Scout

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

The Death Stalker thrashed about in frustration and fury, its pincers clapping loudly as it reached for Owyn. The swordsman, however, was more than ready for the flurry of attacks. His weapon responded to each strike, which were haphazard and desperate at best. The sword clashed with an incoming claw as Ulyssa took the rest of the stinger. The loud clang filled the hall, but he didn't flinch, prepared for its retaliation. With a smirk, he turned his back on the monster's face as one of its claws came hurtling directly for him. Owyn spread his arms out wide and the Stalker's claw met his body... then went straight through.

Before it even knew what had happened, Owyn was gone and the scorpion was left with a damaged face of eyes. In honesty, it was gruesome. Several of its beady, crimson eyes were pushed back into its skull and one even fell out. Disoriented, it released another swing.

Owyn laughed and shook his head, "That's pitiful. It can't even tell where I am," He observed, watching and easily stepping out of its way. "It's hardly fair at this point. The beast continued to screech and flail, but it had absolutely no sense of depth or accuracy as the swordsman retrieved their torch and waved it around.

"Over here, big guy. Go for the light," He cooed teasingly. "If you can't finish it off like this, Ulyssa, I honestly don't see why you'd even be here." Was the taunting and talking necessary? Hardly. But the power trip it gave to him was almost intoxicating.

-----

Lyra shrugged, "We could, but it's kinda nice in here. I just don't wanna leave people out there fighting something that could actually overpower them..." She opened her palm and looked the small chess piece over before a roar and a clang came echoing from one of the corridors. She furrowed her brow and turned to look as Soren tensed up.

"Eh? Stay behind..?" She asked in confusion as he dashed off, "But... I thought... alright," He was already gone, there was no point in arguing. The torch burned on the ground where she had left it. It didn't light anything else, but it still held light and smoke. Maybe the others would see the smoke as it rose from the courtyard and help them navigate.

Meanwhile, Lyra stuck a tongue inside her cheek and got a good look around the courtyard. It was like some of the less cavernous parts of the temple. They'd seen a couple of the rooms as they moved through and the courtyard showed that same former glory. A few arches were the backdrop for the chess pieces, which were mirrored in opposite colour on the other side.

A splash climbed up her leg and she jumped, having lost her focus as she stepped into a puddle. With a small laugh at herself, she stepped back and crouched down to the water - the damp area with little sun probably didn't make evaporation an easy process. A girl with white hair, red eyes, and wolf ears stared back up from the ground at her and he bit her cheek. Was that why Soren was in such a rush to get away? Did he just hide his distaste for Faunus, or was she paranoid? It's not like he could abandon her as a teammate... But, she supposed that didn't mean he had to be her friend. 'Stay behind.' Was she not competent enough, or did she just make him uncomfortable? He seemed like one who didn't live in high society, which made him a rather new subject for her. He carried himself differently, yet somehow with an equal amount of dignity. Why then, did he remind her so little of Owyn, who was much the same in his prideful demeanor..? It seemed more measured, like something could be stolen from him at any moment. Perhaps he was simply more alert than Owyn.

She sighed and swiped a hand through the water, rising fully to her feet and moving to the pedestal from which she took the pawn. The girl placed her bow over her back and gripped the relic tightly, climbing up on top before leaping and grabbing the edge of the arches. With a surprising athletic ease, and her jump's momentum, she vaulted over the lip and landed on her feet. Placing one foot directly in front of the other as she walked across the narrow, stone structure, she finally made it to the edge and looked up. It wouldn't be too hard to get on top from here and get a good view. Thinking back, they did climb a lot more stairs than she'd realized at the time. Maybe this was the pinnacle of the temple - an altar or something - and not just a simple courtyard. How did it come to be buried, though? Did Beacon build and bury it just like this to serve as a good simulation, or was it something entirely different? It made little sense, to be honest.

Lyra didn't think too much on it as she jumped from the edge again and grabbed hold of a small brick sticking out of the opposite wall, bracing her feet against it as her eyes focused a few meters up. That was the top... Gradually, she found more hand and footholds to work her way higher. She loved climbing... Often, when her parents couldn't find her back home it was because she'd found a roof or turret window to sit on. It used to be dangerous, but after she discovered her own semblance she had a failsafe.

