[ As the question goes; have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
It looks like Strange is about to answer that question, what with Shuten starting to circle around him as the moonlight illuminates her form. ]
Don't take this the wrong way; I'm not trying to be disliked by you.
[ She knows her likes and dislikes and thinks it is unbecoming to focus so keenly on the latter. But her way of liking or loving is deadly and inhuman. ]
There aren't as many distractions around me... And besides.
[ She takes a large swig directly from her gourd this time with her free hand. Exhaling deeply, she smiles at Stephen, a fresh drunken flush flooding her cheeks. ]
Fighting for your life, inebriated and outwitting your opponent is its own kind of fun you know?
So think fast.
[ And thus she disappears into her spirit form. Looks like she's doing what she wants but on a more deadly level now. ]
[Think fast, indeed. This isn’t what he planned on, exactly—having to indulge his Servant’s whims by sparring on a rooftop in Japan—but he cannot say it’s wholly unexpected. Best to nip this not-quite-problem in the bud before it became a problem proper. Best that he deals with it instead of Wong, or instead of a student getting too in over their heads, too fast.]
Fine.
[There’s a punctuation to that word, a concession that goes out of its way to sound beleaguered. A second later, and Stephen’s on his feet. A second later, blink and you’ve probably missed it, he’s in his sorcerer’s garb, his cloak a bright streak of red even in the blueish night, which might have something to do with the levitation moments before.
Shuten is nowhere to be seen just yet, but his senses are keen, and already there’s a hint of magic at his fingertips, aglow in the dark.]
Who is outwitting who?
[Excuse you, but he can take that as a challenge.]
[ Ritsuka Fujimaru, Chaldea's only Master was not exactly a combatant; they directed the Servants' battles and supported them with their limited abilities; her word was the ultimate command. For that, Shuten Douji was lenient with what she considered an adorable hardworking child who had fought her fair share of hellish battles. She never laid a hand on Ritsuka even if she playfully and shamelessly flirted with her, letting her know that the Master's bones had become most delectable in her eyes.
This current Shuten Douji, the Assassin-class Servant wants this deadly dance because this Master had more potential to go toe-to-toe with her. It's new, it's intriguing, and it'll stave off her inner lull. There's also something about Stephen Strange's determined blue eyes when faced with danger, that makes her want to take a closer and intimate look. ]
Hi there.
[ Her luscious drunken voice sounds like it's right next to his ear before the oni appears above of him to deliver a drop kick. ]
[The air is heady and brackish with a fruity, alcoholic scent. It’s warning enough even before her silken drawl sounds in the shell of his ear, and magic encircles Stephen’s hands as he ducks low to bring them up and over his head. A sparking shield of amber light forms, and sparks fly when her heel slams into his newly-created protection.]
Hi.
[Cheeky. Stephen pushes forward, the shield following suit. He intends to send her flying back, and with any success, conjure up a portal for her to fall into mid-flight.
Where it leads? No one knows, she’ll just have to find out.]
[ Oh she won't let herself fall into any of those portals yet. Shuten's sober enough to keep that in the back of her mind and the oni wants to see if she can even land a hit. Having fought with human warriors in the Heian era, she knows better than to underestimate their capabilities. And it would be insulting to him for her to take him so lightly no?
When Stephen pushes back with his magic shield, Shuten hums and uses both of her feet to spring off the surface and land only a few feet away from him.
Let's see if she can get him drunk. A sake dish appears in one hand already full of the glowing rainbow-colored liquid. While she creates some more distance between them Shuten holds it out in front of her tipping the vessel lightly until one drop hits the ground.
And that drop transforms into a tidal wave that rushes towards the sorcerer. Is it enough to melt him down? No, but it's thick and sickeningly sweet, and lesser men than Stephen would probably keel over like he's seen before. ]
[The portal behind her snaps closed, with no oni to gobble up this time — a shame, he thinks, but it’s time that he focuses his magic elsewhere, now that she’s landed before him and using her vessel in ways he’s seen in battle before.
