[IC] Beacon: Before the Fall

[HereComesTheSnow]

@LeamonZest89

Conall Linumbienne

"Yep, that I did. Why, recognize me?"

With a chuckle, he deftly flipped the lance up to rest atop his shoulders, held in place by his arms as they hung by the crooks of the elbows off of its shaft. They approached the cliff in short order, having not been too far away in the first place, and he curiously stood on the tips of his toes, craning his neck to peer quizzically down at the emerald depths of the forest below.

Not that it was important, but this also carried the consequence of momentarily making him the tallest person present before he returned to his heels.

"A cliff? What's the idea here? Scaling it while fighting Grimm off?" he mused.

[Azure Flame]

Once they were all gathered on Beacon Cliff, they were instructed to stand on what appeared to be stone plates. Ozpin and Glynda stood before them and Ozpin began to speak. "For years you have trained to become warriors. And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Glynda then spoke up and said "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... Today."

"I thought so..." Lucas muttered to himself, as Ozpin continued. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next 4 years." Lucas's ears perked up at that. "Wait, after landing?" Ozpin continued with "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die. You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene."

Lucas nodded at this, thinking It makes perfect sense. They want us to test ourselves, so if we die here it just shows we weren't ready to be Huntsman and Huntresses, so of course they wouldn't help. Continuing to look them over, Ozpin said "You will find an abandoned temple at the end of this path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

[LemonZest1337]

Sarah smirked "Sort of. I remember that weapon." she gestures to the lance then looks ahead as they reach the cliff. "Would you look at that." Sarah looked over the forest not having much of a clue on what test may lay ahead, but she was just as excited as ever. She spotted Bizz and a few others who had made their way to the cliff. She then started doing some stretches. She looked over at Conall, "No clue, only thing I can assume is that Grimm are going to be involved.".

Sarah smiled as they were directed onto the stone plates. Guess we're about to find out. she thought. She tilted her head as Ozpin and Glynda explained what she was to do next. The next 4 years ay. Well I better find someone I like. What am I saying I like everybody. nothing could wipe the smile from Sarah's face. "Wait after landing?" She thought out loud, her smile only increasing.

It was time for Beacon's first test. I better show them what I got. this thought made her smile even more. She was so ready to get going she had drawn her weapon readying herself for anything.

[banjoanjo]

Siusan Achillea

---

Landing. Siusan could already feel her hackles begin to raise.

Because it was never really the height itself that was scary, right? Just the fear of splatting the wrong way after that stomach-flipping drop. Easily avoidable if you had the means and enough practice. The deer faunus examined her twin cudgels.

…

Yeaahhh, they wouldn’t be helping with any forest acrobatics any time soon. So ‘means’ was out of the picture. Considering that the tallest thing she’d been around for years was a particularly fortunate tree, ‘practice’ was very much off the list too.

Deep brown eyes surveyed the land before her. No visible Grimm, no clearing in sight, no landing strategy. Bleh. Guess she’d have to go buckwild right off the bat.

A roll of the shoulder punctuated her anxious irritation. Fine by her.

[Casterlyrock]

Zandrea stood on her platform she was assigned to, she watched the others and smiled at each one if they looked over to her, she was nervous, she was chosen to be her tribes huntress in times of need and she needed to prove herself at be worthy of that title. she placed her hand on the grass that the platform sat upon and watched as the blades of grass danced to the song inside her head.

a million thoughts quickly drowned out to the music of the earth "all you have to do is listen" she quietly said to herself reaching for leaf to prepare for what was next "mother guide me with your breath and catch me within your arms"

[LemonZest1337]

As Sarah looked at the other students getting ready she spotted Lucas, Bizz and two Deer Faunus. She was truly baffled by how many Faunus were here. Back in the country she rarely saw any faunus, if ever. She then noticed one of the deer faunus was smiling and she waved over at her, holding the massive minigun with her free hand. I feel bad... All these Faunus are so cute...

[AlternateMan]

Bizz slightly tilted her head at headmaster Ozpin's demonstration. She was looking forward to some kind of a complicated method to choose partners, but what they would go through was an event of complete randomness. 'Something I didn't expect.' She thought. She lightly kicked the plate she was standing on. Hard, hard enough to not break down to let students fly down the secret tunnet it's hiding or something. Bizz gazed into the forest, standing at her toes, as if trying to catch the slightest glimpse of the temple. Nope, she couldn't see it from here.

[Misumichan]

"Hope you all have a decent landing strategy!" Hansa voice exuberantly to no body in a particular as he stretched. Hansa stood at the ready. He couldn't help but feel nervous despite his excitment. He'd heard about initiation from Eve, so he sort of knew what to expect. He'd always had a decent landing strategy that only got better with all his weapons training. Launching into the forest isn't what upset him. His teamwork needed work. He'd always spent more time observing others than working with them. He was looking forward to it but he didn't want to let anyone down.
Hansa took a breath deep breath, "I've got this!" He reassured himself with confidence. "Just need to focus on the now! Because we'll get to the later later!"

[Azure Flame]

When nobody asked any questions, Ozpin said "Good." One by one, each of them got launched into the air. Lucas pulled out his sniper and aimed for the ground, currently loaded with Ice Dust. He spotted an Ursa and fired twice, freezing it's legs to the ground, then focused his sights, and mind, on the spot behind the Grimm, warping there instantly. He pulled the rifle apart, turning it back into the katana and sheath, and spinning around, slashing the Ursa several times before sheathing the blade. The hulking Grimm vaporated into smoke and blew away as Lucas began searching around. The next person I see will be my partner for the next four years, I have to be careful! he thought to himself.