Pulling herself over the edge finally, she stood up and brushed herself off. "Whew... I always forget how heavy that thing is..." She muttered, looking at her bow and shaking her head. From up here, she had a perfect view of the whole forest and even out into the lake. It was a lot like the cliff before they were launched out, except she could actually take the sight in. The smoke from the burning leaves in the courtyard billowed out like a beacon for those who still could not find the temple. Behind the temple was a small range of mountains, which concealed this hill quite well, giving it the environment to blend in. Even now, she could see a couple of pairs engaged in a fight with a Beowulf or another Grimm. Some were a couple of miles out, so she couldn't make them out well, but Emerald Forest had a shocking number of clearings. At least, from up high it looked like it. From the ground, it seemed as though there were so few...

She sat down and just watched the woods, certain that if Soren returned, he wouldn't think she was actually gone.

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

Owyn sneered; sure, they could take the fight outside, but the Death Stalker's mobility was far more limited inside. It didn't have options for where to go or how to move. He could feel the judgment from the girl, though he cared little for it, as the Stalker was already on them when she made her suggestion anyway. Ulyssa moved around the beast and the swordsman was at least glad that she could tell what a distraction was and how to use it, meaning him.

It was only moments later that the creature cried out in agony, its posture becoming slightly off-balance as one of its legs hit the ground. Owyn had to admit - that was an impressive feat considering the size of her blade and even her body. Of course, everybody had their own weapon choice, perhaps hers had something about it that he didn't know. Either way, that'd have to be one incredibly keen blade in her hand. Taking his turn to switch in, Owyn pulled a small trigger on his blade's hilt, causing it to instantly retract and form into one long piece again. If he could get close enough in the guard, then it would have to resort to tail and confused, inaccurate claw attack. The eyes were another point of interest as well.

The young swordsman was ready when the recoiling scorpion reared its tail back. He sidestepped and pivoted slightly, narrowly avoiding the attack's target on the ground. He had only slightly deflected it with the flat of his sword and allowed it to pierce the floor. Eight legs pushed in an attempt to free its stinger but Owyn had enough time to swing his blade as hard as he could and sever the tail about halfway deep. "Fuck," He muttered, withdrawing his blade quickly and readying the next swing. However, the Death Stalker had other plans as it pulled its tail back out of the ground with the stinger dangling slightly from the end of the tail.

"Get the stinger, Ulyssa! If we can get that, the claws are..." He shouted, rolling to the side to avoid a snap, "Easy enough to deal with. But that thing is absolute death on a stick!"

-----

Lyra's curious eyes took in every detail of any hallway and room they came across. Some of the pillars here and there would have etchings, but others would be blank entirely if not scratched out. She loved it here. Not only did it feel like history, but this man-made structure was so old that it had become a part of nature itself. Whether or not it was intentional, the temple was built for the land and not the people. Incredible. Leafy green mosses grew around edges and on debris while it seemed almost constant that creaking from different parts of the building filled the room. She was certain that they maintained the structure, if only for training purposes.

Finally, there they were... The chess pieces. Lyra rushed up to them and bounced very slightly at the prospect. "Ooh, which one... which one..." The real question was which one Owyn wouldn't pick. Instantly she grabbed the pawn and turned to face Soren. "This one!" Not only would Owyn not choose the pawn, but Lyra had her own reasoning. It was her favorite chess piece, though she was far from a skilled player. In her mind, she was certain that Owyn would pick the King or Queen. Most pieces on the board can move with some kind of specialty. Lyra not only loved the pawn and who it represented, but she respected the piece. It was the only one on the chess board that could only move forward. Until the very moment it died, that small, seemingly insignificant piece would keep marching forward at the command of its superior: you. Chess, while impersonal in nature, would often remind Lyra that there were people out there fighting with nothing but disadvantage. Many died, yes, but some would go on... They would cross the board with naught but a prayer and dedication to their leader. Such a tiny piece, but every soldier is an asset.

"I don't know why they're not here... Maybe we're just a really good team or... do you think something stopped all of them..?" She asked with a slight twinge of remorse. "Maybe there's something bigger in the forest that found them before any of them got here and we just haven't seen it? Should we check..?" She asked curiously, rolling the pawn around in the palm of her hand.

Digital or Real?

Take your time. Today I classed up, therefore my busy days will be far more common. Meaning they'll be five days a week. My weekends will be loaded too, but I'll still find time to RP during my liberty times. I make "me" time - I don't give it ALL to my shipmates. So now I've got a week of English lessons (to be familiarized, in case I'm not already, with the components of English) before the foreign language begins.

On another note: I made "Phase II" today, so I'm now allowed to leave base and stay out until midnight on the weekends... and the best part? I can wear civilian clothes after 1600 on weekdays and all day on weekends! :D Hoo-yah civilian clothes. I went down a size in jeans, a couple in shirts (I actually fit in Mediums, I used to wear L-XL... Medium is a HUGE step), got a new hoodie... Basically just went to Target today for basics. But it was still amazing. ^_^ First time in jeans in three months and the first time in that frame where I mingled with civilians. Very exciting!

