Reiner vs. Toushiko

Warm light flowed out of the tavern, carrying with it music and laughter to keep out the darkness of night. Inside, drinks were poured and drank just as quickly, adventurers and merchants gathered around tables and sharing stories of the places they'd gone and people they'd met, all while two bards sang from upstairs:

"The Devil went down to Choras,
He was lookin' for a soul to steal
He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind,
He was willing to make a deal..."

But even with all the tales being passed around the tavern, the biggest gathering of all was around one man sitting at the counter. He had a genuine smile on his face as he regaled his stories of the many exotic locations he'd visited, enemies he'd fought, and allies he'd made on his travels. His name was Reiner, and the tavern's patrons wouldn't soon forget it; all one had to do was look at their enraptured faces to know that the tales of Reiner's adventures had their imaginations running wild. This was a man that had seen much in his time, and was likely to see a whole lot more.

"When he came across this young man
Sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot
And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said,
'Boy, let me tell you what...'"

Reiner was about to dive into the origins of his trusty axegun, when suddenly everyone in the tavern went quiet (sans the bards, who continued singing obliviously), and their eyes went toward the stairs. Reiner, smile fading, turned to look—and froze.

A woman—nay, a giant—grinned back at him from the bottom of the stairs, a massive studded club resting on her shoulder. She was like a demon: crimson skin, two horns, and at least a foot and a half taller than anyone else in the room. She started walking toward Reiner, and everyone around him immediately dispersed, though he noticed that none of them actually left the tavern, even if some of them were literally quaking in their boots. She lifted a hand, and pointed at him.

"'I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too,
And if you'd care to take a dare,
I'll make a bet with you...'"

"So you're this Reiner, eh? I heard a lot about ya from upstairs—your voice sure carries, y'know," she said, tilting her head in the direction of the stairs. "Whenever I'm in some tavern or whatnot, I'm always hearin' stories about how some great adventurer beat the monster, saved the day, and got the girl." Her grin grew wider. "Of course, most of 'em were bogus. Tested that myself, y'see," she said, hefting her club and chuckling.

"'Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy,
But give the Devil his due
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul
'Cause I think I'm better than you...'"

Stepping forward, she pointed her club at Reiner. "Since ya seem so popular, why don't you prove your strength, eh?" Her eyes twinkled in amusement. "Let's see if there's any bite behind that bark—but first..." She looked around at the other patrons, some of which had started to take out their money and were evidently taking bets. "Let's take this outside. Don't wanna hurt anybody, now." She started to casually walk toward the tavern entrance, ignoring the groans of disappointment around her, when she lazily looked back at Reiner. "Unless, of course, you're just a fake after all." Then, with a laugh, she walked outside.

"The boy said, 'My name's Johnny and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret,
'Cause I'm the best that's ever been!'"

——
-The old ruleset applies: the rolls are 1 to 100 even rolls are a success, uneven rolls are a failure.
-Characters are allowed 1 free action but must otherwise stick to their movepools
-Instead of VIRTUE and VICE, the adventurers have WILLPOWER and the midara have STAMINA.
-Encounters that use characters from the OpenRPG may cause a re-appearance of said midara, depending on outcome.

Paralyzed status- Character will be unable to move next turn and will be unable to dodge the next attack

Charmed Status- The next attack dealt by the midara does +1 Willpower damage

Bind Status- Character will be unable to move and continually suffer 2 Willpower damage each turn unless they roll a 50 or higher and escape


Even rolls higher than 85 are considered critical and allows the attacker to follow up with another move

Toushiko starts with 30 Stamina.
Reiner starts with 30 Willpower/10 Stamina.

Devil's in the house of the rising sun...

Reiner was dumbfounded by the large oni that had just approached him. He was aware of their existence, but he didn't know that they actually roamed around in these parts. And above that, she actually challenged him to a battle! As the patrons around him started cheering for him, and making bets, he knew that backing down would tarnish his reputation. He had no choice but to accept her challenge.

