Finale; Froshana vs Zephyr

It was The Lounge.
There was no doubt about that. All the standards were in place.
It was a circular room, with a lowered area in it's centre - designed to contain four comfortable sofas with a snack table at it's centre. At each side of the room, up on the raised area, were the two longer tables - one the buffet table, the other was... usually clear.
At the back too, was the open bar - opposite to the stairs that curved their way on up to the room. All around, huge monitors sought to showcase action from the prior fights - Froshana and Zephyr getting a particularly good showing from the screens.
Yes, it was most definitely The Lounge.
Only... now it was different.

Whilst before the great dome had been surrounded by windows, each side giving a huge view of the city, now in their place was a series of soft-panels - their texture similar to that which surrounded the anti-gravity chamber in the previous round. Whilst ostensibly there to protect the competitors - ensuring noone wound up flying through a window and plunging off the tower - they also served to leave almost an oppressive feeling over the whole arena. The only light left in here was from the inside - disco lights over fog, both seemingly borrowed all the way back from Round 1.

These weren't the only things borrowed from other arenas. Indeed, it seemed the Lounge as a whole had been transformed to hold memorabilia from all throughout the tournament.
Bits and pieces of it had been visible the last time the Lounge had been occupied. The most obvious was the boulder sat almost casually against one side of the room - a 'pillar of balance' leant precariously against it's side, apparently uprooted from the hole it had sat within in Round 2. Easier to spot in this light too, were the rows of glowing fungus, placed within the mall's planters that had been nudged so neatly behind the sofas. Keener eyes would also've noticed the casino's slot machine sitting towards the end of the bar - a china set sat neatly by it's side.
And of course, there was the 'museum'. Laser tag guns lay behind glass - side by side with the iron railing Esme had at one point seen fit to use as a club. A pair of armour stands too, saw to displaying the Round 3 swimsuits.

Of course, a few more items had been thrown in for good measure. Added in among the 'weapons' of the museum was Twilight's chosen dagger from the coliseum - a small detail, easily overlooked. An additional armour stand had been added as well, this one a far cry from the swimsuits - a heavy coat supplied for those who'd entered the ice cavern.
On top of the usually-clear table too, an additional display had been added. Debris from Zephyr's battles - placed behind glass. The first example would perhaps be recognisable to him, a cracked stone plaque that had previously adorned the overgrown mansion of Round 2. The second example was more helpfully labelled - splintered remains recovered from the destroyed raft of Round 4.
A watchful observer would perhaps notice even the buffet had not escaped such adornments. To one end, it seemed a number of coconuts had succesfully made their way from the beach...

All in all, the arena - The Lounge - was cluttered to say the least. It seemed the hosts had provided the competitors a lot of toys to play with. It was down to them to pick and choose what - if anything - was worth using.
Lead into the arena via the staircase, they were told to take the time to familiarise themselves with the room. As they made their way in, the door at the bottom of those stairs sealed shut. They were given one simple instruction;
"Combat starts when the bell sounds."
For now, all they had to do... was wait.

-----

(Froshana you're up first! I'm giving you guys a couple of days to let your characters acquaint themselves with the arena - then I'll 'hit the bell' so to speak. Since obviously this arena is quite convoluted, provided a small diagram below (with a link to a labelled version below that). Good luck to both of you - will be back in a few days to ring that bell and get you guys underway!)

Labelled Version

Guided up the tower and into the lounge that had become rather familiar over the last several days, the hedgehog was quiet.

...Well, she was kind of always quiet, but it seemed more notable today. The nerves that had been showing outside in the square were slowly being nudged aside by an almost solemn mood as she considered strategies and ideas. Having spent the day before toying and practicing with her pyrokinesis, she felt maybe she had another couple of tricks to help out for this last fight.

The instructions were noted and Froshana ascended the stairs. She went a little wide-eyed at the changes made to the lounge recently at first. Definitely hadn't expected to see those lights and fog again. They hadn't been missed either, with their disorienting patterns and flashing. So many other things stood out as well, though. It was almost overwhelming, actually, the amount of clutter in the newly-declared arena.

The hedgehog had her back to Zephyr at first. After all, he didn't seem to be the type to stab an opponent in the back even before the bell sounded. ...But what if he was? She turned her head slightly, deciding it would be best to keep him in her peripherals, just in case.

But wow! Plenty of items to try and use to an advantage here. Not having a weapon shouldn't be a problem today. Already, heat was dancing along her fingertips as she made her way farther into the lounge. She'd never used her powers so much within the span of a few days and something felt... different today. It was hard to tell what, though.

'Hopefully I'm not just gonna short out halfway through this...'

While he was getting back to the lounge, he realized that one of his plans had already failed: The fire-proof vest! There's no way he could get one now. Guess he had to watch out for his clothes now. He still had the usual hidden plates but he doubted they would get any use this time.

Right behind Froshana, he entered the lounge and then understood why the fight would be here. It was pretty clear they intended to hit both viewers and fighters alike with a wave of reminiscence. Not only for the previous rounds but also for the time before and after them.

Unlike the other time, however, they were given time to familiarize with the environment before facing each other. He already had the rival studied to it's fullest, so Zephyr wasted no time giving every object his analyzing glare.