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

"In dire straits, I wouldn't be making a damned fire!" He argued in agitation, his pride struck. Owyn sneered and crossed his arms, "This isn't an indicator for my ability, it's just a weak suit. At least I was trying something," He muttered, taking the torch and starting into the cavernous ruins. Each step echoed off of the walls and filled the place with the sound of their walking. He held his whip in a loose coil, making sure his hand only gripped the cord and not the blade segments.

"Shouldn't take too long... Even if most relics are taken, they're probably all clustered together... It's not supposed to be a scavenger hunt," He noted, his eyes scanning the walls. Part of him had hoped that there would be markings and carvings in the structure, but it was surprisingly barren for a temple. Watching ahead, the darkness swallowed their fire's light and seemed to stretch on without end. Naught sounded but the sound of their footsteps and he couldn't help but wonder if they were early or late to the place... They wouldn't be finished with the challenge until sunset the next day, as the rules had stated for the day, as a test of their ability to survive through a full night. Not to mention they could try finding a pair with their matching relic and get a headstart on testing their synergy.

Owyn accidentally kicked a small rock as they walked and it bounced across the floor, making a soft ticking sound as it hit the uneven surfaces. It was matched by an equally pitched, but more frantic tapping. The future Huntsman stared into the Void of darkness as a soft golden glow made itself clear, paired with multiple red orbs gradually moving toward them. His ears now picked up the tapping noise as that thing's "feet" and he stopped dead in his tracks, holding the torch out.

"Finally..." He said with a smirk, letting the Death Stalker draw nearer. Its pincers entered their small orb of light rather quickly, "Show me what you got, Ulyssa," He urged. Owyn pulled back his hand and in a single, circular motion, brought the segmented blade over his back. It arched with a high-pitched whistle, starting a combination of quick, precise motions. First thing was first: the thing had to be at least slightly disoriented. If they couldn't get past its mandibles first, or find a way to fight at a nice distance, then the fight was not theirs to win.

"I got the front, you get past me first," He instructed without looking back. His other hand held the torch, but it moved just as much as his body as the blade fragments struck each claw, fighting them back. His strikes focused on the less-armored, black portion of the claws and arms just behind the pincers. The constructs would still be formidable, but at least the creature would feel it and keep focused on the fire-wielding swordsman. It would give Ulyssa a chance to find her own method of attack and gain the upper-hand for both of them.

-----

Lyra stepped into the ruins barely one step behind Soren. Sure, she'd have taken the lead or at least walked at his side... But he said to let him go first, so she did. It was rather hard for her to not take orders. At times, she would even find herself doing whatever Owyn told her to, even if she didn't particularly want to. If he said go away, something in her mind would force her away despite what she actually wanted. He was easier to resist, but a situation like this was one where she didn't even realize she was following an order. This Faunus stuff made it difficult for her to distinguish what was simply her personality and which traits comprised the side of her that shamed her brother so...

Upon entering, she realized that the torch was hardly necessary. It made plenty of light, yes, but she found that after her eyes adjusted she could much farther into the tunnel than she had expected. "Huh... I guess I didn't think of it, but... I kinda do have nightvision. This has some upsides, y'know," She explained, looking up toward the ears on her head and shrugging her shoulders. Lyra kept the torch, though, to ensure that Soren had some sense of sight and because it still helped a hell of a lot to see farther down.

"I wonder if we'll find a few relics together... how should we pick one? I mean, that choice will put us with another pair of students for four years. If we pick the wrong one, we could end up with the most incompetent or weak partners in the school... Oh god, we'd be laughingstocks..." She lamented dejectedly. Being a Faunus made her stick out as a target more than enough to the point where she didn't think that a reputation as the team that couldn't work together would be something she could take.

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

Owyn shrugged, "There ought to be at least one in there. It depends on how many teams have made it in and out..." He muttered in thought, rubbing his chin, "I don't imagine the inside will be very safe though. Treading with caution would be a good idea. Like I said, if you've some way to light it, we'll be in good shape. If not, we're gonna need to take a minute to fashion something and get it ignited." The man crossed his arms and examined the mouth of the temple, staring deep into it, as though something would come out at any minute. "... Eh, fine, wait here, I'll go put something together..." He turned on his heel and started sifting through the dead branches on the ground, wandering into a radius of several feet.