He walked outside, and there the oni stood, tall and proud, her club in her hand as she grins at Reiner. "I don't know what or how you've heard of me, but do not think they are exaggerations." He says, walking in front of her, both hands remaining in the pockets of his coat. "I have met many types of midara, some definitely bigger than you. I can easily handle myself in a fight with you, you have my word. However, I'm not looking for one. Is there no way out of this?" Despite the fact that there's an armed giant right in front of him, he keeps on smiling at her, trying to change her mood a bit.

Toushiko raised an eyebrow, looking down at the man in front of him. "What, are you tryin' to back out already?" She chuckled. "I dunno how much you know about oni, boy, but we all love a good brawl. Trust me, if one of us challenges ya to a fight, a real fight, that means we think you can keep your word on all those stories you told back in there." She tilted her head toward the tavern. "It's a sign of respect, boy." Her smile turned wry. "In human terms, it'd be like a girl askin' you out on a date. Ya just gonna reject that? After seein' all those people in there cheerin' you on and placin' bets in your name?"

She stepped forward, presenting a bottle to Reiner in one hand. "Here, as a sign of goodwill. Never a bad time for a drink, I say!"

Toushiko: 30 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/10 Stamina

Hearing her words, Reiner quickly realized his mistake. How could he forget that oni weren't the type of beings that appreciate words over fighting? "My apologies, miss oni." He makes a quick apologetic bow, as he accepts the bottle she hands over to him. "I had forgotten the ways of your kind. It will be an honor to fight with you, and I will do my very best at it." To seal his words of kindness, he takes a large sip of the bottle Toushiko handed over to him. "Now, show me your strength, oni!"

Toushiko leaned forward on her club as Reiner drank from the bottle she gave him, her eyes gleaming as she observed his reaction...

Feelin' Thirsty? - 32 (1-33: Stamina recovery, 34-66: Charm, 67-100: Paralysis)

She smiled as he wiped his lips dry and declared his challenge. Looked like he wasn't a total lightweight, at least. With that test out of the way, she hoisted her club and let it fall on her shoulder. "Oh, don't worry, boy. You'll know just how strong I am by the time we're through here!" Her intentions made clear, she gripped her club with both hands, brought it back, and swung forward with the intent of blasting Reiner right off his feet.

Kanabou Strike - 81
Unfortunately for her, Reiner saw the attack coming a mile away. He jumped to the side, the club ripping up the grass where his feet were a moment ago. It was immediately obvious to him that though the attack seemed easy enough to dodge, getting hit by it was definitely something he needed to avoid if at all possible.

Toushiko: 30 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/10 Stamina

Reiner saw the oni lift her club onto her shoulder, and quickly jumps aside, allowing the club to slam into the ground he had just occupied, leaving a large hole into the ground. "Thanks for the drink, it was delicious." He says, placing the bottle onto the ground next to her, and then backing away from it. "Now allow me to repay you with the duel you ask for." He grabs his short sword from his belt, and runs towards Toushiko, aiming for a quick cut along her side.

Quick slash

Reiner dashed forward, hoping to get in a clean hit while Toushiko was (hopefully) busy recovering from the effort of her swing...

Quick slash - 43
But she managed to easily dodge backward out of the sword's range, having seemingly spent almost no energy on her swing. "Gotta be quicker than that, boy," she teased. "But hey, I'm glad you liked the drink! In fact..." She picked up the bottle at her feet. "Why don't you have some more?"

Drinking Buddies - 67
The oni brought the bottle to her lips, and started to drink from it...then she stopped, an annoyed expression crossing her face. She held the bottle in front of her, eyes narrowed, then turned it over and shook it up and down, proving her suspicion that it was indeed empty. "Bah...guess there was less in there than I thought." She rolled her eyes as she slipped the bottle back into her pack. "Well, I'll make sure to get more a' that stuff later. It's a pretty useful brew to keep around, seein' as it's one of the few things I got in here that wouldn't kill a man," she said with a short chuckle.

Toushiko: 30 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/10 Stamina

(These rolls, man...)

"Kill a man, huh? Don't really like the sound of that." Reiner said, circling around the oni. "I can think of a number of drinks that are equally tasty, and yet a bit more... Safe than that. If you are interested, I can share a few of them next time we meet."

