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[elegy]

[ Her back and arm were killing her, but they were healing much faster than she'd expected. Perhaps that was another benefit to what they were, the soldiers that they transformed into. For now, though, she's just focused on Uranus; the trees in this little patch of woods are thick and provide a lot of cover, but it also makes it easy to be snuck up on.

She's high in a branch right now, sweaty and sore as she crouches low against the trunk and catches her breath. It's dark, long after sundown, and she's left scanning her eyes over the treeline, looking for her sparring partner. ]

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[elegy]

[ She can't dodge the blow. Fluid and graceful, yes, and her stamina is incredible in this form.. but a blow from Haruka's dominant hand to her already tender stomach is enough to make her stop. Neptune pauses, scrabbling to hold onto the tree to keep her on her feet.

Neptune is left panting, staring at the ground, knuckles white. ]

-- two minutes, and then we can continue.

[ A break isn't admitting defeat, is it? ]

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ Uranus is still, watching Neptune struggle for breath. she herself is breathing harshly through her nose, throat still closed up from where she'd been hit, and standing in one place for as long as a minute is enough to cause the adrenaline to recede, alerting her to the heaviness in her knees and the dull throb between her temples.

she's hardly in top shape, for sure, but she could still go on. what worries her is that Neptune looks worse. ]

We don't have to. We've trained enough for the night.

[elegy]

I'm fine. [ It comes snappier, a little more sharply than originally intended. She doesn't apologize just yet now, though; instead, she seats herself on a fallen log, her hand pressed lightly in her stomach.

She still has the vague feeling that she's going to be sick - she can feel the stomach acid still in the back of her throat - but she remains transformed. ]

You're not finished yet. There's no reason to stop.

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ Haruka's lips pull into a thin line. she shouldn't feel guilty for hurting her -- there would be little point to this if they weren't giving it their all. ]

We're doing this to help the both of us.

[elegy]

[ Michiru doesn't blame her at all: this is what training is, after all, and she drops her hand back into her lap. Her breathing is evening out, at least. ]

And this is helping both of us. One minute left. Enjoying your break?

[sexuallyconfuses]

... Sure. [ she scuffs her heel against the ground, shifting her weight from leg to leg. Michiru should understand her own limits better than she does -- she's in no place to tell her what to do.

she needs to toughen up, she needs to stop hesitating, she needs to stop pausing to ask herself is this really okay. she's Sailor Uranus, she's a warrior, and she can't afford to be this soft. there's no room for this worry that gnaws away at her from the inside of her stomach.

she said she won't hold back, and she's going to show her she meant it. legs spread, arms raised, hands balled into fists: she's ready. ]

So? Has it been a minute yet?

[elegy]

[ Haruka falls into a defensive stance and Michiru has a sudden but vague idea. Well. It couldn't hurt to try, could it? That hesitation that Uranus showed, the concern- it was nice, nicer than she wanted to admit.

But it could be taken advantage of.

So Neptune stands finally with a little nod, moving to step forward-- and then she cries out, holding her side and stumbling forward. ]

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ of course, Haruka's resolve to fight only lasts until the exact moment she hears her partner scream-- the next, it's dissipated into thin air, and she's rushing towards her, concern plain in her face and voice. ] Michiru!

[elegy]

[ She feels terrible for doing this, much less thinking it- it would be so easy to get herself get swallowed in the warmth of Haruka's worry. Instead, she just changes stance at the last second, every muscle in her body screaming, and aims a hard flurry of blows to Uranus's stomach and side.

Her lungs are burning in her chest. It's probably not a good sign that it's this hard to breathe. ]

Showing concern like that is dangerous. You can't afford to worry about your partner!

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ she doesn't see it coming. of course she doesn't. and once Neptune begins, it's all too fast and too much at once for her to stop it. her body lurches forward with every new stab of pain, and she lets out a series of choked, hoarse groans that rise in crescendo, each feeling like her throat's tearing down the middle.

by the time she manages to stop the income of punches to her gut, too-tense fists wrapped tight around Neptune's hands, Uranus doesn't have enough in her to attack in return. her knees wobble, her vision flashes, and she coughs harshly between desperate gasps for breath.

better try to retain a shred of her respect and give in before her legs do. ]

Hah... you win.

