[ooc: Information from Wikipedia and SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Information Database. Please wait for OCD. Open! In case you're wondering, the penguin is from here... Or rather, 5:33 into that.]]

Mary stands in front of the students' desks as usuall as the children file in. The less usual thing about today is that the whiteboard, and much of the front of the classroom is blocked by very large, and very sad looking, dragon. Aside from being curled up and on the verge of tears, it looks like your classic Welsh Dragon. Except that he has two tails, and, instead of being red, is a deep twilight blue with sparkling dots and lines over various parts of his body. The pattern of these dots and lines might be familiar.

"Good afternoon. I trust you've all been over your handwavey delivered packets with vocabulary and information on Draconis noblis. Despite the obvious differences the physiology of most varieties of dragons are very similar to that of serpents, which we have already covered. So I will not repeat myself. I trust you all took good notes the first time." Mary explained. "Draconis noblis are found all over the world... Or rather not found but certainly known. There are many different varieties of dragon and they all communicate in an equally rich variety of ways. However, there is a common language known to all dragons, as dragons are common to all cultures. And that's what we'll be learning today."

"Traditionally, in the formal use of the language, Draconic is spoken in rhyming couplets. If you don't know what a 'couplet' is, please check your packet. It would be best to practice the formal structure, however, our guest speaker will not be insulted if you do not." Mary said, gesturing to the dragon behind her. At which point the creature gave a small sob.

( Do you need a moment? )

[[ooc: please wait for OCD OPEN! Dragon's dialogue is from Chapter 7, "The Evening Out", of "Mary Poppins Comes Back" by P.L. Travers.]]

As her students would be *handwavy* aware from the attached note when they *handwavy* received their vocabulary packets on Feline Languages, Mary will be making herself available to visitors in her classroom today and in her office over the weekend.

As a result, she is sitting in the classroom knitting. There is a lovely spread of tea and tea sandwiches set out.

The door is open.

Good little students who reviewed the handwavy now regularly but still mysteriously delivered packets might expect to see a snake as this week's guest speaker. However, as the students enter they will notice Mary Poppins standing next to the biggest snake they possibly have ever seen. The front third of its body is standing upright, tall enough to be looking Mary Poppins in the eye and conversing with her.

It appears to be a cobra, those who are very familiar with snakes will recognize it as a King Cobra, also known as a Hamadryad.

Students who already speak Parseltongue and who listen into the conversation hear the two of them making plans to meet at the Zoo the next time Mary's birthday is on a full moon.

Once all the students are settled Mary and the Hamadryad both turn to gaze at the class. It is possibly a little off putting how alike those gazes are.

( I would like you all to meet my cousin... )

[[ooc: Please wait for OCD OPEN!]

There is a sign on the door to Mary's classroom that students are to gather in the park today.