The best day out

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

Every six months, the children at St. Mary's were able to go on an outing, and after the staff had proposed three ideas to the underage witches and wizards, they ultimately found themselves on the way to the Zoo. It had been an hour or so's drive for them to reach the place in Surrey, as the staff were always hesitant to transport anyone under the age of eleven with magic. Levi sat of course placed himself next to Morwen for the journey, and considering he'd barely left his best friends side in almost three years it wasn't unusual for the pair to be found together. Levi had only been to a Zoo once before, and while he'd been very young he still recalled as his father took him around, pointing out the animals until a Llama managed to start nibbling at his hair.

After admission, the group were free to buddy up and stay in the park, the youngest children remaining with the staff as the older once began to branch off on their own with a friend. In just a couple of years the eldest would be on their way to a new school, likely in different countries, and they needed to be sure that each student would be able to stand on their own two feet before the time came. It may have been early in the morning for the group, by Levi wasted no time in purchasing himself some ice cream as a second breakfast, as was happily enjoying it when he approached a cage of Red Koalas, thinking about how lucky they had it. They'd got to sleep all day and had people to always look after them. ​

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[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria wondered the zoo aimlessly, wondering when her dad would be back. They hadn't been together long, and he said he would meet her here. Eventually. She had been through all the exhibits twice, and now she was bored. And a bored Avaria was never a good thing. She looked at the popcorn in her hand and thought mischevious things. She had some glitter in her pocket. There was something brewing in her evil little mind, and it was never good. At least, that's what her mom had always said.

Ten minutes later she was running top speed through the zoo, chased by a teenage bully who was now covered in glittered popcorn. She ran until she saw an opening. She took a sharp turn and dove behind a large bench by the red koala exhibit. She may or may not have pulled another kid down with her. She covered their mouth with her hand, watching through the crack in the bench until the bully ran off in the other direction.

She sat up, giggling maniacally, completely forgetting the other kid.

 

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

Levi was perfectly content minding his own business when he felt a sudden force catch him by surprise. In his jolt he managed to lose his grip on his ice cream, and while he was forced backwards and suddenly crashed into the ground, all he could do was look longingly at the cone that was now upside down in the grass. He turned his head to see a girl peering through the bench he'd been yanked behind, and he followed her eye sight to see another boy, a sparkly boy, angrily walk through the paths of the Zoo. He jumped a little out of his skin when the girl began to cackle beside him, and he wondered if she even knew what she was doing. What had even just happened? He only realised now that he'd hit the ground, and he slowly picked himself off, brushing down his clothes and trying not to focus too much on the pain at his lower back. "Did you do that to him?" He asked the girl, who seemed to take enjoyment from getting others into trouble. He looked down at the ground, still mourning what was supposed to be his treat of the week. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria jumped a little when the other kid spoke, looking to him quickly with wide blue eyes. His question made her smile, though. She stood as well. "He was calling a little girl ugly. Made her cry. I made him pretty." She smiled deviously, before finally noticing how the kid was staring longingly at something. She turned her head and saw his ice cream on the ground. Her eyes widened again. "Oops."

Without a thought she grabbed him by the hand and started dragging him back to the ice cream stand. She broke it, she'd fix it. "My name is Avaria," She told him as she dragged him through the crowd. "What's yours?"

 

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

Levi turned back to the girl and frowned a little when he heard that he had made another girl cry. He knew it wasn't a kind thing to do and even though it was also wrong to cover someone in glitter at least she had a reason to do it. He followed Avaria as she pulled him through the lanes, and he wondered how he'd managed to get into this situation. "Levi" he said, wondering if the girl wanted to be his friend. He didn't make a lot of friends, and apart from when he was around Morwen he was quite shy. "Where are we going?" he asked, realising he was being taken back the way he'd come. Maybe they were trying to escape the Zoo and the girl knew how to get back out the barriers at the front gate. "Where's your, people.?" he asked, unsure of what he meant. He knew most children had parents, but as someone who lived in an orphanage it could be difficult to question. Either way this girl looked like she was on her own too, but he was curious if she knew somebody here.​