Not that it makes this any less worrisome, of course. He’s never had that saccharine sweet drink literally attempt to flood his senses, and Stephen flings up another magical shield to block the tide hurtling his way. It slams against his magic, then sweeps along the sides, the only place it’s given clearance. Enough to stall the immediate effect, but not enough to stop it from completely sloshing at his soles, thickening the air with a drunken sweetness that already has him feeling dizzy.
He knows better than to linger, and so he doesn’t. Stephen leaps up into the air and hovers swiftly above Shuten’s head with the help of his cloak, conjuring up a whip with magic. He flings it at her, aiming to wrap around the hand balancing her vessel.]
[ Her eyes follow his movements and the magic whip he conjures is successful in wrapping around her wrist which drops her vessel. It causes the alcohol in the surrounding perimeter to evaporate instantly.
Shuten isn't totally upset; you don't live as long as she did if you linger on every imperfect move. ]
Trying to bind me already, huh? Bold man. I like it.
[ Instead, she's going to put her monstrous strength to good use by using her other hand to yank on the chain to pull him out of the air and towards her. ]
[Good development: that noxiously potent sake is out of the picture, dissipated the moment her vessel clatters to the floor. Bad development: her strength is what one would expect of an oni, far greater than his own, and Stephen finds himself yanked forward like he was the one on the leash.
Not as planned, clearly, but often he’s had to adjust his plans accordingly — the sorcerer doesn’t bother trying to change his trajectory, instead allowing physics to play its role. His mass is yanked straight into her, which he plans to use much like a ball clattering into another on a pool table. And the corner pocket just happens to be yet another portal opening up right behind them both — they can both take the plunge this time, unless she’s fast enough to redirect them both.]
[ Shuten has pulled Stephen so that he's a few inches away from her. The energy she has grasped makes her fingers tingle and up close, the sorcerer can see her lighthearted expression. And that's the thing, isn't it? She's having fun making him fight for his life and seeing him struggle. What a troublesome familiar Shuten Douji is, and that's putting it lightly.
Her ears perk up at the sound of the portal opening beneath them. The oni could have managed a redirection but... ]
Now, where does this lead us? I'd like to see what surprise you have for me in there.
[ With a delighted giggle, Shuten allows herself to drop downwards taking Stephen with her. ]
[It’s a void, really, once they fall through. Just endless motion and nothingness, gravity or some facsimile of it flinging them downwards, like stones dropped from the top of a skyscraper. Falling, falling, falling. An eternity of it.
Shuten might recognize this dimension as one used to keep a certain Asgardian trickster god busy, but that’s neither here nor there.
Stephen plummets right beside her, the swell of his cloak fluttering behind in a red swath. He looks nonplussed, almost comfortably assured.]
Shuten… Tell me something. Does an oni have a third eye?
[ Well, well, well. Shuten lazily lets go of Stephen as they both fall through the endless void. Using her giant gourd as a seat, she drapes herself across it to look at the sorcerer. Her hair dances from the air created from their endless descent. ]
An interesting question, Sweetie. Some onis have literal third eyes, but aside from that...
[ Falling is a different sensation from getting drunk. It's not entirely unpleasant, but she gets the feeling that he's trying to resolve this without any major injuries for either of them. ]
Trying to end this in a stalemate, are you? No third eye on my pretty person here, but I have some foresight when it comes to these little bouts.
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no subject
[ As the question goes; have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
It looks like Strange is about to answer that question, what with Shuten starting to circle around him as the moonlight illuminates her form. ]
Don't take this the wrong way; I'm not trying to be disliked by you.
[ She knows her likes and dislikes and thinks it is unbecoming to focus so keenly on the latter. But her way of liking or loving is deadly and inhuman. ]
There aren't as many distractions around me... And besides.
