[h3][B][I]Alistair and Vail[/I][/B][/h3]
[b]Team: Pendulum[/b]

“[COLOR=f6989d]You know, sweetheart, you really did not have to wear a tie. I appreciate the effort you made, I really do, but it clashes so fiercely with your colour palette. You could have at least consulted me first so I could have helped you pick something.[/COLOR]”

“[COLOR=ed145b]It makes me look formal. Isn’t that what we’re s’posed to be doing?[/COLOR]”

“[COLOR=f6989d]It only looks formal if you wear it properly, and I think something that was not in [i]bright yellow[/i] would look far more flattering. Here, let me just fix that for you-[/COLOR]”

“[COLOR=ed145b]Woah, woah, woah! You’re going to mess my hair![/COLOR]”

“[COLOR=f6989d]I don’t mean to be rude, sweetie, but that would imply that you spent more than two minutes managing your hair to begin with, thus making it possible for someone to ‘mess’ your hair[/COLOR]”.

“[COLOR=ed145b]Jeez, you don’t have to be a dick about it. It takes effort to look [i]this[/i] good.[/COLOR].”

“[COLOR=f6989d]…of course, hon’. I am one hundred percent convinced that the reason you take so long to get ready in the mornings is because you are concerned with looking immaculate, not because you are among the heaviest sleepers I have ever met. What was I thinking? You look stunning.[/COLOR].”

“[COLOR=ed145b]Damn right I do.[/COLOR]”

The two individuals sauntered down the hallway as they spoke, and among the small groups of individuals that stood around them they stuck out like sore thumbs. Unlike the individuals who stood in their small groups in the hallway, the pair did not wear the rigid, formal uniforms of the Alchemists in training, nor the uniforms of their instructors, but instead casual clothes that they had chosen for themselves. The whispers and mutterings of those around them told them that the trainee alchemists here knew exactly who they were, and that they were expecting them; they were fully qualified alchemists, taking a short break from service to assist with training exercises.

Fully qualified alchemists would often find themselves meeting a mixed reception at training facilities. Some respected them as their superiors, and as powerful and skilled alchemists. Others, typically those who still resented being forced to work for A.M.R.O., despised them, and saw them as everything that was wrong about the organisation. They had both heard it all, from kin words to harsh insults, and had weathered them both all of the same.

Well, Vail rarely took insults well, but Alistair had a firm grip on her rage by now, even if that meant letting her break a nose or two now and then.

Vail stood to the left, her hands in her pockets as she walked, her steps heavy and lacking in much grace. She wore dark colours accentuated with pieces of brightly coloured fabric and the thick locks of coloured hair that contrasted with her typically jet black curls. A yellow tie hung loosely around her neck, although almost no effort had actually been put in to make it look presentable despite her partner’s attempts. Alistair, the tall and lanky man that stood to her right, could not have been more different. His hair was fair, his clothes in bright, pastel colours (most notably bright pink), and he walked with a gentlemanly grace, supported by an umbrella which he wielded almost like one might a cane or walking stick.

They could not have been more different, but through thick and thin they had become as thick as thieves. They had no choice, as A.M.R.O. had forced them to be partners, but they were both thankful that, at least in this case, opposites attract. They had not become official Alchemists all that long ago, and so their time as trainees was still fresh in their minds, but they had both become close enough since that time. They fought, they argued, but they were on steady terms, even if on occasion those terms seemed to be forgotten.

Despite being here to train new alchemists, many of the trainees had left for the cafeteria now, leaving team Pendulum to wander the facility. They had almost free reign of the place, bar a few select areas of the compound that were off limits, typically offices of staff members. The pair arrived at the cafeteria where many young alchemists-in-training had arrived to satisfy their hunger pains. They might be training some of these men and women soon, and Alistair had managed to convince Vail that speaking with them beforehand may be a good idea, to build up a rapport with a few and make the training session go all the more smoothly.

Their entrance was something of a scene. Two strangers striding into the room, dressed in such gaudy colours and designs that they could only be full qualified alchemists, and then starting to loudly introduce themselves. How could that not turn a few heads? Alistair bowed, using his umbrella to support himself as he did so, his lips curled into a smile.

“[COLOR=f6989d]Good afternoon, my friends,[/COLOR]” he proclaimed. He motioned to himself and then to Vail who remained silent, and merely raised an eyebrow at his outlandish performance. “[COLOR=f6989d]My name is Alistair Delacour, and this is my good friend and partner Vail Hyson. We are fully qualified Alchemists and we are here to act as invigilators for the rest of today’s classes. It is a pleasure to meet all of you and we would be happy to answer any and all questions you may have. Good day, and good luck![/COLOR]”

“[COLOR=ed145b]…what he said, I guess,[/COLOR]” Vail added.