First thing, the roof: flying here would be unwise. While he pondered that maybe there was just enough space for maneuverability, it was better not to try unless strictly necessary. So the use of wings should be limited to horizontal boost, occasional aid of spells and to help keep balance in bad situations.

His eyes lighted up when he noticed that the sun rays wouldn't get pass those panels and the only light source were the disco lights. While the fungi seemed to be effulgent, could they shine enough to make up for broken bulbs? Unfortunately, the mix of fire and wind could easily spread flames everywhere making darkness scarce very quickly so that idea was discarded.

With how many stuff there was in that room, the avian was glad they were given this preparation time. But as he wandered around a nasty thought crossed his mind: Indeed, fire in a closed space with furniture and other flame-fueling items. Aren't they afraid of the obvious fire hazard here!? And there were a lot of people down there too... He hoped that the tournament security team was really ready for anything.

Whoever was in charge seemed to be trying to wait for the perfect moment. Allowing them to browse the room, there was an almost... uncomfortable amount of time to wander. They wanted them to wonder, to get itching. For tension to reach it's utmost point so that they didn't know when it would all begin. When they'd have to spring to action.

Tick.
The seconds passed by
Tock.
without so much as a sound.
Tick.
What were they waiting for?
Tock.
Had... had they forgotten?
Tick.
Maybe they-

DOOONG!

Waiting for a precise moment - as each competitor was examining the arena, backs turned to each other... The bell sounded.

(The fight shall go on until the 18th of March! Until then, we shall leave the both of you be, unless we are specifically called upon by either of you to assist/clarify on a matter! Best of luck!)

((Oops, sorry for dropping off a couple of days. Unexpected houseguests and work caught up to me. Should be all good for now!))


Left-handed tendencies had Froshana begin to move around the left side of the room. She eyeballed the boulder and its accompanying pillar while passing them by. If only she was certain enough of her own power to try and make use of those. Then again... The hedgehog rather abruptly realized she'd relied almost completely on her pyrokinesis for this entire tournament and not even tried to really make use of her unnatural strength. Oops.

Even while curiously looking at the bio-luminescent mushrooms, Fro always tried to keep her opponent within sight. He, on the other hand, didn't seem at all concerned by her. That in itself did put a little dent in her self-confidence. Granted, she was aware of how non-threatening she was, especially considering how clumsily and hesitantly she'd started out in the competition. At least, she felt she'd come a good way from that first fight. And she'd made it this far and certainly wasn't going to hold back now!

Froshana eyed the one of the sofas idly as these thoughts passed through her mind, along with a couple of other potential strategies. She was starting to wonder how much time they would have before the fight would actually start. The more time passed, the more she continued to consider how each item she came across could be used as a weapon.

...Okay, really, when was that bell going to ring?

The teen had come to a stop by the buffet table. She'd finally turned her back on Zephyr to examine the coconuts grouped together on the table. Had she ever actually even handled a coconut in her life? One paw reached out and picked up the odd fruit, testing its weight. How interesting.

...But suddenly...!

Froshana blinked several times in surprise as the bell sounded loudly around them. It was time and she had taken her eyes off her opponent. She wasn't completely unprepared, however. An amusing idea had already come to mind and she wasn't going to miss the chance to strike first!

As the hedgehog whirled around, the coconut in her paw ignited brightly. It took her a brief moment, but it was easy enough to spot the avian wherever he'd wound up in the lounge, the light coming off of the many television screens helping to illuminate his form against the constantly moving colors of the disco lights.

No hesitation this time, she gave the now-blazing coconut a little toss into the air, then lashed out with one foot once it almost reached the floor, sending it whizzing in Zephyr's direction with a surprisingly hard kick. The aim wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad for a kick made by someone who didn't even play sports. The force behind it gave it enough momentum as well that, whatever it did hit, it was ready to deal some damage.

((Guess it's only relevant if the coconut stays on fire. :P I had a short look as well when I wrote it up and didn't really find anything conclusive.))


There was a bit of dread that struck within Froshana as the avian immediately drew his weapon in response to her attack. His ability to react so quickly was definitely worrisome as well. Aaaaand, just like that, he about effortlessly rendered the coconut completely useless. Even worse, he wasted no time in starting to throw chairs back at her!

Froshana was going to dart farther into the lounge, but thought she might have to dodge that same coconut being reflected back in her direction. When a chair came flying instead, she went wide-eyed. A palm-sized fireball was promptly fired off in response, knocking the chair off its course and igniting it as it fell to the carpeted flooring within lowered center area of the lounge.

...Oh, oops.

There wasn't anytime to linger on it, however, as another chair followed the first. And a third. And a fourth!

Froshana managed to hit the second with another fireball and interrupt its flight, sending chips and nuts flying as it landed on the snack table in the middle of the sofas. Buuut the third chair had broken apart into pieces. A rather amusing expression of panic showed up across the teen's features just before she ducked down behind the nearby sofa and the planter of mushrooms.

'So much for trying to set the pace myself,' she thought as she hunkered down, bits of wood and entire chairs bouncing off the funiture overhead. That buffet food likely wouldn't be safe to eat at this point, what with all the splinters flying into it now. What a waste!