He grips his sword tightly, before aiming his vision on the red woman's gut. "Well then, shall we continue? After all, I still need to pay my tab." He dashes up to Toushiko, and stops in front of her, before stabbing his sword forward towards her.

Quick Slash

Toushiko let out a resounding laugh. "Ain't no point for an oni if you skimp on the alcohol!" She looked back down at him. "Still, I might as well try out some of your ideas while I hunt for the heavier stuff." A smirk formed on her face. "Assuming you're as strong as you say, at least." Intent on proving just that, Reiner tried a forward thrust again, sprinting toward the oni as fast as his legs would allow...

Quick Slash - 24
This time, he was ready for Toushiko's dodge, and ran further before thrusting his sword to account for it. Toushiko grunted as she stepped back, a smile coming back to her face. "Well, you sure pick up fast on my moves." She shrugged. "Guess I underestimated ya there." Then, without warning, she suddenly lunged toward him, arms outstretched. "Now lemme show ya how fast I pick up!"

Test Your Strength! - 9
Despite her surprising speed, Reiner was just able to roll out of the way as the oni came barreling toward him. She stumbled to a stop, then whirled around to face him. She whistled and said, "Damn, you're a slippery one, ain't ya?" She gave an ominous chuckle. "Let's see how long that lasts..."

Toushiko: 29 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/10 Stamina

(1 out of 6 rolls have been successful...this is gonna take a while.)

(Oh well, the longer, the better :p Besides, it took four turns before any damage was dealt in our previous rp as well, remember?)

Reiner felt satisfied with his hit. He managed to put his first step towards victory over the oni... Only to panicky roll out of the way when Toushiko suddenly dashed towards him. He didn't expect her to be so fast! He realises that he won't be able to get very far on instinct alone, and so he takes his time to study his opponent, in case she tries to pull off any more unexpected tricks.

Traveler's Knowledge

Reiner stepped back for a moment, creating more space between him and the oni, allowing him time to go over what he knew about her.

Traveler's Knowledge - 8
Oni had a reputation for being immensely strong, he had known that already. What he hadn't expected was that they could be shockingly fast as well, at least for their bulk. Still, seeing as his opponent had tried to use the same predictable dodge twice in a row, as well as an overly-telegraphed club swing, he wagered that she might have an over-reliance on her speed, trusting it to save her instead of coming up with clever dodges and feints. He nodded and held up his sword, committing that knowledge to memory. After spending so much of his life traveling the world and encountering all sorts of creatures, he'd learned to trust his intuition with this sort of thing.

Meanwhile, Toushiko just raised an eyebrow as he studied her. "What, do I have somethin' on my face?" Then she leaned forward and lowered her voice to a more sultry tone. "Or maybe you see somethin' you like...?" With that, she started running her hands down her curves, subtly massaging her breasts and swaying her hips back and forth. She turned around and wiggled her ass a bit, running a hand down her leg as she bent over to give her opponent a better look.

Infernal Temptation - 63
Reiner didn't show much in the way of a reaction, being too preoccupied with analyzing the fight so far to be distracted by Toushiko's dance.

Toushiko: 29 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/10 Stamina + Increased Accuracy

(True, but...come on, man. I've failed 5 rolls in a row, and your rolls haven't been too much better T_T)

(You have no idea. I had a private RP with someone, where I ended up losing all 30 of my willpower while only doing 4 damage, total. Those freaking dice )

Reiner had taken the time to review the things that he had learned and observed of the oni, before grabbing his sword again. Then, it suddenly dawns on him what she was doing just now; he can't believe he didn't look at that dance at all! Shaking his head to clear his mind, he prepares himself mentally, quickly reviewing all the important parts of their battle so far, and then runs toward Toushiko, leaping into the air in an attempt to bring the sword down onto her.

Empowered Slash

(Holy...jeez, guess I should quit bellyachin' about the dice then At least it wasn't the other way around, eh? With the midara getting totally smoked without having a chance to do jack diddly squat.)

Reiner sprinted forward and jumped high into the air, intending to hit the oni with the force of his entire body behind his sword.

