Food is for the hungry.

[Vivian Pryce]

There was hardly a time that Vivian wouldn't object to a plate of something, but today, she really didn't have that much of an appetite. Still, she was at least trying to shove something down her throat into that empty stomach, even though she wasn't really feeling that well. The poor girl was a nervous wreck, and right now, she looked even more scattered than usual. The red hair that normally fell neatly in her face was frizzy and unkempt, the wisps doing more to hide her bright blue eyes than simple straight locks.

Seating herself at the table, Viv scattered some scrambled egg and sausage over the surface of her plate, but while it was normally satisfying, it didn't seem at all appetizing right now. Digging her fork into a bit of egg, she forced her hand to bring it to her mouth, chewing slowly and swallowing, then washing it down with a hefty gulp of pumpkin juice. It wouldn't do her any good to waste away and raise concern, though she insisted that she was fine. Branden was just some guy being an idiot and she was just a teenager being just that. So what if Vivian was frustrated and over-emotional? Wasn't that what hormones did to everyone?

She moved the bits and pieces of food around the plate, occasionally forcing a bite into her stomach, growing more and more repulsed as the food grew cold. Finally, she just gave up. She wasn't hungry, and she should waste her time doing something more productive. Thinking? No, that was getting her absolutely nowhere, and giving her a migraine as well.

Viv hoped openly that she was inconspicious enough to be completely ignored by everyone around. At this point, she was willing to admit that she really didn't like people in general. Humans were stupid, impulsive beings, a group that she sadly belonged to, and now, found herself distressingly fitting in to. She wouldn't have a problem if she'd been smart and kept away from everyone. This was all her own fault, her own problem, and she'd just have to learn to deal with actually living life like a normal witch eventually. Mum and dad wouldn't always be around for her to hide behind, and some day, she might be forced even to attempt to fill their shoes. Viv just wished she could be away from here now. Away from the past that was quickly coming back to haunt her, and away from people that were quickly making her more and more like them, just another irrational teenager.

[Bubbles]

Bubbles walked past the girl and looked at her she really didn't look good, Bubbles climbed up on the sit across from Vivian and smiled at her "Hel-lo I is Bubbles, you o-ta?" Bubbles asked

[Vivian Pryce]

The great hall was a really intimidating room. Even with no one around, it always seemed full with the massive tables that took up so much space, and an almost suffocating beauty that could be found within the entirety of the castle. Still, fine architecture was something that she was at least used to, having grown up in a mansion with a large expansive garden. Doing things for herself had been something to get used to, after having been waiting on hand and foot by the house elf since she was little.

At first, she hadn't noticed the girl across from her, having been far too caught up in her own petty problems and musings. Viv blinked once, her gaze shifting downward to meet that of the other's through the cascade of strawberry hair. This other girl appeared far too young to attend the school, and yet she was here. They were smaller than her, and thus, much less frightening, which did help her nerves to ease considerably so she could speak with more of a level voice.

"I-I-I'm f-fine," Vivian insisted in her normal stutter, caught a little off balance by the sudden questioning. She was used to more mature questioning, and having been still merely a toddler when her youngest sibling was born, she'd never really been forced to deal with people a lot younger than herself.

Shaking her head to make the locks fall out of her face, she got a good look at the girl across from her, smiling warmly in an attempt to be kind. Exhaling a deep breath, she reminded herself that the girl was just a child and thus not someone to fear.

"I-I-I'm V-V-Vivian Pr-Pryce... p-pleased to m-meet you..." Perhaps the rehearsed greeting was not the most appropriate for the situation, but Viv didn't really know how to act. This wasn't something she was used to at all. People her age and older were predictable enough, but children, she knew, were much less so. Though, at least, they were almost invariably honest, and when they weren't, horrble liars.

"H-h-how old are-are you?" Vivian asked softly, making some attempt at figuring out exactly what was going on, and why she was talking to so young of a girl. At least, her presense was semi-comforting, for the sake of offering a convenient distraction from her thoughts.

[Bubbles]

"You is very pretty Vivian, I is Bubbles" Bubbles said smiling "I is Three" Bubbles held up three fingers

[Vivian Pryce]

How were you supposed to react to a three year-old complimenting you? Sure, kids tended to be brutally honest, but sometimes they were smart enough to figure out that compliments could go a long way. She figured she should take the approach that she'd always seen nannies take to her and her siblings in this situation. She'd been six when her youngest sibling was that age, and she'd had the presense of mind to make some very careful observations. Of course, as children they'd been spoiled brats, and with the exception of her, or so she'd like to think, they still were.

However, this girl seemed entirely pleasant, and Vivian allowed herself to remain smiling, not wanting to seem intimidating to a three year old. Though she'd like to seem something less than a pushover on occasion, scaring and possibly doing permanent mental damage to young children was really not the way to do that.

"W-wow, th-th-three y-years old?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised, because in truth, she was. It was baffling why a child this young was here at the school, and she was determined to figure it out.