Huddled down in the uncomfortably humid-feeling fog that covered the floor of the lounge, Fro's mind raced. She was pinned down here until Zephyr ran out of chairs and even then, what if he threw more stuff? Hiding through this whole fight wasn't going to work, hurling fire just let him potentially put out every attack she threw, and close-quarters combat was probably just a great way to get stabbed. Was she really that outmatched here?

For now, the hedgehog remained hidden, not about to risk getting knocked out by a chair within the first minute of this final round. Once the super machine gun chair attack ended, maybe she could try something of an idea. A rather risky one, but an idea all the same.



((Did some reading back and didn't see anywhere that dictated what the flooring is in here? Makes sense to me to have carpeting down in the lowered part of the lounge and hard flooring of some sort on the raised portions so juuuust gonna go with that. Hope that's okay!))

It was working. Though none of them manged to score a hit on her, it did cut off her possibilities of attack. Unfortunately, this wouldn't go forever: This wasn't a furniture shop. In order to keep the advantage, he needed a new plan. 

At the 9th and last chair, he didn't shoot it right away, but instead flipped the table beside him, took cover behind it and kept the aim of his "launcher" at Froshana's hiding place like a soldier in a trench warfare. The sound of breaking glass could be heard as the small display dedicated to his past rounds shattered, scattering its contents to the floor. 

While waiting for her to show up to make one last but more precise shot, Zephyr took as much time as he could to come up with a way to properly get closer without risking his feathers too much or seize any good opportunity. Obviously, a direct and bold approach was too careless. But if he was too careful, the whole place could burn down. Wait...

The remains of the "bullets" were burning! It wasn't anything serious yet, but if left unchecked, the result would probably not be of his liking. He made a mental note of it as to not forget of this detail amidst the fight. 

Also, the bar seemed promising. It would surely have drinks that could help put out any fire. But it could also had alcoholic beverages. Zephyr doubted she could make beer blow up, but he wasn't entirely sure. For now, if he ignored that place, maybe she wouldn't even think about it.

His brain kept producing ideas while the green warrior awaited the red rival's next movement. He would attack at the slightest chance. Then, his next step to victory would be put into motion. And he would continue until he was victorious.

She found herself already starting to panic a little as chair after chair went smashing by. With no idea of exactly how many chairs there were, it was impossible to know just when Zephyr would run out. Maybe jumping up into the open for her riskier idea would be a mistake...

There was a loud thud and the sound of glass breaking once the hail of seating stopped and it made Froshana's ears perk up. She peered nervously from one side to another, but was having trouble building up the nerve to actually poke her head up and see what her opponent was doing. For a couple of moments, she stayed put, listening intently for any clue as to where he was.

However, as the seconds ticked by, an overwhelming paranoia started to creep up her spine. What if he was about to jump right over her cover and slam dunk her into next week? Or come speeding around the corner and start slicing and dicing? No no, sitting still needed to be less of an option.

Her gaze moved to the buffet table. Deciding to take her chances on Zephyr potentially approaching, the hedgehog started to inch her way along the floor and around underneath the table. As she went, she wondered if flattening herself to the floor would allow her to use the fog for cover. ...Probably not with those tensed quills standing out off her head and back. Although, an iconic tune relating to the image of a shark's dorsal fin in a sea of fog crossed her mind... She shook her head and cursed her species briefly, particularly as said quills scratched against the underside of the table once she reached it.

'Gods, don't let there be gum stuck under here...'

Fro shifted to kneel underneath the buffet table, still taking advantage of the sofa's cover for now. Fingers wrapped around the two closest table legs. This was either going to be a disaster or maybe kind of useful. One thing, though, was certain.

It would be a tragic waste of good food!

With a little grunt and perhaps surprisingly less effort than she expected, Froshana jumped up to her feet, lifting the long, wooden table with her. Platters of food (and a few coconuts) went flying through the air and clattering loudly and messily to the floor towards the slot machine and the bar. For just a moment, she herself was out in the open as the table wasn't yet facing across the lounge where she'd last seen Zephyr. But the teen did her best to rectify this quickly, hurriedly sliding her paws down the sides and pivoting it to set it up as a tall shield in front of her. The question was, did she get behind her cover before that last chair came flying?

((Internet went nuts, I apologize for the inconvenience.))

At first, the swordsman was quite happy about the many resources here that made possible a huge number of possibilities, but maybe it was too much? Throwing stuff to each other was less an honorable fight fitting for the coup de grace of a fighting tournament and more like a funny way for a demolition squad to remodel a room.

Also, the more wood scattered through out the lounge, the more chances the flames could spread. Not good for him. So a close quarters combat couldn't sound any more appealing.

Thus, he rose from his guarded position, about to launch the last chair as distraction to get closer... Until he froze when the buffet table started gaining altitude. Foreseeing a potential attack with yet another hurled object, Zephyr dropped to the ground. His own desk should cover him from it. But...

He waited a bit for it to happen, but it didn't. Puzzled, he shifted his position carefully to accommodate his weapon and remove the chair, which he left beside him sideways. The warrior didn't dare to get up. It was quite likely that she was still holding the table, ready to launch it.

This is bad. He lost the lead and now the pyromancer would be the one to take the offense, of that he was sure. After all, she wouldn't have made it this far with just luck.

"Better be prepared for anything..." He mumbled as he began gathering magic force in his left hand. This could help if he later needed to use it for a second wind shield, since parrying a large piece of furniture would be harder than a coconut, burning or not. Or, if a good chance shows up, he could make something different. But for now, he would be collecting energy from his cover, which he deemed the wisest move at present.

