Parker didn't often visit Avalon if it wasn't for work. He just didn't have the time to be making any extra trips. After that one evening where his boss insisted he go visit the winter festival, however, he felt the need to return the next time he had a free night. He assumed night would be a better time to go since there would be less people, which meant a lesser chance of feeling overwhelmed and drained like he did so soon the first time.

He didn't use to be so bad in large crowds, and it was honestly starting to become an issue for him in his everyday life. Classes were harder to sit through, and he had to be more careful during rushes at work too. Hopefully a bit of time alone at the festival would help him to feel a little bit better...

Walking through the main square of where the winter festival was taking place, Parker was glad that he was right about how few people were going to be out at this time. Shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, Parker briefly closed his eyes as he sat on a bench, enjoying the cold air against his face. A passing couple mentioned going on some of the rides and Parker opened his eyes, realizing he'd not yet gone to check out that area.

With the bright neon-like lights and twisting metal rising high above nearby buildings, Parker was able to find his way over to the rides with ease. He weaved around short lines, looking around and taking it all in. As a kid, he had seen many ads and shows with large muggle amusement parks and roller coasters, though never actually visited any.

At that moment, Parker resolved that he would try to ride one - they certainly had to be safer than the muggle contraptions, right?

Moving into one of the nearby lines, Parker let his mind wander as he waited to get near the front. He carefully watched as the car before them was loaded up with pairs of passengers and speedily sent on its way. Doubts starting to fill his mind and Parker almost ducked out of line just before being called to move into the next ride-car. He swallowed hard, hesitating before starting to move his feet in the direction he needed (but not necessarily wanted) them to go.

It certainly wasn’t the worst looking of the rides there - but having never gone on any sort of roller coaster before, anything would have been intimidating. Heights were... something of a weak point of Parker’s. Hell, he could barely even ride a broom, so how did he expect himself to willingly get on this ride? That wasn’t to say that he didn’t understand so-called ‘adrenaline junkies’ though - thrills were thrills, but personally he found it rather terrifying.

As late as it was and with how short the lines were, Parker waited too long debating if he should really go or not. Before he knew it, the ride operators were ushering people on to the ride-cars in pairs, or coupling together the single riders. Parker inwardly groaned as he stepped in, hoping he wasn’t visibly shaking as bad as he thought he was.

As the rest of the passengers were loaded on, Parker swallowed nervously and glanced up at the lap-bar that had yet to be lowered. No proper seat belts? Oh, God, I’m going to die…

Parker’s increasingly panicked thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the voice of the guy sitting sitting beside him. “Oh, er - yeah, I am.” Parker responded as he looked over and tried to supply a friendly smile to cover up how on-edge he was feeling.

"I-I think I recognize you.”

The other brunette’s words reflected Parker’s own thoughts. He knew him from their shared potions class; the cute one. “Yeah, you’re in potions with Professor Holmes, right?” he tried to say casually, just before the lap-bar lowered down and locked into place. Forgetting his previous train of thought, Parker’s hands immediately latched onto it, his scarred knuckles white from how tight his grip unintentionally was.