every zoo needs at least one dragon {open~}

[wendy]

Today was supposed to have been spent at the Central Park Zoo with her family. Unfortunately, a business meeting had come up with father and mother hated to go without him, so she cancelled the plans and rescheduled for next week. Addison was the farthest thing from pleased; she hadn’t seen her family in awhile. Normally, she visited every weekend. Unfortunately, the past two weekends had been very busy with studying or having to take care of her roommate (who had just recently gone through a rough break-up) or going on adventures that she insisted she didn’t have time for. Needless to say, Addison had had next to no time to stop by home to say hello and catch up.

Was a business meeting going to stop Addison from going to the zoo, though? Heavens no! She couldn’t say no to a trip to the zoo, whether she was going alone or not. Which… well, she was going alone, but that didn’t matter. People went alone to the zoo all the time. Besides, the price had been lowered for this weekend due to some event that she wasn’t planning on seeing. How could she not take advantage of that? Addison had been wandering around for maybe an hour when she decided she was just thirsty enough to buy a drink. They had souvenir cups that were rather pricy, but gave her free refills throughout the zoo. Addison bought one with a crocodile on it and continued her meandering, now with a nice cold Pepsi.

Addison had already stopped by the Red Pandas, California Sea Lions, and the Snow Monkeys. She thought a visit to the Polar Bears next would be nice and so that’s where she headed, despite the exhibit being on the other side of the zoo. It was a lot bigger than she remembered it being and she wondered how she could have forgotten so many of the exhibits. Perhaps it was that she was new to New York then and felt she had more important things to remember. Shrugging it off, Addison decided she’d just be sure to remember this time around and to visit more often.

Why didn’t they have more interesting animals? So what if there really wasn’t any proof that dragons or unicorns were real? Every zoo needed a dragon, and if not a dragon, then a unicorn. In her wishful thinking, Addison hadn’t noticed that the person walking in front of her had come to a stop. Unfortunately, she realized this too late and ran right into them. Fortunately, she caught herself and only stumbled back a bit, relieved to see that her drink hadn’t spilled onto them. Thank goodness she’d bought the souvenir cup instead of a can. Still, she needed to apologize.

“I’m sorry!” Addison exclaimed, wondering briefly if they’d even notice her. “I was just thinking about the exhi—uh, well, I suppose it’s not important.” She trailed off, quite sure this stranger wouldn’t care to hear her musings. “I should just watch where I’m going.”

[hedgierobindale]

Bears. Check.

Tigers. Check.

Pigs, er, wild boars because they were the closest thing. Check.

Owls. Check.

Donkeys or mules or whatever was closest. Check.

Rabbits. Hell, she had seen some of those run on the walkway in front of her.

Kangaroos. Doubtful, but she figured they had to be somehwere in this boring-as-hell zoo where the animals couldn't even talk.

This was not Chris Robindale's choice, that was for sure. It was just her parent's new obession with her suddenly less-than-perfect psychological condition that brought her here. Not to mention all of her close and small group of friends having plans. Like, all of them. Seriously? Either they told her they were doing something else or she couldn't reach them. What the fuck. So she had nothing to do, and once her adopters found out about this, they went batshit trying to figure out something for her to do. Like they wanted her to not mope/sleep/lounge around the house like she usually did on Saturdays when she had nothing better to do.

Okay, Chris wasn't stupid. It's not like she couldn't deduce that there was a stresser, a trigger that shot out all this newfound concern, especially from her maternal adopter. She also had been eating a hell of a lot more, and yelled even. She was the one who had suggested that Chris should be a cheerleader at Barrie in order to make her less depressed. Depressed? These past four years were the best of her fucking life. Did it matter that she didn't act that way in front of them? Obviously, because they really acted like she was suicidal or something.

Which she was halfway tempted to try it out. Honestly, the cheerleading was the one thing she could not fucking stand. Like, seriously? Did they know what the uniforms looked like beforehand? Seriously, the only person who could like that uniform was Dar- ...well, really any straight man. Barrie University was going to be hell simply because of that, and maybe because she wouldn't see Eeyore or Tigger as much. Chris was enjoying her last days at Baum with all of her friends together while she still could.

