Today's Guest - Snowball

[azure_mercy]

[OOC: Millitimed, like, way back to early fall.]

Zhaan leads the children into the garden for the day's biology lesson. It's their first field trip - hopefully the first of many, if it goes well.

"Snowball?" she calls. He was supposed to meet them here, but she doesn't see him. "I've brought the children here."

Comments

[scapepig]

"Well we were a mixture of all sorts of animals. I personally use my teeth and trotters, or charge straight at the enemy."

Small sigh. "I used to anyway. I have arthritis in both knees these days, slows me down a bit."

[smallestopener]

"I didn't know pigs had sharp teeth. I don't know what trotters are. I use a sword, a bow and arrow, and hand-to-hand when I practice fighting."

[scapepig]

Snowball shows her his teeth. And then holds up a trotter, with difficulty.
He's a bit stiff at the knees.

He squints at her. "You look mighty little to be waving sharp implements around. They must have got you trained up young."

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"It's one of her other classes," Zhaan explains.

[smallestopener]

"I've taken sword fighting lessons since I was six. I'm eight now. I'm quite good for my age, and when I go to Valdemar when I'm twelve, I'll be the best Herald-in-training ever."

[scapepig]

"Congratulations." Snowball says with a twinkle in his eye. Then looking at Gavroche. "And is this young gentleman your brother?"

[street-sparrow.livejournal.com]

Gavroche nods stoutly.

"I'm Gavroche. Did your revolution work?"

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

Zhaan looks a bit uncomfortable and shoots an apologetic look at Snowball. But it's not her way to dissuade someone from asking questions: how to handle this one is up to Snowball himself.

[scapepig]

"Not at first, no. But that was many years ago now, and things have improved. I am leaving here soon to become Minister of Animal Relations."

He twitches an ear. "Very few revolutions work immediately. With drastic reform comes difference in opinion of how to do it."

[smallestopener]

Ingress isn't too terribly sure about how revolutions work, but she understands about things improving.

"Things are better in London Below now, too, but there wasn't a revolution. Door and Tom helped make things better by getting people to listen to them."

[scapepig]

"That in itself is an achievement."

[street-sparrow.livejournal.com]

"I was in a revolution once", Gavroche contributes. "But it didn't get very far."

[scapepig]

"That's a shame. What were you trying to revolutionise?" Snowball asks kindly.

[street-sparrow.livejournal.com]

"France", is the cheerful answer. "It was in Paris."

[scapepig]

"All of it?" Snowball enquires, with a hint of amusement.

[street-sparrow.livejournal.com]

Gavroche does not approve of the amusement. It's too close to patronising.

"Yes", he insists. "I wasn't by myself, it was a real revolution. Against the government."

[scapepig]

"I beg your pardon comrade." Snowball says, curbing his amusement.

"Now, I believe comrade Zhaan said this was a biology lesson, not that I'm at all unhappy to talk about politics."

[smallestopener]

"We can learn about two things at once. We're smart."

She's already learned about trotters, so hey! The lesson is a success!

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"Yes, you are," Zhaan chuckles, "but we are getting a little off subject." She leans down and whispers to the children: "Ask him about what he eats."

[smallestopener]

"What do you like to eat?"

[scapepig]

"I am an omnivore, which means I can eat more or less anything that constitutes food. Mostly I eat plant material; I do not eat animal products more as an ethical choice than because my digestive system would not tolerate it."

[smallestopener]

"What kind of plants do you like the best?"

She is envisioning Snowball grazing on hay and oats, similar to horses and horse-shaped creatures she knows.

[scapepig]

"I'm rather partial to potatoes and other root vegetables, but will eat grains if they are what is available."

[smallestopener]

"Do you cook them in the kitchen or do you eat them from the ground?"

[scapepig]

I wat them raw usually, but I don't mind them cooked.