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[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria made another turn, spinning them, as she hurried towards her destination. "Ice cream," She stated simply. "I made you drop yours, so I'm going to buy you another one." She was still smiling over the glitter. Her mentor would have been so proud. "As for my 'people', I have no clue. I don't really know Avarian well enough to know how long it will take dear ol' dad to get here." She chattered cheerily, getting the sense that Levi was a little on the shy side. "My mum passed last year, and I spent a while in an orphanage back in New Zealand,"

She spotted the ice cream stand and hurried, pulling Levi along with her. "Whoever they sent finally found Avarian a few months ago, and he came and got me. Totally caught him by surprise. Like 'Oh, hey, blondie, you've got a nine year old kid from that girl you loved for a few months and she just died so go get your mini me'." Avaria stopped and put her hands on her hips, smirking at the ice cream stand in triumph. "I guess I should be more broken up about it or something, but my mentor always said 'Why worry about tomorrow when there's so much to worry about today'? She wasn't always the cheeriest, but she's a master at everything she sets her mind to. What did you have before?"

Personally, she was eyeing the cookie's 'n cream cone.

 

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

Levi smiled when he heard she was going to get the some more ice cream, and perking up a little he listened as she explained about her family. He suddenly felt a little uneasy though when he heard that her mum had died. He was quite familiar with that circumstance and he wasn't sure what he should say. She was quite a chirpy girl for someone who seemed to have quite a complicated family, but at least it made it easier for Levi that he didn't need to say much. "So he's like your guardian?" he asked, glad to hear that she was the same age as him. They could definitely be friends then! He liked that she had the saying from him, and Levi wanted to remember it for when he had worries in the day, but sometimes it was hard not to be worried. As they approached the ice cream shop, Levi wondered whether he should tell Avaria anything about his own life, but it was probably very boring so he would keep it short. "My mum died when I was too young to remember, and when I was six my dad went abroad and never came back." Levi didn't exactly have the same energy in his voice as she had done, but he was just surprised with himself that he'd said anything at all. "Can I have another strawberry ice cream?" he asked finally, excited to get one back.​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria listened to Levi talk. He didn't speak a lot but when he did it always interesting, like he didn't bother saying anything that might be boring. She decided then that this boy was hers, just like her mentor was hers and just like her new kitten Fluffles. Avarian had apparently been very excited to find out about her. Avaria ordered their ice cream and then handed Levi a bigger ice cream than the one he'd bought before. She said she would replace it because she broke it, and then she made it bigger because he was her friend now. Whither he knew it or not.

She tossed her arm over his shoulder. "Where are we going now?" Once he replied she started walking off in that direction, again with him in tow. "Avarian is my dad. Him and mum had a short but passionate fling nine years ago that lasted about six months, but he's, uh..." She paused a minute furrowing her brow. "What did he call it? Uh..." It took her a second to remember it. She licked her ice cream as she thought, enjoying the cold sweetness.

"Right. He's an 'adventuring author' or some nonsense like that. He's always traveling somewhere, but once he gets there he stays for a bit before going on again. Something about chasing inspiration." She shrugged and licked her ice cream again. "It took them six months to track them down since all mum had was an old photo. They dropped me at the home till they found him, but I met this lovely lady named Sapphire there. She's been there forever, and she acts but she doesn't like people but she does. I picked her, too."

Normal people might be shy about chattering so much, but for Avaria it helped her keep her energy level down so she didn't go bouncing off the walls. She smiled a bit. After this big an ice cream, she was going to be wired for hours. No one had told Avarian about that yet, and she had been trying to hold back a little while they got to know each other. After all, it wasn't every day you got a new dad. But, she was over that now, and once he finally got here she was going to let out a few month's of pent up energy and see how well he could keep up.

