<div style="background-color:#443266; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#C3C3E5; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="color: #443266"><img alt="" src="http://orig09.deviantart.net/715f/f/2016/072/4/f/rsz_1woman_308590_960_720_by_lordwizardhat-d9v0ayw.png" style="float:left; padding:6px;"/>★<span style="font-family: Edwardian Script ITC;"><span style="font-size: 200%; line-height: 116%;">V I V I E N N E</span></span>  ★<br/>The last sip of her tea wasn't overly pleasant, the last dregs over-saturated with sugar Vivienne hadn't requested. As she had been drinking the beverage she wondered why it was sweeter than usual; as she set down her cup, that was one mystery solved. The cup was still warm, so Vivienne kept her hands wrapped gently around it to warm herself slightly. Vivienne wasn't one to enjoy the colder months, becoming slower and constantly tired as the sun slipped away earlier and earlier. She seemed to be neither a morning or a night person, instead simply working through the day at the same steady pace. Her coworkers had always noted that about her, admiring her ability to work consistently with a variety of clients even early in the morning and later at night. Normally Vivienne's work schedule wasn't that archaic, as usually the people she spoke to had certain time-slot appointments, but sometimes there were emergencies.<br/><br/>So was life.<br/><br/>Unearthing from her thoughts, Vivienne noticed a woman with blonde hair and interesting eyes gazing at her from a stool several seats down. As their eyes met for a fraction of a second Vivienne's mind expanded to accommodate the newcomer before she could prepare herself. She was waiting, worried about a man who had not yet arrived. And a curiosity, centred around a hunched black woman with a very <span style="font-style: italic">present</span> look in her eyes-<br/><br/>Vivienne straightened her back abruptly, looking away from the woman. It had been an unusual connection, something the empath wasn't prepared for, and the woman had <span style="font-style: italic">seen</span> Vivienne. It hadn't just been mild curiosity, a passing glance at a stranger, judging their appearance and wondering what their shoes felt like. The stranger's musing had involved Vivienne's power. It was like the woman knew her, hit the nail on the head without Vivienne uttering a word.<br/><br/>Despite her age, Vivienne had never met anyone with a similar ability to her, or any supernatural talent whatsoever. It was mostly through Vivienne's lack of searching. She never really questioned her powers, much less her existence, although in the back of her mind she always wondered if there were others like her, especially as a child. In the classroom she would imagine other gifts like hers, and give them to the people around her in her imagination. It helped her to feel more normal and adjusted, even if it was only in her mind that her classmates could breathe fire and lift the teacher's desk above their head. It was so very possible that this woman-this strange woman-really had a gift, that Vivienne just barely brushed upon when their eyes met.<br/><br/>Vivienne was jolted by a sudden questioning voice, speaking at a volume to be speaking to the room as a whole. <br/></span><br/><span style="color: #0000BF">"So, some awful strange things have been going on here. People disappearing with no trace. What do you all think?"</span><br/><span style="color: #443266"><br/>This was news to Vivienne. Even though she often let the news play in the background of her flat, she rarely ever listened to the words coming out of the newscasters' mouths. A bad thing to have done in this situation, to be at such a seemingly dangerous place on a whim. Vivienne turned in her seat to find herself face-to-face with a dread-locked young man. Vivienne prepared to inquire more on the details of these disappearances, but her soft voice was cut out by the more assertive tone of the blonde woman.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Traceless disappearances?</span> Vivienne could feel her heart rate increase with worry. This was something she didn't want to be involved with. She could handle murder and kidnapping in the pages of a novel, but not in reality. She had seen the shadows of the scars left from those events, and couldn't even imagine the real thing. She raised her cup to her lips in nervousness before realizing it was empty. She distracted herself from the talk of the two strangers by standing and walking to the trash bin and disposing of her cup. Vivienne thought littering was one of the most awful things to do, and strove to keep her 'carbon footprint', as they said nowadays, to a minimum.<br/><br/>A cold draft entered the café, sending a shiver down Vivienne's spine. She was wearing her thick green cardigan over a sleeveless black sweater, but it seemed an overdue time to wear an actual coat. She kept her appearance tidy, but seemed having difficulty transitioning through the seasons, becoming partial to the clothing of each weather period. She sighed, rubbing her arms as she turned to leave the café.<br/><br/>Then she saw the back of the strange woman as she left the café, walking toward the newly arrived train. Vivienne chewed her lip lightly, frozen for a moment like a deer in the headlights.<br/><br/>She was so impulsive today.<br/><br/>Catching the door just before it closed, Vivienne followed the woman at a respectful distance, boarding the train just behind her. Vivienne didn't know what she wanted from the woman, or the train. She didn't even know how to get back to the station. But, at 50, Vivienne decided she should listen more to instinct, and her instinct told her that this woman knew...something. Vivienne would figure it out as she went along. Normally when she made a decision like this, <img alt="" src="http://orig08.deviantart.net/714b/f/2016/072/e/a/rsz_moon_md_by_lordwizardhat-d9v0evi.png" style="float:right; padding:6px;"/>she would make a pros and cons list, but there was no time now.<br/><br/>As the doors of the train closed behind her, she realized she hadn't bought a ticket.<br/><br/>Oh well.<br/></span></div></div>