[IC] The Spirits Within

[Mirandae]

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y A T R I U M}

Spirits swirled with lull motions within a dark dormitory room. Brilliant hues granted a faint glow on porcelain skin and silver hair. During such moments of rest and tranquility, the spirits within eagerly emerged to frolic. Many were their shapes and forms within a young girl named Celise, one sill resting in the early hours. A spirit of particular liking and fondness, the shape of a fox of icy hues, always saw to the silver girl’s wakening. It twiddled and swirled in the air until Celise broke her slumber.

It was Monday morning. She had stayed up late the previous night to stroll around campus, around the academy grounds, nearby heights, and gaze upon the stars as she always did. Celise was a navigator at heart, an explorer, and she enjoyed such pursuits even if the area was known to her for many years. However, this day was special for many reasons. Not only had the United Defense Force launched a large-scale operation to strike at the heart of the enemy with experimental weapons, Celise was also going home for the first time in two years.

The city of Ledale was under attack by infectious creatures, which put a dent in vital resources and supply lines. The academy had been broadcasting the news over the entire weekend. While most of the regular student-soldiers were not required to assist in the matter, all Guardians of the academy in their field mission phase of the education were going to ship out. Celise had spoken to her parents about the situation, and it had apparently gotten serious enough for them to pack things up and travel to the nearby town of Rians, where Celise’s grandparents live.

Celise pulled herself out of bed. The space in which she lived was the same as every other student on the campus ground. The rooms were rather small, but equipped with a bed, desk, shower, and a mini refrigerator. One of the walls had a holographic screening device that could broadcast whatever the student chose to tune into. Most of the programs were news about the war, politics and such, but some channels broadcasted old films. In the room there was also a small window overlooking a central garden. The Oakridge campus was a collection of cylinder structures with a hollow middle clad a decorative garden of flowers, plants, and trees. There were four of these cylinder housings on campus, each one able to house a three thousand students.

The first thing Celise did every morning was to text Lisa, a not too far off neighbor at the campus. The silver girl only included weird symbols in the message—♛☄♒⊗∃—but the recipient knew what it meant or did not mean. It was one of many of the ritualistic behaviors surrounding their kinship. But, her practice was interrupted by the thirty-minute interval announcements echoing throughout campus and the academy complex. Such were the days of school-wide deployment into the field. The announcement urged volunteers to report to academy administration, and Guardians to receive their mission documents. As Celise already knew, she was headed off to Ledale.

Morning routines on deployment days were delightfully short. There was no bother with showers, no bother with cosmetics, no bother with much at all. She packed a dark backpack with everything she needed—some basic change of clothes, energy drinks, valuables, map and compass, and some navigation trinkets. Guardian deployment was a bit different from the regular army. They were expected to be on their own, to orient the world as independent units. They did not wear any uniforms except a mandatory badge given by the academy—the badge depicted the Oakridge Academy logo and a student identification number. Celise clad herself in a plain, dark shirt with its sleeves cut off. Tightly fitted jeans, although ripped, of the same coloration covered her legs. She always had some troubles with getting into them, bumps of skin and flesh protruding the ripped slivers along the thighs. And for wartime Celise used regular sneakers, which revealed her actual height.

Grabbing her sword from a tiny locker next to the bed, Celise was ready and out the door. The identification numbers of the Guardians assigned to her particular squad had been sent to her phone. The group had to meet at the academy garage for transportation to Oakridge City. Celise thought she recognized some of the student identification numbers in her squad, but she could not be entirely sure, as she had never memorized anyone’s digits. It was also under her impression that her squad would share transport with another doing another mission in the city itself. Celise made her way through the academy atrium. It was more or less the heart of it all, but relatively quiet still. The atrium was a gathering place for students, as well as a hub connecting all other buildings and places to it. There were numerous shops, cafes, restaurants, vending machines, and entertainment available around the clock. These businesses were obviously provided by Oakridge city, not ten minutes away by car.

Celise bought herself a fresh energy drink at a vending machine before slipping down some stairs to the garage. The drink was called Renegade, one of her favorites. Entering the cool, massive space for vehicles storage, the scent of metal and rubber hit her. The gearhead within her awakened instantly. Students of the Navigation Division were also mechanics and drivers, after all, even if Celise’s heart was focused on something more specific—pathfinding and exploration. As she approached the vehicle number listed in the message on her phone, 94, it appeared that the driver had arrived, doing some basic maintenance.

[Mr Rage]

"The Body is a Temple," Ajax said as he completed another repetition of four point push ups, just as he had said after each of the previous 99 repetitions. He let out a sigh as he got himself back up to his feet. He glanced over at his phone and noticed that he had a deployment order. He read over the details of his deployment and saw that he had plenty of time before it was necessary to report to transport. He moved over to the weights on the walls and strapped 50lbs weights to each wrist and each ankle. He was a glutton for punishment as he worked to build the strongest temple. He repeated the Mantra again as he squatted and lunged his way across the rubberized floor of the gym. Even with all of the marvels of modern science and the awesome power of spirits, the space was still permanently etched with sweat. The smell permeating from the floors and the walls. But, for Ajax and many others in WMD, this was home away from home. Even more so than the dorm room for Ajax. In the dorm it was a tight space. It was spartan. It was necessary, but it did not even offer enough space to do anything more than rudimentary stretches, at least not for the hulking form of Ajax Armstrong. The gym had everything Ajax could ever need, all the space he could require for his daily ritual. Healthy food and drink on demand. Even those unhealthy energy drinks that some people were so obsessed with.

"The Body is a Temple," the mantra repeated again, this time through effort as he began adding more weights and changing the movements. Soon sweat began to run all over his body as it attempted to cool the overworked muscles. He continued on in this fashion for some time, adding more and more weight as he progressed until his veins could barely be contained within his skin. This was a daily practice, part of his mantra. However, today he ended it early on account of the mission. After all, Ajax didn't want to burn through all of his stamina when there would be more work to do later. He showered, put a shirt on, and went back to his dorm where he would rest until it was time to go. When his phone reminded him that it was time to get up and prep, Ajax quickly rolled out of bed and gathered his things. He carried his war hammer and his satchel into combat and little else beyond what was required. He strapped on his combat boots and made his way to the garage.

Checking over the details of the mission once again he found the correct transport and Celise. "Ah, good day! Are you joining us on this mission, or just getting us to it today?" Ajax asked, recalling from their few prior interactions that she was in Navigators.

[EurmalEye]

Jomen Sury

Location: Jomen's Room to Academy Garage

---

Jomen looked out ahead of him and saw the large pond where his family had lived all their lives in deep, vibrant colors. The blue waters sparkled white as the fiery rays of the sun coated the small lake in its gleam. The trees shook their merry green trees in response to the strong breeze that played across the area. Jomen took in a deep breath of the fresh air and felt tension leaving his muscles, fingers lightly tangled in the grass. His eyes closed as he took in the warmth. A cry of pain and surprise shattered the quiet reverie and Jomen’s eyes burst open but he saw nothing. Not the water, not the trees, not even blackness, just nothing. The cry wavered and distorted, changing form to the ringing of a loud alarm.

Jomen waved his arm quickly outward to where he knew his alarm clock lay and in process knocked over on of his his prosthetic eyes resting in its recharging station by his nightstand. He heard a muffled thump below him as the eye landed somewhere below him on the carpeted floor. Uttering a mild curse, Jomen slowly and carefully moved his arm to where his other eye sat recharging. The eyes were efficient enough not to need recharging particularly often, maybe once a week or so, but wearing them overnight for extended periods of time was also not recommended due to the delicate nature of the prosthetics. Carefully, he lifted it and placed it into his augmented socket shifting it gently from side to side as the scene of room around became visible once again.

Jomen’s room was neat and clean, and that was about the most one could say about. No posters or art lined the walls. The various shelves and tops of furniture in the room had no personal items at all, save one small, black journal that Jomen wrote his experiences in and the staff that he carried with him both on and off the university grounds at all times leaned against the closest bedroom wall. Jomen’s feet settled against the mildly scratchy carpet as he slowly bent down and scanned the floor attempting to gauge his surroundings as well as his skewed depth perception. He spotted the dull gleam of his eyes, facing pupil first into the carpet beneath his bed and carefully reached forward to grab it. He closed his fingers once he thought he had, but only grasped at empty air. A gentle pushing sensation emanated from his fingertips. Jomen tensed for a moment torn between annoyance and gratefulness, but let out a slow breath of air as he settled on the latter.

"Thank you, my friends," he gently whispered. A small blue fin rose out of the skin of his hand, leaving the skin undamaged and guided him directly to his lost prosthetic. With a few moments of careful observation and manipulating, both eyes began to give him the sensory input he found so essential to his life as a field healer. A notification sound on his phone informed him where he would meet the rest of his assigned squad: the Academy Garage by vehicle 94. As he glanced through the ID numbers he saw that both Celise and Ajax were part of team as he had saved there contact information for easier means of identification and communication. He nodded at the screen at the names, certain they would make for valuable assets to the teams objective. The battle at Ledale would not be an easy one, the city having become overrun with those infected with the Stigma, but there forces would have need of all available medics to continue the fight to save the town and eradicate the disease to victory.