"I-I-I'm s-sixteen," Vivian offered in response, feeling just as clueless as she was in a normal conversation, but in this case, with justification. She would have held up fingers, but she didn't have enough, and she didn't particularly feel like taking off her shoes to use toes as well. That seemed overly juvenile, even when dealing with a toddler.

"S-s-s-so wh-why are y-y-you here?" she asked carefully, trying to act as normal as possible even though she was placed in a particularly difficult situation.

[Kage]

Kage walked up behind Bubbles, sitting next to her, across from Vivian, in time to hear her name. "Vivian huh? I had you pegged for a Rachel or a Emily. My fault, I suppose. You're the girl who helped the guy who got nailed in the Great Hall." Kage said all of this in a completely even tone, no inflection whatsoever. His eyes moved over her, almost quizzically. She always tried to hide where no one would look for her, in the open, but why?

[Vivian Pryce]

It was distraction after distraction, and right now, conversing with not only one but two people, she was, as she would put it, multi-tasking. For the most part, a casual conversation was not an arduous activity for most people, but of course, Vivian was an exception in many things. She didn't bother to deny that there was something wrong with that, but instead of trying to fix the problem, she prefered to just deal with it and adapt. Maybe always having everything handed to her caused her to seek the easy road out, or maybe she just really felt more comfortable hiding like this.

Her voice caught in her throat as the boy began to speak, and she almost visibly cringed. Polite company would have been desirable to most people, but she was already faced with a difficult situation. Viv didn't recognise him instantanteously, but as soon as he said it, she remembered. She could try and blow him off right now, again using the excuse of being busy, but of course, she'd done that last time, and she didn't want to seem like she had something against him personally. For some reason, he just seemed to pick inopportune moments to interrupt, and right now, she really didn't have an excuse to get herself out of the conversation. She'd already established from her stance and behavior that she hadn't intended on going anywhere too soon. Of course, it would be far easier just to run off and leave him with the kid.

"Y-y-yes, th-that would b-be me..." Viv said nodding, adjusting her gaze carefully. Her hair was already out of the way of her face, but she was tempted to use it as a veil again. It was convenient, and also the only reason that she didn't cut that annoying mess of hair off entirely. Shrugging, she sat a bit straighter, less comfortably, though she could almost never be seen in a stance that could be described as relaxed as opposed to completely rigid. Her face looked somewhat stricken, and the task of remaining calm enough and carrying out a conversation seemed to be taking its toll.

"Th-th-that g-guy is m-my... fr-friend..." Vivian stumbled particularly on the last word, though managed to keep the flush to her face down to a dull pink as opposed to a firey crimson. Drawing in a deep shaky breath, she rested her palm on the handle of the wand in the pocket of her oversized overshirt, not bother to extend a polite hand to shake as this was the first time they'd be formally introduced.

"And-and, wh-who are y-you?" she asked finally, deciding that a name might be handy for future reference, though asking felt somewhat awkward.

[Bubbles]

Bubbles smiled as she knew the answers to each question Vivian was asking "I is lost from mummy and daddy and this is Kage, He is my friend" Bubbles said smiling and hugging Kage "You 16 that is really cool I wish I was growen up"

[Vivian Pryce]

Vivian's interest was perked as the girl made a brief reference to her mom and dad. She wanted to know what had happened but figured it might be better not to press the girl for anything. She'd come from a rich, privelidged family, and she didn't really know what it was like not to have everything seemingly easy. It was yet another thing that seemed to seperate her from the rest of society, designate her as different and strange. But of course, most of her alienation was her own work. This girl seemed to have been through a lot, and she figured it couldn't do much harm to look out for her, at least right now. It wasn't like Viv had anything better to do. Maybe dealing with a kid for a bit would give her a better perspective of what life was like for other people, make her understand why people acted the way they did. She wasn't a dumb girl, but after so long isolating herself, she almost forgot what it was like to function like a normal person, and not freak out if a person layed a hand on you.

You 16 that is really cool I wish I was growen up...

Vivian snorted lightly at the girl's statement, wishing she could even begin to phrase just how wrong she was. Of course, she could remember what it was like to be a child, and feel so small and helpless. Of course, if they got the girl into good hands, she could be carefree and happy, just like a kid should be. Vivian had been like that, bright eyed, always smiling. Oftentimes she'd heard mum and dad's dinner party guests talking in low whispers, wondering where that happy child had gone, and why such a boring, droll girl was in her place.

"Nah..." she began with a soft smile, trying to be nice to the toddler and not seem stupid at the same time. Viv had the slightest clue of how to deal with children and just that, nothing more, nothing less. Keeping her tone soft, she was careful not to say anything even remotely mean. As a teenager, it took a hefty insult to really cut deep, but being called a 'poopyhead' at this age was enough to drive some children into hysteric tears.

