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]

Right. The volunteer. I remember.

[ she catches his hand in a firm, brief shake. ]

I'm Claire. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for helping; it means a lot.

[resipiscent]

Nah, that's...

[Helping. That's always been Sora's forte, not his, but... he likes to do what he can, even so.]

... Don't worry about it. Your dinosaur is cute, by the way.

[blahnik]

When she's not terrorizing my pillows, she is, [ she jokes. ]

Have you been enjoying yourself?

[resipiscent]

Yeah, it's not bad. I... don't really do that well with crowds, but I thought I should at least stick around to see the presentation.

[Riku quirks a smile after a moment.]

Also, there was the promise of dinner.

[blahnik]

[ she laughs. ]

It's not a promise when it's paid for.

[resipiscent]

Well, okay. Fine, in that case, I just anticipated food.

[Semantics.]

You've done a good job, though. Can I ask about the... animals?

[blahnik]

What would you like to know?

[resipiscent]

That's magic, right? [That's how they smelled, anyway.]

[blahnik]

The fossils are real. But yeah, [ she nods, ] it is magic moving them.

Pretty amazing the first time you see it.

[resipiscent]

It is, huh? Do you guys have that sort of thing at home? Magic, I mean.

[Riku knows someone like Merlin or Yen Sid could do a spell like this one -- but it seems like such advanced magic, especially compared to his own offensive spells, that it's still pretty awe-inspiring.]

[blahnik]

No. Magic isn't real. [ not argumentative, simply stating a fact. ]

[resipiscent]

Mm. Must be weird to come here and run into it, then, isn't it?

[blahnik]

[ wryly, ] Less than you would think.

Fiction is almost as strange as truth.

[resipiscent]

[He smiles, though it's a little subdued.]

You don't have to convince me. I know all about that.

[blahnik]

If you care to brave the lines, I recommend the Triceratops. [ claire points to the living fossil. ] She's sweet, a little playful. Don't hang anything on her horn or you might lose it.

[ with a smile, she sweeps backward. ] Excuse me, [ she bids politely in good-bye. ]