With this thought in mind, he grabbed his entire supply of the Exalt Catalyst that he owned. The inexpensive, though effective catalyst would boost his healing potency allowing him to extend his abilities to far more people than he could on his own at the moment. He would be able to save as many as the infected people as he could from the horrors of the Stigma. Jomen noticed the skin pulled tight across the fist he had apparently made while lost in his thoughts and forced himself to loosen up. He took the time granted from his early alarm to shower, shave, and overall make himself look professional. His outfit was basic military fair, with the exception of a large blue coat that denoted his status as a medic due to his affinity with spirits of water. He wore his gleaming badge for all to see his status as a Guardian training at Oakridge pinned right above his heart.

Though no doubt the outfit would be dirtied in no time at all considering his duty, his first appearance would mark an important first impression for the regular men fighting at Ledale affecting morale. It was therefore important to display himself as professionally as possible to inspire confidence. He pulled his sidearm from a small locker in the room, confirmed that his maintenance the night before had been effective and holstered the weapon at his side. He held his staff in his hands as he exited his room and made his way to the Atrium for some breakfast.

After a somewhat bland, but nutritious meal and the purchase of several protein bars in case the need should arrive. He left the cafes of the Atrium and descended down below to the Academy garage. As he walked by the vehicles in the cool hangar towards number 94. He got the mission details displayed on the holographic display of his phone, reviewing the layout and strategic strongpoints of the city. As he neared, he spied both Ajax and Celise past the display and turned the device off briefly to give the both of them silent nods of greeting.

[Mirandae]

_{U. D. F. A R M O R E D P E R S O N N E L C A R R I E R}

Celise closely observed the driver of vehicle 94, as he checked the vitality of the engine under the hood. Drivers of the academy were often current or old Navigators, but sometimes civilians of Oakridge simply helping out for a symbolic fee. This particular driver appeared to be on the older side, past the point of no return of his life. He seemed to know his way around the engine quite well, however, which made Celise suspect that he was a former student, but she did not ask. Instead, she put the tip of her sword against the concrete floor, letting a modest clinging sound echo throughout the garage, to rest against it and let the man know that someone’s presence was near. He did not react; he simply kept on tinkering like a true Navigator. The vehicle itself was an interesting piece of machinery. It was a standard United Defense Force Armored Personnel Carrier, but the design and functionality of it fascinated Celise nonetheless. ★

“Oh, hi, Ajax,” Celise said. She had previously heard someone coming, but continued to pay attention to the driver’s mischief—the fact of the matter was that the driver was not supposed to modify or even touch the engine unless it was about to blow up. “I’m signed up for this mission, so I’m coming with. How could I not? It’s my hometown after all,” she continued. A slight smirk broke on the edge of his lips. Celise was delighted to return to her neck of the woods, but the circumstances could have been better. “Did you work out today already or will you do it later?” The silver girl asked. She had no intentions of breaking routines just because there was a field mission to be completed. At the very least they needed to stay fluid, flexible at all times. “I think I need some stretching,” she grunted and returned a nod to Jomen, as he approached them. ★

Celise cracked opened one of the compartments on the side length of the APC, and fastened her sword inside. Weapons were not allowed inside the actual carrier for safety reasons in the event of a crash. She also removed her backpack and put it on the ground, leaning against one of the wheels of the vehicle, along wither drink. “Give me a pull, will you?” Celise asked Ajax. She had turned her back to the Übermench and angled her arms against him for a bit of a stretching session on the fly. ★

Something that excited Celise was the thought of hopefully seeing a few interesting heights and shrines in and around Ledale. She knew of at least a couple near Rians and Bleneau. Whatever happened, those towns would most likely be used as rally points for the army on the way back. Perhaps Jomen would fancy going with her on some outings, or a bit more adventurous pursuits within the city itself, during the confrontation. Thinking about it, Celise was fascinated by the idea of securing and salvaging shrines to protect them from the enemy. The silver girl figured she would talk with Jomen about it, later. ★

Notes

Don't mind the colored stars. I'm getting used to the Act, React, Observe, Reflect-scheme. You don't have to do this kind of coloring with symbols! It's just for my own sake.

[71452K]

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y A T R I U M}

Oakridge Academy: Arboretum BGM

Day broke in a tide of amber light, washing over the horizon in a lucent flood. Even when the world is on the brink of chaos, even after the Jenova crisis - some things never change, and the day will go on like it always does.

Montero Timberson did not know how he felt about that, staring over the balcony railings, out at the sun rise. Was such continuity comforting? Or disturbing ...? Like the world itself didn't care at all. Not for humankind's fate, not for it's guardians' fates -even if they were fighting with their lives for it ...The planet wasn't the grateful sort, it seemed.

He closed his eyes and took a deep lamented breath, then unhooked a small silvered cage that hung by the rungs before shambling off to the fire escape.

A pity this tranquil night was now over.

In the center of Oakridge's residential area, bridging the four dormitories, was an Arboretum - a collection of living trees and plants of various kinds packed into a crafted landscape. As the lift doors opened into the wide open space, the sweet dew-tinged scent of perrenial flora greeted his nose, followed by a chilly breeze that made him cross his arms even tighter.

Scanning the grassy landscape, he saw very few moving figures amongst the monuments that dotted the garden. The large empty hollow logs strewn across the trush, remnants of some great trees now perfect hiding places for the weary student to find respite. Nor the shady banks of the streamlets that wove through the scene. Perhaps he was, for a change, early. Hah. The anxiety that came before Deployment day was probably to blame.

But Montero was not here to await the inevitable rush hour that would soon follow. Composedly, he started sauntering over a small bridge, diverging sharply off the beaten path once crossed and into a morsel of the woods that used to be. There in the midst of a hidden alcove was a tiny Shrine, painted red wood arched over a lit dimunitive altar, bamboo grass now blooming, jealously hiding it from prying eyes. He knew not who built it in the first place nor who still kept it as it is, but this little spot of quietude remained pristine for as long as he knew it. Montero unlatched a charming little lantern from one of his many belts under his trenchcoat, raising it before the edifice. And in that moment, the light within the shrine stirred and flickered, golden wisps bled from the wood like lambent droplets before pulling free and into the lantern.

"Morning."



_{O A K R I D G E : D E P L O Y M E N T G A R A G E}

He had thought that there was plenty of time left but after much procrastination, Montero had little choice than to purchase his first meal from the vending machine just before the Hanger. A questionable drink of hot herbal tea and two raw egg yolks swimming in the center, slowly cooking in what little heat was left. It was one of the Academy's seasonal attempts at introducing new foods to the student body, supposedly this one was a staple breakfst in Cetra. He pinched his nose and forcefully downed it after reading the ingredients label, feet shuffling past the garage door. The aftertaste was ...suprisingly pleasant.

Clearly late, as usual, but Montero kept a straight face as he approached the vicinity of the other students like he meant to be so - nothing wrong with it. Amidst them were a couple of students, of the two was a well put together silver-haired girl, from his point of view, it looked for a moment like she was engaging in some very questionable behaviour to another male student. But a quiet detour around them revealed that she was just warming up, thankfully. Still, warming up for what was essentially a car ride? Still slightly questionable. Then he recognized her partner she was leaning on, not by much, but the word 'Voyeur' came to mind as well as several flashbacks of awkward situations at the gym back when they were in the same class.

Systematically, he took a roundabout route to the side latch of the APC 94, depositing a only a standard-issue personal defence pistol and a spectrometer analysis kit within it's confines. Compared to what was already inside, his weapon was modest. There lay an elegant straight sword glimmering in the back, seamslessly put together by it's crasftman. He took a moment to run his fingers along the flat of it's cold, steel blade, mumbling something to himself as purviewed it's details. He was not expecting to take down some large monstrosity in Ledale and even if they needed to, but if the other's weaponary are any sign of their preparedness, they had it covered. ...Hopefully.

Closing the compartment door but not locking it, Montero promptly got into the cabin of the vehicle, doing nothing more as he took his seat at the furthest corner on the right, save for the two glances he took through the window at the fellow with the weird greenish eyes.

[Mr Rage]

"Oh? I wasn't aware that Ledalle was your hometown. If you've mentioned it before and I forgot, I apologize. Do you know, is your family well? You might recall I have a long family history in the military and coming through the academy here. I suspect that I have some cousin or another currently on the ground there, probably Gregor... He is the black sheep of the family, went into intelligence... We Armstrongs are not known for our intelligence," Ajax responded to Celise as he moved into position to help her stretch, "I was at the gym when I got the notification of the mission deployment, but you can never stretch too much! Come, come, that is the way, feel the stretch all the way through the limb."

The stretches were slow and long and surprisingly full of grace, despite the massive form. Some might recall some of the stretch forms from a meditation class, others might see the soft and slow movements and think that it was something erotic going on. The way that Armstrong lead Celise to stretch each muscle focusing on each area individually, getting each and every muscle fiber to respond and lengthen, well to the right person, perhaps it was erotic. But Armstrong did it for the muscles, it was the best way to release the tension that slowed movement and hindered muscle growth and performance. Such deep stretches could even lead to a heightened metabolism and quicker rejuvenation if done regularly, and correctly. Of course, done incorrectly and it could tear the muscles and could leave a limb useless until the muscle has a chance to reknit the pieces back together. Of course, spiritual influences can protect against such overreach or speed up recovery after the fact, but the honest truth is that it should be avoided as much as possible. Jomen approached at somepoint in the middle of the stretch session, "Hello Green Eyes, care to join in the stretching?"

