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

I

[dormition]

[Minato is quite happy to talk to just about anyone, but he's admittedly a little off his game this week with how crazy the month has been, from start to finish. First bad, then good, so at least it's looking up, but even he gets worn down eventually.

It's near impossible to tell from looking at him, though. He'd reused his Halloween costume here: an old 1920's inspired noir style suit with faint, delicate pinstripes. He's ditched the suspenders and gone without a tie but otherwise looks respectable enough for his age. He's neat, well-put-together if unremarkable. Mostly he's been lounging around taking everything in with his hands in his pockets, taking advantage of the food but otherwise just a quiet spectator, listening to anyone who wants to talk.

But he is curious about the organization, and he's slunk over to peruse the materials. Talking to the woman of the hour-- if she's giving the opening speech she must be in charge of something, he suspects-- is a step better.]

Yes. I didn't realize we had something like this. Did you start it recently? [Just going to make the assumption here that it was her; he's not shy.]

[blahnik]

We did. [ it may be her brainchild, but she would not be where she is now working alone. claire clasps her hands neatly in front of her. ]

We're in our beginning stages and with great hopes for the future. Is there something that caught your interest?

[ her gentle way of probing whether this is someone merely curious or one of their target group. ]

[dormition]

I guess... just that I'm happy it exists. One of my teammates who was brought here is a dog. We have one at home that's a robot. Picturing Aigis showing up without anyone else, it'd be nice to think someone would look after her.

[Not that Aigis needs looking after exactly, but Minato does feel very protective of her, and depending on where she'd been taken from along the timeline, she'd need more or less help fitting in with human society.]

[blahnik]

[ claire's expression softens to sympathy. ]

It was a void that needed filling. Our hope is this goes some way toward doing just that. A major part is raising awareness. Not only for those individuals to know that help exists, but for the rest to see they can lend a hand and have the opportunity to do so.

[dormition]

[December has been a long month already for Minato, coming on the heels of plenty of other wearying events, and of course the way he reacts to that is by wanting new things to do. He's already been thinking he should quit his job; he'll have to anyway once he graduates, right? Ten months somewhere is probably enough... he's been getting bored with it.

He still looks as calm as ever, but he asks without preamble,] What are you looking for help with?

[blahnik]

That depends on what you can do. And -- how old are you?

[ age might be relative, but she draws the line at hiring anyone under sixteen. ]

[dormition]

I'm eighteen. Though, I guess I'll be nineteen soon. [Switching school systems from Japan to America has complicated his high school life a little bit, but still, it is his birthday coming up.

Pause.] It's probably easier to say what you're looking for. I don't mind doing almost anything.

[blahnik]

Well, it is mostly volunteer-driven. So a lot of the tasks depend on what needs to get done.

[ picking up a pamphlet, claire folds it open to the correct page and hands it to him. ]

That'll give you some idea of the jobs. The requirements are listed, as well as our contact information. If you're interested, just call during the day to ask for a meeting.

[dormition]

[He accepts it and looks it over, skimming, then looks up again and nods.]

I will. I don't want to take up your time here. You must be busy.

[blahnik]

Not at all. [ she is, but there is no indication of it in her smile. ]

If you have any questions, just ask. Enjoy the evening.

[dormition]

Thank you.

[Minato certainly isn't one to mince words or continue a conversation past where it should naturally end. He plays the long game in making friends; his persistence is the patient sort. And she really is busy, and he really is polite.

So he takes the brochure home and does as instructed, contacting her later...]