[centre][h3][color=ivory]Tara Alba - Tuesday Morning[/color][/h3][/centre]

[color=violet]"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation. Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."[/color] 

[color=ivory]"Go away..."[/color]

Yawning, a curled creature, that had previously been cocooned in a sleeping bag in a lonely corner, woke from its slumber and in its rebirth, rose like a majestic and glorious butterfly only to be tore to shreds by a passing bird. [color=ivory]"Uh... what time is it? Initiation? Ah... great. Go team me."[/color]

After giving a pathetic air-punch and looking like an idiot that talks to herself, Tara fetched a hairbrush and set about lazily taming her snowy strands. She wasn't a very good morning person but if she had a nice little cup of strong coffee, she'd be awake in no time! Unfortunately, however, it seemed that the school had no appreciation of getting a decent breakfast or even a drink before taking them out for a jolly little jaunt to the cliffs. Speaking of which, she didn't like the sound of cliffs. In the life of a huntress, bad things were shitty and most good things were also pretty shitty.

Amber eyes darted around the room, greedily taking in every detail and preserving it in that thick skull of hers. She liked watching people - not in the weird, heavy breathing sorta pervy watching but the watching people go about their lives sort of watching. She loved information of any sort and it was available in copious amounts from her various classmates. One boy even seemed to be having some sort of nightmares. She was tempted to go over and wake him up but another guy beat her to the punch so she retreated back to her corner.

Once she was through a change of clothes and a fairly short period of donning the little armour she had, Tara was ready to roll. Humming a soft tune, she dragged Weeds up onto her ears and plugged the device into her scroll. As she left the ballroom, she proceeded to half-walk, half-dance her way up the hills to the cliffs were the professors were apparently waiting.

Just as foretold, both Ozpin and Goodwitch were standing waiting with a number of podiums before them. A few of the students had already taken their place on the podiums so Tara followed suit. From the looks of it, it just looked like a podium but there was no way in hell they would just sit a bunch of podiums on the edge of a cliff. Something was up. Her hand defensively crept over to the hilt of Thistle and she gave a rather prudent glance about her, almost as if her fellow students were about to leap out as Grimm. Given Beacon's reputation for starting off with a bang [sub](Heather *cough* Sapphire)[/sub] she wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest if they did prepare some great conspiracy theory to throw at this year's line-up.

[color=green]"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your skills will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest. At this Academy, we do not accept dreamers... those of you who may [i]think[/i] you have what it takes, but lack the capabilities to be considered a true Huntsman. Should you not pass this final test... we will not allow you entrance into the Academy."[/color]

Tara desperately wanted to put her hand up and ask if that was because anyone who failed typically didn't get out of the Emerald Forest but she thought that was a rather negative thought and given the fact that she was pretty shit at combat, it would be her who would receive the brunt of that joke. So her hand remained firmly sheathed. She spotted nightmare boy and gave him an invisible thumbs-up.

[color=violet]"It is well known that a Huntsman can only do so much on his own, and so during their time in one of the four Academies, they are assigned to teams. I'm sure you may have heard rumors about the assignment of teams... Well, let us put an end to the confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today. These teammates will be with you for the remainder of your time at this Academy. I would say it is important to be paired with someone whom you can work well. However... that being said, the first person you make eye contact with upon landing shall be your partner for the next four years."[/color]

That... actually wasn't so bad. It meant that she was probably not going to get mauled by some scary Grimm plus it also meant that she could use her semblance without just being completely useless while doing so! [b]Pew.[/b] However, knowing her luck, she probably would have been paired with [i]him;[/i] she knew he was an aspiring Hunter and Beacon was practically the best hunting academy in the world so it made sense if he came here. [b]PEW.[/b] [color=ivory][i]Agh I'm fine! It's not like we're going to be the people whose eyes meet to form an everlasting covenant between man and woman.[/i][/color] [b]PEW![/b] [color=ivory][i]Ew... that sounded way too familiar for my liking. Also, what the hell is that no- Nyaaaaaaaaahhhh![/i][/color]