As Ajax finished helping Celise with her stretches, he noticed Montero quietly entering the personnel carrier. He allowed Celise to lean on him a moment until she was ready to move on her own again. He simply gave him a nod. Ajax gave Montero a nod of greeting and little else, leaving him to his solitude. It would be good to have him around. In a way, Montero served two roles, though more focused on sciences and research he did have a little bit of a background in Warfare, so he could throw a punch or two if he needed to. "Always remember, Celise, the body is a temple. You must always take care of it... Maybe drink more water and fewer of those energy drinks you are so fond of. Otherwise, it might start to show in that soft skin of yours- You'll start to wrinkle!" He ended abruptly with a hearty laugh. The kind that made most people at least smile even if they didn't really want to... except for Green Eyes... he never laughs.

[Rizza]

D U K E K N I G H T I V
_{《O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y G Y M》}

physical training is a ritual. For an hour and a half each morning, before sunrise, Duke can be found at the gym --or as he likes to call it "The Iron Temple". It is a place where war rages between body and mind. It is home away from home. Bright industrial lights dangle from the cieling, pungent sweat invades the nostrils and echoes of agony bounce off the walls. Duke considers it to be a holy place, where one seeks improvement through torture.

Hidden beneath the depth of the gymnasium pool, Duke executes a series of combat movements. Exercising underwater requires the use of different muscles in order to push through the viscosity of the water. This provides additional power when on land. Of course, that is not enough for the young giant. Strapped to his body are ten pound wrist and ankle weights, and a weighted vest. Assisting him --so that he may remain submerged until training is complete-- is a breathing apparatus. After forty-five minutes of drills, Duke removes his breathing apparatus and weights. He then transitions to static apnea --a discipline in which a person holds their breath underwater for as long as possible, remaining stationary. This serves as a method of meditation and post-workout recovery.

After nearly thirty minutes (A new personal record), Duke swam to the top of the water; mouth wide open, inhaling as much air as possible, like a vacuum. He then made his way to the edge of the pool, climbed out, and headed for the locker room. Back at his locker, Duke kept a gym bag with a spare change of clothes and hygiene kit. Which was much more time efficient, since he didn't have to go all the way back to the dorms to shower.

_{《O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y G A R A G E》}

Fresh out of --what would be for most-- a chilling shower, Duke feels fresh; smelling like rosewood. Back at the locker room, he dressed himself in: a pair of black joggers --with a white X pattern stretching from his hips down to mid-thighs--, black and white running sneakers, and a black --deep cut-- v-neck. Sitting on the shelf of his locker was his phone. Duke notices a missed notification and quickly grabs the phone. The message was a brief mission statement regarding deployment to Ledale. Lucky enough, he is an early bird and has plenty of time to make it to the garage.

Leaving The gym, Duke's first route is back to his room; where he would drop off his soaked gym gear. The time spent in his room was rather short. Though this was nothing new, the gargantuan dreaded his tiny cubical. He prepares a black, tactical, bookbag with mission essentials (mostly power bars, water bottles, catalysts for the trample effect, and potions). Sitting alongside the wall, next to his bed, were two --rather sizable-- black suit cases. Each containing (arguably) Duke's most prized possessions; his gauntlets. Backpack strapped and suitcases in hand, he makes way to his next destination.

The next pitstop was the Atrium. Here Duke would purchase a light breakfast from the vending machines; a bowl of oatmeal and assorted fruits. Eating on the go, he practically chugs the oatmeal before reaching the hangar. Entering the garage, Duke immediately locates the nearest trash receptacle and discards of his empty oatmeal cup.

Duke isn't a navigator --of course, it wasnt his first time seeing these vehicles either--, but he had to pause for a moment to appreciate the armored beauties sleeping within the garage. The equipment and vehicles from the U.D.F. were all so intricately designed; like a piece of art. The opportunity to be around such beauties --and sometimes operating them- brought a great deal of satisfaction. These things are a privilege to have, not a right. Aside from combat experiences, these things are part of the reason Duke loves being a soldier. Though, remembering he was there for a mission, Duke snaps out of his state of awe and moves to locate vehicle 94.

Guided by the distinct laughter of fellow giant --and long-time friend--, Ajax, Duke easily pinpointed the designated vehicle; when nearby. While not entirely surprised that another member of the W.M.D. was on the team, in truth, Duke had skipped over the list of team members (mostly because he wouldn't recognize the student numbers anyway); he was simply glad it was Ajax, for several reasons. "I should have known they wouldn't let me have fun without an Armstrong to compete with!...Always you damn Armstrong's!" he jested as he neared. Due to angling, Celise' tiny stature,and the plain fact that Ajax towers over her, Duke hadn't noticed Celise until he stood damn-near next to the two.

"Ah, another familiar face! Things are off to a great start. How are ya' short stuff?" Duke teased, with a soft chuckle and a nod at Celise; careful not to interrupt her stretching. Duke's light-green hues scanned the nearby area, curious if other members have arrived. They would lock-on to a dark-skinned male, whom he had not met. "Holy eyeballs... and here I thought that I had some magnificent green eyes... Those things shoot lasers?" he questioned. It may have been a playful question, but Duke was genuinely curious about what was up with this man's eyes; more specifically, what they were capable of doing.

[71452K]

_{O A K R I D G E : D E P L O Y M E N T G A R A G E}

In the more or less empty cabin of the APC, the still air was cool and comfortable even without the air conditioner. He had resigned to alternating between watching the racket and clank of the driver's testing the controls, and playing a digital card game online with some of the students who weren't deployed today. Though he knew very few personally in real life, he had a swarming friends list in the game. Messages bounced back and forth from device to device, issuing friendly duels to one another like a camraderie of knights on a quest of somesort. Without risk of bloodshed or death, of course. Sometimes it felt like that was enough.

But looking back at real life, he was reminded of the crisis that plagued all when Montero spied the glint of metallic fingers on the driver's left hand. Something happened to this one, so much so that he needed a prosthetic arm. Montero gave a slight nod of acknowledgement to him as the driver briefly looked his way, while he pondered if he himself as a Guardian should really be indulging in escapism?

No.

At least, not now.

He shook his head as he closed the application, flicking over to the mission details that he would re-read now for the ninth time. 'Ledale's mountainous range has geographically kept the infection's reach at bay but in recent ti-...'

"...compete with! ....Holy eyeballs .......those things shoot lasers!?"

The Researcher glanced up, it seemed that the other members of the squad had arrived outside. This one, holding twin briefcases, louder than the others. Even louder than the cringe-worthy commentary between the stretching duo. The statement placed his attention on the fellow with the seemingly glowing corneas. Montero admittedly once wondered the exact same thing ever since he saw him long ago, evident by the now raised single brow.

This isn't going to go well...

[EurmalEye]

Jomen Sury

Location:Academy Garage

Interacting with:@71452K@Rizza@Mr Rage@Prisk

---

"Hello Green Eyes, care to join in the stretching?"

Jomen glanced over at Ajax, avoiding meeting his eyes, as he asked him if he wanted to join noting the deep stretching routine that he and Celise were undergoing. Such was not an uncommon sight when one trained with Ajax. The man was entirely focused at such times at the improvement of his body and physical toughness in Jomen's opinion. However, through their time spent training together Jomen knew that the purpose of such intensive training was not for vanity's sake, but rather to increase his effectiveness on the battlefield to better protect his allies in times of conflict. That was something he could respect as another professional, despite the man's overly casual attitude. He briefly considered accepting the offer, but the draw of gaining more tactical information about the upcoming battle seemed a more advantageous decision.

"I thank you for your offer Ajax, however I need additional time to examine the battle conditions to ensure that I am working at maximum efficiency. I would also like to remind you once again that my name is Jomen Sury, rather than Green Eyes.

With that he continued to memorize the mission information and also pulled up additional maps of the surrounding area just in case. He noticed several shrines in the vicinity of Ledale, and made a mental note to mention them to Celise sometime along their journey. Another student, Jomen vaguely recognized from his own department but went inside the vehicle, though Jomen noticed several glances in his direction. He ignored the behavior though as it was extremely common among his classmates. He was distracted from the fellow research student as Ajax let out a hearty laugh. Jomen looked up at him for a moment and cocked his head at an angle and looked at him briefly, his face completely blank before looking back at his holoscreen.

"Holy eyeballs... and here I thought that I had some magnificent green eyes... Those things shoot lasers?"

The question jolted Jomen out of his focused reading as a flash of annoyance rushed through his system. His eye flicked up and met the light-greened eyes of well built student standing before him and then away. The annoyance melted away under his layer of well developed professionalism. "They do not.
They allow me to see at slightly further distances than normal and give a minor level of night vision. However, that is the extent of their abilities. If you have further questions as to my capabilities, please feel free to ask them at a later time." With that he turned and sat opposite of the fellow research student inside the vehicle, ready to leave. He glanced briefly at research student before shutting his eyes turning inward for meditation. His eyes continued to glow slightly past his eyelids.

