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

While Alistair did not receive the warm welcome or swarm of interested students that he had hoped for when he had entered the room, a small group of young Asylums in training had approached him for conversation and that was more than enough to lift his spirits. He happily answered the numerous questions that the alchemists had with a smile on his face and with his typical flair, with honesty about the hardships of being a fully qualified Asylum but made sure to keep them optimistic and eager to face their days ahead. They asked mostly about the work of a qualified Asylum; how dangerous the missions were, how frequent they were, and what their preferred styles of alchemy were, and he answered each and every question to the best of his ability. Alistair revelled in the attention, although Vail, who had positioned herself some ways away from the group, was not quite in the mood to be pestered by a whole group of kids. She leaned against her wall, arms folded, and a stern look on her face, as she looked out over the different people who moved about the room.

“[COLOR=f6989d]Why do you not you go talk to some of the students, dear, rather than trying to scare them off?[/COLOR]” Alistair asked, turning to face his companion for a brief moment. “[COLOR=f6989d]I am sure they would love the opportunity to talk to an Asylum as tough and as talented as yourself, and many of them are even around your age. You may even make a friend![/COLOR]”

Vail groaned, grumbling under her breath that she “didn’t want to make a friend” and that “until the fighting started she wasn’t interested”.

“[COLOR=ed145b]Scram, I’m busy,[/COLOR]” said Vail as one of the students who had previously been speaking to Alistair came over to her, opening his mouth to speak and presumably ask her a few questions. As the scrawny boy turned to leave through, Vail grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. “[COLOR=ed145b]Actually, no, don’t scram. I have a few questions.[/COLOR]”

Alistair rolled his eyes as he caught sight of this, although his smile suggested he still found Vail’s actions interesting if not just amusing. “[COLOR=f6989d]Try not to traumatise the boy too badly. Save that for the sparring matches.[/COLOR]”

“[COLOR=ed145b]I wouldn’t dream of it,[/COLOR]” Vail replied as she turned her head back to the student that she had caught who seemed to be no older than fourteen or fifteen. Her lips curled into a devilish grin that might scare even the hardiest of Asylums.

Vail had felt a change of heart, and had every intention of doing what Alistair had suggested, but she wanted to talk to someone a little bit more specific rather than wade blindly into the crowd. She was entirely focused on the fighting that was to come, and Vail did not want to put herself up against an inexperienced rookie who could not hold their own. Vail wanted to find the toughest, rowdiest alchemist here that could make her blood boil and sock them in the jaw. If they got back up and did the same then it would be all the more entertaining; it meant she had more of a chance to feel that oh-so addicting rush of adrenaline through her body. By the way the boy caught in her grasp struggled and squealed, he was not the person Vail was looking for, but he might be able to point her in the right direction. A.M.R.O. had no shortage of sociopaths and lunatics, which Vail had always thought might have been the taint of alchemical madness in its early stages, so surely she would be able to find someone her who was up for a tussle.

Apparently there were a few here that might just be scrappy enough to stand a chance, at least according to the boy. His descriptions of their skills and alchemical powers certainly implied they could be dangerous, assuming they had enough control over their abilities. One used alchemy to channel blasts of electricity, and one girl supposedly fought by tearing her own bones out of her body and beating people to death with them. 

[I]Damn, that’s actually pretty metal[/I], Vail thought, running her free hand along her chin thoughtfully. “[COLOR=ed145b]What’s her name? And point her out to me.[/COLOR]”

“M-Maeve,” the boy replied, lifting a hand to point off into the crowd. “I don’t know her last name, but she’s the one with red hair”.

The locks of bright red hair made the girl with the tall frame stand out among her peers like a beacon. [I]So she’s a fighter and a fiery red-head too? Where were you when I was in training?[/I] She loosened her grip on the boy’s shirt and pushed his shoulder, letting him stumble away and out of arm’s reach.

“[COLOR=ed145b]Now scram. I have work to do.[/COLOR]”

Running a hand through her messy black hair, Vail made her way towards the red haired individual and the younger girl that she was talking to. Vail did not know who the other person was, but perhaps she would find out soon. The fair haired girl was young, but she looked like she had some fight in her too, which only made Vail more interested in approaching the group. Vail overheard a few pieces of their conversation as she approached, and it gave her, in her opinion, the perfect opportunity to interject and join their conversation. Vail cleared her throat casually to get their attention.

“[COLOR=ed145b]So the fiery, tough girl look is just an act?[/COLOR]” Vail asked. She stood a few feet behind Maeve, the red haired woman in question, with one hand on her hip and the other hand brought up closer to her face so that she could feign examining her broken nails. “[COLOR=ed145b]That’s a shame. Here I was, thinking at least one of you might be able to put up a fight, but I guess you’ll end up all like the rest. Down in [i]one[/i] punch.[/COLOR]”

Her blank, bored expression changed in a moment, as her eyes glanced up to Maeve and she smirked.