And for a few moments, the two combatants apparently both remained behind their tables/shields, waiting for the other to attack...

The red-furred hedgehog was bracing herself against the underside of the table, expecting an impact at any time. ...And really, really hoping a sword didn't just come stabbing right through the heavy wooden furniture. She didn't wait long, however, as the need to see exactly where her opponent was was far stronger than her urge to be cautious. She peeked out from behind the table and... saw no one? Her eyes darted about, looking for the avian in vain amidst the dazzling swirl and flash of the disco lights. Now she had no idea if he was sneaking this way or taking cover... Welp, distraction time!

Zephyr had predicted correctly and, with a grunt, Froshana lifted up the table before her, despite it being nearly twice her height. She stepped forward with one foot and pushed herself into a hard spin with the other before slinging the table across the lounge. For such a scrawny thing throwing it, the table flew surprisingly far! She'd underestimated the force put into the gesture, however, as rather than hit the overturned table she could only imagine Zephyr had knocked over, her own table smashed loudly right into the screen up on the wall beyond where the avian was taking cover. Or... it would so long as Zephyr didn't elect to stop or redirect it. If it did hit, however, it would completely destroy the television, sending sparks and other pieces flying through the air and scattering to the floor.

A little "ffffffff" escaped the hedgehog as she realized her misjudging of her own strength. But whether the table reached the television or not, she had to get moving. Ignoring the urge to grab a sofa and keep trying to bury the other competitor in furniture, she instead darted to her left--"Ack!"

Well, first she slipped and slid a bit through the mess of food on the floor that she'd so thoughtlessly made. That was pretty gross, but at least she didn't fall into it in her flailing attempt to maintain her balance. Another graceless slide and couple of crunches under her shoes later and she was back on her way, tracking prints of now-unrecognizable food in her wake.

Her head was turned to keep the rest of the lounge in her peripherals and try to see anything else that might come her way. But, seeing as the slot machine and the bar were only a few paces away, it wasn't too hard to make it there without interruption. Unless, of course, her distraction wasn't as distracting as she'd hoped it would be.



((Not a worry! Internet has its days. Sorry for my own delay! Sleep deprivation is a thing and I only post here if I'm properly awake.))

When Zephyr is given enough time to meditate upon his errors mid-fight, he uses a "check-questions" method of thinking to reinterpret his information in the battle. He didn't deemed it necessary because there were no mistakes to evaluate. Until the expected became unexpected.

The warrior finalist didn't wait long enough to take a proper action against the flying table. So, when it happened, it took him by surprise. The wooden furniture crashed into the screen, shattering it. As a result, a quick rain of bits of glass and varied-sized pieces of wood poured down on him. A magic shield would fare better than nothing, but he didn't want to waste the charged energy in falling debris, so he risked it and protected his magic-gathering hand with the rest of his own body. Miraculously, the TV stayed up there, not becoming another threat.

As soon as the trash settled, he dusted himself off while a little astonished. The table was nowhere what it was before! Such physical strength was unusual for someone with that aspect. After this discovery, and with no damage worth mentioning on himself, he looked around the battlefield. No second attack on sight. Taking the cue, he started his "mental rearrangement".

What lead his thoughts until now? "The environment." He muttered as he answered himself. What was he being careful about? "Fire." He kept responding his personal questionnaire in low voice.  What was the battle itself so far? "A long-range fight of improvised projectiles." He hesitated slightly with that one since he felt there was nothing honorable about it, no matter how he presented that fact.

Environment. Fire. Long-range. He had the important things cleared. Now, he would reverse it: No environment. No care for fire. Close-range.

Meaning: Close and careless.

He pondered the idea for a while, leaving the red competitor to move freely meanwhile. It wasn't so bad. Any resulting trouble could be dealt with later. Thus, he quickly prepared a plan to detect and approach the hedgehog safely only to later drop the act. First, a lure.

The avian recovered his sword and sheathed it. He needed both arms for a better concentration. He rose beyond his cover and used his wings to hover above it. Then, he centered the accumulated wind in his palms, which he had stretched in front of him and kept increasing its power while he waited for the enemy to show up. Surely, she wouldn't let this pass, now would she?

The trap was set. How would Froshana respond?

Having started to move again before Zephyr had poked his head up from behind his cover, Froshana didn't actually see him. She ducked past the slot machine and practically skidded into her new hiding place behind the bar. Here, there were many, many bottles of various shapes, sizes, and colors. However unfamiliar she was with drinking alcohol, being a pyrokinetic and a teenager did combine rather well so that she knew what happened when fire and alcohol mixed.

Without wasting any time, she snatched up the first clear bottle she saw that was labeled in large blue letters, 'VODKA'. This would be a good start. As she unscrewed the bottle's cap, the hedgehog peered over the top of the counter to see if Zephyr was approaching. Seeing no danger yet, her attention shifted to a nearby washcloth, which she promptly grabbed and proceeded to start stuffing halfway into the sloshing bottle in her grasp.