[Rockette]

_{. O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y A T R I U M .}

Uniformity dictates equality, and in that near parallelism lies monotony and dreariness; a sort of discrepancy wherein shades of ebon pool and churn, until bleeding grey onto their edges and pale further into featherings of white, and there, smudges of blue. Dawn encroaches slow like a sauntering lover, embraces of light tingling on the precipice of shadows malformed and conglomerated within a stringent domicile delegated unto all who aspire to Oakridge being home. Barren walls, sparse furnishings, efficient and collected means of minuscule luxury barely afforded in trade of militaristic ideals and traditions long since forged. Thickets of prickled ruffs and swishing hindquarters barbed in sleek thorns prowled betwixt these walls, quivering within variant shades and wisps against each form of beastial projection; they were beloved of the slumbering form beneath them, gaping maws of shimmering fire that roared under the promise of a terrifying furnace, some laid atop one another in phantasmal warps of comfort - blanketed over slender shoulders and a lissome poise.

Every morning Liesabet Abendroth awoke, it was always the same, a continuous cycle of warped darkness that hissed and snarled, each noise a blossom behind the eyes of her shuddering mind awash in eldritch dreams. She inhaled, lips parted, skin peeling, chapped pout being tucked beneath bone as soot black lashes fluttered back, awakening within the grips of infamous anxiety that coloured her eyes in shades of blackening sapphire. Swift gestures carded through wayward tresses and their heels sunk deep into her oculus, smudging away what lingering tremors remained from her subconscious deformities.

Spirits were oft revered, respected, revealed as units of incredible power and depicted within symbolism to leadership qualities and overall uniqueness. Glimmering eyes of silver stretched onward, swallowing up blackened jaws and jowls peeled wide, unblinking and unwavering before winking out in remarkable glimmers of pale light with golden fringes. Such acclaim was without in her heart, instead replaced by a crippling fear and un-want of their harbour. Liesabet inhaled with their spiritual wavers through the flaring of her nostrils and lips, whistling breath caught against her teeth and tongue until her cavity buckled and fell, collapsing on a gasp of breath as florescent bulbs flickered on and found herself nestled against the spartan comforting of her dorm corner; snug at the apex of her walls and hidden yonder the farthest border of her desk. Holographic azure flickered to life in a series of numbers and frequencies, immediately channeling to a central broadcast privy to Intelligence officials, these sorts of boards were compiled with brief exchanges of information and delegations for the day, a sort of schedule one adhered to ensure the smooth functions of the Academy. Such detailing was included of important reminders to U.D.F inclusions, all scrawled and printed under the bold title of her handle: Ulva.

Liesbet Abendroth palmed swiftly through the interface, fingers relaxed and arched, her gestures held within elegance per her natural dexterity through every pass of notification and interaction; upgrades on the current politic standpoint, brief summarization to the war front, all processed with near likeness of indifference. The digital clock programmed within the top right corner, combined with an analog representation told her the day was still young, enough to ensure a regiment of exercise for the day, another moment given for her attend her daily visit to her superiors; they never addressed her by name though, only by title, and the dissociation was both degrees of numbing and a reprieve. Liesabet lowered her fingers from the device at the chime of her mobile, knowing immediately who her sender was. Each morning found her the recipient of these unique messages, coded different every dawn, always translated easily within her mind, as such was their kinship. She pinned in her code, tapped her nail against the fortified glass and allowed the passings of a smile to grace her otherwise lax features. A crown within the sun, blinking over the waves, allow not the tide to pull you under, less you find yourself impaled upon the rocks.

Liesabet immediately responded in kind, the same symbols inverted, to reverse the original missive and sent it through just as the announcement came to. The intercoms and deployment surrounding such was known to her days prior, uttered through her ear by the flutter of a secretive mouth, a bite against skin, a slip against her flesh that brought with it a flutter of excitement centred low in her being. Threat was spreading, resources were threatened, such that she herself had sought to securing and fortifying through a Hunt she had only just returned from perhaps a fortnight prior. Thus, it was only a given and deemed appropriate that she attend the front line to reestablish the vitality of those resources she had gained through her initiative.

First things first...

Her mind was awash in routine, mechanic responses bidden to static receptors of her, currently, tempered nerves. She dressed within monochrome colours, charcoal on black, and faded greys beneath, the bindings of athletic wear combined with mesh support and breathable material shucked over slender calves and the sheath of her weapons from her foot locker attached to the suspension units modified into all of her wardrobe.

She pauses.

The holographic screening embedded into her cabin is programmed to her phone, so the mission details are well within view when she reads her orders within earnest, scrutinizing. There are numbers, codes, the digitization that of Guardian identification and their destination included with a brief inclusion of the current plight. She recognizes one, but not all, comforted by Celise's well read epitaph and worrisome to those inducted through this deployment; she's a lonely soul burdened under solo inclinations and performance. She reaches for her daggers next, her grasp tightened perhaps more than required and houses them within place before immediately sending another message to Celise, this time inquiring to her whereabouts.

She hasn't really seen in her some odd days, encumbered by their careers and occupations, but also through that Celise socialized with those that she did not.

Liesabet spared her rooming once last glance before departing swiftly, she donned for muffled foot wear, the sort of alteration provided as a necessity and made passage through the atrium. Her fingers poised and danced over decorative plants, the flora disturbed briefly by her touch and the pale cantering of a wolfish apparition suddenly banking at her heels.

---

_{. D E P L O Y M E N T G A R A G E .}

The Garage was already well swarmed with activity, voices piling through silence until found loud and chaffing, causing Liesabet to still at the entrance and locked inside observation. She had made a brief detour in her route, having purchased various Catalysts suited to her means of prowess, all within place and purpose to the military grade rucksack that often accompanied her to her Hunts and other assignments. She found Celise easily, silver hair and pale complexion, against the austere physical enthusiast, surrounded by those known by name, but hardly by heart.

She flinches then. Body rigid, fur bristled, her bones aching within flesh and her teeth hard against one another in a rigid grimace.
Duke Knight.

Liesabet inhales sharply, a hiss of discomfort fluttering against bone and skin. Fate would find it done that he be assigned to this contingent, along side one she found beloved, and others who rarely saw to friendship outside those that bore likeness to their interests and habits. The she-wolf betwixt her heart and soul bays wildly, a mournful howl that clutches against her ribs, caving them inward as the sallow canine eternally warped at her feet begins to slink along the walls, stalking around their banter. She knows well the typically assigned carrier, spacious and well armoured, the belly of the A.P.C 94 her intention as Liesabet bid herself to stealth and silence. She could easily speak to Celise later on, and by now her secondary message would've been received, thus she slid her slender fingers through her dual shaded threads of hair, disturbing them briefly to shutter across the blue of her shied away stare before sheltering her weapons and supplies within the hull's supplied compartments and climbing silently board.

The humming of acknowledgment to that she wasn't the only individual to the same intentions of hurrying their departure snapped her glare upward, the oblique preview of ashen blues through her lashes intensified by the shadow of tresses treading across her jaw. Liesabet hardly knew Montero Timberson, but her pause was enough to indicate some form of familiarity as her head canted to one side, eyes flickering downward, over his attire, before ticking within slow increments to his careful veneer. She proffered a nod within greeting, lips parted as if to speak, a whisper of a inquiry and then some baited on her tongue before selecting her own seat, off to the left, her head bowed.

[deadpixel101]

Freshly dressed and out of the shower, Roland made his way to acquire some food. Walking in a usual paced manor, with hands clasped behind his back, he hummed something almost silently to himself. These early moments in each day were pristine. The air was always cooler, fresh with dew and the aura of the place was clear as glass. Pardosa smiled faintly to himself, swimming in the small moment of solitary enjoyment. His pale face gentle yet harsh, his eyes bright yet cold; swept by swathes of light and dark as he walked alone to the cafeteria. He was an early riser, like most of the guardians. This allowed him to sit and eat in peace, having a well balanced breakfast while he reviewed pages in his journal. Bathed in a beams of light he held a piece of brown toast in one hand, while he fingered through self written pages. As if on cue while he wiped his hands and began to stand to get rid of the refuse, his device lit up with the formal order. A simple nod of acknowledgment towards it and scrolled down the screen to find the numbers. With whom was he to work this time?

He took note of each number. It was hard trying to memorize so much data, but he was nearly positive he knew who each of these people were. He cross referenced the notes he made and found himself right on most accounts. Of course the one number stood out like a sore thumb. He sucked crisp air behind his teeth and feigned a grin to no one. One Miss Celise Lelievre would be in the same troupe, which was always an interesting time. He wondered if she had his number memorized like he did hers. With a silent chuckle, he tucked his journal under his arm and began walking back to his domicile. He doubted it.

Sitting in his room Pardosa switched which journal he used. Moving the one aside for another. The first colored white, the second black. As he tuned into the news, he took different notes on the situations as they developed. He sighed out his nostrils and sat back, chin resting on palm, with an absent finger taping on the desk. How much more information did they really have? How much more would they need? How much could he acquire? His tapping got more fervent, rising in beat and volume until it was a steady staccato. Slowly a hand of shimmering wispy white off to his side pulled his deep seated concentration away from himself. His trusted spirit making it's presence known to bring the young guardian back down to earth. The young man sighed and nodded, no need for words. The arm vanished behind him and Pardosa pushed his seat out, getting ready to leave. After changing into his all white outing gear and arming himself, he set on where to go. He had just enough time to grab one more coffee and show up fashionably late.

