ORIGIN - diversify your portfolio

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As Obieth spread her magic through the water, Pollen continued to remain tense, waiting for--

Did Obieth want her to do the first move? Stepping in time to keep facing her opponent, Pollen let the vines trail behind her while her fingers stayed firmly tight. If there was one way to disarm her, it'd be through taking away her whips, and she near anticipated it to happen eventually. The rising water, she didn't, and she barely got time to realize what was about to happen before the corrupt glob launched straight for her.

It collided, and- against Pollen's expectations- stayed there, drawing her to reel back with the force with a surprised inhale. That got her a mouthful of water and corruption on her tongue, which only drove her to backpedal more, mind firing quickly as she sputtered inside her new helmet.

Vision and breath gone, Pollen's thoughts stalled. She'd fallen back on base instincts, and that was to flail her arm without seeing where in the world it would go. Magic coursed through the vines curling from it. They flared to life, swiping across the air while the muta's other hand drew to her head, ineffectively holding the side of her jaw as she choked on water. There was no direction behind it. No care, just a simple attempt to keep Obieth back instead of taking advantage of the blinding.

Driven with the magic shot from her gem, the end of the thorned whip audibly cut through the air with the snappy motions of Pollen's wrist behind them.

ROUND 2/5

ATTEMPT: keep obieth at a distance
DEFENSE: just whipping everywhere
INJURIES: waterlogged

@Obieth

The whip wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was still a whip, and that made of thorns that Obieth did not really want ripping through her coat. Ears pinned back and Obieth sprang back, forced to release her magic regardless; it'd probably cling, but mostly just splash down like a burst water balloon, and she knew Pollen would be able to breathe again. The whips whistled through the air and cracked down where she'd just been, inches from having torn at her pelt.

Something to be said for catlike reflexes, even if it was only barely a miss.

Obieth tensed, glancing up: she knew that she'd lost any control over the fight, if one could ever really have control in combat. If Pollen cleared her eyes quickly enough (and maybe her lungs; Obieth didn't know--she'd never tried to drown anyone in black water before)--then Obieth could be in danger.

Round: 3/5
Attempt: Dodge the vine whips
Defense: --
Injuries: --

@Pollen

The water's form dissipated and clung to her fur, the oil staining deep into the hairs. The moment Pollen's mouth hit air she greedily sucked in a breath and coughed it out, forcing herself to stand straight when the bout was over. There was a lull in movement from her vines as she recovered.

She couldn't let Obieth get the upper hand. Hoisting the foliage up, Pollen rolled her wrist as she tried to coax her magic through the length, only managing to spark... nothing. The vine didn't move an inch. Pollen's eyes minutely widened as she glanced to her weapon, split-second fear setting in as she stood in place.

She was nothing but a target as she stared down at her vines, silently pleading the magic to work into its capillaries and drive it to action. Nothing would come. Her golden eyes glanced up at Obieth for a split second, before focusing down at her whip, all attention drawn to it rather than her sparring partner.

ROUND 3/5

ATTEMPT: use magic, fail magic
DEFENSE: n/a
INJURIES: winded, wet, and teary-eyed

@Obieth

Obieth had no idea what'd gone wrong, but she didn't wait around to ask. Pollen was stood there, staring at herself. For just a moment Obieth did wonder, in some faint spark of concern that had no time to formulate into a real thought, whether Pollen was just in shock. Disgusted, or horrified, by the water--she didn't know.

It gave her a brief moment's hesitation before she pounced, launching herself back toward Pollen in an attempt to knock her down. With luck she'd land it, and land on top of the gardener, inside the effective range of those horrific thorny whips. Assuming, of course, that Pollen couldn't do something to her at close range with them--she really wasn't sure.

It was a risk, but she was a cat, and prey just standing there invited a pounce with a power that overrode her worries.

Her brief concern for the gardener's well-being, however, had slowed her more than enough: a simple sidestep would be more than enough to avoid her leap. Assuming she didn't fall short, on her own.

Round: 4/5
Attempt: Pounce on Pollen
Defense: --
Injuries: --

@Pollen

Obieth's movement snapped Pollen out of her self-imposed stupor, the muta blinking hard once and throwing herself right back into action. Right! She was fighting! She sucked in a sharp breath as she wrenched her body back. The vine curled, and with the motion magic finally sparked, drawn back into the practice of the motion of her arm whipping back.

This time, she didn't go for Obieth. She went for the ground instead. The thick, thorned plant swiped forward with both muscle and magic to curl around one of Obieth's arms and tug. Like reaching out with a hand, if she managed to connect, she aimed to take Obieth's footing away from her before she could launch for another attack. Besides, she was too close for a full swipe now, anyways.

Maybe this method would get her to win, even if Obieth could just strike out with her magic.

ROUND 4/5

ATTEMPT: snag Obieth & displace her footing
DEFENSE: n/a
INJURIES: wet:tm:

@Obieth

The vines snared her, thorn and pain wrapping around her paws. There was no escaping this strike, and Obieth tried to yank back--surely she was stronger than the gardener by just a bit? Or was she? Either way she was tangled, sent skidding forward across the dirt, as she tried to resist with her own muscles.

