[hider=The Night Prior]The Atlas native hadn’t needed to explore much of the new city to find a shop that caught his interest. It seemed that like in his home country, worthwhile shops could be found in the more obscure and less travelled areas. The place that had caught Oren’s attention was a small coffee shop away from Vale’s main streets, rather close to the Academy. With soft lights and a dated, but homely atmosphere, he couldn’t help but step into the business. A rush of pleasant aromas told him he had chosen well, and he paused for a moment to try and sort through the variety of roasts that filled the air. He had only managed to pick out a few familiar varieties before a soft voice greeted him through the quiet din that filled the shop. By no means was Oren a tall individual, but even he had to look down just a tad to focus on the individual that had greeted him. A pair of feline ears twitched as he met the waitress’ eye while her tail swished back and forth behind her. “Welcome to the Joe Shop,” she said with a grin as she stepped to the side and waved him into the small store. “Please, take a free seat.” 

The hours passed by quickly in a pleasant blur, and by the time Oren stepped back onto the streets, the sun had set. Sighing deeply at the lingering traces of the last cup, he promised himself he would return here. Their roasts varied greatly, but each had been a distinct flavor despite the many cups that had been finished. The shop’s atmosphere had been relaxing, somehow even managing to have a quiet area where the ambient music didn’t reach despite the building’s small size. His lips twitched, edges curling up into a small grin, when he noticed the employee that had greeted him waving goodnight to him behind closed doors. Returning the gesture, he figured he had spent enough time off school grounds for the day. Dinner was likely over by this time, but he didn’t mind grabbing something on the way back. He’d managed to find a great shop to drink at, so maybe he’d get lucky and score with the food as well.[/hider]
---
Waking came slowly to Oren as it always did. He blinked several times to clear his vision and took a look around the room slowly as he took everything in. The sun had yet to rise over the horizon, but the fading night sky told him it wouldn’t be long. Snores, grumbles, murmurs, along with every other noise involuntarily made in one’s sleep filled the dining hall. Some students were awake and moving around, stepping cautiously to avoid waking their peers; for the most part the new arrivals were still fast asleep. Oren did not plan to rejoin them though, so he stifled a small yawn then got up and away from the comforts of the still-warm mattress. 

A cloud of fog came with every breath. The sun was over the horizon by now, but the temperature had yet to climb enough that the air wouldn’t be called chilly. Several laps around the Academy had proven enough to wake him up and get the blood flowing, though with the upcoming initiation he hadn’t really pushed himself. Considering he had seen a fair number of students exit the dining hall on his last lap around, Oren figured it was about time to eat and get ready. 

“... and Oren. You twelve will be reporting to Beacon Cliffs at 1000 sharp. That is all.” With that, the white-haired professor turned to walk out of the dining hall. He had just arrived, pulling the door open to catch the last few words she said.

[b]“Interesting…”[/b]
---
Though Oren’s attire had not changed much, appearance-wise at the least, its composition was very different. He still wore a coat over his white collared shirt, and a pair of grey trousers. Black boots were his footwear of choice while he had also chosen a pair of black gloves to wear. Not too far from a civilian look, but civilian’s didn’t have military-grade coats, gloves, and boots. His weapons hung off him: his sword sheathed at his hip, the pistol and knife to his thighs, and the assault rifle on his back. It was more equipment than a soldier carried, let alone a normal Hunter, but if it hampered him, Oren’s movements didn’t show it. Instead, he stood there with a blank expression and hands in his coat pocket as the Headmistress spoke. He let that part glide overhead and chose to focus on what the professor what to say instead, deeming the brief to be much more important.

To be honest, it didn’t really seem all too different from what he had heard about Beacon’s initiation. Oh, some of the details had been changed around, but overall the basic objective was still the same. Regroup after arrival, advance towards objective, retrieve said object, clear and secure the immediate area, and wait for extraction. Straight forward enough, but complications were no doubt simply waiting around the corner to crop up. What Oren was most concerned about, given the information they had received, was the possibility of the extraction spell failing due to the presence of Grimm. Such a situation would be unfortunate to put the least. He had barely a moment to contemplate how they were going to arrive at their destination before white filled his vision as the runes expanded outwards from underneath his feet.
---
His vision returned, and Oren immediately dropped to the ground and took a knee. He was in an alley overrun by undergrowth, and a few moments were needed just to collect himself. A variety of scents in the air, the noises that just barely reached his ears, among more information that he took in and processed. Aside from the soft sound of wind blowing through grass, Oren heard little in the immediate surroundings. Nevertheless his rifle was pulled free and loaded, a magazine fitted in place at the weapon’s rear. Chambering a round, Oren took a deep breath and sighed before finally standing up and moving forward. All the buildings nearby seemed rather tall, so if he wanted to find out where he was and needed to go, well… height would be required.

Poking his head around the corner, Oren did a quick sweep of the street. Plenty of plant life dominated the once urban region, nature having reclaimed it with time. No signs of Grimm caught his attention though, so quickly he moved into the nearby building. The dusty air that rushed out when he forced the door open was quite relieving and annoying at the same time. Stifling the cough with an annoyed grimace, Oren moved inside and up the stairs quickly. His footsteps resounded through the empty halls and though he kept vigilant, nothing showed up to put him to the test. Luckily enough, despite portions of the outside wall being completely gone and exposing areas inside to the weather, the stairwell was wholly intact. The rooftop door required a bit of force to break open, namely a shoulder rush that forced the old piece clean off its hinges and clattering to the roof. 

[b]“Shit.”[/b]

It wasn’t exceptionally loud, but the metal door made a bit of a ruckus that carried through the surroundings. Though he heard no response, no howling Beowolves to an intruder, Oren didn’t hope that it had just gone unnoticed. At the very least though, now that he was here, he would see anything coming down the streets or alleys towards him. With that in mind, he began to scan the ruined city. Apparently luck was on his side, at least partially, given that he had been deposited within the city fairly close to their destination. It would likely take him only a few minutes to reach the church if he moved on top the roofs and wasn’t interrupted. Something he noticed forced him to turn his attention elsewhere though...