Test vs Cupidity

(I would assume only one but it's up to you. This isn't exactly a traditional multi-opponent fight so you could rule either way.)

(Opening Act -roll 1, 84, 56, 31- 2 Success, 1 Fail, and 1 Crit Fail!)
(River Stance -roll 14- Crit Success!)

The puppets advanced on him. Test managed to swing at one that got too close and cut the strings holding her up. She fell to the ground as the other puppets lifted their skirts and flashed their pussies at him.

Despite himself, Test couldn't help but note how detailed they were.


Test: 2 Willpower
Shari: 10 Stamina
Generic Puppet: 3 Stamina + Stunned
Charlie: Puppet: 4 Stamina
Anika Puppet: 5 Stamina
Freya Puppet: 5 Stamina

Unable to think of any interesting or amusing moves to use Test took a moment to catch his breath, all this running around on stage was surprisingly tiring.

A Moment of Respite

(A Moment of Respite -Auto- Heal -roll 5- 5 Willpower Restored!)
(Kiss Rehearsal -roll 58, 87, 58- 2 Success and 1 Fail!)

Test took a moment to focus himself, and he needed it. Two of the puppets pulled him into kisses. The cat girl puppet fell over as the puppeteer split her focus on reattaching broken strings.


Test: 3 Willpower
Shari: 10 Stamina
Generic Puppet: 3 Stamina
Charlie: Puppet: 4 Stamina
Anika Puppet: 4 Stamina
Freya Puppet: 5 Stamina

Test sent a powerful swing the generic puppets way. Hoping to down at least one of them.

Overwhelm on Generic Puppet.

(Overwhelm -roll 45- Fail!)
(Total Control -roll 10- Crit Success!)

The puppet he targeted, and all the others, suddenly dropped to the floor before he could swing his weapon.

"It's time for the finale!" the puppeteer complained as her strings attached to Test.

No longer in control of his own body, the stings made him shamble over to he puppeteer and pull her into a kiss.

"Test!" Reisen called out in a mix of concern and jealousy.

(Test has been defeated! Test's Max Willpower drops by 5!)

After the initial shock of being moved against his will faded Test allowed himself to relax. After all he clearly wasn't going to win this one so why fight it.
"When you said this one needed audience participation I didn't expect it to go this far." He joked, hoping his calmness would signal to Reisen that there was no need to worry.

"It wouldn't of had to if you had just wanted to have your way with me." the puppeteer grumbled as she forced him to start groping her.

"Well that's just too far." Test thought. His words though were far more polite. "Well it's been fun but I'd appreciate it if you could untie me. Reisen and I have places we need to be." He said, his tone becoming far more serious. He hoped for Shari's own sake that she'd comply as he didn't imagine that Reisen would react well to her keeping him up here any longer.

"Oh, Shari! You're just so beautiful that I can't help myself!" the puppeteer said in a perfect imitation of Test's voice as she made him slip his hands under her clothes.

"I never had someone's girlfriend watch as I made them dominate me." Shari whispered to Test as she glanced to Reisen who was biting her lip as she watched the show. "It's a new feeling. And I kind of like it!"

"She's not my girlfriend." Test said through gritted teeth, fooling no one but himself. While the mimicry was impressive he didn't expect it to fool Reisen for any real length of time, they knew each other a little too well for that. And even if Reisen didn't intervene he just might be able to untangle himself, it wouldn't be the first time a midara had underestimated his ability to fight back.

"Really? Cause she seems to be getting pretty jealous." the puppeteer teased before she had him force her into a kiss.

Reisen's eyes twitched as she held onto her chair in a white-knuckled grip. If she interfered, she wasn't certain which one she would actually attack.

This was the last straw. Test's patience had been entirely spent. As soon as she freed him from the kiss he attempted to use what free moment remained in his digits to latch on the the strings coming forth from her hands, trying to throw off the strings movements, as soon as he had any sort of grip he began to struggle like mad, trying to break or undo as many strings as he could.

Burst Forth
(I leave it up to you whether Test's escape attempt works but Burst Forth seemed like the most obvious move to invoke.)

"Wah!" Shari cried as her strings snapped and she was shoved to the ground. The puppeteer looked up at Test with a mix of fear and arousal.

After removing the last of the strings Test looked down at her with a look of deep frustration and disappointment. After taking a few steps back to prevent her from trying anything (and to make it absolutely clear to her that he was not about to enact whatever fantasy was clearly running through her head) he asked in the tones of one asking a largely hypothetical question. "You want some honest criticism?"