But back to that trigger thing. Yeah, guys, Chris wasn't stupid, just lazy and not used to actually being able to pay attention. But really, did they not think she would notice that, because Dr. Alan Robindale was acting so nervous and hovery all the time and Dr. Daphne was so emotional that the woman who she had to call mother was preg-

Oh fucking perfect, her train of though interrupted by some little bitch who wasn't paying attention. “I’m sorry! I was just thinking about the exhi—uh, well, I suppose it’s not important.” Oh, because you were thinking, you couldn't see? Perfect. Just fucking perfect. She opened her mouth to say something rude and just dripping with sarcastic anger, but shut it just as quickly. Her adopters would not be happy if she got kicked out of a fucking zoo for starting a fight and/or beating the shit out of this scrawny girl, the latter being more likely. Yeah... she had stopped for some reason that she really didn't remember now. She hadn't been paying attention. Yeah. "It's okay," she mumbled, not really all that sincere as of yet.

“I should just watch where I’m going.”

Yeah, you should really consider that, Chris thought. But instead of that, she thought for a moment for a non-sarcastic reply. "Uh, yeah. Me too. Sorry."

OUTFIT

[wendy]

The girl in front of her seemed really deep in thought. Guilt shot through Addison. Oh, why hadn’t she watched where she was going? Nibbling gently on her lower lip, Addison waited for either an accepted apology or loud insults along the lines of you IDIOT! how does thinking stop you from seeing where you’re going? Addison cringed, surprised at how mean she was making the girl seem. That wasn’t fair. After a moment, though, the girl was suddenly familiar. They were in the same year at Baum and her name… what was her name?

Addison couldn’t help but to smile when the girl also apologized. It had entirely been her fault, but she was still receiving an apology. How nice. “What were you thinking about?” Addison asked, shortly after realizing how nosy that was. Perhaps she would admit to what had her so distracted… “I was thinking about how they should have dragons in zoos.” For a moment, she was embarrassed. Addison quickly dismissed it, though; she had no reason to be embarrassed over her imagination.

“Do you go to Baum?” Addison questioned suddenly, wanting very much to know why this girl was so familiar. She figured it was best to make sure she went to Baum in the first place. If not, well… then, it wasn’t who she thought it was. “I’m Addison,” she finally introduced herself after the few random last questions. Though… who was to say this girl even wanted to stay and talk? Addison had probably interrupted a long train of thought and it couldn’t get back on track if she couldn’t focus. Goodness, she was all over the place today.

[hedgierobindale]

Chris was halfway tempted to just walk away, but something stopped her. Oh look, the girl had the glow. Which wasn't all that exciting because it wasn't the glow her friends had. Where those were more of a creamy yellow, hers was more of a greenish shade. Over the years, Chris had come to the conclusion that she was a reincarnation, just from a different story. And seeing as it wasn't exactly a bright glow, she assumed that the girl didn't know who it was.

"What were you thinking about? I was thinking about how they should have dragons in zoos."

Wow. Dragons, really? "Why would there be dra-" Chris stopped her automatic sarcastic remark, surprised at a familiar but soft voice inside her head aying something that sounded like 'bendy'. Oh well, it still surprised her to make her think for a minute.

Honestly, she really didn't have any room to criticize. "Well, I mean. I was thinking about how the animals shoud talk, so. Dragons are cool too." You could tell be her uncertainty that she wasn't exactly used to not being sarcastic and a bit snide. It was weird. She really didn't know why, she just felt that she had enough in common with this girl to make her be nice or something.

Either that, or it was Chris Two actually doing something for once. He usually just sat up there in her head doing whatever the hell he did. Now she could sense him being.... was that shyness? Whoa.

Wendy!

Ohhhhh. Chris didn't exactly know that much about literature, but they had read Peter Pan for some reason in freshman year and well. As she thought about it some more, she came to a conclusion.

Awwww, you have a crush on Wendy she thought, forcing herself not to actually smile.

D-do not!

Well, sorry bud, it's not gonna happen. You know I don't go that way.

You could still be nice to her?

Well... Wendy was also a child who tended to escape reality. So why shouldn't she be nice to her? Not that she would do this with every other literary character she met. This was an exception. Humor Chris Two for a while, maybe make another friend. Whatever.

"Do you go to Baum?" I'm Addison."

"Yeah, not for much longer though. I'm graduating this year." The thought of which had excited her before she had learned about what she would be forced to do at Barrie. "I'm Chris."

