Stepping into View

[Alana Meyers]

Alana Meyers stepped inside the training for for the first time since arriving at the Hyperion. Her blue eyes surveyed the extravagance of the room in awe. So many new toys, it was difficult to pick where to start. Her lungs inhaled a deep breath and she made the decision to begin with a quick stretch on the mats.

It took nearly 10 minutes for her to find significant mat space to stretch out. Alana pulled her heavy black sweater off revealing a tight black tank hugging her slight form and a pair of shorts just as tight.

Her mind wavered from the task at hand to her past. The last time she was dressed in such clothing it had warranted the unwanted attention of her father. A shiver ran up her spine as she stretched her muscles emotion missing in her features. Her mood turned sour fast and the anger consumed her.

She was up on her feet with out realizing it. Running laps with her teeth clenched. Speed increasing with every lap taken, and her heart rate increasing. Her pace making her muscles and lungs ache with every step forcing her to stop.
Being halted from her distraction only fueling the emotions inside her she was tempted to scream bu that would bring unwanted attention and questions she didn't want to answer.

"Why isn't anything ever simple?" She quoted softly to herself, hoping not to get an answer to the rhetorical question. Several deep breaths later and her mask was back in place. Easily she stepped away from where shes running laps to find someone to spar with.

Her arms stretched above her head and a cocky grin on her face she moved toward the center mat daring anyone to challenge her. "Come on Anyone up for a spar? I'll even give you first punch," Her voice condescending and bordering on rude.

[Jessica-Olivia Blue]

"You know, you could really get in trouble for being like that," a clear voice rang out from the edge of the mat. Little Jessica looked up from where she had been lying down on the floor with her coloring book, looking at the girl in disdain. She was usually friendly with just about everyone in the academy, everyone's best friend and the innocent little sweetheart that people usually counted on to brighten their day up. The people from the nearest mat looked up at her in surprise, but looked away, uncaring. They probably had better things to think of than a girl in a grumpy mood. But she wasn't exactly grumpy, merely saying what was on her mind. She never really was on anyone's bad side...although, strangely enough, she wasn't particularly friendly with Buffy. Jessica had actually seen Buffy much too often in her dreams, and was both frightened and awed by the woman, preferring to keep her distance.

She had came in the gym with one of the watchers, who's favor 'daddy ' had asked for, just for that day. He evidently had an important meeting, and despite her protests that she could watch after herself, Giles had insisted that she never challenged that fact by keeping to herself for a whole day. She smiled to herself, thinking about her father. He was just technically her dad. Giles had picked her up after her mother-a slayer-died, and even though he, nor anyone else, knew it she was incredibly grateful. Ignorance was bliss, and Jessica preferred to keep her skills hidden.

Jessica propped her elbows on the floor, closing her book with a gesture bordering on finality. "Are you really that good a sparrer?" she asked innocently, her large grey eyes looking curiously at the woman. She had seen, through her dreams, a lot of really good fighters. Something about the woman didn't scream professional to her. She pushed her blond hair off of her face in a gesture that was pure kindergarten-ish, one of the few things childish things she did at times. Sure, she matured a lot from living with no one younger than teenagers, but she was still a kid and no one ever forgot it.

[Alana Meyers]

Alana turned toward the blond on the mats shaking her head lightly at the trouble comment. Trouble was one thing she was good at. Her arms crossed an answer didn't come for Jessica, a seven year old wouldn't be much of a challenge, and she'd vowed never to hurt a child after what shed dealt with at the hands of everyone back home. "No one wants to play?" Her voice cracked in annoyance and frustration.

Two pale thin arms flew up into the air in a stretch as Alana turned her attention back to , she would wager to guess, the only completely innocent one residing in the hotel. Funny normally when she saw the kid Jessica was sickeningly sweet, now she seemed almost normal. She couldn't help but let out a little smile at that, the smile increasing when the question graced her ears.

Berating herself mentally the brunette moved and sat cross legged across from the blond on the floor. "Id like to think so yeah maybe you'll see sometime," Alana answered the question in a much softer kinder voice.

"You know with all the slayers in here it might not be safe to be laying down in here someone could trip over ya and hurt ya," Alana continued to speak in the same soft voice knowing if anyones listening shes going to take a serious blow to her unlikable reputation.

One petite hand reached out to the coloring book laying infront of Jessica. She doesnt take it just smooths out the page to take a look. She couldn't help but appreciate the simplistic beauty of a childs crayon work. Moving back she stands and goes back to her work out.

[Jessica-Olivia Blue]

Jessica twirled a strand of blond hair around her fingers as the woman shook her head. At her crossed arms, Jessica remembered what Giles had said about eh Slayers: they may be working for the good side, but that doesn't mean all their actions are good. She raised her eyebrow questioningly at the woman's angered face. Right...a time to leave would be just about now. She looked confused at the girl's frustrated tone, and even more at the question. Play? She hardly call the Slayers' game of beating each other up as fun. She had witnessed too many fights as it was already, in real life situations against demons and vampires and just about everything in between. Looking at the woman's fit figure, she also added that she wouldn't like her first fight to be with her. As Willow said, a Witch's place is with spells, not doing fist work.

Jessica smiled in relief as the woman stretched herself lightly, probably already ignoring her. But to her surprise, Alana actually looked back at her, and even smiled. Well, at least that was one enemy she didn't have to make. The smile grew even bigger at Jessica's question, and the little girl couldn't help but smile back as the woman approached her, choosing to sit in front of the little blond. Jessica's eye widened at the answer, and she shook her head slightly. "The people I see fighting usually end up dead, so thank you but I'll just take your word on it." It was true, albeit in a way no one would normally have expected. A seer, she had the awful tendency to keep going in her dreams to where an awful accident occurred, sometimes in time to warn the others and send help, at other times, not.

