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Tourmaline :: 40 HP
[2 dmg]


Tourmaline had watched as the names were advanced to the next round, watchful of where hers fell as well as mindful of where those she knew -- either intimately or in passing -- appeared on the brackets. Of all the others that she could have been put up against next, General and Eternal alike, her heart stopped as she watched Aue's name appear alongside hers.

<********>.

Tourmaline quite clearly remembered the events of last year's tournament along with the hospital stay that had followed for the Senshi of Lemons. She knew how Aue fought. She knew he would not go easy on her, just as he knew how insulted she would be if he did...

The heavy, leather duster that she had discarded near the start of her match against Kamacite was pulled on once more before she entered the ring to face Aue. Knowing his attacks as she did she knew it would be bet to have as little skin showing as possible when it came to his flurry of petals and their stinging cuts, along with whatever else he had picked up under the tutelage of his new General.

This would not be an easy fight -- no fight between them ever was. She was usually grateful for that, generally needing the kind of sound thrashing that came from challenging the Senshi of Lemons to a spar, and yet.... And yet...

Tourmaline approached Aue with a broad grin, giving him a jovial punch in the shoulder. "Just like old times, eh? Let's show them our best."

40 HP
[0 dmg]

It would be a lie to say that she didn't enjoy watching Aue move. There was a violent grace about him when he was focused; a level of determination and skill that she had specifically asked he aide in attempting to pass on to the corrupt senshi in her care. He was muscle and strength and, like her, far more feline in movement than anything like the wolves they were once intended to be.

As she circled him she knew his eyes would follow. He would expect movement from her, anticipate a quick attack to start them off. If she had any hopes of winning this match she would have to try something different. She couldn't just rely on all of her old tricks...

He had the strength advantage. If she rushed him he would take her down before she had a chance to even try topping him over. He had size, but she had speed and a bit of playfulness that could border on infuriating, even in situations such as this one.

Tourmaline drew in a breath, shifting the weight of her entire body as though preparing to pounce. Instead of springing forward she teleported behind him, idly tugging at one of the wings off his butt-bow. "This thing is still absolutely ridiculous."

HP : 35
[5 dmg]

Tourmaline hadn't poked fun at his bow because she thought his uniform had anything at all to do with his prowess on the field. If anything it was better that it looked ridiculous because it meant others, their true enemies, might underestimate what he was capable of. She would make no such mistakes herself. She knew what the Senshi of Lemons was capable of.

If she was doing anything at all it was stalling. Light and shadows still played around the edges of her vision as an after-effect of her fight against Kamacite. The spots lingered longer than they should have when she blinked, dancing along her eyelids if she kept them closed for too long. She couldn't rely on her usual means of attack when it came to fighting against Aue if she couldn't properly see him.

When she heard him prattle off the flower summoning words of his attack her arm came up instantly to shield her eyes. The flurry of petals would slice at her duster, giving it the opportunity to serve its purpose in protecting her from the dozens of razor-sharp blossoms that would be beautiful at any other given time. She would have to find a way to ditch what was left of her coat following this turn. It would only weigh her down and she could afford that no more than she could afford taking more damage to her eyes.

"Gah! ******** your flowers!" Her skin began to sting where the petals had made it through fabric. The barrage had stopped for the moment, though, opening up her opportunity to drop her arm while bringing her right hand up in a metal-clad fist to take a solid swing at him. So much for a friendly spar. This was more their pace anyways. "Kusipää."

HP: 25
[4 dmg]

Tourmaline might not have minded the flowers were they, say.... Yellow roses, white daisies, citrus blossoms of any kind that didn't carry with them the kind of cutting sting that she knew to expect from the Senshi of Lemons. As it was, she could very much do without the flurry of petals that had erupted between them.

The punch she'd thrown made contact. She'd the blow connect, although the spots and auras made it difficult to see where the blow had landed. Had he caught on yet to the fact that she could only see enough of him to make out shapes and shadows? Did he know that putting distance between them put her at a greater disadvantage beyond that it would normally inflict on someone whose methods involved hand to hand combat with little to no means of dealing with ranged fighting beyond teleportation?

If he didn't he would following this trading of blows.

Tourmaline turned in the direction she heard his voice coming from in time to see the large lemon form over Aue's head -- she assumed it was a lemon, at least, by shape and color, nevermind the Eternal's sphere. This was not an attack she'd seen in action before and.... The best way to learn about it is to get hit by it.

"Shut up," she growled softly to herself. There was no time for nostalgia, not a single moment to waste on what-ifs. Emotions were her weakness and she couldn't let them get the best of her when she'd known this could always be a possible outcome of signing up for one of the Tournaments. One didn't just give up because they were up against someone they didn't want to hurt. Aue certainly wouldn't.

Tourmaline saw the slices coming for her too late and could do little to get out of their way. Her boot snagged on the peel of one as she tried to leap over it, the second slamming into her side and knocking her into the third which she took down to the ground along with her. What bits of her duster that had not become fringe as a result of his last attack soaked through quickly with the lemon's juices, making the surface burns from her fight against Kamacite seem even more intense. She had to get up. She had to get the coat off before it did anything worse to her skin.

It hurt. Everything hurt and it would only get worse the longer she lay there.

"Get up." Her fingers clawed at the ground as she pushed herself up, finding anger to latch onto through the pain. Win or lose, the sooner this ended the sooner she could rinse off the sooner they could both seek medical attention. "Get up." Again her voice came as a low, raspy growl, reminded of her fight against Arsinoe and the way his flames had heated her gauntlets, singing her skin, burning, stinging...

Tourmaline tore at the remnants of a sleeve hanging from her arm, flinging the acid-soaked fabric in Aue's direction. Every inch of exposed skin was angry and red and stinging and being winded by a giant goddamn lemon did nothing to help the vaguely nauseated feeling that had started following the final blow from her last battle.

"******** your lemons too," she spit the words out with more harshness than intended, sending her second sleeve flying after the first.

HP 19
Dmg 4

HP 19
Dmg

Hp 18