 

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

Levi was taller than most boys his age, but he suddenly realised that his new friend was still able to put her arm round his neck as they walked. He took the ice cream from her, glad to have it replaced and began to lick at it again. She didn't have to buy another one for him but she had and that meant that she was a nice person. Levi pointed in the direction of the Lions, or at least the big sign with their picture on them. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a real lion, and he thought it would be cute to see the big cats. As he listened he finally understood what she meant about her dad, and he was glad that at least someone was looking out for her, even if she hadn't seen him for a while. Avaria seemed very confident and very smart, and the boy took it in her stride, allowing her to lead the way. "You picked her?" he repeated, wondering if she'd been growing like a plant. For a moment he had sudden brain freeze, but quickly shook it off. It wasn't going to stop him eating his ice cream just as fast. "I have a friend that's been at my orphanage forever and he was the one that showed me around" he added, wondering where his friend was now. Somewhere between the gates and the Koala exhibit they'd managed to get separated. "Do you live here now with your dad?" he added, wondering if they were going to be true friends then they would have to stay in contact after this trip. Unless of course they ended up just meeting here every time. She would be his Zoo friend. Not really paying any attention to where he was walking, he managed to bump into two people and step on a bag as they walked through the park. ​

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[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria was pulled out of thoughts of her dad when Levi asked her about her picking people thing. She smiled mischievously. "Yep. I pick people, and then they can't get rid of me." She hadn't bothered looking where he had pointed before so she glanced around and saw the lion sign. That made her grin. She liked cats. Especially big ones. She ate her ice cream a bit slower than Levi ate his, savoring the flavor and prolonging the sugar rush.

She did frown a little though when he asked if she would be living there, and she shook her head. "Nah, Avarian says he needs to finish his last travel thing and then he'll have enough to buy us a house somewhere. I think he's still trying to impress me, he keeps talking about big places. I think it would be way too empty with just us two, maybe something cozier would be better. An apartment or something."

She noticed then how Levi kept stepping into people and onto things, so she started steering him clear of things. "So," she asked casually, "Which animal is your favorite? I like pandas, personally."

 

[Morwen Orlando]

Morwen and Levi were inseparable ever since the boy arrived in the orphanage. Having lived there all his life, Morwen took it as a responsibility to keep his friend comfortable and to show him around. That was exactly the plan when they were brought to the zoo. They brought their tickets and ice creams together. When they were out, they were usually silent as they tried to find interesting things to see. They reached the red koalas until a girl bumped into them. Well, bumped into Levi to be specific. Instinctively stepping back to save his ice cream, Morwen watched as Levi fell together with the girl and his ice cream made a mess on the ground. Shaking his head, he quickly finished his and cleaned up Levi's mess and looked around to find a trash bin.

When he came back, he could not see Levi anymore where he left him. Assuming he was with that girl, Morwen went off to search for his shy friend. Minutes passed until he saw them at the ice cream shop and were making their way to the lions. Morwen bought three sets of waffles near him and quickly caught up with them. Levi, being shy, was now making a new friend and this made Morwen happy. He could also see the girl guiding Levi and steering him clear from people and stuff. Normally, Morwen did this but still pleased to see another friend who could be there for Levi. He was already behind the two when he heard the girl asked Levi about favorite animals and saying she liked pandas. "I like pandas too but I especially like the lions.", he said out loud, announcing his presence to his friend and the girl. He fell in step on the girl's other side and introduced himself. "I'm Morwen. And I brought waffles." He handed the other waffles, one for Levi and one for their new friend.

 

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

The boy chuckled a little when Ava said people couldn't get rid of her, and wondered if she was really going to try and stay friends with him too. It was nice to meet new people but then it was also very sad when he had to leave people too. Levi listened to her speak as he ate, wondering what it would be like to live in a big house. Well, he didn't exactly need to imagine too hard. The orphanage was huge, but it was proportionate to the number of children there, and so it didn't really feel that big at all when you looked at your personal space. He would have loved a big house though where you could run between the rooms without any worry about running into anyone or anything.

