Vance Asher's Story

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In rare form, the day had started off well - peaceful even as Vance took his grand time preparing. Meager clothing supply picked through with a careful eye. Humming to himself as he tidies the few objects in his cell of a room. He had a book laying out across the floor, spine cracked and cover too dirty to distinguish its title; he bent to retrieve it and finish off the final few pages with greedy eagerness. They had yet to come for him, and he was unsure if they would at all today. Sometimes he would be left to his own devices for hours, sometimes for days. It was only when they really needed him that they saw fit to deal with him, he was just too much of a pain otherwise.

'Someday, little bird, you will learn to spread those wings.'

Vance sets aside the book, lips downturned slightly. Nothing but boring sentiments, teach a broken bird how to fly - and yet, how could fluttering uselessly around a cage even manage to measure up to the freedom of wilderness?


Alas the Alloys were not birds, they didn't exactly get the chance to learn to fly no matter if its in a gilded cage or a rusty one. Vance hated that, could feel his blood heat beneath pale skin at the very idea that he'd spend his entire life here. Would die here. Wouldn't even get a funeral - something he had only read about in books - because they were unnecessary. Alloys died all the time, it was nothing new. Not to him at least. Sure, he was biased, he got to live beyond some preconceived expiration date. But he also knew that the only way that things would ever change would be to do it by force.

'Make them pay for every poke and prod.' His thoughts drift so quickly to his sisters final words that he doesn't have time to brace himself. Collapses on weary knees and grits his teeth in a frail attempt at getting that anger to subside. Don't overheat, don't overheat. He pulls his legs into a crossed position, finds a focal point on the adjacent wall and just stares until everything stops. No longer thinking, just barely seeing, simply staring and breathing until his body goes back to a regular temperature. Still sits there for a while because he knows there's a chance to work himself back up into a tizzy if he doesn't let go of everything at once.

Eventually, with boredom growing, Vance decides that if today is going to be devoid of human contact he may as well do something productive. Perhaps stare at walls in the common room? Not that he was doing anything other than observing, quietly watching the daily going-ons and catches bits and pieces of conversation here and there. He rarely associated with the other Alloys in a friendly manner, and had no inclination to do so today either. But he had a feeling that if he didn't get up and do something he would be sorely regretting it. As much meditation as he suffered through he knew that there were simply times in his life were he had to move, lest he get antsy and nobody wants an antsy Pyro walking the halls. He's already itching to do something - anything. Which is pretty indicative of the mood he's caught hold of for the moment.

The hallways are silent, empty save for the guard posted for safety purposes - Vance himself was a flight risk or so a few of the more cowardly researchers liked to claim. Seeing him as a threat when really, his anger was the only thing they had to worry about. He disliked the idea of ever killing anyone, and he saw no reason for meaningless death if it meant anything other than freedom from this place. "I'm going to the common room." He informs as the nameless, faceless guard turns to look at him. Vance doesn't bother getting to know the guards on any form of personal level, something that only a few have taken offense to in the past. Despite his ability to properly co-operate with them. He waits a few moments as the lug processes his lack of request - another thing he saw no reason to do. He was the one who lived there, prisoner or not this was where he had been from the day of his birth.

"Stay out of trouble," The guard says, a bit grumpy for Vance's liking but he bites his tongue and moves on. Can feel the guards eyes on his back the entire time. "Oughta burn his eyes out," Vance mutters under his breath, barely containing the coy smirk sliding onto his face; only to drop as he nears the room and catches sight of another Alloy. Damn, well, he couldn't expect his day to continue being a good one through and through now could he? This Alloy in particular wasn't one he knew on any sort of basis other than him being a Hydro, and therefore his very existence is detestable,and that his name is Kano.

If nothing, this could be entertaining. "Kano." Vance barely mumbles as he bumps past the Hydro rudely. Bait, set, now get ready to trap. Anything resulting from this little show would just be another mess for the researchers to clean up - and that excited him.