"B-b-being a kid is-is m-m-much better," Vivian insisted, nodding solemnly, ignoring the boy sitting there though she probably looked quite silly. Women in her family tended to have very strong maternal instincts, which was why they tended to have multiple children. Viv herself was one of 7, the exact middle child that seemed to stick out all the same among her siblings. "I-I-I'd m-much rather b-b-be three again..." Her voice trailed off wistfully, as she remembered spinning around in a new set of a dress robes, smiling gleefully and posing for mum and dad, her smiling radiating, while a blond haired boy stared on in complete silence.

[Kage]

Kage blinked, this was the first time he had heard her speak, he did not expect the stutter. Suddenly, realization dawned on him, and he nodded slightly, absently. "Its good to help a friend in need." He said. He returned to studying her with his eyes, he had one reason down, but something still tugged at the corner of his mind, something that was like her, hiding in plain sight.

[Bubbles]

Bubbles smiled "Okay, I shall never grow up" Bubbles said standing up like peter pan

[Vivian Pryce]

The boy's words really didn't stir up too much of a response. She supposed the concept made perfect sense, but of course, Vivian wasn't really the kind that necessarily went by what was normal in the standards of human behavior. Secretly she knew that her parents were infinitely bothered by her behavior at parties and in public, though they would never express that to her. They needed her to take care of the family estate, because, quite frankly, none of her siblings were entirely capable. All that good breeding, ruined in one generation. It was a shame.

"Y-y-yes..." Viv mumbled, looking down at her feet for a moment, peeking out beneath the long hem of her skirt. The clothing she wore was always concealing, as if she had some horrible disfigurement to hide. For all most people knew, she did, and that was another reason for them to keep away. Vivian was imperfect, not even reaching the level of functioning. Her own little world was her palace, just like the family mansion, and the family name.

There was no telling who Viv was hiding from, and she wasn't saying either. That wasn't anyone else's business but her own, and she wasn't about to spew out all her secrets to random strangers because she was far smarter than that.

Quickly the focus of her blue eyes shifted from the air in front of her to the girl, who was now standing. Now her attitude had changed significantly, and Vivian allowed herself a soft smile at the girl's behavior. Bubbles seemed like a sweet child, like she herself had been, at least, according to the few memories that she would consider accurate. Heck, it'd been 13 years, and much of that had been forgotten almost deliberately.

Vivian had never heard of the tale of Peter Pan, having been raised solely on stories from the magic world, though she had gotten her hands of a few muggle books over the years. It was fascinating how naive they were to reality, how they believed so firmly that witches, wizards, and mythical creatures didn't exist. And so they would remain, would have to remain, indefinitely.

"Y-y-you hhhave f-fun with that..." she stated softly, her attention drifting elsewhere for a moment as she continued to weave a mental web of excuses for allowing herself to expose her emotions and behaviors so clearly.

[Kage]

Kage watched her change in disposition carefully. Every time she spoke, it was as if she instinctively withdrew into herself, as if fearful of being struck or something as horrible. Kage mentally raised an eyebrow, as the Mad Hatter said, 'Curiouser and Curiouser'. Kage locked his gaze upon hers, willing her to open up. 'What happened to this girl, to make her this way?' "No idea." Kage said softly, then stopped as he realized that he had spoken aloud.

[Vivian Pryce]

At any given time, Vivian had a few nervous habits going, acting out her fear subconsciously in the form of certain gestures or twitches, sometimes even noticeably so. Her manner now was distinctly removed, though her bright blue eyes remained alert and attentive, not missing a single detail in her surroundings, even catching someone spill their pumpkin juice down their front. Aside from that, she let her hair fall in her face, and wrung her left hand nervously over the handle of her wand. Viv looked at times just a moment away from standing up and bolting, like a scared deer. But she had the tendancy to freeze when the danger was greatest.

Viv realized how bad she was slipping suddenly when the small group fell silent. Had she been your average girl, she would have been disappointed, but she was pretty much delighted at the turn of events. She appeared to ease slightly, letting out a deep shaky breath and glancing again to the sweet girl standing across from her, then to the boy, Kage, who'd she'd run into briefly before. She scanned the faces of both, so she'd instantly recognize them if she ever ran into either again. Her face drained of color abruptly when she realized that Kage was observing her as well, and Vivian knew that he was wondering why she was like this. For most people, she was just a little weird, nothing more, and nobody pondered why. There was nothing wrong with being a little shy, stuttering, and of course, freaking out at every little bit of contact.

"P-p-pardon?" she asked at his verbal musing, somehow knowing rather than guessing that he was trying to find a reason why a 16 year old like her would be so withdrawn. It was all one safety precaution, and she seemed to function under the delusion that the rest of society was irrational. Of course, if everyone like Vivian, the world's population might completely disappear, though she'd never bothered to think about it that way. In some ways, her mind was incredibly biased, believing only what she thought was right and nothing else, no matter how other people tried to convince her differently. Vivian's fears had only been validated when she allowed her to get close to someone and their relationship made a turn for the worse, and now she found herself acting just like the rest of those bubbly, giggly girls that she held the greatest distaste for.

[Bubbles]

"Cup change" Bubbles giggled "You know the story of Alice in wonder land?" Bubbles asked Kage, I like the mad hatter and the silly old rabbit"