He barely noticed that he was being pulled out the way of oncoming obstacles, seemingly invested in just one activity at a time. He paused to think about what animal was his favourite, although he wasn't really sure. He still had a teddy bear that his dad gave him a few years before he disappeared, although he'd managed to keep the fact he still slept with it from everyone except Morwen. "I like bears I think. So Panda bears are good too" he smiled at his new friend, glad they had something in common. Levi hadn't been aware that his best friend was following them until he heard his familiar voice, and he looked across to see him standing beside Ava with his arm out in front of them. Not being able to resist the temptation of more sugar, he took one of the waffles and began to dunk it into his ice cream before eating it. Realising he'd better introduce them, he began to talk with his mouth full but luckily Morwen did it for him. He swallowed, before taking another breath "And this is Avaria who is good at getting revenge on the bullies" he noted with a little enthusiasm. It was always good to have someone like that watching your back.

As the approached the Lion exhibit, Levi finished off what remained of his delicious snacks, before squeezing his way through the crowd to get a look through one of the clearings. Being the tallest, he made a route through the horde of people for his friends behind him, and soon he had his nose pressed up against the glass to see the Lions sleeping in their habitat. "I want one of those when they're a baby so they're cute but can sit on your lap when you sleep. They'd be strong enough to attack anyone you don't like but they'd be your best friend" he murmured without breaking eye contact with the large cats.
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[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria slowed for a split second at the new voice, before turning to look wide eyes at the new boy. He introduced himself with more treats, so she decided he was hers now too. She took the treat from him with a friendly smile. Before she could introduce herself though, Levi did it for her. She had to laugh at his introduction though. She was proud to be introduced like that. She knew if Sapphire heard it she'd be proud too, even if she didn't show it.

They reached the Lions quickly, and Avaria followed Levi through the crowd until they were standing close enough to see. She hummed quietly to herself, eating her treats and watching her two new boys. She'd seen the Lions twice now, so she was more interested in seeing how they reacted.

She liked Levi's idea of a baby lion as a pet. He seemed so happy watching them she couldn't help but smile. Her blue eyes flicked to Morwen then. She hadn't spoken to him yet, and that just made her all the more curious.

 

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

Levi was perfectly content to watch the Lions for the rest of the day. They're were so interesting and knowing he was safe behind the glass made it even better. He however began to notice a comotion happening, and the boy turned his head in the crowd to see those around him looking at another child who was still covered in glitter, approaching the Lion exhibit. "Uh oh." Levi glanced to Avaria and Morwen, realising that if the glitter boy had seen her, they were in trouble. He tapped his new friend on her shoulder, alerting her to who had just entered the area. Almost as quickly as the glitter boy had entered, he turned his head to look in their direction. "Guys?" Levi asked, wondering what their plan was now that he was starting to come towards them.
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[Morwen Orlando]

Morwen laughed at how Levi introduced Avaria to him. "Hi Avaria.",he greeted her properly. They had reached the lions and their waffles were long gone already. Levi being the tallest,led the way until they were able to get to the glass. Morwen wound up on Levi's side now and he swung his arm around his best friend as they looked at the magnificent cat.Levi was always amazed by them and it was even proved when he said that he wanted to get a baby lion for a pet."Sure. If they allowed big cats back at home,Vi.",he chuckled.

The trio continued watching the lions when Levi looked to obe side and suddenly sounded worried. This made Morwen turned around just in time to see a boy looking their way. This boy was covered in glitter.That was when Morwen pieced together Levi's funny introduction of Avaria. Morwen nudged Levi forward and grabbed Avaria's hand too. "Let's go.Move,Vi.Go.",he instructed seriously. He did not want them to get into trouble.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria smiled at the easy banter between the boys. It was obvious they were good friends. She wondered briefly how they had met, but as she opened her mouth to ask Levi let out a very worried "Uh oh." Avaria froze and turned to look. Bully boy was back and heading their way. She almost bolted, wanting nothing more than to draw him away from her new friends, but he had seen them with her. If she managed to get away she had no doubt he would go looking for the two next to her.