Empowered Slash - 54, 89 (90 - 3 damage)
Toushiko blinked in surprise as Reiner seemed to completely ignore her dance, leaping into the air to attack her instead. She quickly tried to shield herself with her arms, but it was too little, too late. Reiner thrust his sword downward as he descended, and combined with the force of gravity pulling him back down to Earth, he managed to break through her defense, causing her to give a pained grunt.

Strength of the Mountain - 70
Now it was Reiner's turn to be surprised. Before he had a chance to back away from his opponent after his successful attack, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his body, hugging him close. She grinned and leaned her face in closer as he squirmed against her grip, until the tips of their noses were practically touching. He could feel her hot breath, warmed by the hellfire that burned inside her body, as she spoke a single word:

"Gotcha."

She then grabbed his head with one hand, and roughly shoved his face between her breasts. Then she began to squeeze. Reiner let out a muffled gasp as spikes of pain shot through him, feeling an intense force pressing him further into the oni's body. Before he could take another breath, his head was pushed further into her breasts, until her skin pressed tightly against his nose and mouth. He tried to struggle out of her grip, but it was no use; she wasn't giving an inch. Worse, he could feel his lungs begin to burn in protest—at this rate, he was going to pass out! He felt the edges of his consciousness begin to fade, and his body went limp...

...And then Toushiko unceremoniously dropped him to the ground. He gasped for air as his head spun from the pain and oxygen deprivation, and he quickly tried to distance himself from the oni. Once he was at a safe distance from her, he tried unsteadily to get up. He managed to stay on his feet, albeit with difficulty, and settled for a stare at his quite smug-looking opponent.

Toushiko: 26 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/7 Stamina + Dazed

Reiner was able to use what he learned to his advantage, as he swung his weapon towards the oni breaking through her guard and slashing her. He turned around with a smirk, as he brings out: "Now how did you like tha- Oh crap..."

The oni was right in front of him, arms outstretched. Before he could even react, he was picked up by the red woman and pulled into her tight grip, his face squashed into her breasts. He didn't even have time to think about how soft they were as his lungs seemed like they would pop under the heavy pressure of her arms. He thought that he was going to faint under the assault...

And then he was released, falling onto the ground again, quickly scrabbling away from her. If she did that again, there's no way he would survive! But he couldn't back down now. He shakily gets onto his feet, and stumbles towards her, aiming to attack her again.

Quick Slash

Reiner, as dazed as he was from his recent brush with unconsciousness, attempted once more his tried-and-true method of running forward and stabbing Toushiko with his sword. In reality, it was more of an attempt to stave her off while he fought to regain control of his breathing, but whatever worked.

Quick Slash - 76, 6
To the mutual surprise of both him and Toushiko, he managed to hit her right in the gut, and his victory helped to clear the dizziness from his head. He knew he'd probably only been able to hit her because she'd been counting on his dizziness to give her an advantage, but he was just going to take it anyway. Striking his opponent after nearly being smothered to death was a good sign, he decided.

Kanabou Strike - 43
...He also decided that now would probably be an excellent time to jump out of the way of the studded club that was just about to send flying him to the moon. Toushiko clicked her tongue in annoyance as her attack whiffed again, bringing her club back in and examining it with narrowed eyes. "Man, what is with me today?" She grumbled. "I'm just missin' left and right here. I know there's more to strength than power and speed, but..." She sighed, then smiled ruefully. "Ah, well. This fight's far from over, and I ain't just gonna let you walk away after that embarrassment." Her smile grew once more into her trademark grin. "You'd best be prepared, boy."

Toushiko: 25 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/7 Stamina

Reiner is amazed by the fact that he still manages to hit Toushiko, despite the fact that his head was so dizzy that he could see three of her! Reiner recovers in time to see the oni ready to swing at him, jumping back again to avoid the club flying towards him.

"Well, we all have our bad days. Don't think too much about it." Reiner says, trying to cheer Toushiko up a bit. When she finishes her talking though, Reiner is left confused by her words. "Wait, what embarrassment? I don't think I've done anything to embarrass you?" He drops his guard as he walks towards her, or so it seems...

Counter hunt

(I've decided that the special attacks of mine could be a bit too overpowered... So I'm hoping to halve the damage dealt/health gained by them, if that's alright with you. This means the counter would only deal 2 damage.)