"You're not much of one for conve- Eh?" Lyra stopped as he asked her for an opinion. "Go over where..? Oh," The girl blinked and looked to where he was gesturing before instinctively shaking her head. "No, nope. Definitely not." Her reaction was a bit quick, so she recovered and cleared her throat, "I mean, it might be better not to... Heh... Like you said, he seems kinda stiff, y'know? And who knows what kinda people they are, right? They could easily walk in there with us and just sneak away the moment we find danger or they'll try to nab a relic piece before we can get one for ourselves. Let's find another entrance..." She didn't hesitate to grab his hand and pull him in another direction, looping around the structure of the ruined temple. Finally, they found another point from which they could approach the building.

Meanwhile, Owyn returned to Ulyssa, "Alright... Now comes the hard part. Unless you get a better idea, we're gonna be here for a bit..." He dropped the kindling on the ground. Amidst the supplies was one thicker, semi-stubbed section of a limb. "Let's see if we can't get a makeshift torch... Again, unless you have a better idea?" He stared idly at the supplies, hoping that she did... Honestly, he had no idea what he was doing with this stuff...

Lyra tapped her foot impatiently as they looked at the entrance to the temple. She snapped her fingers, "Got it. I know what to do," She beamed brightly before dashing back into the woods. When she came back, she was holding a large branch with a multitude of brown and yellow leaves on it. "This must have snapped off a tree recently... Good luck too, watch." Dropping it to the ground, she pulled an orange-tipped arrow on her bow's string and fired it at the top of the branch. The burst of flame was far from an explosion, igniting some of the grass around and the leaves on the wood. "There! A torch!" She said with excitement. It would have to do for now, she was limited on Dust Arrows... The girl reached down and picked up the long branch, holding it at the mouth of the ruins.

"Shall we go?" She asked curiously, looking to him as the soft glow of the fire already started to fill the dark space.

Owyn crossed his arms... Perhaps learning to be a survivalist would have been in his best interest before coming. However, father was rather preoccupied with teaching him combat. It must have just been overlooked. Right now, though, it was the one thing between him and being an official Beacon student. "So... what? Do we just like... rub sticks together and they light up..? Err... Or do we need something else to light it up?"

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

"Well, they're not exactly an easy target to miss, are they?" She asked with a small smirk, "Just because you can kill something on your own doesn't mean you have to kill it on your own. Save some energy, let somebody help... I have to admit, though, that was pretty impressive. Those paws are almost bigger than me, I'm surprised you can stand hand-to-hand with the Beowolves." She examined the first body and ran her fingers over its wound, giving a small 'hmph' in response before muttering something under her breath and gently bending down to wipe her hand on the grass.

"Name's Lyra," She explained with a nod and a smile. This guy didn't seem to be much of one for conversation on a battlefield, so she kept the introduction short. "I'm from Vale, you?" The girl asked, pulling out an arrow and letting it idly fall from one finger to the next, twirling it up and down her hand. The two fell into a fairly natural step, proceeding the direction they were initially launched - it was as good a start as any for finding the temple and their own relic. "So we're looking for a chess piece... That shouldn't be too hard," She noted aloud, "I mean, once we find the temple it should be pretty self-explanatory... I think."

-----

"I'm a planner. I'm not ready for sleep now, but I will be, and having a bed will be comforting. Today's gonna be exhausting, it's time to start thinking about recuperating from it," He explained. In Owyn's mind, he'd already completed the day with flawless capability. "Doing this quickly is exactly what I'm here for. If you think I look like I know how to carry myself, you should see me actually fight. Once we find our relic piece, we're golden."

The two picked a direction and started walking. This direction was as good as any, he supposed. It seemed to drag on for hours with little conversation. The two spoke sparingly and, upon finally reaching the temple, concentrated whole-heartedly on the mission before them. "Alright, who's first?" He asked, flicking his wrist. As he did so, the segments of his blade broke apart into a long strand of blades. They needed a light...

"Any ideas for how we're gonna see in there, or should we just kind of... fake it?" He asked half-jokingly, shrugging his shoulders.

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

Placing the projectile back into her quiver, Lyra poked the boar with her foot. There was no response and she gave it a small nod, "Thank you for the fight." With a solemn pivot, she started back into the wood. She was never sure why she did that, but something in her always pushed her to be grateful for each moment that passed where she continued to breathe. This monster was an abomination of nature, but she knew not whether it had chosen that life. Did it deserve no respect simply because of its birthright?