[elegy]

Smart of you.

[ But the fight evaporates from Neptune the moment that Uranus concedes defeat and she pulls her hands back, stumbling back to the log and sitting hard. She hadn't meant to show that she was this tired, that she could barely keep herself up- it took something from the victory, didn't it?

Didn't change the fact that the last little series of blows had been everything that she had. ]

You should probably rest before we head back.

[ It's not an insult. Uranus had been the first one to call it quits, which meant she had to be hurting pretty badly, too. Neptune at the moment just isn't entirely sure she can lift her own head right now. ]

[sexuallyconfuses]

Yeah. [ she collapses down on the log by Neptune, too spent and too aching to feign a display of grace or control. Uranus sits there with her shoulders hunched up and her head hanging down, silent except for her heavy, ragged breathing, interrupted every now and then by the need to swallow back bile. there's a pounding in her head, in her chest, it's like the whole world itself is pulsating, and it's funny, that's the kind of feeling she would've lived for if only everything didn't hurt. ]

moe icon alert

[elegy]

[ Neptune needs a long bath, a nap, some industrial grade painkillers. Her hand flashes out to grab Uranus's upper arm in a sudden fit of vertigo, but she releases it just as quickly and holds her breath to suppress a shudder. ]

We should get home soon.

[ She's not positive she can stand. ]

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ Uranus starts at the contact, head instinctively snapping towards Neptune, but she relaxes as soon as she looks at her and Neptune drops her hand.

she nods through another swallow, plants both hands firmly against the bark, and forces herself to her feet. ] Come on, then.

[elegy]

[ Michiru starts forward to stand and lurches slightly, fingers curling and nails dug into the bark of the log. Her arms are white, covered in goosebumps. ]

-- just a second.

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ she knows: she's too soft, 'you can't afford to worry about your partner'. but the fight is over now, so she tells herself it shouldn't matter. (people can't change in a day.)

taking a step towards Neptune, she tentatively offers out a hand. ]

[elegy]

[ She shouldn't. Uranus is hurting, too- and it's no good, relying on your partner this much. They won't always be together. Even as a team, independence is important.

But maybe a show of trust is, too, and after a moment's hesitation, she reaches up to take Uranus's hand, using it to stabilize herself as she climbs to her feet. ]

Thank you.

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ rather than release her hold, she pulls on Neptune's hand, drawing her to her side. not too roughly-- she figures she wouldn't have much energy left in her to resist, and she herself doesn't have much energy left to exert. ] Sure.

[elegy]

[ Neptune glances over at Uranus, leaning a little into her side. It's really not worth resisting right now. ]

How are you feeling?

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ careful not to rest too much of her weight against her, she leans against Neptune in turn, and takes a small step forward. she lets the magic wash off of her, slipping back from Sailor Uranus into Haruka Tenoh -- though her grip on her role as a soldier was shaky enough even before, as the last hour proved all too well.

at the question, she laughs -- coarse, but not unkind. ] Like hell. You?

[elegy]

[ Michiru does the same, her head hanging forward briefly. This training was good- they both got a lot out of it, and she's completely aware. That doesn't mean that she's not hurting, though. Don't focus on how much you like Haruka at your side, Michiru. That's not what the purpose of this was. ]

I'm ready for round two. [ Her voice is thin, though, wavering. ] I could barely feel your punches at all, right?

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ Haruka grins, though it threatens to turn into a grimace halfway through when another step sends a fresh burst of pain from the pits of her stomach. she swallows it down and keeps walking. ] Sorry. I'll do better next time.

[elegy]

[ She wants to ask if she's really alright, wants to apologize for those final blows against her, but that's not right. Haruka wouldn't be walking if things were too bad. ]

Tomorrow, then?

[ It's a joke. Probably. ]

[sexuallyconfuses]

[ Haruka wouldn't want her to apologize, anyway. she needed to feel that. ]

Sure thing. If I can walk.

[ that's a joke, too. probably. ]

[elegy]

[ Michiru laughs softly under her breath, humorlessly, cutting her eyes up to Haruka's home. They were lucky that she lived so closely to somewhere where they could train in private. She just wished it was her home. ]

Do you mind if I wash up before I go?