(All right, noted.)

Toushiko laughed. "I wasn't talkin' about you, buddy." She pointed a thumb toward her face. "I meant me. Who the hell challenges somebody to a fight, then just flounders around like a kid wielding a greatsword?" She shook her head. "It just ain't right, I tell ya. Can't let my honor as an oni disappear like that." She looked up, and saw Reiner walking toward her, apparently to...counsel her? Or something? The hell?

Toushiko gritted her teeth. She appreciated the sentiment, but pity was the last thing an oni needed. "And I sure as hell don't plan on leaving tonight without it!" She shouted, bringing her club to bear.

Counter Hunt - 34
Realizing that his action had been (technically) misinterpreted, Reiner quickly stabbed forward, striking the oni before she had a chance to attack. Toushiko clutched her stomach in response, but she hardly felt the pain. Instead, frustration—both at herself and her opponent—was what filled her. "I'd...appreciate it if you let the oni self-deprecate in peace, thank you very much," she grumbled. "Stab me all ya want, but there's no need for pity here."

Toushiko: 23 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/7 Stamina

(I'm gonna assume from the description and name that Counter Hunt nullifies the midara's attack for that turn.)

(Yeah, it was written with that in mind)

Reiner thrusts his sword into the oni as she fell for his ploy. Jumping back, he watches the oni groan in frustration. "There's no need to self-deprecate, I've felt your strength. You're the real deal. You're just having a bad day. And also..." Reiner holds his sword in front of him, "You picked the wrong opponent to fight!"

Turn Pass

(My character's cockiness is getting to him, costing him a turn)

Toushiko growled as Reiner held his ground. First he keeps patronizing me, and now he won't even attack? Her hands clenched into fists. That does it. I'm gonna teach this bastard some goddamned respect if it's the last thing I do!

With a roar, she threw her club aside and sprinted toward Reiner, ready to pound him into the dirt with her bare hands.

Test Your Strength! - 81
Reiner may have been getting cocky, but he wasn't getting blind. He quickly dove out of the way of the oni's charge, and stood back up with his sword at the ready. For Toushiko's part, she just stared daggers at her nearly-untouched opponent.

This was starting to shift from "embarrassing" to "downright worrying".

Toushiko: 23 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/7 Stamina

Reiner can't help but put up a smile as he can see Toushiko leave her club behind as she sprints towards her. Expecting her attempt to grapple her, he quickly rolls to the side, and stands back up between her and the club.

He shrugs as he says: "Look, let's take a quick break, alright? We aren't going anywhere here..." He walks to his backpack, rummaging through it, before grabbing an ale out of it, throwing it towards Toushiko. "Here, this may help you recover a bit. It's special ale from the southern grasslands, a drink far too unknown for it's own good." He waits for her reply or action, as he tries to learn more from her reaction to it.

Traveler's Knowledge

Toushiko caught the bottle, and eyed it with contempt. The hell was he doing? Growling, she almost threw the bottle away when a voice identical to her own popped into her head.

What the fuck am I doing?

She paused. What was she doing?

Was she just about to throw away a good drink that she'd gotten for free? She ruefully shook her head. Sure, she was pissed off that Reiner had been patronizing her, but maybe he just didn't know any better. It wasn't his fault she was fighting poorly; it was her own stubbornness that was keeping her from adapting to a fast opponent. Granted, she didn't have any illusions about that, but it certainly wasn't improving his opinion of oni any to take out her frustrations on him. She took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. As one of the few oni who still traveled regularly to the surface, it was on her to prove both the strength possessed by her kind, and the fact that they weren't just malevolent brutes, which was a perception still held by many surface-dwellers.

And the first step to that was fighting with a calm mind. Toushiko uncapped the bottle, closed her eyes, and took a long drink from it. She took in gulp after gulp, only pulling the bottle away from her lips once its contents had been completely emptied. She sighed in contentment, a pleasant buzz starting to swirl around her mind. Certainly not enough to affect her combat ability, but still surprising her in its potency—for a human, Reiner had some mildly heavy stuff in that backpack of his. Toushiko felt a familiar grin start to worm its way onto her face. Maybe she could get along with this guy after all.

