Lexia may have started as a wild parrot, but she had adjusted very well to life in Lyre. She wasn't as uncomfortable with the winter in Nevada as some might expect. Mostly because there were several ways to keep warm, like the Brumation House. That being said, she didn't object to the idea of being sent south. She only objected to it disrupting her school schedule as she didn't want to lose the chance to graduate with the rest of her class.
But as Christmas break arrived, Lexia was excited to finally be going down to Argentina. That was far farther south than she had ever been as she had been native to Guatemala, had been to Vilcabamba in Brazil, and she doubted Mieni Atoll or Ao Guang Island were that far south of the equator. As such, while it was almost the depth of winter up north, Argentina should be entering the height of summer. So Lexia made sure to pack her summer clothes.
Of course, it wasn't going to be a straight flight there. New Patagonia was built on the Argentinian Pampas, specifically the sparsely-populated province of La Pampa. So there wasn't going to be an international airport there. First, she'd be flying down to Buenos Aires and after that it would either be a long drive or a flight in a smaller plane. Lexia hadn't heard all the details yet, but she knew to expect an escort as soon as she touched down Buenos Aires.
==========
When Lexia arrived at the airport, it wasn't particularly hard to spot her escort. A herm peafowl was pretty hard to overlook, especially with hir tail feathers fully fanned out. If there was any doubt, that shi wasn't here for Lexia, the fact that shi had the letters of her name taped to hir tail feathers disproved it. Lexia rolled her eyes at that. All that was missing were neon lights.
The peafowl waved as soon as shi saw Lexia, "Bom dia! Welcome to Buenos Aires!"
"It's good to be here," said Lexia, "It's Paula, isn't it?"
"Sim. I am here as your lovely escort through this part of South America," said Paula.
"Why you? Shouldn't you be in Rio?" asked Lexia. The peafowl stood out for more than just hir plumage and mixed sexes. Brazilian Portuguese and Latin American Spanish may sound alike, but there were plenty of differences.
"Well...the economy in Rio is rather tight at the moment, so I'm doing most of my business down where there's less competition," said Paula.
"And the residents don't mind you being there?" asked Lexia.
"Nobody becomes an Animalian if they're not open-minded," said Paula, "Besides, the La Pampa providence has been looking for anything to boost their tourism. My nightclub will be putting them on the map."
"Right, because Argentinian dinosaurs aren't interesting enough," said Lexia dryly.
Paula chuckled and said, "Dinosaurs may have style, but they don't have flash. Well, most of them don't. The ones who work at Club Claw are decent enough. I haven't met Senhora Rachael in person yet, but I would relish the opportunity. She and I could swap some...ideas..."
Lexia cleared her throat and asked, "So, are we flying to New Patagonia? I didn't think peafowl were capable of long flights."
"Sadly no," said Paula, looking back at hir wings, "I can do an assisted jump and can glide with them, but I'm afraid I cannot fly as freely as you can. No, we'll be taking a flight the man-made way. New Patagonia may be a bit far even for your wings."
"Flying is convenient, but I don't do it for long distances as much as you think," said Lexia, "Unless you're an albatross or something else built for long flights, flying for extended distances can get pretty exhausting. That's why some of us have cars and don't fly south on our own power."
Paula nodded and said, "Having heavier bodies than mundane birds probably demands more. Still, it's probably convenient to make short flights when you can."
"True, if the weather isn't a problem," said Lexia, "Wind's useful for taking off and maintaining altitude, but too much and it gets harder to control."
"And flying in heavy rain or snow is probably not a lot of fun," said Paula.
"I lived in a rainforest. I'm used to downpours. But I prefer staying dry," said Lexia, "Speaking of which, how much rain does La Pampa get?"
"New Patagonia is in the northeast corner, so it's subtropical," said Paula, "But I don't think we'll be getting drenched for a while."
Lexia nodded and said, "So, do we get on the plane now or do we have to wait?"
"We probably should head on," said Paula, "They're wanting to give you a big welcome."
"Well, lead the way," said Lexia.