Arriving at the hangar he made his way to the designated vehicle with the same paced confidence he did to breakfast; despite knowing this meal would not taste quite as good. On his approach he saw the large bodies of Ajax and Duke first, followed by Celise and Ulva. While the latter were much smaller than the first, they were distinctive to him in personality, as well as their relationship with each other. He seemed to have walked in on a conversation between the titans and Jomen. Deciding to steer clear of that he simply rounded the car and seated himself. As he sidled the large vehicle he spotted the last present member of the team. "Good morning, Mr Timberson." He offered as he sat down. While Pardosa had an interest in all the guardians around, Montero drew him in more. Few would have noticed these slight differences, the twitch oh his left eye on sight or the perhaps three extra questioned he's asked the man. But to Pardosa, it screamed attention. Of course after the short greeting, he didn't even look at him for a response. Can't come off as too involved can we?

[Mirandae]

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y G A R A G E}

“They’re fine. They evacuated to this nearby town a few days ago. My grandparents live there,” Celise said. “Black sheep of the family because he chose Intel? Come on, it’s not that bad. It’s good to be smart and strong, you know.” A strained puff of air escaped Celise’s lungs, as the Armstrong man assisted and finished the stretch. “Damn”, she muttered. The shapes and silhouettes of the world around her became blurred for a second, black and white dots sparkling and crawling before her vision. Montero, the mysterious and handsome man, managed to sneak her by during this brief moment of stupor. Celise’s left eyebrow shot for the stars along with her iconic blank stare of death at Duke’s comment about height. Even though she knew that there were no sour potatoes rotting behind his words, Celise could not escape that eternal anxiety about her tiny stature. There was no way around it, and she had always thought the argument about ‘short girls being acceptable’ was total baloney. However, at this point in her life, Celise sooner or later had to get used to nicknames involving references to her height. ★★★

The driver tapped his prosthetic arm and hand against the door of the vehicle, sitting ready by the wheel, urging the Guardians to load up. He seemed like a ‘no nonsense’ old man with a schedule to keep. He did not say much, however. Celise grabbed her bag and picked up her energy drink. She chucked it all right in front of Ajax, as a response to his comment about water and other such foolery. She knew he was right, but she was addicted—what could she do? As she passed the capable and bantering men, her hand grazed the arm of Jomen, as a becalming motion and gesture. No eye contact, no words, just an expression of her usual demeanor toward those approved. She followed the man of remedy closely to get seated in. ★

The second Celise rounded the rear corner of the vehicle, her eyes instantly fixed upon a beloved who had already arrived. She almost gasped—how did she miss her? Perhaps it was not that much of a surprise. Every Intel person, Lisa in particular, were professionally trained in not being detected. The silver girl immediately reached for her cellular device tucked away, constrained within a slivered pocket. There were two received, but unfortunately missed messages. Some esoteric guilt washed over Celise. She knew perfectly well that these situations, presence of the unknown and unholy places, were intense on Lisa’s perceptions. Celise’s gaze did not disturb from the silhouettes of the resting feral, as she elevated herself into the vehicle by a graceful step. Her presence settled next to Lisa, slow and dubious in her motions, head nestling on the other’s shoulder akin to a lupine cub. Such were the fluctuations this morning. Nobody knew how it worked, nor would they ever know. Celise read the messages on her phone, carefully leaning in against Lisa. Mumbling words escaped her as she read the symbols—a faint smirk on her lips. ★★

A steadfast strike,
On sunken few,
No solemn found,
Blazing Kingdom adieu.

A quick break from the screen of her phone revealed Roland and Montero seated and ready across from herself and Lisa. Her expression remained blank and voice silent. She would have taken a moment for them both, but the air between the beloved and herself not entirely harmonious quite yet. Every morning was an intricate dance of balance, certain days better than others, yet an awesome splendor of mania. To the outside observer, their kinship would appear mystifying, yet following certain common patterns of interaction. Every motion and touch had a multi-layered meaning to them. The tiniest detail unfocused would result in one dictating the other for the rest of the day. Celise’s eyes remained on her phone, its messages and progress in the card game. However, her focus was still on Lisa. The silver girl let her spare hand trail along the other’s, nails gently pressing against the skin, yet occasionally pressing against it with intention. The two knew all of their triggers, points of pleasure and pain, and pressures for desired response or action. ★

Notes

Act, React, Observe, Reflect.

[71452K]

_{O A K R I D G E : D E P L O Y M E N T G A R A G E}

The cabin was not so empty anymore, it was a fact that quietude was a luxury not easily afforded at Oakridge.

But this one seemed to stir up the very air itself during her peregination into the vehicle, not in a comfortable way, had there not been this pressence that he would have never noticed her entrance. For she prowled into the vehicle, literally, shoes not making a single sound. Montero could not help but retaliate her eyes of blue looking him up and down, with a glance of his own. Compared to her sleek, dark outfit that meshed her body, screaming battle-readiness, his was substantially more ...civillian. A khaki trenchcoat over formal attire, hiding most of his frame except for the straight cut auburn trousers and steeltoe shoes. With a lantern sitting on his lap. Looking very ill prepared comparatively.

He nodded back in greeting, a silent acceptance of her, though brows furrowing at the unkempt, no ...feral, yes that's the word, aura - when she wasn't looking. When one spends so much time interacting with spirits, one tends to be able to read things people don't usually see, hear or feel.

And such was the case too when another being arrived just on cue.

"Good morning, Mr Timberson."

Mask. Persona. Duality. His face was too clean, in more ways than one. Mien. Too professional, unlike Jomen's natural finish. His words felt riddled with complex second meaning, Montero looked straight into his eyes to try reading them for only the briefest of moments.

"Morning."

A slight semblance of a smile to reciprocate the jovial gesture, however, the overly formal choice of words and use of his last name prompted loud mental warning bells.

They made very little eye contact after that but that didn't mean they intended to do nothing about each other, Montero was a Researcher and finding facts were a trademark skill of theirs'. Turning his phone sideways to look like he was playing a game, Montero started scanning through the squad details and referencing them to Oakridge's online resources.

Ulvar. Specialist. Stealth.

Pardosa. Specialist. Guerilla.

...Both in Intelligence.

Montero Timberson's expression quickly drained of what little mirth there was. Perhaps it was not known to the other divisions but the Research and Intelligence sects of Oakridge Academy don't see eye to eye often, to put it lightly. Whatever Research personnel did, Intelligence operatives always had to meddle in. Rarely was their meddling benign either, for behind closed curtains their scrutiny had a say if projects recieved any funding at all. Worst still, they never mention their real criterias. Just observing, maybe asking ...but never contributing.

If there was an enemy to the very concept of progress, the hiveminded, ironically named Intelligence division would be it.



"Huh."

Montero knew his studies weren't exactly popular with the board of directors, or at least that was his impression from the three past denied proposals within the last year alone. Now working on his fourth: Was it sheer coincidence that the very first two other members to crowd him and Jomen, two Researchers, in this tiny cabin, were from this particular department?

He wagered not so.

...But alas, if there is a cold war of rights and privacy to be had, Montero was alone. For looking at Jomen, who looked so placcid as he retreated into meditation before the very enemy, noting that as he was he would make a very poor ally in the struggle for dignity of their good work.

Montero gazed despondently away from the screen and up at the ceiling.

All it took for evil to triumph, was for good men to do nothing.

----------------------------------

When the driver called the Guardians in so that they could set off, Montero turned off his phone then slid it into his pockets along with his hands - just in time as the stretching girl from before came in to throughly invade Ulvar's personal space. Nay, violate her personal space.

His eyes briefly lingered upon their ministrations.

Mentions

Refered to characters of: @deadpixel101@Rockette@EurmalEye@Prisk

[Panko]

By the time Abysso had tossed his claw into a side compartment and boarded the APC, it was already teeming with the rest of the squad. Throughout all his years at Oakridge, punctuality had never been his strongest point. The culrpit wasn't sleep deprivation- he had taken a good nap within the last twenty hours, but he was assisting a much younger student from the Warfare division with concealing a blade within her arm prosthetic, which proved more difficult than he had anticipated because she couldn't make up her mind as to if she wanted the blade to swing out like a door, or to just be able to retract like a cat's claw. Time just seemed to escape him whenever he took on a project, and though he wasn't late exactly- he checked his phone to make sure he had arrived within the given time- it was clear he was one of the last ones to board.

The vehicle itself was on the sturdier side, he noted as he took a seat and secured himself, and some of the other Carriers lacked armor but more than compensated with speed or utility. Personally, he had never really taken a liking to piloting the more heavily fortified models. The interiors were full of sharp metal edges and he'd slammed his head on one-too-many roofs to enter one without reflexively folding his hands above his head. But, it made the most sense for this mission. They were soldiers, so comfort was understandably omitted as a design priority.

