[color=949494][sub]O A K R I D G E   A C A D E M Y   A T R I U M[/sub][/color]

[center][url=https://clyp.it/kff0er1m]Oakridge Academy: Arboretum BGM[/url][/center]



[color=949494]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.


   [I]A pity this tranquil night was now over.[/I]


[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/iBXtN26.jpg[/img][/center]


  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.[/color]

[b]"Morning."[/b]

 



[color=949494][sub]O A K R I D G E  :  D E P L O Y M E N T   G A R A G E [/sub]


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. 


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