She'd already destroyed what was likely a very expensive television screen, but the tournament officials wouldn't have put anything in here that couldn't be damaged, right? Fro tried to reassure herself that setting, oh maybe everything on fire wouldn't cost her any points in this battle. In less than half a minute, she'd made herself something of a cheap molotov cocktail and was already working on another. This was how it worked on television, right? She was less sure about the other bottle she'd grabbed, not having toyed with rum quite as much. And there was only one other washcloth out in the open back here so she'd have to make these two count!

Another quick look over the edge of the bar made her eyes widen as suddenly the avian was out from behind his cover and flying in mid-air, holding out both hands in front of him as though charging an attack. She clutched the open rum bottle closer in surprise, only just keeping herself in check as she thought she heard the glass start to crack in her grip.

Froshana started to duck back down, but only far enough to grab the first bottle and let out a breath. She felt reasonably safe behind the bar as it seemed sturdy enough to withstand a little wind attack. And he didn't really think she was going to charge at him now, did he?

She shook the bottle of vodka in her right paw, holding the cloth in with her thumb. Even with the colorful lights flashing throughout the lounge, Zephyr may have seen the distinct glow of an igniting flame light up across the hedgehog's features as she set fire to the cloth. He might have been done throwing things, but she wasn't!

The teen set down the second bottle and jumped up behind the bar. The now-flaming bottle in her paw would have been a flickering blur in the erratic lighting of the lounge, but the fact that she was swinging her arm out towards Zephyr should have been enough to make it clear that she intended harm with whatever she held. Trying to control her strength this time, Froshana gestured to throw the bottle right towards the avian.

But it was a fake-out! Her swing went wide and instead she unleashed the bottle off to his right and away from him, intending to have it shatter against the hard floors closer to the three mannequins set up a ways off from the bar.

The hedgehog didn't wait to see if Zephyr tried to stop the bottle from bursting its alcohol-fueled flames across the floors in a rain of more broken glass or if he tried to attack her directly. She ducked down the moment the bottle left her fingers and grabbed the open bottle of rum and the washcloth. Her ears were on the alert to listen for either approaching wingflaps or footsteps or if the glass did get the opportunity to shatter as she hoped, all while she hurriedly stuffed the last cloth into the second bottle. She only hoped she'd get the few seconds she needed to finish and then throw this one as well before Zephyr chose to come after her directly, if he did at all.

((Sweet. Though my computer keeps doing weird things, I'll try to keep delivering. For glory and stuff.))

As Zephyr kept gathering more and more energy, the air inside the lounge would start to feel slightly different. Like something was "off" about it. But to him, it was the contrary. Now visibly surrounded in a gusty aura, the avian felt almost completely calm despite the "burning disco" sensation of the room, possibly a side effect of the amount of mystical power he was holding.

Nevertheless, his eyes were fixed on the bar as soon as he spotted a sudden burst of reddish light behind the counter. She must be there. But alas, another surprise for the winged competitor happened. He was correct by assuming she was there, but his mind didn't processed what that could imply.

"Of course..." He let the commentary out when he saw the explosive concoction she devised. A molotov cocktail. However, when Froshana threw the bottle, he was ready. He didn't expect the kind of attack, but he already predicted that there would be one and that she would keep her distance.

Using a fraction of the stored magic at his disposal, he created a an empty orb in front of him the size of his own head which he intended to capture the dangerous mix... If she had aimed the thing at him. It released its fiery fury against the displayed clothing, incinerating both fabric and wood. Guess his initial concerns were well-founded: She's going to burn the place down!

Not that he wanted to care anymore. The fire needed time to be trouble. If he could end the fight quickly, it was pointless. Thus, he took the chance to deliver a great blow.

The flying warrior concentrated in the ethereal ball and injected it with all the wind he collected so far, making it a bomb of air, swelling with condensed energy, and even showing little spasms. Then, with a gentle push with both hands, the sphere closed distance with the bar at a silent and walking-like speed, where it would release a massive shockwave just as soon as it touches its destination: The cabinet that was behind the counter. If it wasn't prevented from blowing up, nothing inside without enough weight would keep its position but rather, it would fly away from the blast point and putting any small wildfire out while the big ones would spread as well as breaking a lot of glass. The attack would also hit them both, if they didn't take cover.

But Zephyr wasn't done yet. Before it could go "boom", he swiftly hid at the other side of the counter where his rival was. There, he could avoid damage and, in a fast motion, he unsheathed his sword and plunged it at the furniture in hopes of getting a lucky stab at his opponent. Question is, was his plan fail-proof?

((Yeee boiiii! Hope to make the most of this extra time! Even if this post is late because I wrote too many posts at once yesterday.))



Her quills were becoming more tense and even some of the hedgehog's fur was beginning to stand on end as the air in the room seemed to change. Was her opponent sucking the oxygen out of the room? ...Ah, no, she was holding her breath as she finished her second and final molotov cocktail.

The sound of glass breaking had confirmed that her first throw was a success! She peeked over the counter again, only to end up alarmed at the visible aura around the avian now. That was certainly threatening. And even moreso was the orb he wielded before him!

Rather than go ahead and throw her second bottle, Froshana braced herself to react to however fast that ball of... air? Sure, air. However fast that ball of air came flying in her direction. Recalling part of her experience in the previous fight against Boubka, she ignited her free paw behind the counter just as the attack was launched her way. Legs tensed to jump up, but... the attack was approaching surprisingly slower than expected. It made the teen pause in her response, as though expecting something else.

