It's Cold

"Sky's falling," Kaiwi remarked quietly to himself as he tipped his head back to observe the heavens. Stars streaked behind the swirling navy clouds, heavy with snow and refusing to move for the light show behind them. Kaiwi wasn't too disappointed about his less-than-stellar view, something about the falling stars had always made him nervous. Snow was a frequent carpet across Isla Kela now, chilling his bare toes as he made his way around the city on his patrols. He couldn't deny the whimsy of this time of year, the frosted windows giving some kind of mystery to long-discovered shop fronts. One place he liked to visit was the old museum, just to see its old tall structure covered with even the lightest dusting of snow or frost, covering the mold and cracks and giving it a magical air. It appeared he wasn't the only one who enjoyed seeing it this way, as he began to notice strangers in the streets, making the same trek he did to the old building. In fact, every day there seemed to be more foot traffic heading that way, some even carrying large boxes in its direction. He began to visit less and less, disliking the way crowds ruined the peaceful vibe he had come to enjoy from the museum. Now that his one bright spot had been co-opted by others, he found himself sulking in his apartment more often than not. He couldn't even count on Cassidy to distract him, her rare visits to the city grew even rarer when the cold weather set in. Despite her thicker feathers, she was a fair-weather dino and refused to leave the moderate temperature the ridge settled at over the winter months. It would be social suicide to admit it to her, but he missed her wild tales and roguish grin when winter set in, going so far as to 'wander' into her territory every so often.

Much unlike him, he found himself outside of the city limits more often to avoid the strange and sudden influx of visitors. He would wade through the knee-high snow laying on the plains and climb the smaller hills along its outskirts to get a better view of the night sky. Now he found himself frozen in fear rather than cold, watching stars blaze across the sky, ducking in and out of cloud cover. They were quick, like darting mosquito larvae on the surface of a stillwater pond, and by the time he blinked they were gone and another had begun its rapid trail. He could only imagine the destruction one could cause if it came hurtling towards the ground at that speed. Perhaps they caused that destruction in other parts of the world, the vast expanses that lay beyond the ocean that none of the island's inhabitants could manage to cross. He rarely thought about the other side of the world, preferring to think about his own home and how to cherish and improve it. That thought in itself brought him back to the museum, wondering why it had become so popular in recent days. Surely not all of its visitors were there to silently observe its serene beauty like he did, though maybe he was being uncharitable and there simply were many appreciators of quiet art. 

Kaiwi couldn't bring himself to return yet, watching as the clouds moved and parted to reveal the twinkling array of celestial bodies above. The snow must be clear, he thought, if the clouds were retreating that quickly. At most the cold would keep the snow on the ground, but not having to worry about the snow reaching over his head and making his patrol route impossible. He shuffled down from the hill, the snow soaking his chest as he descended and sending a chill through his whole body. He was all for broadening his horizons, but he really couldn't think of anywhere better than his nice dry and insulated apartment. By the time he made it home, all he wanted to do was dry off and curl up under his blankets he had scavenged from nearby human buildings. Leaving them out on rainy days and drying them in the wind on his balcony was enough to keep them fresh and clean, providing a plush winter time nest to keep even the baldest of raptors warm.

When he made it back to the city, even its high buildings couldn't block out the looping nebulas of the night sky, and the few working lamps on the streets paled in comparison to the stars. His anxious mind was torn from the falling sky above to the streets below, as he noted a parade of dinosaurs passing him by. As he expected, they were on the way to the museum and they wore costumes with rich colours, bolts of fabric tied around themselves and small baubles stuck to them, hanging off of claws and horns. They even carried glowing lanterns, soft and silver like they were trying to mimic the night sky on a smaller scale. Finally unable to control his curiosity, Kaiwi decided to follow them at a distance, to see where their strange pilgrimage would take them. The procession moved on without him, chatting amongst themselves with glee and undeniable air of excitement. It seemed they knew something that he didn't, which rankled him in a way he thought he'd outgrown. It wasn't his city, but it often felt like it was, and he hated not knowing what was going on within its concrete streets.

As he expected, the group led him to the museum, but he was surprised to see the doors wide open and a large gathering of dinosaurs outside. It was like a small fair in the plaza outside, some merchants peddling trinkets or the use of a campfire spit for warming food. Kaiwi became increasingly aware of his damp and cold feathers when the smell of the coals hit his nostrils, making him shiver and hold himself tightly. He wanted nothing more than to dry off by the fire but something else pulled his attention away.

At the entrance of the museum, dressed in black and gold robe-like fabric, an Oviraptor stood and held the crowd's focus. Kaiwi couldn't hear him from this far, but his grand sweeping gestures and the excited cheers of the crowd pulled him in further until the voice finally reached him over the hubbub of the festival.

"-and if you'd like to look this way, my scaled and feathered friends, there is one of my most delightful helpers waiting to take you through to the main attraction. Please, have the most wonderful time!" The group standing in front of the Ovi shuffled away into the museum, leaving only Kaiwi and him standing on the steps. 

"What's happening here?" Kaiwi asked, too cold to make his voice sound friendlier. Luckily, the smile didn't slip even a micrometer from the Ovi's face.

"Why, the circus is in town my dear boy," he crowed, "Games and prizes, costumes and disguises, it's the Lunar Light Festival!"

"Haven't heard that name in a long time," Kaiwi whistled, "It's been what, at least ten years since the last one?"

"Indeed, I spent many a winter enjoying the sights and sounds of this wonderful event, it seemed time to bring it back," the Ovi said warmly, seemingly glad someone else remembered the old festival.

"So you've taken over the museum for it, seems a little arrogant of you mister..." Kaiwi trailed off, waiting for him to fill in his own name.

"Cheron, ringmaster Cheron of this fair carnivale," the Ovi bowed as he introduced himself, "And I understand the concern for the interior, but what better place to celebrate the beauty of the world in winter than with all the marvelous trinkets the humans once assembled? They must have seen the beauty in these displays, their preserved animals and strange machines. Why not celebrate their beauty along with our own?" Kaiwi struggled to stop his eyes glazing over at the mention of human relics, he had been more worried about the structure itself but it seemed Cheron had a vested interest in keeping the museum mostly intact.

"Fair enough, I suppose I'll go look around for a while," the raptor shrugged.

"Please do! I hope you have the most beautiful time with us," Cheron bid him farewell with a flourishing bow, his crest feathers fluttering like the moths they mimicked. Kaiwi nodded politely at him before heading inside, pleasantly surprised at the warmth that greeted him. If nothing else he could find a quiet corner away from the festivities and dry off for a bit before heading home. Although... the lights and sounds from the natural history wing had intrigued him.