But she appreciated, if a little bit surprised, at the soft tone the woman said it in. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the woman's warning, the woman increasingly reminding her of everyone else in the academy-seeming to have nothing better to do that tell her to behave. Seeing the look of some of he demons in her dreams, they most certainly did. Jessica shrugged lightly, than obliged, moving several steps away so she was closer to the wall. The Watcher baby sitting-how she hated that word-her had told her that she should sit there where he could keep an eye out for her, and considering that, Jess wouldn't mind having a reason to not follow his instructions.

Jess watched as the woman opened the coloring book she had been so intent in for the last hour or so. Again, the woman's actions were soothing and gentle, and Jess found herself admiring the woman's graceful moves. Jessica looked up as the woman stepped back and walked over to her mat. For some strange reason, Jessica closed her book and followed her to the edge on the mat crossing her arms as she waited for the woman to do something. Despite her earlier words, she was curious to see how good the woman was.

[Alana Meyers]

Alana soon gave up on the prospect of a good spar at least one where she had an living opponent. Instead she moved to the wall pulling out a wooden training sword holding it in one hand in perfect posture for sword fighting she began acting out a duel with an imaginary adversary. One eye kept moving to Jessica who had moved near the wall.

During her graceful movements Alana let her mind wander back to what the Jessica had said about the people she'd seen fighting. The others didn't give the kid enough credit youth was not a euphemism for naivety or stupidity. Her head was spinning she was still new at the hotel and unsure of who to trust. Was the Jessica just as lost as she was?

Her movements became quicker the faux sword thrusting at point blank accuracy to where the her foe's vital organs would set had she been fighting someone real. Her minds eye picturing her father and intensity increased. Her moves getting more technical the sword work becoming heavy on her arm she drop her weapon. The moves turning to kicks and punches rounding in blocking her face.

Alana's body was still unused to the heavy workouts strain on her body and she burned out quickly. Her face flush with sweat ringlets moving down her nose the young brunette moved to get a drink of water from the bottle shed brought with her. Her eyes again moved to Jessica and she moved sitting near her but not too close breathing heavy.

"You're picture isn't half bad, should stick it to the fridge, this place could use some color even if I don't" Alana whispered barely loud enough for the child to hear. "Names Alana btw, I'm not as rude as I make myself out to be."

By now she had turned to watch the other residents of the hotel moving about. Somehow this place reminded her of a military academy for girls with 'special' talents. Her days consisted of training, eating, and patrolling with few breaks to do anything else. But it was 1000 times better than being back home.

[Jessica-Olivia Blue]

Jessica watched the Slayer for several more minutes, admiration clear in her eyes. She would admit to being mistaken about the woman's sparring powers, she was much better the Jessica had expected. But something vaguely like pride didn't allow the seven year old to say it. If Alana wanted to see how Jess was taking it, the girl could just look around to check. She didn't particularly feel like going out of her way just to make the woman feel better, which from the way of things, looked a tad bit impossible anyway. Jessica shook her heard admonishingly at herself at this thought. Oh gosh, maybe she was grumpier than she had expected.

She watched in mild interest as the woman dropped her sword, now opting for hand to hand combat with some unseen enemy. Jessica looked around the huge gym, where several other slayers were doing the same, some alone some to the others, before leaning back against the wall and picking up her crayon. Because really, what can you do? After you've seen one Slayer kick serious butt, you've seen them all. She yawned lazily, one hand covering her mouth as she hugged her knees into a more comfortable position. Yesterday's late adventure with today's non existent activity made her rather sleepy. In fact, she wouldn't really mind a nap right now...

Jessica positively jumped as the whisper joshed her awake. She had trained herself well enough to listen closely at the smallest out of the ordinary things. She looked up, bleary eyed at the woman, trying to figure out what in the world she was talking about. Oh, right, her picture. She looked down at her coloring book dismissively, before flashing the woman a bright smile, despite her sleepiness. "Thanks," she said, wondering what the woman meant by her later comment. Jess smiled at the introduction, nodding her head with a grin. "And I'm Jessica." She looked over Alana with as curious a look as she can manage in her current state. "How long have you been here?" Jess took a long sip from the energy drink Willow had made for her, instantly wakening up. She thought of how she had never seen Alana around before. Despite the large number and their ever changing population, Jessica knew just about everyone there and never forgot a face.

[Alana Meyers]

Alana's blue eyes continued to look at Jessica. "Ive been here for about a week, just in the shadows watching." She spoke a bit louder and a bit regretfully. "Where I come from you dint usually try to bring attention on yourself unless your ready for the consequences."

The minute shed spoken about back home she'd regretted it and hoped that the blond wouldn't pry. It was bad enough Alana herself knew places like that existed let alone a little girl who didn't need that kind of disgusting human nature. Her arms moved above her head in a lazy stretch, and her eyes focused on the others again for a moment.

"So why are you hanging out in here when you could be outside taking' in some sun and causing trouble?" Alana asked teasingly though there wasn't much of a bite to it. Slowly she moved to stand up, then decided against it. Her heart rate was still going like mad several minutes after the workout.

Alana's pale hand ran through her hair semi nervously. It had been a long time since she'd sat for any length of time and actually talked to anyone. Again she moved to stand this time succeeding but still leaning back on the wall.

Her eyes gazed downward at Jessica still coloring, just now realizing that she still had no idea how the child fit into the mix. There were vampires, watchers, slayers and witches then the little girl in front of her. Come to think of it... it was everyone else who in effect didn't fit in. "I think its about time to hit the showers, I'm not accomplishing a whole lot in here," Alana laughed lightly.