[center][b][color=f6989d][h1]Quinn:[/h1][/color][h2]The Ashlands[/h2][/b][/center]

[color=f6989d][i][b]1 week prior [/b][/i][/color]

It was an odd figure, seeing a guard edging down the corridor, a mixed look of confusion and revulsion spread across his jutted features. He was new to this sector. And wasn't yet used to it's [i]peculiarities[/i].

The screaming wasn't loud. But it was a sorrowful wail that seeped through the cracks of the doors and walls, piercing your eardrums with its pitiful emotion. It clearly eminated from one of the cookie cutter rooms that were lined along the hallway, yet the only other person nearby, a girl...or perhaps woman, younger than himself, did not seem to hear it. 

Leaning against the irrigated metal doorframe, the young female stuck a hand into one of the pockets of her dark red cordoury jacket, pulling out a packet of gum. She took her time unwrapping its tinfoil casing before popping the mint flavoured gum into her mouth. Chewing on it slowly, she savoured the freshness while contemplating…well, nothing. Sometimes it was nice not to think. Her mind had been full and spinning but as she inhaled deeply, it cleared, an unnatural silence taking over her thoughts. 

Her gaze lazily strayed to a guard who was strolling towards her, his footsteps precise and methodical as if he were counting the number of paces. Stopping in front of her, she saw that he had a crisp new envelope clutched in his hand. An unusual way of communicating with her but okay. Yet he did not hand it over immediately. Instead he stared at the door behind her, eyes boring through the metal as if uselessly attempting to try and see into the small box room she had just been in. She stared at him with the same look of confusion that he bore, trying to figure out what could account for such an odd behaviour. 

Oooooh.

It finally clicked. 

The screaming. 

She'd blocked it out for her own sanity but she had forgotten that everyone else could still hear it. Whoops. 

"Don't worry about that. Over here now." She uttered gently as he slowly drifted back into the present moment, his focus back on her, no longer able to recognise the wails and moans. 

[i]“You have a new assignment.”[/i] He finally announced, shoving the sealed envelope into her hands, which Quinn peered at suspiciously before ripping it open. Clutching the letter to a chest, akin to a child trying to hide their favourite toy from a sibling, she mocked secretiveness, pretending to hide the contents of the letter from the figure in front of her. “Tut tut, no peeking now.” She chided in jest, the attempt at humour washing over him like a simple breeze. Realising that he was going to ignore her attempts at mockery, she focused instead on the words, having to scan over it twice before she really took in what she was reading...

Quinn nearly spit out her now thoroughly chewed piece of gum as she burst out into laughter, the melodic sound reverberating through her body as she grasped onto the guards forearm to steady herself. He attempted to shake her off begrudgingly but she held on for a few seconds until she had composed herself and could gain breath enough to speak again.  

“Oh, you’re serious?” It was a rhetorical question for the letter was [i]entirely[/i] serious. Unfortunately.  

[i]“I’m not the one who gives the orders.”[/i] The baffoon had no idea what the contents of the letter even were, too scared of the consequences to have even given a peep through the corner of the envelope. 

“You don't say.” She mocked as she used a foot to push herself off from the wall, letting the wails slowly come back to the front of the guards consciousness as she left him behind. 

[color=f6989d][i][b]Present day[/b][/i][/color]

Her nose was itching. 

Using the back of her hand to rub at the bridge of her nose until the annoying sensation faded away, she twitched said nose in irritation as it almost immediately came back. 

She was bored. Having arrived in this desolate place a couple of hours before, after scoping out the area (which had only taken a matter of minutes), she had been left with the monotonous task of waiting. This part of the Ashlands really did not leave much to the imagination. Save for the ramshackle of materials that made up what she supposed constituted for a home at the base of a cliff, there was little else to grasp ones interest. Unless you found rocks and the odd strand of grass interesting, that is. She had taken to perch on one of those rocks while hoping that she wouldn’t get sunburnt. Although she currently could not be seen by the visible eye, she was still susceptible to the sun’s rays, that great ball of energy not caring about whether she was or wasn’t apparent to others. 

Why she had even been allocated to this god forsaken mission in the first place, she still had no clue. Rescuing children wasn’t exactly in her usual repertoire of skills. The fact that she was the daughter of the founder, made it even even more annoying. 

The horizon was lonely enough that the movement in the distance eventually caught even here eye. She couldn't see any reason why the Ashlanders would be heading in this direction, so it must be whom she was waiting for. So subtly did not seem to be their strong suit... 

She had to admit she was surprised when it was a complete stranger who barrelled towards the house, introducing himself to the occupant of said dwelling almost immediately. Rolling her eyes, she remained perched on the nearby rock that she had taken too, crossing one of her jean-cladded legs over the other. Perhaps she would just stay here, unseen for the moment, and observe. She was in no rush to rescue the child anyway. Better her 'colleague' deal with that messy part of it.