She decided to show him a bit of appreciation. She turned the empty bottle over in her hand, and slowly inserted the neck of it between her luscious breasts until the neck was completely enveloped. Then she gently squeezed her breasts together, moving them up and down and licking her lips. Her eyes gleamed as she saw Reiner intently watching her, and she exaggerated her movements to keep his attention.

Infernal Temptation - 13

Unbeknownst to her, Reiner had something else entirely on his mind. He was closely observing her, trying to learn something from her reactions. After comparing her actions to everything he knew so far about her and her kind, he determined that...

Traveler's Knowledge - 25
...Oni really liked alcohol.

Well, great.

Reiner sighed; it was no use. The ale had obviously calmed her, but he had no idea how to use that information. He shrugged, and just decided to tuck away that knowledge for later. Who knows, maybe it might come in handy if he managed to piss her off again? He sincerely hoped that it wouldn't come to that—he quite liked having his spine intact, thank you very much—but it was worth knowing.

Toushiko: 23 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/7 Stamina

(For the record, I rolled Traveler's Knowledge first, but the way I ended up writing the post meant that Infernal Temptation's roll had to be shown first. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I changed how Kanabou Strike works a bit. If it connects, and you successfully escape on the first roll before Toushiko makes any other moves, then you get to move again that same turn.)

(Hmm, alright, I'll keep that in mind.)

...Oni really liked alcohol.
Considering the fact that she is currently trying to... Pleasure the bottle? They loved alcohol, that was certain.

Well, that was no help. Still, considering the fact that she had a calmer look now, Reiner put up a slight smile. Perhaps she was finally ready to fight at full power. Deciding to test her out, Reiner grabs his blade again, running toward her for a quick attack to her leg.

Quick Slash

Toushiko rolled her eyes as she realized that—once again—Reiner was somehow able to ignore her sensual show. Given all the stories she heard him tell back in the tavern, she thought that he'd be skilled at resisting her temptation...but this seemed more as if he wasn't even aware she was trying to tempt him at all.

She shrugged. It didn't matter; once she had him in her clutches, she was confident she'd be able to show him the error of his ways, so to speak. The problem was getting to that point, since this guy was faster than a Berserked Doom Slayer.

Quick Slash - 92! Critical Success!

Case in point: not only was he able to land another hit on her before she could even blink, but it looked like he was already coming in for another attack!

(Free move)

(Will Toushiko ever be able to land a hit on her opponent? Will RNGesus ever turn His back on Reiner? Or will the man be able to provide yet another blood sacrifice to appease the gods? Find out next time, on Midara Ball Z!)

(I'm feeling so bad for Toushiko... RNGesus is really screwing her)

I manage to land a hit on her before she could even realize what happened! That was a lot easier than expected... Quickly turning around, I dash toward her again for a second hit, hoping that it will be just as easy!

Quick Slash (Just watch the critical fail coming)

Quick Slash - 89
Her reflexes on full alert from Reiner's first strike, Toushiko was able to turn her body to the side, letting the blade stab into the air beside her. Smirking, she clenched her fingers into a fist, and threw her arm forward, attempting to use Reiner's momentum against him.

(Modified) Kanabou Strike - 55
As soon as Toushiko dodged his thrust, he was ready to dodge her inevitable counter-attack. Sure enough, as her fist came flying toward his face, he just barely managed to arrest his forward momentum and dodge to the side in time. He jumped away from Toushiko, aware of her preference for prolonged close-quarters combat. He knew that as long as he could keep diving in and out like this, he had the advantage.

Toushiko: 22 Stamina
Reiner: 30 Willpower/7 Stamina

(Speaking of crit fails, funny story about that. They're...actually not implemented in my three ongoing RPs right now, because I completely forgot about them until the Barchiel one hit Page 2, and I decided to keep it that way for consistency's sake. However, in all my RPs going forward, a crit fail is going to be an odd roll of 13 or lower...of which Reiner has gotten none, and Toushiko has gotten two. So she'd technically be even more screwed if I had remembered to enforce my own rules.)