Before she had time to consider anything else, Morwen grabbed her hand and started to pull her along, nudging Levi with them. "Let's Go. Move, Vi. Go." Avaria smiled in surprise as she hurried off after the two boys. Oh yeah, that confirmed it. These two were hers now. She followed them until they had made it away from the crowd and around the corner.

Having a new plan now, she pulled her hand free before pushing both the boys into the shadows of the nearby wall. She grinned mischievously at them, holding a finger up to her lips. With a wink, she turned and hurried back into the path. "Oh yoohoo! Sparkles!" She called playfully. When the older boy turned to look at her she stuck her thumbs in her ears and waggled her fingers, blowing a raspberry at him. Anger flashed across his face as he began barrelling towards her.

She turned quickly and took off in the other direction with him hot on her heels. Getting away from the other boys was step one. Step two? She had seen a rather inviting water hose that had been left out while a few of the zoo workers took their lunch. If she could just make it there without getting caught, she could spray down this glittered bully and hopefully drench his bloodlust.

 

[Levi Forrest Jr.]

Levi didn't have to be told twice. The trio managed to bolt out the exhibit and hurried down the path, but turning back to say something to his new friend, Levi found himself being pushed backwards before he could do so. He glanced at Morwen, the pair now hidden from sight, and the boy turned to watch as Ava began to taunt the glitter boy. Levi tried to stifle a laugh, careful not to give their position away. She was brave to put herself in a position that would make things harder for her, and Levi wanted to help. It was all well and good being tucked away and letting their new friend do all the work, but with a quick nudge to Morwen, Levi stepped out of the shadows.

He was certain that the boy hadn't seen them, and this was confirmed more when Levi caught the look of surprise on his face as he popped out the darkness, catching up off guard. The boy had still been running at full speed when he was passing their position, and with a quick stretch of his leg, Levi easily managed to stall the boy by sending him flying to the ground. If he was honest he felt a little bad that the kid had fallen, but if it would buy Ava a few seconds extra to put her plan into place then he thought it would be worth it for the justice of a bully. ​

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[Morwen Orlando]

They were running with Morwen holding Avaria's hand and Levi inf ront of him until they reached they reached the next corner. Quickly as it happened,Avaria snatched her hand out his grasp and pushed them to a wall shadowed by some trees. From where the bully was,they could not be easily seen. Relieved, he said,"We're saf-," he broke off when Avaria stepped out and taunted the bully before taking off to another direction.With wide eyes,he was at loss on what she was planning when Levi nudged him before his friend also stepped out of the shadows. Running a hand down his face,he followed Levi just as he saw him trip the bully. Down the other boy fell,glitters and all. Morwen burts out a chuckle as they glanced at Avaria to see where she went and what she was up to.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Avaria glanced behind her and just about stopped dead in her tracks. She had hidden the boys so that they wouldn't have to get involved, but there they were, delaying glitter boy like he wouldn't take his anger out on them. She furrowed her brow, knowing now that the unattended house she'd seen would take too long.

She looked around, searching for a quicker alternative. Luck was with her today, for she quickly found her next plan. She took off sprinting as soon as she saw it. Within moments she was armed and running back to the boys. "Down!" She yelled as she got close enough.

She jumped the last few feet before throwing the contents of the bucket of water she found at glitter boy. Well, he wasn't really glitter boy anymore. Now he was just... soaked. Thankfully, the bully seemed to admit defeat, as he left cursing rather colorfully. She waited until she was sure he was gone before turning to the boys. She dropped the bucket before hugging them each in turn, smiling wide.

"I owe you both ice cream for a year," She declared happily.