On the Cliffs before Launch

Nigrum looked at the tournament bracket for the initiation. He was fortunate enough to possibly have a bye in the first round, but on the other hand it looked like he would be going into the next round without a partner at all. Grand, just grand. I'll be alone against a pair of people. Be walked over and sat in the grass. He pulled out his device to pay attention for when it was his turn. Once it lit up to direct him to his opponent it was time for him to go.

Nigrum's device began beeping. Time to go he thought as he ran forward to the launch pad.

Scarlet shivered, wrapping her arms around her weapon. The slight hum and warmth of the bow served of little comfort, and she felt a mild nausea.

Of all the people...

The annoying, shrill voice, the inability to reach a logical conclusion, the complete stupidity of her actions...

I don't think this could be much worse.

Because of all the bad people to be partnered with, Scarlet had hit the absolute jackpot.

Melissa. Stern.

Going to the cliffs, Krystal looks over the people already waiting their turn. She stands near the edge of the cliff and watches the forest down below to check for any combat that could already be happening by teams that got to the launch point before she did.

Viola walks up to the board listing the brackets... and promptly yawns. Well... at least I can relax for a little bit longer. she thinks after noticing she doesn't have a round one match.

Walking a bit farther from the edge of the cliff, she decides to cloud-gaze, laying down on her back after pulling one of her fans out.

Riven is doing last minute checks on Marionette "Full articulation, check. Remote Control, check, Shield structure, check. Lance balance and structure, check. Now to work on a landing strategy. Should check with my partner to see what he has in mind."

"Round 2 eh? Great. At least I know I'll be fighting winners of some sort. Ain't that just the best knowledge, Equinox?" Aphelion spoke to his trusty steed as it trotted in a circle around the launch pads. It huffed quietly but heavily.

"Sorry that I took so long to find you a stable. I missed meeting all these people too. I hope Mr. Ven, at least, will be a good partner." saying that, Aphelion jumped off of Equinox and patted him on the hind. He pulled out a carrot from the bags which Equinox carried and fed it to him.

"Stay Equinox. I'll call you when I'll need you." he whispered in a soothing, caring voice before taking out a steak from the bags and beginning to munch on it while scouting the forest area from the cliff. I wonder if Mr. Ven is here already... he wondered.

Zwei Stepped onto the cliffs cracking his knuckle while searching for his name in the bracket..."So her name is Viola eh?"
He had been informed of what his partner had looked like and he just happen to see somone who matched the descripition. since she was going to be his partner he saw no reason to be shy
"Hello im Zwei,your partner"

Leonius was running through final system checks when Zwei approached Viola, glancing around for El Taladro before watching the two of them, shooting a glare under his mask at Viola.

He wondered how long that partnership would last, with the girl's volatile nature...

Viola lazily opens one eye, looking up at... Zwei. Who gets named after a number? Stifling a yawn briefly before responding "Hmm... well, I suppose I could be worse off."

Moving in to a sitting position, she notices Leo looking in their direction and groans softly.

Turning back to face Zwei, she says "Well... you may as well sit down and we can get to know each other or discuss strategies or something."

Well thats one way to say hello he thought,he takes a seat with Viola and stretches.
"So are you ready for whoever we fight?"
Zwei adjusted his mask to get a better view of his partner
"and y'know getting sleepy before a match isnt a good idea"
refering to her cloud-gazing

Viola shrugs before responding "I don't know anything about most of the people up there... I've only met 6 people total, and only two of them are in our immediate brackets."

"I do know everyone seems to be scared of that wrestler guy, but I don't see what the big deal is. How about you?"

Deciding to lay back down, she yawns again before replying to his last comment "I'm not actually tired... bored and a bit sore from sleeping on the ground too much, but I just want this initiation thing to be over so I can sleep in a nice warm bed."

Zwei chuckles
"well he isnt bulletproof thats enough for me. But apparently he is pretty strong from what Ive heard"
Zwei looks at all the students around him
"well it appears you wont be bored once the fighting starts thats for sure. But hey lets go for gold alright?"

"Mhmmm... I'm sure we'll figure something out." Viola responds, before attempting to discretely see if Leo is still looking in their direction.

"wow you are pretty calm for somone about to fight in a tournament y'know?"
Zwei starts look at the bracket to see the potenial opponents

When Viola looked, Leo's eyes were on the bracket, but he turned to look back at her after a moment, tilting his head as if to ask what she wanted.

Viola yawns again before finally standing all the way up and walking over to the bracket. On the way over she stops by to talk to Zwei and says "Well, it's not like students are allowed to kill each other... and I'm not really worried about any of the Grimm down there. I'm also not really fussy about my team."

Finishing the distance to Leo, Viola asks "So... why were you staring at me this time?"

"I was not... I merely watched... to see how you would respond... to your new partner." Leonius turned his attention back to the bracket. "As I recall... you were not eager... for the prospect..."

"Mhmm... well truthfully I'm still against the idea of teaming up this way, it just seems bothersome. With the way this is set up you can very easily be put in a two versus one situation and just lose that way." Viola responds.

"And... I don't really believe you, but I think you know that already."

Zwei was to put it in one word curious in the 8 foot tall steel man chatting to his partner Viola. Maybe they were friends? He had no idea but might as well introduce himself.
Zwei grunted as he rose and started stepping over to Viola and the mystery man
"umm" crap he hadnt acutally thought of what to say. well might as well go with what he always say
"Hello im Zwei pleased to meet you" He smiled under his mask forgetting he was wearing one

"Hello... Zwei." Leonius looked at the masked man, nodding. "I am... Leonius Decimi Regulus... You may call me... Leo."

Glancing back down at Viola, he shook his head.

"What reason... would I have... to stare at you?"

"You stare at all the women here... since as far as I'm aware there's nothing physically wrong with me, what reasons would you have not to stare?" was Viola's retort.

"By what... appears to pass as your logic... You ask... all of the large men... about private matters... El Taladro... will arrive shortly... What reasons would you have... not to pry... and become hostile afterward..?" Leonius crossed his arms. "I believe now... is the point... where you desperately attempt to change the subject... if our previous conversation... is to establish... a pattern..."

"I more or less apologized for our last... disagreement. Are you wrong though? Maybe not." was Viola's cool reply.

"Anyway... there isn't anyone around to bail me out this time, so a change in conversation isn't very viable after all." she continues, laughing softly.

"Hmm... You say that no one is around to bail you out... and yet your partner... is standing here..." Leo gestured to Zwei.

It was the first thing she said that Leo had to think about.

"... Do we need to talk about... your behavior last night..?"

"Well, it's not like he can beat you in a fight, and I can't make the excuse of introducing myself... so it wouldn't much of a bail out. Plus, we're not supposed to leave the area until everyone is finished anyway." was Viola's response.

"We can talk about it at some point, though currently it doesn't seem very appropriate... like I said before, after initiation at least should be fine."