The stench of exhaust and burning rubber had become mundane after days spent in labs and forges, but the subtle odors of sweat and chow from others in the seating compartment was new. A bit of a recluse in the academy, Abysso mildly took note of the other passengers, some of which were his squad mates sent along for the same mission. The assignment had been read over with equanimity, and he was looking forward to leaving the academy for what seemed to be the first time in an eternity. His mission details had given the identification numbers of the rest of the unit but they were useless to him, numbers nearly always seemed useless to him. Tampering with and assembling engines and machines could feel cathartic at times, but multitasking with numbers and locations was a chore. It would be a pain to be the only one tasked with recording locations, so it was a relief that he recognized a fellow Navigator- Celise. He wasn't well acquainted with her, but they had taken enough of the same classes for him to know she was hardly incompetent.

Listening halfheartedly to the chatter between the other student-soldiers, Abysso noticed a few other familiar faces. Celise nestled her head on the She-Wolf, the latter's typical air of restlessness nearly palatable in such a small space. Then there was Montero, with whom he'd shared more than a few words and a fellow nocturnal. It wasn't much of a surprise seeing all of them, they were Guardians after all. He hadn't met any of the other men in the cabin either, though most seemed to be of much greater stature so vaguely he wondered if they felt claustrophobic in the small space. The cabin wasn't small in comparison to some other Carriers, but he was never comfortable with being cooped up.

If he couldn't see the sky above and feel the wind blow through him, it was hard to feel at ease. The other men all differed in disposition- collected, hearty, introspective, haughty. He didn't both acknowledging any of them. If they were assigned the same mission, all pleasantries would be out of the way soon enough. But he did know Celise, Ulva, and Montero. Though seated with his arms at his sides, gaze forward, if any of them took note once he was situated, Abysso would offer a slight nod in greeting.

[Mr Rage]

"Oh, being in intelligence isn't bad at all, it is just that none of the Armstrongs in our long history have ever been anything other than Warfare division, or the equivalent of it for the time," Ajax explained, "But he was a bit weird in other ways too... we don't talk about it much in our family, not that I minded personally."

"Uh oh, is that a Knight I hear? The loud clanging of your armor gave you away again, my friend!" Ajax said as he turned to greet his longtime companion, "Maybe someday, if you keep trying hard enough, you'll get promoted to a King and only have one name!" Ajax erupted into a one-man cacophony of laughter which echoed and layered in the long concrete and steel garage. Nobody else laughed at the stupid joke, that was okay, Ajax didn't care.

"Oh! Looks like it is time to go! Come, Duke, let us find our glory on the battlefield!" Ajax turned as if to get into vehicle 95, which was empty and without a driver, and when we realized this he turned back, his stoic face contorted as if in horror at the realization that he was going to have to fit inside of 94 with everybody else. He looked at Duke and quickly shouted "Shotgun!" And ran for the front seat position next to the driver. When he opened the door the driver had already put his hand out and was shaking his head. It was apparent that he, nor anybody else, would get the luxury of that particular seat, "Well, I am sorry everyone, it looks like I will have to cram myself in there with the rest of you, I tried. To make it up to you all, I promise to lead you all in a round of post-arrival stretches to work out the cramps and fatigue of the road! It will be grand!"

And so with efficient effort, Ajax forced himself into the back of the unit and there he sat crumpled up as small as he could get himself to be. It was quiet for a while as the vehicle began the run down the road. "So, uh, for those of you who do not know me, I am Ajax Armstrong, as you may have guessed I am in Warfare. I specialize in defense. I am the front line, I am the wall. I am your shield, so stand behind me, and you will never fall! HaHA!" He laughed at his own limerick. It wasn't intended, but he felt extra clever for it for the moment. Though he noticed that the burst of laughter only came from him and that nearly everyone in the personnel carrier winced a little at the volume, "Sorry. I will try to keep it down."

[Mirandae]

_{O A K R I D G E C I T Y W A L L}

Oakridge City was in a stir. The streets were busy with military and civilians preparing for the coming attack and the defense of Ledale. The neighbor city-state across the gulf was a vital component and strategic asset in what was to be the largest offensive against the enemy in the war thus far. There was no room for mistakes. Most of Oakridge’s defensive capabilities had been reinforced, as most of its military presence would depart in the coming days. Another chunk of resources had been devoted to more pressing issues, and several naval vessels had been prepared for it. They were to set sail in a few hours, awaiting supplies and personnel coming in from the countryside—the academy included.

Even if Oakridge City was only ten minutes away from the academy, Celise did not go there as much as she wanted to. It was part laziness, part being busy with school work. The city had a fresh scent of ocean surrounding it, uplifting breezes sweeping in from the gulf, and the markets and entertainment of the inner city never slept. Originally, the ‘inner city’ was what constituted Oakridge City, but after JENOVA, an outer layer surrounding it was constructed, which housed many of the city’s defensive capabilities including a high-tech wall. Certain types of waste facilities were kept just outside the city perimeter, especially Whale remains.

As the rear door to the APC opened up, and everyone finally go to stretch their legs properly, the buildings of the inner city towered above them. The streets were packed with people, traffic was buzzing, and holographic advertisement sounding their messages everywhere. These were the morning hours of one of the largest cities of the world. Its culture was ‘eternal hustle’ and ‘time is money’. This is where the stock market was, this is where businessmen made their fortune. The driver helped everyone to unload their weapons and gear. He registered everyone’s badges and student identification numbers, so as to complete the assigned job and return to the academy for a new one. A few moments later, after wishing everyone good luck, he was on his way.

Celise did a silent headcount of everyone present. Nobody had disappeared or taken off in some moody outburst that she would have to chase down and comfort. Not that she minded it, but it was a bit early for such things. It was rather amusing how quickly Celise slipped into her typical role in these kinds of outings. She was not a leader, by any means, but definitely the secretary that kept all the leaders in line, making sure that they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Besides, the guys in the Warfare Division were the ones educated in leadership, so they would have to duke it out over this group. This was a military operation, after all.

“Okay, so, the boat for Ledale leaves in two hours from now, but we have to register for it at naval command, which is close to the harbor,” Celise said while scrolling through the mission document on her phone, reading the instructions. “I’ll do that, and anyone that wants to come with can do so, but you know the drill—the army won’t provide us with anything, so we have to get it now, because we don’t know how things will be over there. So, remember to get some food and water before we leave. We’ll meet at pier six, twenty minutes before departure,” the silver girl said and tucked her phone away in a pocket.

_{◆ Celise is on her way to register the group for the boat transport. She will likely visit a local shrine on the way. Reward: 1 random Catalyst.
◆ Local police are having trouble with augmented extremists a few blocks down the road. Sirens can be heard from where the group is standing. They might need help with clearing out an office complex. Lethal and non-lethal approaches to this activity will affect the ‘Daring Attempt’ mission. Reward: random item and Gil.
◆ There is a big The Spirits Within tournament taking place in the city. Massive, holographic billboards are broadcasting streams and advertisement. Checking it out and promoting your Guardian status could increase your fame! Reward: random loot.}

Notes

There are three different 'activities' here. I will not strictly moderate what happens in them, so you will have to create the narrative for yourself. Each activity has a small reward. These 'activities' have separate timelines, as flashbacks, and can continue as the main story moves along (if it will be necessary!)

_{W O L F W A T E R — " A W A T E R Y G R A V E "}

Celise peaked at her phone again. A few minutes left. The night was cool, the ocean still, and an unruly air engulfing the streets. Wolfwater had suffered flooding due to the trouble it had with constant attacks by a large creature. The report Celise had on her phone described this attacker as able to ‘bend water to its will’, which concluded that it was infected with the JENOVA gene and possibly a mutation of an amphibian animal. There were no details about why the creature was attacking the town, what it was that attracted it. The mayor of Wolfwater had desperately asked for help from Oakridge Academy to deal with this menace. This is why Celise and a few other Guardians were there. They were to meet with the mayor, shortly.

The scenery facing the silver girl was rather brutal. There were bodies of water all around the town. Certain streets were flooded with ankle-high streams. Celise frowned has her sneakers were getting soaked and muddied, eyes constantly scanning the street for the others to arrive at the rally point. Wolfwater being what it was, and usually was in terms of weather, the silver girl had equipped herself with a dark, hooded, rain poncho. A downpour could hit at a moment’s notice, which only made this Watery Grave even worse.

The oddest thing happened just then. Some wooded debris dotted with bits of flower and candle bumped into the back of her foot. Celise turned around and gazed down the darkness of an alley, at the end of which was a tiny shrine still illuminating its surroundings. It was rather crude, probably a makeshift construction by local residents. She waded down to the shrine and kneeled before it, water covering her kneecaps. The shrine had a wooded effigy on it, surrounded by herbs and a few candles. Children had drawn crayon images on the wall above the shrine of the monster plaguing their town.

The white fox emerged from Celise’s body, her beloved spirit of ice. It nestled itself on the silver girl’s shoulder and observed the tiny shrine before them. Bantam streams of light sprawled through the air from the effigy to the white fox, spirits of the shrine seeking refuge in the visitor. The candles began to dwindle as the makeshift place of prayer lost its inhabitants. The shrine had most likely not been used for several days, as the locals were probably urged to stay inside. Celise sighed, but smiled at the white fox, which curled up against her cheek.

[71452K]

_{O A K R I D G E C I T Y W A L L}

The ride on the rather overcrowded APC was far from joyous to the Guardian, not that there wasn't any space on the vehicle - but the inevitable road bumps led to aggravating disregard for his personal space - which he highly valued. Of course, the company was made slightly more uncomfortable by Ajax's lack of an indoor voice, the soldier was clearly excited to get off the bus and mentally scar all of them as soon as possible.