[Casterlyrock]

with a loud crack Zandrea went from standing on her pad to flying though the air "weeeeee" she exclaimed as she soared pulling her sword leaf from her side the razor thin blade gave off a hum as it cut though the air but soon collapsed and started to glide Zan to the ground, as her bare feet hit the ground small flowers sprouted from her steps "thank you mother for catching me" she smiled and traced her hand along side a near by tree.

"hmmm now if I were a relic where would I....." she started to run towards where the relics would be keeping her eyes open for anyone, as she ran grass and flowers bloomed from her steps she looked back with a smile "maybe I should wear shoes...." she laughed to herself as she kept darting forward

[LemonZest1337]

Sarah let out a "Woooo hooo!" as she was launched into the, she could contain her excitement no longer. As she flew through the air she knew she had to change her weapons form because her shield would be much more helpful in this situation. She twisted the handle then sharply pulled it backwards then the sound of shifting metal parts erupted from her weapon as it changed into a tower shield. Ok... OK... Now how am I going to do this?... she thought as she got closer and closer to the tree tops. She shrugged and held her shield in front of her and waited to collide with a tree unfortunately the top of the tree was far to thin an she flew straight through it. She frowned and then decided to use the shield like a makeshift sled.

She pings off branches and then eventually slides across the ground before pushing herself into a flip and landing on her feet. "I guess that works." She smiled to herself, not super concerned on who she meets up with. She feels like whoever she bumps into is going to have to eventually become friends with her. I mean 4 years is a long time. they can't not like me for that long. Can they? She thought to herself as she started off into the forest.

[AlternateMan]

Bizz covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She was flying through the air. She tried to balance herself, her arms stretched to the sides with Malice on her back. After a few seconds she was able to adjust herself.
"Here I go."
She whispered as she started to literally 'run through the sky.' Transparent platforms appeared beneath her feet, supporting her as she dashed while losing altitude. In no time, she reached ground, and rolled to land safely. She wiped her forehead after standing up and dusting herself. 'Stable landing.' She thought.

[Misumichan]

When the launch pad triggered Hansa fired with his boots for an extra boost off it. He figured the further he could go, the less ground to cover.
“Oh Yeah! Whoo!” Hansa’s excitement grew as he soared through the air. His ears flapped in the wind as he twisted around and fired in the air to get more distance. He started to focus more on slowing his descent. He aimed for landing up in the branches but he misfired as he was landing and snapped the branch. “Crap!” He landed with a roll as he quickly moved against a tree. His ears would twitch and rotate looking for sounds of both students and Grimm. “Its oddly quiet…” Hansa mumbled to himself. He shrugged and jumped up into the tree. “Oh well! I have a mission! Find a partner and a relic!” He started to move from branch to branch hoping to catch a glimpse of the forest temple better from up in the trees also easier to spot and avoid danger.

[Azure Flame]

Lucas's ears twitched as he heard people landing all around him. He decided to run in the direction of the nearest one, wondering who it would be.

[LemonZest1337]

Sarah walked around not calling out for anyone because she thought that was cheating a little. She frowned and continued on through the forest, she stopped in her tracks when she herd a howl from behind. "Oh beowolfs nice." She turned the handle on her shield then it started to transform. Before she had even fully turned around the barrels were spinning and moments later she was unloading on a pack of beowolfs. They took some hits but would eventually succumb to the sheer amount of firepower the minigun had. Sarah started laughing as she tore through the Grimm, any missed bullets would be hitting the trees for little amounts of damage.

[Casterlyrock]

"stop firing!" can be heard at the sounds of the mini gun letting loose ended. Zandrea stood near by looking past Sarah who was firing, and looking past the dust that was the grim to the tree that was pierced by the bullets from the gun Sarah was firing. the small deer like faunus ran past Sarah flowers blooming from the ground with each step she took towards the trees like a medic to a wounded solider Zan started to survey the wounds of the trees.

[LemonZest1337]

The barrels of Sarah's minigun was still spinning as she watched the Faunus girl run past to aid the tree. I guess that's my partner. Sarah shrugged and raised her minigun so she could blow the steam of the end of it. She then hoisted it onto her back. "Umm. Hello!" Sarah then begun walking towards then notices the flowers growing where she took steps. Well. "I guess we're team mates now." Sarah smiled at Zandrea.

[Casterlyrock]

Zan placed her forehead on the tree whispering something to herself when she looked at sarah slightly mad then confused "wha....oh i fotgot about that" she looked back the tree and then took a deep breath "he should be fine, wounds should heal over time with mothers helps" the small petite faunus girl looked at the much taller person who was now in front of her "sorry I yelled it was very rude of me." she gave a smile back even though she felt very intimidated of Sarahs statue "I am Zandrea Oakly, and I guess you are correct in we are now team mates" she introduced herself with a small bow of the head the trinkets in her antlers gave off a small chime as she moved her head.

[LemonZest1337]

Sarah smiled at the bow then bowed herself. "Sarah Corvum. And don't worry about it." Sarah assumed Zan had some sort of connection to nature from her appearing to talk to the trees, and leaving flowers where she walked. She doesn't pick up on the intimidation tho. "I guess we should get going to that temple." Sarah smiled and gestured for Zan to go first. Oh my god she is adorable! Sarah hides her emotions fairly well but a small squeak does escape as they start walking.

[AlternateMan]

Bizz waded through the plants, slashing away some of the bush that got in her way. Then, she heard something move in front of her, making her spring into alert stance. With the blade of Malice forward, Bizz slowly pushed a portion of a tree branch away to see who was in front of her.
"... Lucas?"
She said. In front of her was the faunus she met yesterday. And according to headmaster Ozpin's demonstration, he was supposed to be her partner for the next four years. 'Not bad.' She thought. He was one of the few who she got to talk to yesterday, and it was better than being partners with a complete stranger.
@Azure Flame