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 Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 3:41 pm
This museum, located in Manhattan's Upper West Side across the street from Central Park, was founded in 1869 and averages about five million visitors every year, meaning it is definitely a famous part of the city.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:28 pm
Ally had moved into the center of the large room. Or... as close to the center as she could get... then carefully turned her head over to look at something on the far wall. Subtly glancing back to the door as she did so. The boy had been walking out, so she wasn't really expecting him to come back in. But...she smiled to herself when she found that he had in fact walked back in. Calmly, she turned her head back around as though she hadn't noticed him walk back in. A small smile still curled around her lips. At least now she had something to do while she waited on Morgan....
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:39 pm
Steven walked back into the building; it was the second floor, as the main entrance led to it, and they were in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda. Steve looked up at the large display of two fossil skeletons: A barosaurus rearing up on it's hind legs to protect it's young against an allosaurus.
Not knowing where the pretty brown-haired girl had gone to (but assuming it would have been a ticket desk to buy a ticket), he stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around. A small ID on his shirt showed that he was an employee of the place.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:49 pm
After fighting with herself over spending the money on a ticket or a taxi ride later, Ally finally decided upon trying to find the cutie. So, she surrendered what money she had saved for a cab, grabbed her tiny bit of paper, then made her way through the museum. She could always just walk back home with Morgan...it would be easier to openly talk that way anyway. With a smile, and a bit of pep to her step, Ally brushed by the displays on the first floor. They were interesting enough...but she was more interested in listening to an accent than staring at some old bones or paintings. Upon finally coming to the room Steven was in, Ally's smile grew a bit larger. Calmly, and as casually as she could, the girl strode into the room. Glancing around at the displays with mild interest...as to not make it look like she'd come into the room just to see the boy again.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:56 pm
By the time Steven was reunited with the brown-haired girl, he was already back on the fourth floor-- The Dinosaur Halls, where he worked. He could have easily worked in any of the exhibits, but, perhaps due to fate's weird sense of irony, he was working in the Milstein Hall of Advanced Mammals... Where there were remains of saber-toothed cats.
"Ah, hello," he said with a small, bashful smile as Ally approached the Irish Elk exhibit, which was was closest too.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:04 pm
"Hi." Ally replied, still smiling as she walked up to him. Her eyes flickered over his proof of employment for a moment, then flicked back up to his face. So you actually work here?" she asked, her voice genuinely interested. "I've only known one or two kids that worked here. They hated it...of course they were the kind that couldn't stand sitting still for ten minutes without being on their phone or something." then she paused and smirked awkwardly. "Okay, more like overhearing a group of kids complain about it... I don't know anyone besides myself that has a job."
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:11 pm
Steven chuckled a bit. "Well, I for one am grateful for this job. Always loved fossils, and dinosaurs, and that sort of thing," he said. "Always happy to tell people about the exhibits, especially little kids. The looks on their faces are wonderful, y'know?"
It was a good thing he was currently off-duty. He didn't have to be here... But he did it anyway because he loved his job so much. That was dedication. Although he frowned a bit internally as he glanced over to the Smilodon skeleton currently on display; or rather, a well-done mock-up of the actual skeleton, as was the case with most fossils on display; many of them were unavailable to the public.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:17 pm
Ally smiled some at his response to working here. She was starting to like this boy a little more and more. "Good answer. And I know what you mean. I work at a little personal owned book store. Not a lot of people stop by because it's not one of the big name stores, and we don't carry everything. But...what we do have I get to sit and read all day. And I love suggesting books to people who just walk in." she said. She glanced around at the displays for a moment, trying to think of something to continue the conversation, but would interest the boy. Or... Steven as his nametag suggested. Her eyes fell upon the massive... Smi...Smilo.... "So... what can you tell me about that awesome looking creature?" she asked, pointing towards the Smilodon skeleton.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:27 pm
Oh, bugger... Steven thought. "Oh, that? That... is a Smilodon populator. The largest specimen ever discovered, and thus the largest cat to ever walk the planet," Steven said.
Oh, and I found that one and touched it and turn into a smilodon at will now... he added in his head.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:33 pm
Ally's eyes widened a bit with interest, then she looked back at Steven. "So... sabre tooth tigers, or bigger and better than the saber tooth tigers?" she asked. Certainly had the teeth of one...but it could always be a different species or something. Kinda like wolfs and coyotes.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:51 pm
Steven smiled a bit. "Ah, well, see, they're actually called saber-toothed cats. They're not closely related to tigers anymore. The S. populator was the largest of three known species of smilodon, and this particular one is, as I've said, the largest ever found. Paleontologists figure it weighed over half a ton, and it stood at about six feet in height. So, the biggest saber-toothed cat in the world. Oh, I could talk your ear off, don't get me started..."
Despite his correction, he didn't come off as pompous at all with his tone. The "saber-toothed tiger" misnomer was still quite common, sort of like the "brontosaurus" name.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:05 pm
Ally gave Steven a little smirk that was a mixture of interested and flirty. "Oh, I don't mind at all." she informed him. "I have at least an hour to kill before any kind of bus drops by here again. Besides..." she continued, her grin becoming full-on flirty. "I love the accent. And smart boys. I wouldn't mind you talking my ear off at all..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:13 pm
Steven made a face akin to the "Bad Poker Face" meme and a blush went across his cheeks as he gave a nervous chuckle.
"O-oh... W-well, uh, i-is there anything else you'd like to know about the exhibit? Or the others?" he asked in his adorable nervous tone. Though he was hoping she didn't ask who found the S. populator skeleton... That would be rather awkward for him, but at least there wasn't anyone else in the room at the moment to hear.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:23 pm
Ally's smile only widened at his backwards response. He was definitely cute... The whole shy boy thing was surprisingly pretty cute. Not like the majority of boys at school that were either jocks or had their noses so far up in the air they'd drown if it rained. "Well... why don't you tell me anything you'd like." she replied, her flirty little grin still in place. "You sound like you know a lot about these guys." she said, motioning towards his "other half". "But it would be cool to hear more about some of the other displays here. Or... maybe even about yourself..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:34 pm
Steven gave another nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh... Well, uh... I-I'm afraid there's not a whole lot to say about me. Oh, bugger... Wrong thing to say..." The last bit he muttered out loud.
"Erm... Well, I'm from Liverpool, home of the Beatles. My parents are paleontologists and I'd like to be one too. But I don't have the money to pay for a really good college that offers courses in Paleontology. My parents wanted to pay for it, but I'd rather do it myself, and have a steady job too." he continued, and he realized he was being a bit of a motor-mouth and promptly stopped talking.
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