But at least Abysso was here, the oil stain on his shirt and elbow evidently gave him away as to why he was late. When he looked Montero's way, the navigator would see Montero's uncomfortable scowl at an empty wall between the two Intelligence's heads - momentarily change to a single raised eyebrow, a sideways glance and the sassy upward twinge of his bearded smirk at the smear that went uncleaned. The two had an amicable relationship, abundantly based on the shared opinion that daytime's heat and noise was most banal to productivity. The serenity, chilly air and irresistable aroma of fresh cocoa soufflé from late nights at the atrium's Cloud Cafe was far better suited for any sort of work to be done.

...
...
...

When the APC stopped, Montero immediately flung the doors wide open and hopped out of the vessel, going straight to the weapon's compartment to retrieve his gear. He sorted through the pile, running his hand along some of the other equipment for a moment. Once Celise was done debriefing the team, he chucked into her hands, handle first, her weapon. Commenting.

"Nice sword."

Before turning on his heel, flourishing his coat and giving them a backward thumbsup of acknowledgement, heading off elsewhere swiftly. He would rue the day he had to participate in the inelegant proceedings of group stretching.

[Whoami]

The limousine moved slowly through the streets of Oakridge City. While the escorts had done well enough to keep the crowds at bay, the roads were still congested. The civilian protesters lining the streets screamed and threw garbage at the jet black limo. Sirens blared in the distance, echoing through the concrete jungle. Here and there, officers and UDF soldiers restrained some unruly individuals who tried jumping the barricade. Things came to a halt when a large group of protesters refused to clear the roads. The entire convoy ground to a halt, and the Field Marshall took in a nervous breath. "Nervous?" a woman sitting across from him asked.

The Marshall looked back to her, "Why should I be? I'm an officer of the UDF. These people should be thanking me for my service."

The woman sighed and leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees. She was wearing some light Guardian Armor and a pair of plain black climbing gloves with steel knuckles. A holstered pistol rested against her left thigh. Her raven hair fell off of her shoulders as she stared at the Marshall, "No disrespect, Marshall, but I'm not sitting in an armored limousine expecting any thanks for my sacrifices."

The marshall swallowed his words and nodded, "You're right, I'm sorry, Sicario..."

The man let out a long sigh and stared out the window, watching over the crowds of angry citizens. "I suppose I am nervous. What with the leaked intel, and all. It's not the combat I'm nervous about. It's the possibility that combat might not even come my way. Extremists don't play soldiers, they play guerrillas."

Sicario nodded, "That's why I'm here, Marshall. I'll sniff them out before they make a move."

The man smiled weakly and relaxed a bit. The limousine cabin filled with an awkward silence, the woman remained focused on the crowds. The Field Marshall noticed that her eyes were glowing slightly. He had known plenty of Guardians, some of which were friends of the woman, and he knew that they could use their spiritual energy to heighten their senses. Sicario wasn't leaving anything to chance; she was ready for anything. The Marshall took the silence to observe Sicario. He was amazed how the years had changed her. Angelos had briefly met Sicario before she and her friends were deployed to the isles just west off of Accadia's coast. The stark change was tragic, and Angelos couldn't blame her for speaking to bluntly about his pride. He would never sacrifice as much as any guardian, let alone the famous Kade Sicario.

The limousine remained completely stationary in the grid lock. Eventually, Kade sighed and spoke over the radio, "Convoy lead, this is Sicario. What's the hold up?"

"Uhh... Just a slight delay, ma'am. Local PD are handling it, but..."

"But?"

"Well, these protesters getting pretty stubborn up here, ma'am."

Kade pinched the bridge of her nose and looked backed to the Marshall. She drew her pistol and pulled the slide back, loading a bullet into the chamber. The safety was switched off and the weapon went back into the holster. The marshall watched her as she prepared to head out. He got tense, "You're going out there?"

Kade nodded, "These people need to move one way or another. I've got a bad feeling regardless. Keep your head on a swivel marshall."

Robert Angelos sat up straight and looked out of every window he had access to. Kade shifted past him, and climbed out of the limousine. While the door was open, the cacophony of cries and shouts flooded the peaceful limo cab. It only served to make the Marshall more nervous. He let out a sigh of relief when the door closed.

Kade stood at the door of the limo for a brief moment and looked around. All seemed clear for now. Two UDF troopers from the trailing vehicle climbed out, who received a quick order by hand signal from Kade. They nodded and patrolled near the limousine. Kade began to make her way further up the convoy. While she walked, news cameras and reporters immediately began to focus in on her. Kade overheard some reporters stating their surprise that she was active so soon after her recovery. Others questioned while she was even here to begin with, why would a guardian be needed for such a mundane task? Cameras snapped photos of her, while holos in storefront windows were already broadcasting her live.

There was a time beyond Kade's memory when she would have been completely comfortable with this, but now it just made her feel exposed. Kade pulled her hood over her head and continued on her path. She knew one thing, if the extremists were watching, perhaps a guardian's presence would deter them from acting. Hopefully that would be all it'd take to ensure of successful mission. Upon reaching the head of the convoy, Kade saw for herself just how many protesters were in the way. They held signs in the air reading, 'Stop JENOVA!', 'It's YOUR fault!', and 'END THE MILITARY STATE!'. None of them understood what was out there. None of them truly knew how terrible things were so far from the safety of Oakridge. The very sight of those protesters frustrated Kade; she had suffered and lost a part of herself for those people.

She was about to speak to the convoy leader when a reporter yelled out to her. A small twin rotor camera drone floated right up to the guardian's face, which she quickly batted away harmlessly. The reporter quickly learned to keep the drone out of Kade's personal space. "Miss Sicario! Miss Sicario! Does you being here declare your support for the military's incitement of the JENOVA crisis?! You were there at Isla de los Muertos, how can you possibly support the UDF after such a massacre?"

Kade glanced over to the reporter for a brief moment, but decided not to answer. Kade had heard of the reports, of her efforts during that battle, but her memory on the event was cloudy at best. She remembered that it had turned into a three way bloodbath when the aggressors arrived. And she remembered people important to her dying, but they were only faceless silhouettes in her mind. Kade couldn't even remember their names. The reports had many names covered in black ink.

The reported waited for a response, but she was met only by a UDF trooper pushing her back into the crowd. A police officer used a drone capture net to shoot down the camera drone. Kade turned her back to the reporter and spoke to the convoy leader, "Report, lieutenant."

The soldier let out a long sigh and shrugged, "We've got no jurisdiction here so it's up to the police. But we're stuck here until they can clear 'em out."

Kade focused her magic back into her senses and took in her surroundings. She recognized that a large number of the protesters were augmented, much like the intelligence report they had received of the extremists. Not far from her, Kade could feel the presence of other guardians approaching. That got her attention. "Find out who's in charge of the police blockade here and offer some assistance wherever you can. I'll look into this."

The trooper nodded and quickly began to delegate tasks to some of his subordinates. Kade turned and made her way toward the other guardians. It didn't take long for her to spot them, guardians stuck out after all. She made waved them down before speaking, "Gentlemen. Guardian Sicario," she introduced herself, "Were you added to the detail?"

Notes

Act - Kade approached Jomen and Ajax to inquire about their presence at the blockade.
React - Kade reacted to the convoy coming to a halt.
Observe - Kade noticed just how many eyes were upon her, and figured that those eyes could easily shift their attention to the Field Marshall.
Reflect - Kade was reminded of the battle for Isla de los Muertos.

[EurmalEye]

Jomen Sury

Location: Oakridge City

Interacting with:@Prisk@Mr Rage@Whoami

---

Jomen sat in the transport vehicle eyes closed, stirring only as he felt Celise's hand upon his arm. No doubt this was meant to be a calming gesture after his interaction with the Warfare division member, however Jomen was uncertain whether he required such a gesture. Still it would be wise to seem ungrateful. He opened his eyes slightly and glanced at Celise's eyes, nothing more just a simple acknowledgement of touch and comfort received. Manners satisfied, he closed his eyes once more and plunged down deep within himself. He lost himself in a blend of meditation and near lucid-dreaming entering the realm inside himself that either his spirits resided in or he imagined them too. As his eyes closed, his eyes opened once more. Rather than the vehicle and his fellow guardians cramped inside with him, he found himself of a large water lily on still waters. His face became sore as his mouth stretched upward at first slowly then more surely, pleased at the surroundings.

Since his last visit the pool of water inside of him had stretched further with more vegetation and lift. In the shallow parts of the water he could see kelp stretching upwards from a vast acre of posidonia, or sea grass as it was commonly called. Both indicative of healthy water life, though his inner pool did not seem to follow the traditional rules of a body of water. Jomen reached out and pressed his hand flat out against the surface of the water and pressed down against it. Large, circular ripples of water came from the furthest edges of the pool and rippled inward toward his hand at the center calling his spirits to him. He briefly attempted to push further into the water, but felt a gentle force push back matching his own effort. Despite his efforts, he still could not penetrate the surface of the water, something pushed him away. He pulled his hand back not particularly surprised, but felt some of the sore muscles in his face relax.