Birds scattered from the trees nearby in a flurry of flapping wings and screeches. Lyra gripped her bow tightly and turned at the sound of snarling and crashing in the trees before dashing off after it. The trees blocked out the sun, dimming the path as she vaulted fallen trees and brush. Breaking through the treeline into a small clearing, she slammed her heels into the ground and brought her momentum to a complete stop. A male with dark hair was just pulling his blade from the neck of a Beowulf. Thank god he'd won, and now she had a partner! She moved to introduce herself before hearing another growl and turning her head to the second wolf, who had sensed her presence before she made it apparent. It seemed to be investigating her more than preparing for attack, if only for a moment.

"O-oh, uh... Heh, hi," She said with a small wave. It growled from deep in its throat and then let out a loud roar, leaning back on its hind legs. Lyra instinctively pulled back an arrow of blue and let it fly. An explosion of flakes and icy air exploded as it struck the Beowolf's hip just before it could pounce. With the joint immobilized, it lost it's balance in the jump and accidentally threw itself down onto the ground and side.

The Faunus broke her bow and it formed into claws around her hands again before she lifted them to a ready position. "Two on one sounds like better odds to me, don't you think?" She asked with a smirk, "They certainly thought so." The girl stepped back and decided to let the boy have his own moment, standing by just in case he wasn't as strong as he seemed before.

-----

Owyn gripped his sword tightly as the girl held up her own. He waited for her to move, a bit relieved that he wouldn't need to kill her when she lowered her blade. It was just a misunderstanding. With a shake of his head, he stuck his tongue in his cheek for a moment, "Nuh-uh. Thank god. It's better if you don't go looking for people. One teammate is enough to keep you out of the shit, the others will just kind of... come, eventually. Trust me, rushing it is a good way to make sure you get crappy partners... I've seen some pretty sad characters around here."

"I suppose we should try to make our way to the temple and collect a relic, yeah? Means we can get our full team and finally settle into a dorm room to get some sleep..." He mused, nodding his head, "Let's get a move on, then."

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

As she walked, Lyra watched for any rustling bushes, cracking twigs, or shaking trees. Her eyes would move to the sky now and then, but it seemed like everybody had already landed somewhere in the forest. No more stragglers. Maybe she'd landed farther ahead than she'd thought. She was fairly light, after all. With a shrug, the girl continued her trek, ignoring her idle thoughts as she peered through the trees. The hair on the back of her neck stood up just before she heard a low snort and a hoof scraping the forest floor. The girl whipped around and pulled the string of her bow, spotting a Boarbatusk only metres away. With a small smirk, she pulled the arrow of her bow all the way back to her ear.

"I thought it'd take a lot longer than this..." She noted, releasing her breath as the beast began to charge. She released the arrow and it whistled through the air, only to shatter upon contact with the beast's forehead.

Muttering an obscenity, the girl kicked off the ground to the side just in time for the Grimm to run past where she had been standing. With a quick roll, she pushed herself back onto her feet and finally got a chance to look at the creature. It was black as tar with a pair of foreboding crimson eyes, glowing even in the shaded wood. The same ivory of its tusk covered its face and much of its body. Mucous flew from its grotesque nostrils and into the air as it snorted again, ready to charge. Lyra snapped her bow in half and the mechanism instantly reformed itself into claws around her hands. She took a firm stance and bent her knees, bracing. Ready in three... two... She reached out as the Grimm reached her and locked her blades with its tusk. The two pushed back and forth, trying to twist one another back and forth. Fuck this thing was heavier than she thought. Breaking the contact, Lyra and the Boarbatusk each took a quick-step back before simultaneously dashing into one another. This time, however, she pivoted and launched from the ground at the last moment, letting it slip past her. Without breaking step, she sprinted just to put distance between herself and the monster. The claws around her hands reformed into a bow once again and she pulled an arrow from her quiver. This one looked much the same as her previous but its tip was coloured a deep shade of burgundy. Drawing it, she aimed at the recovered Grimm, who was once again charging her. Her gaze shifted only slightly as she released the arrow and it hit the ground right in front of the beast, detonating on contact.

The Boarbatusk was caught off-guard and the shock threw it onto its back. Without giving it any time to recover, Lyra loaded another normal arrow and fired it, this time piercing a joint. She snarled, "Fuck." Slowly this time, she drew a fresh arrow and fired, piercing it through its neck and directly into its head. The thrashing of a dying animal ceased in that moment and Lyra let out a breath of relief, shaking her head. "What a pain in the ass..." She muttered, approaching the beast to retrieve her arrow.

-----

Bang!

Owyn heard the blasts from his position fairly easily. He quirked an eyebrow and looked up to see somebody actually using a rifle to slow their descent. He stared for a brief moment before sighing, "You've got to be kidding... No." He pulled himself up into a tree and moved toward the canopy, looking out across the forest. Not too far away there was a tree that stood out from the rest. That'd be a good place to start. A good view of the rest of the woods from above and then he could plot out his course. Hopping down, he started on his way to the landmark.