[wendy]

For a moment, Addison was quite sure the girl was going to give her a snarky reply and walk away. The question she’d begun sounded sarcastic enough but she stopped for some reason. Addison tilted her head, curious. She was always curious as to why people dropped a sentence halfway through. However, she’d just met this girl and it would probably be rude to ask what she’d been about to say. So, instead, Addison nodded, feeling better about admitting what she’d said. Talking animals, however… why, that was almost more interesting than dragons! Unfortunately, she wasn’t quite sure how she’d like talking animals in a zoo. “That would be amazing,” she started slowly, looking around to all exhibits nearby. “I don’t know if I’d like it with zoo animals, though… You know?” Addison asked, looking back to the girl.

“Pleasure to meet you, Chris!” Addison exclaimed, holding out a free hand. Quickly, though, she wiped it against her jeans as it was cold and wet from holding her souvenir cup. Then, she resumed holding her hand out, waiting to shake Chris’. “Anyway, yeah. I just think zoo animals would seem very melancholy about being locked up.” Addison started off in the same direction she’d been headed, glancing back to Chris. “I was going to see the polar bears next.” She paused and smiled, making it quite clear that she’d be happy if Chris joined her. “I’m a senior at Baum, too, by the way.” Once quite sure that Chris was beside her, Addison continued on her way to the polar bear exhibit. “How do you like it? The school, I mean.”

Realizing she’d been talking quite a lot, Addison took a sip of her soda. She told herself to quiet down and just enjoy the zoo and the presence of a possible friend. Chris seemed nice enough (and somehow familiar in a strange way) and Addison would’ve been happy to become friends with her. Especially seeing as they went to the same school and were the same age. “What’s your favorite animal?” Addison asked, figuring this was a perfectly normal question as they were at the zoo.

[hedgierobindale]

“That would be amazing,” she started slowly, looking around to all exhibits nearby. “I don’t know if I’d like it with zoo animals, though… You know?”

She nodded, pondering that thought while Addison did the whole 'pleasure to meet you, shake my hand now kthx' routine. Predictable, yet understandable. That's how most people were, she supposed. "Yeah, you too," she said with as much of a smile as she could muster, shaking the girl's hand. Whaddya think, Chris Two? Pleasure to meet her, huh? It took everything she had not to smirk as she poked fun at Christopher Robin for having a crush on Wendy Darling. It was hilarious, actually.

“Anyway, yeah. I just think zoo animals would seem very melancholy about being locked up.”

Chris followed the girl, glad for the company since it was a little boring when you had no one to talk to outside of your head. "Yeah, I guess they would just complain about being stuck in cages all day, or brag about being well-fed and not having to hunt or really do anything except sit there and look pretty." Hmmm, she had already seen the bears, but you know, whatever. Bears were bears and she could see them as much as she wanted. It wasn't like they were her favorite animals or anything, talking or not.

Lost in her thoughts, she only caught the last part of what the girl said. “How do you like it? The school, I mean.”

"Eh, it's okay. For a school, at least." School was not her favorite place, though. Not at all.

“What’s your favorite animal?”

"Bears, definitely. I also like tigers and pigs and owls and rabbits and donkeys and kangaroos...." Realizing that she sounded like a little kid listing off what they wanted for Christmas, she trailed off at the end with a face, even though she was done anyways. It was very un-Chris-like. She blamed Chris Two for being so excited.

[wendy]

There had to be a better way to introduce yourself to people. Addison was starting to grow tired of the usual routine. She always shook hands with new people, always said ‘pleasure to meet you.’ It really was starting to get boring. Chris even seemed tired of it. It was a pretty easy thing to notice. Addison would have to do her research on other sorts of introductions. Until then, she’d have to stick to tradition.

Addison nodded, glad Chris understood. Some people would’ve just rolled their eyes, finding such a notion as talking animals to be stupid. Clearly, they’d never seen a Disney movie. “Exactly. I don’t think I could handle visiting if it were like that.” She paused and thought, not having considered the plus sides to being in a zoo. Addison found the idea of sitting around and looking pretty to be very boring. “I suppose you make a good point. I hadn’t thought of any pluses to being locked up.” Realizing she hadn’t worded that very well, Addison shook her head. “To being in a zoo.”

Addison laughed. “You sound like a friend of mine.” Given, hating school and thinking school was okay were quite different, she still couldn’t help but to think of Matthew. “Better than public school, I think. Smaller classes at Baum make learning easier.” … Wow ,was she really talking school right now? No, that just wasn’t a good topic. Time to drop it.

Addison grinned. Of course, being one who read so often, the list of animals reminded her of Winnie the Pooh. “Sounds like the cast of Winnie the Pooh.” She almost went on to name them all, but she was sure Chris would be aware of it. One didn’t list animals like that without doing so on purpose. “Lovely books.”