"I-Is i-it con-constructi-tive o-or a-are y-you ju-just go-going t-to sa-say ho-how m-much y-you ha-hate m-me?" the puppeteer asked as her nervous stutter returned in full force.

"It's actually constructive. I don't hate you, I'm just disappointed." In reality Test was quite angry with the cowering puppeteer but he tried not to make it obvious. One of the problems with midara is that they often genuinely didn't understand what was wrong with their actions, it did good to at least try and explain to them the error of their ways, no matter how personally satisfying it would be to just browbeat them. Looking around at the stage and the collapsed puppets Test launched into his speech. "This show of yours has some real potential, but there some changes you are going to have to make. Your technical skills are incredible and the handiwork on your puppets is second to none but if you really want to Wow an audience your going to have to bring more to the table. A plot wouldn't go amiss, you could even keep the audience participation, but the audience member needs something to do other then be kissed senseless. Some sort of role, even if it's just to stand center stage and hold something while the puppets dance around them. You could easily work in some sort of improve bit, like the audience member comes on stage and the scene is set such that one of the puppets is his wife and one is his mistress and they just found out about each other and are demanding he tell them which one is the better lover. Something like that would have the potential for comedy while giving context to all the kissing and arguing." Test blushed slightly as he remembered the puppeteers very effective "Love Triangle" bit. "And temporarily making the audience volunteer one of the puppets could make for an impressive finally, but you have to make them actually do something, like a dance, or acrobatics, or a safe but amusing pratfall. What you absolutely should not do is force them to grope and kiss you in front of an audience. Even if they don't mind, and they likely will, that has the potential to be very damaging to their social standing and reputation and would likely lose you a lot of your audience." Test mind drifted back to the Arena. "Or at least lose you a lot of most audiences. Long story short, lots of potential but if you never want this to be a show people enjoy and want to see again and not just a trap your going to have to show the audience and your self a little more respect."
With that lengthy tirade off his chest Test felt a lot less angry (although he was still upset). He awaited the puppeteers response, unsure how she would react to having so much criticism dumped on her at once.

Shari sat up and rubbed her chin as she thought over his words. "I-I don't ge-get what yo-you mean ab-about social st-standing. But you d-do have a po-point on the plot. I-It wasn't th-that long ago th-that I could barely control two puppets a-at once. While that h-has improved rapi-pidly, I still need to adjust my show to compensate for it."

Test really needed to be more careful when explaining things to midara. Concepts that seemed so fundamental to him, such as social standing and formal vs informal relationships, were often entirely new to them. "If you only take one thing away from all this it's that if you respect your audience they'll respect you back. If you try to force them into things you're only going to make yourself enemies."
With that Test marched off stage, the stiffness of his walk betraying his anger. He walked over to Reisen and offered her a hand. "Shall we get going, we have lots more to see." His tone and expression making it clear that he really wanted to be out of here.

Reisen got up, but refused to look at him.

Test began to worry, had Reisen not noticed the puppet strings? He leaned in and whispered "I'm sorry about all that, I didn't expect her to try something so... disrespectful. But hopefully my words got through to her and she'll never do that to anyone else." He tried to read her body language, wondering if pulling her into an apologetic hug would be a good move or just upset her further.

"I heard what she said to you. These aren't just for show." Reisen said as her rabbit ears twitched. "It's just... If I look at you right now, I'm afraid I'm going to try and make you do to me exactly what she was trying to make you do to her."

"I know you're not going to do that. And even if you did the difference between you and her is that you've earned my trust. I care deeply about you and know that if something ever happens it's not because your a bad person but because your hand was forced." With this he pulls her into a soft hug, attempting to ease her insecurities. "And if you ever want me to do anything, you need only ask."
Test thought back to his reasons for coming here. Amongst the ones he's told Reisen there was also the hope that maybe they could find a midara knowledgeable enough in magics to set them on the path towards a cure to Reisen's condition. It was a distant hope but one he strongly clung to.

Reisen let out a little gasp at the sudden contact. "C-Can you grope my breasts?" she asked as she shivered in his hold.

"Of course" Test replied before pulling away and hooking has hands around her breasts, massaging them softly. "Would you prefer I handle them roughly or gently?"
Normally he'd find this arousing, and he did feel a slight stirring in his loins, but right now he was far more focused on pleasing Reisen then satisfying himself.