It was a fairly quiet walk. He heard some shouts and things from the louder students around the woods. Some were already looking for specific people while others were yelling commands, already forming teams and fighting the nasties. Good for them, he supposed. As he made it to the tree, he heard a girl on the other side mutter something about surviving... He furrowed his brow, wasn't that supposed to be the easy part? He took a look for himself before she saw him and then spent a moment debating. Well, he couldn't really gauge skill, but she was certainly easier to look at than, say, Lyra.

"Make that two, I guess," He noted, stepping out with one hand in his pocket as he sheathed his blade and rested that same hand on the hilt. "Owyn," He introduced himself with a small bow that was more like a bow than anything.

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

Finally... It was finally his time. Owyn smirked as they were instructed to take their place on the plates. He looked to his right and left. Several of the people here on these pads wouldn't be in Beacon Academy tomorrow. The rest of them would have a team with which they would spend the next four years of their lives. Three of these lucky bastards would get to have one Owyn Tudor on their team. He envied them, if only slightly, because he'd never get that same opportunity. He bent his knees and readied his hands, leaving his blade sheathed as he focused on that rapidly approaching moment.

Lyra, on the other hand, was bouncing back and forth on her feet, shifting weight from one to the other in eager anticipation. Her eyes narrowed only on the forest, stretching far into the horizon several stories below them. This was going to feel amazing. Her tail was stock still as one of her ears twitched. Already she'd noticed more than her fair share of disgusted glances. What did it matter? It didn't. If she was on their team, she'd be damned if they didn't give her every ounce of their motivation between now and Graduation Day. As long as she wasn't going to continue living with Owyn for the next four years, life would be great. What were the odds of that happening? She knew he was going to actively be trying not to see her first and, besides that, there had to be some kind of rule against family being on the same team... uh, right?

Spring!

Without missing a beat, the Faunus leaped from her pad at its highest point and spread her arms out wide. She shut her eyes tightly, letting the fierce wind of her momentum blow into her face. Her inhalations were deep and slow - you couldn't get air like this in any district of Vale. It felt so natural... Like a second home to her. Finally, gravity found its wayward child and began to pull her back to Earth. At first, it was only a gentle tug before the tenacity of physics got the best of her. Lyra twisted about, now facing the ground like a dart, waiting for just the right moment. The treetops were growing near... nearer... Almost... On the off-chance that any of her classmates were watching her, they wouldn't be for long. The moment she broke through the canopy was the moment she seemed to vanish into dust. For a moment, the wisps of air particles that were her essence continued hurdling toward the ground. However, shortly after they halted and floated gently to a nearby limb, about twelve feet away from the forest floor. It was here that she perched for a moment, one hand gripping the thick branch tightly while the other held her bow.

Cautiously, her eyes pierced the dense wood. Was she the first one to make it to the bottom? That'd be a shame... She wanted to be up there as long as she could. Maybe they'd let her do it again sometime. For now, she was more excited to meet the rest of her would-be team. For a few minutes, she sat in complete silence. Nothing but the gentle draft and the sound of her recovering breath to fill the void. 'Flitting,' as she called it, was quite the energy drainer, sure, but it was nothing compared to Owyn's exhausting trick. In honesty, though, Lyra preferred her own semblance over his. It made getting away from the family that much easier. Finally, she let herself down from the tree and clipped an arrow onto the string of her bow, just standing by for any Grimm that might already be lurking.

Please not Owyn... Please...

----

With a grunt of exertion, Owyn was launched from the cliff and into the air. Instantly his eyes were scanning for a good landing point. Nope, that was the point. You make your own landing space. If that was the case, then so be it. He threw his feet out in front of him and drew his sword, finally beginning to plummet toward the ground. Bursting through the treetop he bent his knees and, as soon as he felt the branch beneath them, kicked downward. The branch shattered under his weight and he passed through it, slowing down only slightly as he did it again to the next. After destroy about three branches, Owyn finally stopped his trajectory and was able to push off of one, leaving it only cracked as his hand reached for the next open branch it could find. The bark scraped against his rough hand as he swung and released, finding footing on a lower space before hopping to the next and finally onto the ground. He brushed off his coat and gave himself a once over.

"Coulda been better, I guess," He muttered to himself, slicing the air to test the balance of his sword. "Good, no worse for wear... Movin' out." Owyn cracked the vertebrae of his neck before taking his first steps into and through Emerald Forest.