Something else was certainly what she got, too! Seemingly faster than expected, Zephyr suddenly zoomed past his own attack and towards the bar. Eyes wide, Froshana hastily scrambled away from the backside of the bar and up against the cabinets behind her. Her flaming paw was drawn back, ready to hurl fire up at the eagle-owl if he jumped or flew over the bar and tried to attack her...

Instead, a sudden sound and movement of steel and a couple of bottles being knocked aside from their place on a shelf right in front of her drew her attention back down. Froshana yelped in surprise as a blade burst forth through the bar, very close to where she'd just been! A shudder went up her spine as she realized her opponent had very well just flat-out tried to stab her. With the surprise at the sudden lethal attempt, however, also came a little flare-up of rage. Of all the nerve! In what was supposed to be a sporting competition, no less!

Without really thinking or waiting for the blade to be withdrawn, the hedgehog narrowed her eyes and lashed out with one foot in something of a horizontal stomping motion. With that anger backing up her abnormal strength, she gave the flat side of the sword a solid and powerful kick using the bottom of her shoe, looking to bend the blade and make it harder, if not impossible, to withdraw. Granted, whether it would bend or even break under the considerable force exerted on it very well would depend on the sword itself, most likely. And there was always the chance that her kick would miss if Zephyr pulled the sword back right after having plunged it in.

Despite the possibilities of what might happen, the fact that another attack was still approaching hadn't been forgotten either. Bracing against the cabinets she had her quills and spines currently pressed against, she lifted herself up. The attack was only a foot or two from the front of bar already, probably close to being above Zephyr if he hadn't moved yet. Her fiery paw thrust forward, unleashing a volleyball-sized fireball at the 'air bomb' in hopes of triggering some sort of reaction from the condensed oxygen and energy all gathered together.

Admittedly, she did this without actually taking decent cover behind the bar and, if it did burst as intended or perhaps even more violently than it was meant to, she was fairly exposed to any resulting shockwave. But with it not quite having gotten to cross over the bar yet, perhaps Zephyr would also be at risk as well.



((Wasn't completely sure what type of sword Zephyr has since it's not mentioned in his bio so I tried to keep that attempt to damage it really open-ended and it'll be entirely up to you what the results are there! Which would be your call anyway since it's your weapon but wanted to put that out there anyway!))

Apologies, been rather ill over this past week and have thusly been neglecting my duties! This topic is now closed!
Judging shall now commence... and we shall soon know the overall victor for the Tremendous Tribulations Tournament!

EEEEY, MISSED ME??
You sure did, I know that. Don't be shy. I luv u too.

First of all, I loved the balance between teenage, confused and chaotic Fro and experienced, cold and calculative warrior Zephyr. It provided some great humour and I loved comparing the two and honestly I wish this could end in two first places, but I know that'd be unsatisfying after such a long wait. ...SO, JUDGING TIME.


Froshana!

Entertainment - Yes?? Flaming coconuts? Her inner panic and clumsiness and fire everywhere? Froshana is an entertaining character, and honestly I related to her confusion and erraticness in this situation.


10/10


Creativity - Like I said, immediate flaming coconuts, and later on the improvides molotovs were great, thoouuugh I'm kinda disappointed that Fro settled mostly on a 'throw fire and hide' tactic, especially since she was eyeing that boulder in the beginning and seemed to be considering many other options in the room. I imagine it's because the fight ended just as the two neared each other, but still, it could've happened a bit sooner, you know..?


6,5/10

Balance - ...Hm. I feel like on both sides there wasn't quite enough hits to have much to judge this aspect on... Did anything happen to anyone other than both getting a bit of debris on them once or twice? Fro's clumsiness didn't exactly prove to be a disadvantage either, it was just there. ...Well, alright, aside from bad aim with the table. And I imagine the fireball to airball would backfire quite violently, too.

7/10

Clarity - I had to reread parts of your posts a few times more than I had to with Zephyr's. The grammar seems fine to me, but the way you described Fro's actions was sometimes a little too uh, convoluted for me, sorry.

7,5/10


Together: 31/40


Zephyr!

Entertainment - Like I said, I loved the contrast between the two completely different temperaments. While Zephyr wasn't entertaining in a funny, confused way Froshana was, I liked reading through his thought process as the more experienced one, and I enjoyed the occassional humour. Thooough I feel like perhaps the overthinking might've slowed the fight down a bit TOO much. I'm guessing it's just the character that is that way, but I still feel like the pace could've picked up a bit sooner.

8,5/10


Creativity - Despite the slowness, I still enjoyed how careful Zephyr was in his calculations! He took everything into consideration, both with environment and the enemy, and while he also relied on his powers and hiding like Fro did, I feel like, he made a bit more of it, and he was the one to pull off a bold stabby move. Also, I enjoy how you write his powers, quite a lot. He can do a LOT with them, and somehow just air movement is made different and interesting in every instance.

8,5/10


Balance - ...Hm. I feel like on both sides there wasn't quite enough hits to have much to judge this aspect on... Did anything happen to anyone other than both getting a bit of debris on them once or twice? I appreciate that Zephyr opened himself for attacks eventually, but most of the RP I feel like he was more defensive and hiding, so there isn't much to judge here.

