mingle; night at the museum

[blahnik]

WHO: everyone and anyone!
WHERE: museum of natural history at de chima
WHEN: december 29th, 8pm
WHAT: the gala event of the season! you don't want to miss it.

The museum has gone all out. From the banners hung outside announcing the gala, to the interior transformed into a delicate winter landscape. The entrance hall, the almost unrecognizable main exhibition gallery, they've all been painted over in white, blue and violet. even the centerpieces evoke the chill of snow.

On stage, decorative white trees line the sides. In the center is a white podium. Soft music filters through the air while everyone finds their tables. At eight PM promptly, the doors close, and Claire mounts the stage.

“Good evening. My name is Claire Dearing, Curator-in-Charge of the Paleontology Department. And on behalf of everyone here at the Museum of Natural History, I bid you welcome to our Night of 3.5 Billion Stars.”

She pauses, allowing a short moment for applause, clearly at ease speaking before a crowd.

“It is estimated that 3.5 billion years ago life began on this planet. Through the eons, Earth has been home to innumerable species. Many flourished. Those that did were the ones most able to adapt: to their environment, to the presence of other species.

“Today, we are one among millions of species, and we all depend on one another. And thanks to the Porter,” Claire walks toward the left side of the stage, “we have the honor of encountering species born on a very different planet from ours — including a much older Earth.”

A helper off-stage opens a cage. Catching her by the hand as if she were a human toddler, Claire leads an infant Tyrannosaurus rex toward the podium. Once settled at the top, the T. rex scans her surroundings. Her eyes glimmer a faint yellow.

“This is Ripley,” Claire continues, a hand on the dinosaur's back. “She is five-months old, and she has already made contributions to the fields of paleontology, evolutionary biology, and genetics. Whether we come from a different city, a different country or a different planet,” Claire holds out her hand, and Ripley nuzzles into her palm, crooning softly, “there is much we can learn from one another.

“All funds from tonight’s event will go towards SELF, assisting those individuals of a different species new to this Earth. And now, sit tight as we take a trip through Earth’s rich natural history,“ Claire smiles down at Ripley who visibly perks up, “and meet many of the species that made it so.”

As the lights darken, Claire and Ripley both exit the stage. What follows is a show from the beginning of life in the oceans to the colonization of land and the specialization to every region of earth. The stars projected onto the ceiling change position as millennia pass by the minute. The disguised sound system brings to life the whispering of leaves in a forest and the crashing of waves on the coast. And if some of the displays seem very lifelike? Well, the night is magic.

Try to catch one of the ancient fishes and trilobites "swimming" through the air. Scream when a Deinonychus fossil leaps atop the stage out of seemingly nowhere. Don’t flinch when an Archaeopteryx lands on you for a brief respite. A woolly mammoth strolls one circuit around the exhibition hall. Laugh at the polar bear cubs stumbling playfully after their mother, and marvel at the power of a leopard as it pounces on its prey and carries it off. Life in its many forms, from the distant past to the remarkable present.

After the show is over, it’s time for dinner. The music starts up again. Mingle at the bar. Dance. And take photographs with the animals and fossils that linger. A museum guide is on hand at each to answer questions ( and prevent anyone from stealing the smaller individuals and riding the larger ones. ) A Triceratops and giant sloth, in particular, are very friendly.

( NOTE: threads started in this log can count towards january ac. just remember to note this somewhere when you fill out ac then. :'> )

Comments

[blahnik]

Don't you look lovely!

[ taking a break from greeting the new arrivals, claire strolls toward max. standing next to her, claire twitches the short train of her gown back where none can accidentally step on it. she folds her hands neatly in front of her, and shares a conspiratorial smile with max. ]

Excited?

[timecapture]

Oh!

[Max gives a slight start at that, having already been taking pictures inside her head. The lighting here was promising, and there were several shots she'd already had lined up.]

Thank you! You look great, too.

[Giving a sincere smile, she nods.]

I am! [Also nervous, but it wouldn't be professional to mention that.]

[blahnik]

Good. You're going to do fine. [ claire tips her head with a reassuring smile. ]

And if you get nervous, [ she jokes, ] just remember: you have the power to take some very unflattering pictures of the people here.

[timecapture]

Thank you. [Really, she ought to be used to this sort of thing by now. Claire had liked her portfolio. She had to, or else she wouldn't have hired Max for the occasion, as big as this was.]

That's true. I should keep that in mind. [Joking aside, of course, there was no chance of Max doing that; the photographer in her simply wouldn't let that happen.]

[blahnik]

There you go. [ and onto business. ]

Are you familiar with the VIP guests?

[timecapture]

Not yet. [But she has the feeling she's about to be.]

[blahnik]

[ that is a very accurate feeling. ]

Okay. They're going to be seated in front so they'll be easy to find. Try to get several good shots of those tables. But there are a couple —

[ claire points out the more important ones: a network president, the host of an evening talk show, among others. ]

At least those are the ones here now. Okay?

[timecapture]

Okay.

[Max fingers her camera, already preparing it.]

I'll make sure to get some good ones.

[blahnik]

I'm looking forward to them.

[ claire pulls the hem of her dress, tugging the train around so she won't step on it. ]

I'll see you inside. [ a flash of a grin, ] Have fun.

[timecapture]

I will. You, too. And good luck!

[With that, Max takes a deep breath and readies herself. I can do this.

But... she does get a picture of Claire, just for the hell of it. Besides, the way she's turning, all elegance and poise, makes for the perfect shot.]