In the common room of the laboratory, curled up upon a grey beanbag, was a girl with a book dangling precariously from a limp hand. Light blue hair covered the fair girl's face and shoulders as she slept blissfully, and though her cheeks were damp her expression was peaceful. However as the book finally slipped from her hand and fell onto the ground with a soft thud, the bluenette's gentle slumber came to an end as she stirred at the noise, eyelids fluttering open to reveal deep blue eyes like the ocean. Pushing herself up with her hands, the girl's face was partially hidden by her light blue locks again as she wiped her eyes sleepily before reaching her arms up in the air to stretch and giving a big yawn. Really, it was a adorable - like a puppy waking from a nap.

Raelyn brushing her light blue bangs out of her eyes she looked around, blinked a few times as tears sprung to her eyes (which she wiped away out of habit). 'Huh, I must've fallen asleep on one of the beanbags in the common room,' she thought, her eyes coming to rest upon the book on the floor beside her and she bent down to pick it up, tenderly re-reading the cover as she closed the book. 'That's right, I was reading as I waited for Dashure to finish his testing.' she recalled, walking to the shelf and putting it back where it'd come from, and slowly a whimsical smile grew upon her face - an expression so natural and fitting it almost looked (and felt) strange when it wasn't there.

With another yawn she wiped her eyes again and turned towards the doorway, tugging at her simple white dress to unwrinkled it. This wasn't actually a dress but in fact it was her "testing uniform" as the doctors said, but it made her feel pretty and she liked the way it billowed whenever she ran, so she more it far more often than any of the others wore theirs. She did not fully understand why the others were so opposed to the doctors and their experiments. She didn't like the needles and testing and everything of course, but it was all she'd ever known. It was normal, expected, and they'd never been outright cruel to her before so she had no ill will against any of the staff. If anything they were kinda like family; always there, taking care of herself and the others.

It was possible that, if Raelyn saw her own file, she'd feel differently after them. "She is so sweet and eager to please, like an innocent little child; an excellent candidate for the program," - was a note written in regards to her - "it will be all too easy to get her to follow through with plans. However at this point it is only a matter of time." Raelyn, however, did not know of these plans and smiled at the guard - Mr. Joe Frederick - as she skipped out the common room door, who gave a slight nod and smile to her in return. She did have an effect on people that simply made them smile - it was one of her most defining characteristics, and if someone only knew one thing about her it was her friendly, loving aptitude she held towards everyone. Skipping down the hall she saw two familiar figures passing each other and her smile grew.

"Good morning Vance! Good morning Kano!" she chimed happily, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging affectionately before letting go and doing the same for Kano, "Kano, you're all wet! Did you just get to go swimming?" Raelyn said with a giggle as she let go, beaming up at him before something seemed to occur to her. "Oh no, does that mean that the pool is closed? Darn! I accidentally feel asleep in the common room and missed swim-time." she said with a giggle, then suddenly another thing seemed to occur to her, significantly more alarming than her previous revelation as she glance up at a wall clock and paled a little bit. "Oh no!" she said with a horrified gasp, her hands having found their way to her mouth, "That means that if I don't hurry I'll be late to meeting Dashure!" Quickly wiping away the tears that'd run down her cheeks (a feature almost as well known about her as her smile) she turned to Vance and Kano and smiled at them both. "Sorry, but I've got to go! Bye Vance! Bye-Bye Kano!" she said cheerfully turning over her shoulder and taking off down the corridor, giving a frantic wave behind her as the faint padding of footsteps faded away.

Within a minute or two Raelyn had reached Dashure's door, pausing a moment before knocking their secret knock. "Daaaaaaaashuuuuuuuuure!" she sang happily, reaching for the handle when suddenly something smacked right into her and Raelyn flew a few feet, landing on her butt with an undignified "Oof" sound. Shaking her head a moment to get her bearings again, Raelyn looked up to find none other than- "Griswald!" she exclaimed happily, jumping up and wrapping Dashure's younger brother in a bear hug with a giggle. "Hi there! Have you come to see Dashure too?"