6/10


Clarity - Aside from occassional grammar errors sprinkles throughout your messages, I didn't find your posts or the character's actions confusing. And.. that's about it!

9/10


Together: 32/40


...Well, that was a close match. As expected, to be honest. You guys were both amazing.       
...TAKE IT AWAY, OTHER JUDGES

Okay, before all else... I need to apologise. This has taken a ludicrous amount of time for me to get to. Like, nearly a year.
I have literally dropped off the forum and come back once more in that time, and still put it off over and over again. I won't go on and one about it because... well, yes, there are reasons. But not really good enough reasons, and definitely nothing which excuses just how long it took.
All I can do is say sorry and... well, actually do my job. So here we are, at long last. My own judgement.

Entertainment
Froshana - I'll begin by first of all saying... I really enjoy Froshana as a character generally. She's a very fun character to read just... well, being herself. Reading her mindset is great - and in particular I loved the opening post where we got to go through all of Fro's feelings on the tournament and the upcoming bout and such. Always a sucker for that.
I also enjoyed a lot your eye for small details. I will say... you did sometimes seem to sorta fall back on the same ones. I really loved the detail of Froshana's quills almost seeming like a 'shark's fin' with the way it poked up and such, put did notice you'd fall back on the quill detail again and again. It's a nice unique thing to right about, but because of the uniqueness of it, it really makes it stand out more if you pick it out more than once in a short space.
I do however, want to reserve special mention for the coconuts. Because seriously, flaming coconuts? Them's good stuffs! 8.5/10

Zephyr - Detaaaiiils! I mentioned similar with Fro, but I have to say the same of yourself. You have a real eye for small bits and pieces, tiny details and how they occur. Picking up on tiny things like the sounds of breaking glass or how one object may leave it's mark on another. It's the sort of thing which really provides colour and interest to a work of writing, and doesn't just make it going through the motions.
I dooo feel however that you had a couple of posts towards the centre of the match where there... wasn't too much happening. There was a decent period of just... waiting for things to happen? Which I guess makes sense with a more calculating character but... I dunno. I felt at certain points I lost some engagement there.
Still, despite that mid-section, you did really pick up again. In particular, I enjoyed your last post, lots happening in it, interesting thoughts and direction through the action. Was good stuff! 7.5/10

Creativity
Froshana - I GET TO TALK ABOUT THE FLAMING COCONUTS AGAIN. Because seriously I super-enjoyed those, and it was just such a fun creative way to open up. You could just've easily thrown random fireballs but... I dunno. Flaming coconuts are just a big bonus for me.
I will say, it did sorta feel afterwards things fell to this unfortunate case of... well, doing the same thing over and over. A lot of Froshana's offensive in the fight can be summarised as 'And then they threw something, and it was probably on fire'. I really did like the idea of taking the bottles to make molotov cocktails out of them - but in the scheme of things it was just another addition to the 'throwing flaming things' group of attacks.
Ignoring the unfortunate offensive repetition however, you did find other ways to have fun with the environment. Springing to mind is the noting of the carpet below catching on fire, as well as the brief moment of slipping in the food. They were both tiny things in the long run... but tiny things that really showed an awareness and consideration for how the fight effected the room around them. 7/10

Zephyr - Yooouuu are evidently a creative individual, and your opening post I feel really worked as an example of this. You talked a lot about things that COULD happen and looked into potentials a lot, highlighting the routes and possibilities things could go. It showed the considerate mind of the character - something furthered with later posts such as where you're talking about the bar's explosive potential alongside Froshana's fire.
In practise however, I do feel you perhaps... let Froshana lead the match a lot, at least in the early-goings? Fro opened with throwing a few things Zephyr's way, you responded with... throwing things back. Then as Fro took cover and the action stopped and slowed... in turn Zephyr stopped and slowed. It felt very much for a good portion of the fight you were acting more responsively, rather than really directing things for yourself at all.
Still, we did get some fun and unique looks at things Zephyr can do with his powers. In the early going we had the slow-to-a-stop coconut event, which was a real highlight to me. We also had the last post mentioned previously, where Zephyr reeeaaally got to flex some of that muscle with his abilities. 7/10

Balance
Froshana - Nothing too much to comment on here! Which, y'know, as a balance thing is good. I can't say you 'took your hits' because... noone took any real hits this fight. Still, nothing felt ludicrous in how it was avoided or anything like that. Plus I feel you allowed Fro to look vulnerable with the whole 'hiding behind sofa' and similar portions so... yeah, all good!10/10

Zephyr - Once more, same as above, not too much to comment on. No real hits were taken, but there weren't really that many hits directed at you to avoid anyway? I will say, I would've kinda liked Zephyr at the very least to've taken some damage from the shrapnel/broken TV overhead, even if it was just some small cuts or bruises. Still, I don't consider it significant enough to dock points.10/10

Clarity
Froshana - Absolutely fine! Understood everything! Boom, done! 10/10

Zephyr - I wasn't sure where mention of this belongs but... I decided it to be here. Your dedication to coconut research to properly emulate how a flaming coconut should effect battle is to be commended.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of posts I had to re-read to fully understand what was going on/how the powers were working. Nothing too major, but yeah, was a li'l confused here and there. 9.5/10

Dregan's Overall Awarded Scores;

Froshana - 8.5 + 7 + 10 + 10 = 35.5/40

Zephyr - 7.5 + 7 + 10 + 9.5 = 34/40

Excuses excuses
Can't justify why it took me almost literally a year to judge this besides 'life'
Could both of you shoot me a PM with a character reff so I can draw you two a little apology for taking so long?