Just as suspected, the so-called podium became a catapult of death and without warning -well, more appropriately, warning that Tara was too wrapped-up in her own thoughts to notice- she was launched into the sky. Her ascent was none too pleasant and she honestly thought she was going to become ex-ballerina shish kabobs. Thankfully, as she leveled out and began to slip into a free-fall, her brains and natural nimbleness kicked in and she finally got control of the spinning. Her hand found Thistle once more and she somehow completed a mid-air change of the dust crystal in the hilt from a fire one to an ice one. Her brain kicked into overdrive, apparently awake from her little jaunt through the skies above the Emerald Forest, and began looking for any tree that she could negate her fall on. Finally, after a rather sweat-inducing hunt for said branch, one came right into her field of view and she kicked into action.

Flicking a switch, Thistle was released into its blade whip form. It would have to be timed perfectly. There could be no flaws. She hated that but she risked humiliation and a lot of pain if she didn't do the landing right. Time itself seemed to slow in silent anticipation as she waited for the last possible moment before she could spring. Getting that moment, her hand dragged Thistle whistling back through the air before slashing it back violently. It caught the branch and strong blades dug into the bark and stopped her fall completely. Her arm was nearly dragged from its socket but fortunately, the ice crystal had already done its work and Thistle became locked entirely. She spun, looking like a rather enthralled propeller that was very slowly losing power. When her spinning stopped, she was protectively clinging around the hilt of her blade and looked like she had already had enough with the Emerald Forest. Fortunately for her, more fun was to come! Amber eyes glanced upwards and released that something had failed in her weapon - the dust crystal was gone entirely and it seemed that a fair majority of the tree had just become a Popsicle.

[color=ivory]"Oh for Heaven's sake!"[/color] A large snap echoed around the surrounding area and her eyes went wide, realising that its origin was from the branch above her. More snaps followed and very slowly, she could feel the branch giving way. Just as it snapped, she leaped to a more sturdy looking branch below her and just in time too - the icy branch that she had used for a landing snapped entirely and fell, sunlight glinting along its sharp edges as it slipped to the forest floor.

Thinking she had successfully gotten out of both frying pan and fire, Tara breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away the sweat on her forehead. And then, almost as if it was a reminder that she was still in forest full of Grimm, a bloody yet pained howled was released right below her. Her eyes went wide - it sounded big and very, very angry. She dropped down from the tree to find a Major Ursa.

It must have been lounging under the tree out of the sunlight and happened upon a stroke of bad luck that almost rivaled her own - apparently, in the roasting height of the summer day, it had become impaled in the ground by a very large shard of ice that may or may not have held Thistle tightly locked in it. [color=ivory]"Oh God... Oh... Um... Ow... That looks kinda painful."[/color] It roared in response but she could already tell that it didn't have much left in it - physically and figuratively. [color=ivory]"Yeah, um, sorry about that... I guess I didn't mean to? Oh God... Ugh, they didn't train me for this."[/color]

Advancing on the dying creature, it put up a feeble fight but it was rather useless as she dodged its attack and ripped Thistle from the massive ice shard. After putting up a futile fight, the thing simply lay back and accepted its fate as she clicked Thistle back down into its sword form. She hated having to do this - she didn't mind it when they were trying to kill her but it was weak and defenseless; she was killing it for mercy now. Using her boots to nudge its fruitless paws from her path, she raised her blade above its chest. Casting her darkened eyes towards its own bloody ones, she thought she saw something there - something more than simple pain. Giving one last cry of defiance, the Ursa raised its other paw, swiping but much too late as her blade jammed down right into its chest, killing it instantly.

Sighing, she raised herself to her full stature and sheathed Thistle as the remains of the Ursa faded back to the dust from where they all came. Some lessons were hard to receive but those were usually the best ones. Letting the tension in her body slip, she raised Weeds from its place on her shoulder and covered her ears once again. It adjusted, picking something slow for her, something she could lose herself in. Yet still, those red eyes found her and their dark twinge of fear made her very afraid.

[color=ivory]"Wait... What do I have to do?"[/color]