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

Team SOUL

Owyn Tudor

Name: Owyn Tudor
Age: 16 (at Beacon)/20 (Graduation)
Gender: Male

Appearance:

Owyn’s eyes are a sharp contrast to his adopted sister’s red. The icy blue is rather fitting however, as his cold attitude makes him hardly approachable and even slightly imposing. Many find difficulty in seeing past the arrogance that seems to be permanently etched into his face regardless of what expression he has, a trait that neither of his parents seemed to possess.

Weapon: The sword he carries is simple in basic appearance. He keeps it sheathed at his hip. However, with the pull of a trigger, the metal can split into a long string of segmented metal blade-fragments. This whip-form is devastating with its range and can leave an opponent in shambles. Learning to use it was an incredibly dangerous task, but it was one that his father took great pride in teaching him – the first born son of the Tudor family.

Semblance: Intangibility – Using a significant amount of energy, Owyn can make himself literally untouchable. He can do it to specific parts of his body or all of it. During this process, he’s still 100% visible.

Background: Owyn is the only son of the Tudor family and the eldest child. Growing up wealthy in Vale with his widowed father was far from difficult. When he was young, they adopted a young Faunus named Lyra. To this day, he has no idea why his father would do something so ridiculous and still he shares the mindset of the rest of their family and financial class: she’s a waste of space and a liability to the family’s proud name. Owyn chose to go to Beacon both because he knew it was Lyra’s dream and because there was no greater name than that of a Huntsman. From the school, he can ensure that Lyra doesn’t do anything to make the Tudors look like fools and prove that she, a Faunus, could never attain the level that a real, full Human could.

Lyra Tudor

Name: Lyra Tudor
Age: 15 (at Beacon)/19 (graduation)
Gender: Female

Appearance:

Lyra has never been one to try hiding her ears or tail unless absolutely necessary. It was rather difficult as well, considering she was one of few Faunus who possessed both animal traits.

Weapon: Composite bow, breaks down into claws


Semblance: Flitting; Lyra can control the soft breezes around her body and turn to dust/sand, allowing the wind to carry her short distances.

Background: Lyra was adopted from a young age into the wealthy Tudor family. Despite her birth as a Faunus, she was raised among Humans as a Human herself. She understands the necessity for hiding what she is at certain times, but otherwise the discomfort isn’t worth the social acceptance. Despite being a non-aggressive person, Lyra’s passivity toward her identity is often mistaken as arrogance which leads to certain… misunderstandings in crowded places. Her adoption is a topic she doesn’t touch on much, as she’s not very well-informed. She was taken in at such a young age that she doesn’t particularly remember much, but her father says that the family’s mother died before Lyra was taken in. Beacon was a natural route for her – it was a place to fit in. Believe it or not, a Faunus in a wealthy Human family was not so much an easy life to live. Apparently, while being a Faunus makes her an easy target for discrimination, the act of humanitarianism shed a positive light on the rest of the Tudors. This fact, on the other hand, makes Lyra the “freeloader” in the eyes of those outside of her family. She’s not unused to the label or the accusation that she’s taken the Tudors’ kindness too far.

Team RAVN

Quinten Voyd

Name: Quinten Voyd
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Team: RAVN

Appearance:

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With an Aura black as hot tar and oil, it’s hard to believe Voyd’s got anything even remotely similar to a smile. On the contrary, though, he has quite a charming one. With unmistakable near-golden eyes flecked with green, it would be an understatement to say that most of the Beacon girls have their own plan to try to win his heart. Hell, girls all over Vale have him posted on their walls – he was the Champion for two years running at the Vytal Festival – both years held at the institute in Atlas. He’s the posterchild for Beacon Academy and knows it all too well – anybody with any interest whatsoever in Huntsmen, the tournaments, or the pop culture of Vale itself knows his name and the name of his team – RAVN.

Weapon: A pair of dao (curved one-handed swords) once owned by his late father – one with a hilt black as night and the other as gold as the sun. The metal with which they were made is more grey than silver, and they reflect less light than they swallow. They’re aptly named Erebus and Aether. In tandem with this pair of blades, he carries a very basic pistol, more meant as a long distance distraction than an actual fighting weapon. Voyd likes to feel the breath of his opponent as he exchanges blows with it, him, or her, whatever the case may be.

Semblance: Klingenfalle; As long as he can maintain it, a slash from either of Voyd’s blades can remain in the air. He may choose to hold it or release it at any time, given he has the energy to maintain it, and add as many as he likes until he tires. They appear as soft shimmers no thicker than the edge of his blade and equally as dangerous. They are not solid, so they will not fight against another incoming blade. Flesh, however, is easily affected by them. Or anything with feeling, for that matter.