Entertainment
Froshana: I have...mixed feelings about reading this so much later. It does kinda help in getting a separated opinion not influenced by the rest of the tournament. And I will be blunt, I did not enjoy the first 2/3rds of the fight(Except the opening posts, they were fun). It is a personal thing of just not enjoying the whole 'taking cover behind things' in a fight. HOWEVER I do very much understand the logic of it towards the characters and their thought progress. But it kinda reads as a stand still of things being tossed back and forth. Part of me wishes that the fight could've gone a few rounds longer and thus hopefully having more up close and personal fights but alas. One of the things I did enjoy quite a bit was just Fro's thought progress and that simple mention of her having grown as a fighter compared to the first round and it shows.There were a lot of smaller things I did enjoy in regards to just her character and how she went about mindset wise though. - 7/10
Zephyr: I come with the same mixed bag as I gave Fro. Just the whole throwing things behind cover. Though you were the one to basically break that frustration with Zephyr very much deciding that this just wasn't working and actually took action. It actually got my intrest peaking again to see how things would continue. And then time ran out, wheh. But besides that I did enjoy reading his thoughts and that constant lowkey remember that fire could so easily spread.As well as generally how calculated  he went into this. - 8/10

Creativity
Froshana: You took the things in the area that would make sense for Fro to use and absolutely rocked it. Coconuts? Make a fuckton of sense considering the husks are often used as fuels for fire where they can be found so it makes sense if that is what she'd go for considering her fire powers. Same goes for the Molotov cock-tales, they make sense with her firepower combined. I just...basically the only attacks Fro has done this fight felt of variations of 'lets throw things'. Though gotta give props that she does at least go in with the mind set that she indeed has been relying a lot on her fire powers and should tackle things differently. - 7.5/10
Zephyr: So many things around, so much items to use in your fighting and what is chosen to toss? Chairs. Just, chairs. It was frustrating considering how many options were around, all the things that could've seen some great use in his hands mostly since he did point it out that a lot of things could be used in interesting ways, so why not do it?. Besides that it was okay. The fact that he needed to adept and actually act and try and draw her out in the end in a clever way does help in favor though. Using that slow ball of air before instead going in with a blade to try and attack, good shit. - 7/10

Balance
Froshana: Don't have much to take of note. No hits were really landed but it was clear and not too insanely out there how they could easily be dodges. It helps that Fro as a character does seem that fraction of clumsy in her escape of things. Her escapes weren't always as perfect, her tactics certainly weren't as perfect. And in that sense it makes fer feel balanced in this fight. - 10/10
Zephyr: It was pretty clear that powerwise and general battle style wise, Zephyr was in a better place than Fro in this fight. So it was a good thing that it didn't feel like that at all. I can't see attacks hit because none of them really did on either side. A case of 'makes sense how he would block and dodge stuff' though. The one note I do have is that, he at one point was near broken glass and stuff from the tv and moving in it. One would have expect that at the least could've done damage to just his clothes or a tiny cut or two. - 9/10

Clarity
Froshana: As practically always, your stuff was clear as day. It really REALLY helps that you tend to add small details like her quils scrapping against the fabric, the small sounds of the food on her shoes. It makes things very vivid and easy to just imagine when you close your eyes and try to envision everything. Like I could practically hear the crunch of food as I was reading that part. I never was lost on what was going on! - 10/10
Zephyr: Your stuff was very clear as well, most of the time. There was two instances where I had to reread to really understand what was going on. And with one I never did entirely did but just rolled with it. - 9/10


Character Growth
Yeah no points here, but seeing as it was the final fight I did at least want to address this.
Froshana: I feel that even thought basically just a few days passed, Fro as a character has grown in her abilities and I didn't really find a good spot to give props to that. It was clear she had become a lot more aware of her own flaws and way of fighting, estimating the opponent while also not suddenly being  completely different as a person.
Zephyr: Zephyr equally seemed to have grown. I originally thought he hadn't entirely till I read back the previous fights. He was a bit more friendly and tried new things but it is clear that by the time of the finals his mind is in a different mindset. Much more a analytical approach from the start, observing the possibilities. Not character related but I felt it should be mentioned: You as a writer also have improved a lot compared to those first posts!

Totals
Froshana: 7+7.5+10+10= 34.5
Zephyr: 8+7+9+9= 33

Overall Scores:

Froshana - 31+35.5+34.5 = 101/120

Zephyr - 32+34+33 = 99/120

Your Winner For This Round...
And the winner of the entire Tremendous Tribulations Tournament...

FROSHANAAA!!!

Congratulations! It's been a hard-earned victory, and one which... honestly we've left you waiting for for WAY too long.
It's not entirely over however. I mean, officially speakin, the judging is done, and the winner has been declared but... well, you'll see soonish.

For now however, this topic is re-opened! You may finish up the fight if you both wish, albeit... I realise after all this time you probably may not want to.
Still, the option is there should you wish to carry on! I'll also make a seperate post soonish just as a sorta 'official announcement' of the victor so yeah... keep tabs out!