Three forms in the water moving toward him took his attention away as his spirits arrived. The first to manifest and by far the largest was a large amount of spirits in the form of black and blue Manta Ray that had been with him in one form or another since he had begun to collect spirits within himself. The second formed in his opening days of the academy into the shape of a mandarinfish, well known for its beauty but also poisonous to the the touch. His third and final spirit manifested itself into the form of axolotl as his healing abilities reached their current peak. It was much smaller than the other two, given how recently the spirits had formed into its shape, but would no doubt grow larger as he absorbed more spirits into himself. He talked to them briefly about the upcoming mission before he felt his physical body call him back to reality as they had arrived at Oakridge City.

Images of Jomen's Spirits

Jomen's augmented green eyes opened like the doors of a forge fire as he saw the others exiting the vehicle. He followed them out taking a moment to allow his eyes light sensors to adjust to the sunlight. Celise looked them over and explained the mission rules that Jomen had already memorized. He made no comment to this effect however as such briefings tended to be beneficial to those teammates that were not particular apt in the art of information retention. As Celise left, Jomen made as if to follow her, having little interest in seeing the city itself, but stopped as he heard the sound of sirens echoing from a few blocks away. The sounds cause Jomen's foot to stop and turn in midair as he decided to investigate the event in case his skills were needed. He paused by Ajax and muttered by his ear, "If you would be so kind as to come with me Ajax, some civilians may be in need of our services."

With that he set forth, easily locating the scene from the sound of the sirens and crowd spectating the event. With Ajax's size and both of their prominently displayed Academy badges on their chest it was not difficult to get the crowd to part around them without a word. A number of conflicting looks were aimed at his eyes some angry, some fearful, and some even with respect as they glanced down at their own lost limbs. Several UDF soldiers were pushing back members of the crowd from the road ways as a Guardian approched both himself and Ajax. The guardian wore armor that did not completely cover the extensive scarring that seemed to have occurred all over her body. The women seemed mildly familiar to Jomen though he could not place where he had seen her image before.

"Final Year Academy Students Ma'am. I am Jomen Sury of the Research Division and this is Ajax Armstong of the Warfare Divsion. We are passing by on our way to the Battle of Ledale and thought our services might be needed." Jomen was going to ask more before spotting a police officer standing by the blockade in front of what appeared to be an office complex. He strode away from Guardian Sicario leaving Ajax to speak more to the more experienced guardian as he briefly flashed his badge, made direct eye contact with his unsettling gaze, and asked the officer in an authoritative tone, "Officer... Sator, What is the current situation?

The young policeman, clearly inexperienced at his job, nearly saluted Jomen in his haste to answer. "A number of augmented extremists have overtake this building sir. We are having trouble securing the situation especially with Marshall Angelos in town riling up the opposition."

Jomen nodded as he looked around and back over to Ajax, waving his hand at the man to indicate that he had found a way through. "I will be heading in." With that the officer removed the barricade and called ahead to indicate the groups arrival. There was an open square between the police and the entrance to the office complex, Jomen walked through it not hesitating. At it's center, he stopped and placed his staff open the ground, roots spread out from the bottom of the staff easily penetrating through the ground below to dirt keeping the staff upright. Jomen removed his holster containing his sidearm and hung it from the top of his staff before placing his hands above his head. He approached the building, aware that Ajax would soon follow and called out to the guns trained on his approach.

"I am a healer and I wish to speak to your leader." He kept his voice calm and steady as a gentle rain, hands remaining atop his head nonthreateningly as he entered through the doorway.

---

---

W A T E R Y G R A V E

@Prisk@deadpixel101

The water lapped fruitlessly attempting to enter into Jomen's waterproofed boots as he walked through the streets of Wolfwater surveying the damage the creature that had been dispatched to deal with had caused. The rally point they had designated was not too much further and the data that he collected here with the methods the Research Division had taught him could mean the difference between victory and failure in their hunt. The mission details had included a note that he had found difficult to stop thinking about "ability to bend water to its will." At first, he had dismissed it as an untrained eye observing a powerful water ability but now looking at the town and the devastation leveled at the town from the flooding. Now his mind was sorting through the possibilities of what could create such an ability and what its implications where. If one could attain such mastery over water and its own healing abilities, would it be possible to even cure the Stigma?

Jomen shook himself and returned his thoughts to the mission at hand. Something was causing the creature to attack now of all times, whether if this was just the first group of humans that it had come across or some other reason in particular. As a place to start, Jomen had requested the mayor have ready maps and records of its current whaling operations as well as all locations the creature had attacked. It was possible that the whaling had disturbed something that it ought not have and could possibly lead them the location of the creature that they were hunting.

Jomen reached the rally point and looked around for Celise who had apparently already arrived before him and the rest of the team members. A flickering of light from a nearby alley gave him the answer, he approached quietly and observed Celise kneeling in front of a makeshift shrine. He watched the candles slowly dim as some of the spirits found shelter inside their newest visitor. As he observed the scene, a light rain began to fall from the sky sprinking against the wooden sides of the shrine, threatening the dimly lit candles. Jomen quietly moved the staff in one, slow flowing motion as next to the shrine a plant began to sprout next to the shrine. It grew at and accelerated pace till coiled around it then grew several thick large leaves, covering the shrine and protecting it from the elements. One large leaf extended out to cover Celise's head as well despite her poncho. A small protection he could give to the shrine at least for the moment. Jomen then turned to depart allowing Celise to pray in peace, as he waited for the remaining member of their team to arrive for their meeting with the mayor.

[Mr Rage]

The group filed out of the transport, Ajax waiting until everybody else was out before him. Celise started the mission brief and Ajax waited patiently for her to dismiss everybody. "Alright, wonderful! We have two whole hours to stretch and do a light warm up before we get on the boats! Everybody, all together now, rank and file! Wait- Where is everybody going?" Ajax exclaimed excitedly. He may be extremely well adapted for combat, but for all his exuberance, he would probably make for a better teacher of combat if he ever made it to an old enough age to retire from active combat deployment. He loved the opportunity to not only work to better his own body, but the opportunity to help others in their voyage of templedom was an exhilarating opportunity for Ajax, one which he would never pass up. Which was why every time he had an opportunity to train with somebody he took the opportunity to do so. However, this time, the group was not so willing. Ajax looked around dismayed as the group broke up and started to go their separate ways.

Ajax turned to retrieve his War Hammer from the transport, which was basically just strapped to the roof as it wouldn't fit inside the compartment. As he put his hand on the shaft of the hammer he heard the sirens wailing in the distance. "Could be we don't need a boat after all," Ajax said to himself as he hefted the heavy weapon onto his shoulder, continuing to look in that direction. Ajax saw Jomen stop suddenly and turn, looking the same way. Before Jomen even reached Ajax, he knew what he was going to say. "I will be right behind you."

As Green-Eyes and the Giant made their way through the crowd they were intercepted by the senior Guardian. Ajax knew who she was on sight. Between being in the same division and his family having their long tradition of attending the academy, Ajax's older sister, Olgara, had been in the same class as her. Ajax knew her before, and part of the training in warfare is going over old mission reports to try and learn the strategy. What worked, what didn't. Ajax knew as much as anybody who wasn't there could know, which wasn't a lot, but he did know who she was. It had been many years since he had actually seen her, but still, the difference in appearance was startling. "Ma'am," Ajax greeted with a salute after Jomen made the introduction. They may be students, but they were still military students, and she was a ranking officer. "Looks like there might be some trouble in that building over there, Jomen is our group's healer, he was concerned over civilian injuries, which is what brought us here. I am in Warfare division, but I am a defender more than an offensive type - though some of my classmates might disagree!" It was a joke, a badly timed joke, one that he was sure nobody would have laughed at even if there was anybody around to hear it that knew him. "Ah- Uh, Anyways. It would be an honor to assist you in dealing with this situation, or if you would assist us if you aren't too busy?"

As Jomen entered the square Ajax made it past the barracade, but where Jomen announced his intentions of going inside Ajax stayed put. "I am NOT a healer, and I'll be staying out here... but don't give me a reason to come inside..." Ajax announced as Jomen entered through the doorway. The passive threat worked to get most of the guns off of Jomen as he approached the building.

-----------

Inside the insurgency scurried. They had hostages, and they had made it clear that they were more than willing to do what they had to in order to get what they wanted. They had cleared out the main lobby and moved everybody off of the first floor. Desks had been pushed over to make cover walls and baracades at the top and bottom of the steps. Four men crouched behind the desks at the top of the steps and two men were on the wings of the balcony, all where perfectly visible for Jomen or anybody else who entered to see. "Stop it Right there, buddy. Not anot'er step from you. We know you ain't no heala. Guardians don't get implants! Now tellus whatcha really after and maybe we kill ya quick?"

Further upstairs the hostages were moved to another room by a single gunman. His entire forearm had been replaced with the Gatling gun of a weapon, he sucked down on a short, fat cigar with his left hand. "Move it, Move it, don't do nothing stupid, yeah?" He said gesturing with his gun arm for the people to move quickly. They were being moved further inside the building now, harder for them to be seen from the outside, too many drones in the air, and now there were people walking right up the front steps and knocking on the door. At the windows facing the square Ajax stood stoic with his warhammer in hand, ready to leap into action at any sign of trouble.