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

[img]http://i.imgur.com/X3jNw6W.png[/img][/center]
[color=949494]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.

[color=dadfda]“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,”[/color] Celise said while scrolling through the mission document on her phone, reading the instructions. [color=dadfda]“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,”[/color] the silver girl said and tucked her phone away in a pocket.

[indent][sub][color=#c4c544]◆[/color] 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.
[color=#dd8b5f]◆[/color] 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.
[color=#4ebdb4]◆[/color] 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.[/sub][/indent]

[hider=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!)[/hider]
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[color=949494][sub]W O L F W A T E R — " A  W A T E R Y  G R A V E "[/sub][/color]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/X3jNw6W.png[/img][/center]
[color=949494]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.
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