This, however, proved not to be an option: there were claw-like points digging into her forelimbs, and the pain of it was too much to pull back against. She went down with a little puff of dust and a flat-eared hiss, fangs flashing dark as she toppled to her side, thrashing against the vines.

But fruitlessly.

Round: 5/?
Attempt: Yank Pollen back? (no)
Defense: --
Injuries: --

@Pollen

Pollen's stance fumbled with Obieth's thrashing, dragging her closer a few steps. She was dangerously close and bouncing on her paws, this way and that as she kept her focus on the vines. The whip not already wrapped around Obieth shot forward like a bullet and aimed to latch on to her back legs, to drag them closer and essentially hogtie Obieth while she struggled on the ground.

While Pollen fixated on the vines and clasped her hands together in a mirroring grasp, the plants themselves draped over Obieth while she maneuvered to her back. "Can you still fight?" The muta loomed over the struggling valkhound, clear excitement on her face despite the concentration. Obieth could definitely still lash out with her magic- but did she have the focus for it? Did Pollen best her?

She couldn't help the grin that wormed her way on her expression.

ROUND 5/5

ATTEMPT: how many plantcharms can we fire off (tie her up)
DEFENSE: absolutely none
INJURIES: n/a

@Obieth

Damp earth prickled at her hide beneath, moisture seeping into her fur. The tangled points around her limbs dug in, painful, and she could feel her own snarled rasp of breath burn into her throat. The scent of the dirt--tainted by the splash of her corrupted water--filled her nostrils.

She tested her limbs, but felt nothing, no way to break free. Magic would work, at least to harm Pollen--but to free herself? Did she have anything for that?

It was important to note that Obieth was not in any way a sore loser. When she found herself bound, she felt no resentment--only the knowledge that she now had something she'd need to learn to counter, and on top of that, a little pride in the gardener. Pollen, despite her size and soft appearance, was formidable now, and that was good.

Still, she was a cat.

And cats held far too much mischief to surrender quietly. Not without a little scratch, at least. She reached for her magic, intending to banish Pollen to the void--after which the gardener would've found her still just... lying there, entangled. It would've been funny, at least, but nothing came.

"Well," she said. "everything failed." This came with a short, harsh laugh, rather than bitterness. "You have gotten strong!" she praised.

She wriggled a little against the vines, and then lay still, peering up at her captor. "Let me out? These things hurt. We'll call it one to one," and Obieth grinned.

@Pollen

Pollen's excitement heightened even more. She won? She won! She wasn't sure she could fight anyone her size, and here she was, having defeated Obieth! Emotion rolled out in a laugh, and she let out all the tension in the fight with a long breath. "Hey, it was a good spar! I didn't know you could do that with water."

Stepping back around, Pollen kneeled in the drenched grass to help untie Obieth, casually pulling away the vines with her magic. They slackened, and she was more than free to wiggle out of them on her own, but Pollen made the effort to untangle them herself as well. "I didn't mean for it to hurt that bad, but I guess I got a little carried away." She rocked back once she was done, the vines twirling themselves back on her arms as she held them perpendicular to her torso. "But, you did really good, too! I wasn't sure if the vines would hold up enough to do that- I'm always kind of... scared they'll come out, or something."

She rolled her shoulders in a shrug. That certainly wouldn't have to happen, would it? It hadn't happened before, anyways- not in a fight, and only when she wanted them to come off. This fear certainly wouldn't come back to bite her in a few days, certainly not.

Anyways. With her foliage squared away, Pollen stood. "Time for a good meal?" Her hunger was certainly piqued after that, even if it was short. "Or, round two? Up to you, I can do either." She tilted her head, thinking. What else could she do? Another hogtie would be kind of lame, and she didn't really properly do any whip attacking... Hm. She should learn to do something else, someday. SOme other day. For now, she'd be content in her win.

@Obieth

Obieth spoke conversationally as she just sort of laid there, letting Pollen help untie the vines. Only when the gardener had made a start did she roll upright and help, gingerly picking at them with tongue and teeth.

"The water is new," Obieth explained. "Well--sort of new. Most of my magic... it wouldn't work in a spar," she repeated. "If I just kept you in the void it wouldn't be useful practice." She said this with humor, though really they'd already covered this. She looked to Pollen, though, with new curiosity in her eyes.

"Do you have magic you can't use in a spar? Something that kills?" she suggested, her voice a hopeful purr. There was something delicious about the friendly-looking little green thing, covered in plants and flowers, flat-out murdering someone with them.

"And the vines-... they're good. They bite," she explained, pulling another strip away. "They dig in, with little claws. The thorns. It's hard to get them off without tearing up the skin. They're smart," she added--"I'd have to pick... so would your enemy. 'Do I get loose, and rip up a lot of skin, or do I stay tied up and try something else?' I think it'll take a lot of victims by surprise."

There was something almost pleasing in the nip of little points at her skin--it was a new sensation, an eerie one, the knowledge they'd wrapped and tangled there. Living little things, no less.

A wash of soothing magic rose up and across her coat, licking at her tiny wounds with just enough magic to close them.

"I don't mind," Obieth went on. "We can do another spar, or we can go and get food. Right now, we are tied," she pointed out--maybe they could go best of three.

Not that she was averse to some corn dogs, either.

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