Background: Voyd was born, as many in Beacon, to a Huntsman who was trained at Beacon. His mother, on the other hand, was no Huntress. She grew up on a small farm outside of Vale, away from the city, and only met Voyd’s father by chance when she was attending a Vytal festival at Beacon. She’d saved her money all year and watched the boy take the tournament by storm, day after day – though he didn’t receive first place, it was still a treat. As luck would have it, he came to her – she did not go seeking him, or shower him with praise for his fighting talent. On the contrary, she barely acknowledged that side of him when they were together.

Voyd quite happily took to his father’s footsteps. The man had retired relatively young, hoping to only live a simple life with his wife and children. Voyd was only one of four children. Three boys and one girl - the third bor. His eldest sibling, his sister, went to the academy in Atlas and graduated some years ago – she wanted to make a name for herself in a new place without using her father’s name. The next eldest went on to higher education and the youngest among them, as luck would have it, wants nothing more than to take over the family farm. Quinten lives his father’s legacy – he was happy to accept the blades once used to cut down countless Grimm, the training from a young age, the love of the hunt, the adrenaline that came with each fight…

At Beacon, he took anybody who wanted help under his wing. Younger students, older students, his teammates. Team RAVN quickly became a name known around all of Vale. Voyd vied for his team’s blessing to be their single fighter in the Vytal Festival during their second year and they allowed it. He was, honestly, not the very best in skill among them, but he was certainly the one who could take the most blows and still stand up afterward. He became the pride and joy of Vale, especially after RAVN took the championship again the second year. Undoubtedly, they will be among the most powerful of students to graduate Beacon. It’s a wonder how the Initiation Trial works so well to pair such compatible fighters together sometimes.

Lysander Aero

Name: Lysander Aero
Age: 21
Gender: Male

Appearance:

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Aero is most often seen in his white cloak and robes, though he never seems to mind the temperature – hot or cold. Their material is durable and, shockingly enough, no amount of blood has ever stained the fabric for long. His aura is a comforting shade of cyan, a perfect reflection of his always-calm, always-compassionate attitude.

Weapon: Aero wields a saw-tooth katana which can collapse into a shorter version of itself. This shorter version fits a specially crafted port on an assault rifle (modeled much like a SCAR-FN) which, as most Huntsmen firearms do, utilizes aura as its primary ammunition. The blade becomes more of a bayonet on the end of the automatic rifle, which is often slung over his chest. On the rifle, a flashlight and reflex scope are attached for accessibility – the pair of weapons are his pride and joy.

Semblance: Synesthesia; Aero has the ability to deaden any of his senses, or all of them, for the improvement of another. For instance, if he completely blinds himself, he can make his hearing or sense of touch incredibly sensitive to detail. Or if he only partially deteriorates his vision, it will simply improve another of his choice. This works in any number of directions and ways to the point where he can kill all with the exception of just one, making that single sense incredibly acute, or simply dull the rest to sharpen one more finely.

Background: Aero hales from the far north reaches of Atlas, moving to Vale only to pursue education under Beacon Academy for a wider range of experience. It seemed to him that living in Atlas and attending Atlas Academy would only lead to his being too knowledgeable of his home kingdom and not the others. As a Huntsman, he is of the mind that he should experience anything and everything he can before officially being sent into missions around the world. Not to mention, he knew the area of Vale was home to what was potentially the most diverse crowds of people in the world – the precise exposure that somebody like him wanted.

His home life was little to note. He was born to a military family with a mother who was an officer in the Atlas military while his father was a teacher at Atlas Academy. This is arguably why Aero is incredibly bookish and meditative. He mostly keeps to himself, though he’s never unwilling to be a friend or a quiet listener and observer when somebody needs it. His father raised him wisely, as a studious young man with a high standards. His mother instilled a militant bearing in him that only made his younger self appear more mature in front of his elders. He is very well-respected among the faculty of Beacon and almost the perfect balance to Voyd’s celebrity-level arrogance.

He’s a sound fighter, a killer shot, and a Grade-A student. He just isn’t the most outwardly social of people on campus and this garners him a rather bland reputation amongst the other students. It hardly matters now, with only a year left of study before he’s officially named a Huntsman. However, he often wonders if Beacon would have been more enjoyable had he let himself slip a few tenths of a point on his GPA in exchange for a bit more interactivity with other students. He had his team – RAVN was all he needed to feel accepted, like he had friends, and apart from that? Well, he hardly knew many people he wanted to work alongside as a Huntsman in the future anyway.