Open Lonely Shade of Blue

[Poppy Perkins]

(Open after Kris posts with the Blue Lady)

Meal times had become tricky for Poppy now that her time revolved around avoiding certain people. She hadn't spoken to Nicole since the blow up argument with Connor, and she had managed to avoid him too despite the whole prefect thing. She counted her lucky stars that they hadn't been paired up for patrols or she would be having a much worse time. She still had Iris but it still felt safer to tuck away from the rest of the school for now. She had ducked into the great hall just long enough to grab some food before finding her way to a very specific place on the fifth floor.

Poppy sat down heavily on the floor of the corridor and held up her bag to her face and let out a loud groan that was then muffled by said bag. After a couple seconds she lowered her bag and took out her lunch before glancing up at her companion. She had regularly come to see the Blue Lady after their chance encounter on her very first night at Hogwarts. The painting was a particularly good listener and had become a fast friend. Which was something Poppy needed about now and her visits had become more frequent since coming back to school. "Anything exciting happen while I was away?" she asked absentmindedly as she pulled an apple out of her bag in addition to the sandwich she nabbed.

 

[The Blue Lady]

Blue had been staring idly out the window, trying to remember a thought she'd lost track of earlier when Poppy joined her rather unceremoniously. "Oh hello, there," she said, glancing down at Poppy with a raised eyebrow as Poppy groaned, wondering if she should ask if the young girl was alright. Blue had always had a soft spot for her Ravenclaws, and girls like Poppy were much the reason why. It was so nice to have someone to talk to. "I think a bird might be nesting in one of the eaves," Blue said thoughtfully, staring out the window a moment before looking back at Poppy with a smile. "But no, not much. It's very quiet when you all go away." Truthfully, Blue usually slept while the students were all gone. Sometimes even when they were back. It could get awfully dull and lonely sitting in her frame all day, and sleeping seemed to pass the time best. "Say, I could be wrong, but isn't it a bit too early in the year to be groaning so much?" Time wasn't Blue's strong suit, so she could be wrong, but she was sure the students had only just returned. Perhaps she'd slept too long and missed a few weeks.

 

[Poppy Perkins]

Poppy smiled weakly as Blue greeted her but brightened at the mention of a nesting bird. “Really?” she asked eagerly and looked up trying to see if she could spot it on her own. She squinted but gave up after a few moments and sighed when the portrait commented on her groaning. “Probably.” she answered glumly. “But when your year starts of crummy you can never really be too early.” she pointed out. Poppy frowned and felt like she was being so dramatic about something the barely had anything to do with her. She didn't feel like herself, but her friends had made it her problem and she was stuck.

 

[The Blue Lady]

ooc: pretend I didn't forget about this thread oops

Blue smiled at Poppy's excitement, nodding and pointing towards the window she'd seen the bird passing lately. Little things like that were why Ravenclaws were her favourites. Poppy's dour mood did trouble her though, and Blue leant companionably against her frame as mentioned having a bad start to her year. "Oh dear, that does sound rather disheartening," she offered compassionately. "Want to talk about it? I am a very good listener." Years of living on the castles walls left Blue little else to do but listen, but she did love to try and help the students when she could. Especially ones she liked, like Poppy.

 

[Poppy Perkins]

Poppy gave the portrait a half hearted smile. "I don't know." she sighed and took a bit of her lunch. It wasn't like she had anyone else to talk to about this. Everyone she knew was connected somehow. Blue wasn't exactly isolated but she wasn't about to go telling her secrets to just anyone either. "It's just my friends got into a fight and they made it everyone's problem." she started to explain and was surprised by how angry she sounded. Maybe keeping all of her thoughts to herself wasn't the best idea. "Now it's been months but things are still weird and I don't know what to do." Poppy groaned. "So I've been avoiding them and... I guess they don't miss me." she finished with a sigh and leaned against the wall behind her feeling discouraged.

 

[The Blue Lady]

Blue hummed sympathetically as Poppy got talking, propping her chin into her hand and leaning against her frame as she listened. Friendship wasn't exactly Blue's forte, but she knew plenty about loneliness, her heart going out to poor Poppy. "Well, maybe it's a sign you should make some new friends. I don't think it's very nice that anyone's making you feel that way," she said primly, feeling a streak of defensiveness. Blue had never had a knack for making friends, but she imagined for an actual human, someone with legs and all, it might be easier. "Or maybe you can talk to them? I've noticed people tend to stuck inside their own worlds sometimes. Maybe they don't even realize they're upsetting you?" Years of people watching had its perks, and Blue had noticed over the years that many of the school's denizens could go months without noticing the world around them. One of the perks perhaps of being in one place for so long was that it did make it a lot easier to notice the little things.

 

[Poppy Perkins]

Poppy made a face when Blue suggested making new friends and groaned as she leaned forward to hide her face in her hands. Deep down she knew the portrait was correct but Poppy hadn’t wanted to believe it. It already felt so improbable that she had made friends at all, that the idea of having to start all over felt like more than she could handle on top of everything else she had to deal with this year. “I’m pretty sure they know.” she said glumly. It was hard to imagine they didn’t know. And if they hadn’t figured that out by now….getting new friends was sounding like the more likely option. Poppy wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them to her chest. “I guess I could try. I just...don’t know why it has to be me.” she said quietly.