New Surroundings [Auric]

[Quistis Trepe]

It was an ordinary day on the Garden for the young blond woman wearing a peach colored outfit. She went along with her normal duties on the base known as Balamb Garden. For her and most of the people aboard the Garden they have stumbled across a unknown stretch of land. But things have been up. They have seen new monsters that have been unknown to them. They keep track of every monster they meet so that if they come across them again they know to defeat them. One of the tactics used among the militia known as SeeDs. This young blond is one of them and the brightest amongst them, having been a Instructor at the Garden at a very ripe age.

After finishing with her duties and classes today, she now stood on one of the balconies on the second level of the garden. It was where some people came to think or get fresh air. Another good place was the training arena that was inside of the Garden; though it was a bit low on training monsters. She stood leaning against the fence of the balcony. Her elbows resting on the railing with her chin in the palm of her hand. Blue eyes were looking out at the scenery that had become new to the residents of the floating Garden. A gentle breeze blew, blowing through the females blond locks of hairs that cascaded around her face. The rest was pulled back. She lightly smiled, thinking to herself. Enjoying the peace of this new environment. She had been out in it for a few missions but had been couped up inside the Garden for a few days now.

She looked down along the rest of the balcony and spotted someone at the end; where as she was standing near the door that led out to the balcony. Huh, she hadn't seen him there before when she had walked out. But, she had been pretty distracted and hadn't thought anyone else would be out here since they were still in classes. She didn't recognize him, but she swore she had seen him once before. However, she couldn't come up with who he was. It wasn't like he was an everyday face here.

[Auric]

Instruction Manuals
Aren't required. Just gil to pay the right mercenary.

Missions. You know, my contract with Balamb Garden doesn't obligate me to do any of their missions. Now and then, just to keep up with my planning skills I'd help them formulate battle plans to keep order in regions where they were being hired -- or specifically telling them on how to deal with certain monsters they'd run into on Gran Pulse. Of course, I charge them a consultation fee but given our good working options they make it a point to give me a good rate. I never really participated with them on the ground though -- even when I'd planned practical excursions to test combat routines when instructing my advanced students and attending SeeD members, I rarely intervened even when it seemed they were about to get eaten. It never happened, mind you, which was good to see... it always warmed my heart to see such capable combatants.

Still, I wouldn't expect Garden to front enough gil to send me out on operation.

---

Word had gotten around on campus; there was a particularly nasty mark down on Gran Pulse. Headhunters that went through Rabanastre weren't able to even get there and the Garden had only been able to guard the entrance to its lair to ensure nothing particularly bad managed to get out -- still, the few who tried to go in were barely able to escape with their lives and Auric was even pondering on going down to check on it himself. He never worked for free, though.... but on an off-hand joke, one of the SeeD who went to his advanced lessons suggested on taking them all down for a practical exam; not that his classes could be passed or failed but even so many were eager to put what they'd learned through their paces.

But there were things to think about. The training facility was low on monsters -- students having culled the placed repeatedly in rigorous drilling made it difficult whenever he wanted to have his groups try and take something on. He'd left his class room after dismissing his pupils and gone to the balcony; his casual attire of having a tank top and cargo pants while he perched himself on the balcony as his eyes looked over the edge. A few things came into mind -- he'd wondered whether he should propose the outing as a mission and get paid to do it but that in itself seemed a tall order considering his high rates. A good word from one of the other A-rank seeds would have done it... of course he could always go down there and slay the thing with class in tow but that felt like a freebie and for someone as good at what he did, that was quite a bit of charity.

Still, it was true enough -- he wasn't around every single day.... he was here only part-time, their arrangement being for his benefit to carry out his professional work whilst upping the standard of students and SeeD alike. Hell, even as the wind blew through his hair he was even considering dropping the idea completely and just getting back to planning his next operation scheduled to begin in a few days when he'd eventually go to Midgar. It wasn't until he felt eyes on him that he turned his head and spotted a familiar looking face. He didn't know her personally but he had students who were her absolute adoring fans -- what was it that they called themselves? Trepies? If so, then here name must have been... "Quistis Trepe?" he asked, leaning against the rail.