[ She takes a large swig directly from her gourd this time with her free hand. Exhaling deeply, she smiles at Stephen, a fresh drunken flush flooding her cheeks. ]
Fighting for your life, inebriated and outwitting your opponent is its own kind of fun you know?
So think fast.
[ And thus she disappears into her spirit form. Looks like she's doing what she wants but on a more deadly level now. ]
no subject
Fine.
[There’s a punctuation to that word, a concession that goes out of its way to sound beleaguered. A second later, and Stephen’s on his feet. A second later, blink and you’ve probably missed it, he’s in his sorcerer’s garb, his cloak a bright streak of red even in the blueish night, which might have something to do with the levitation moments before.
Shuten is nowhere to be seen just yet, but his senses are keen, and already there’s a hint of magic at his fingertips, aglow in the dark.]
Who is outwitting who?
[Excuse you, but he can take that as a challenge.]
no subject
This current Shuten Douji, the Assassin-class Servant wants this deadly dance because this Master had more potential to go toe-to-toe with her. It's new, it's intriguing, and it'll stave off her inner lull. There's also something about Stephen Strange's determined blue eyes when faced with danger, that makes her want to take a closer and intimate look. ]
Hi there.
[ Her luscious drunken voice sounds like it's right next to his ear before the oni appears above of him to deliver a drop kick. ]
no subject
Hi.
[Cheeky. Stephen pushes forward, the shield following suit. He intends to send her flying back, and with any success, conjure up a portal for her to fall into mid-flight.
Where it leads? No one knows, she’ll just have to find out.]
no subject
When Stephen pushes back with his magic shield, Shuten hums and uses both of her feet to spring off the surface and land only a few feet away from him.
Let's see if she can get him drunk. A sake dish appears in one hand already full of the glowing rainbow-colored liquid. While she creates some more distance between them Shuten holds it out in front of her tipping the vessel lightly until one drop hits the ground.
And that drop transforms into a tidal wave that rushes towards the sorcerer. Is it enough to melt him down? No, but it's thick and sickeningly sweet, and lesser men than Stephen would probably keel over like he's seen before. ]
no subject
Not that it makes this any less worrisome, of course. He’s never had that saccharine sweet drink literally attempt to flood his senses, and Stephen flings up another magical shield to block the tide hurtling his way. It slams against his magic, then sweeps along the sides, the only place it’s given clearance. Enough to stall the immediate effect, but not enough to stop it from completely sloshing at his soles, thickening the air with a drunken sweetness that already has him feeling dizzy.
He knows better than to linger, and so he doesn’t. Stephen leaps up into the air and hovers swiftly above Shuten’s head with the help of his cloak, conjuring up a whip with magic. He flings it at her, aiming to wrap around the hand balancing her vessel.]
Enough. You can’t do that up here.
[hello they’re on a castle?]
no subject
Shuten isn't totally upset; you don't live as long as she did if you linger on every imperfect move. ]
Trying to bind me already, huh? Bold man. I like it.
[ Instead, she's going to put her monstrous strength to good use by using her other hand to yank on the chain to pull him out of the air and towards her. ]
no subject
Not as planned, clearly, but often he’s had to adjust his plans accordingly — the sorcerer doesn’t bother trying to change his trajectory, instead allowing physics to play its role. His mass is yanked straight into her, which he plans to use much like a ball clattering into another on a pool table. And the corner pocket just happens to be yet another portal opening up right behind them both — they can both take the plunge this time, unless she’s fast enough to redirect them both.]
no subject
[ Shuten has pulled Stephen so that he's a few inches away from her. The energy she has grasped makes her fingers tingle and up close, the sorcerer can see her lighthearted expression. And that's the thing, isn't it? She's having fun making him fight for his life and seeing him struggle. What a troublesome familiar Shuten Douji is, and that's putting it lightly.
Her ears perk up at the sound of the portal opening beneath them. The oni could have managed a redirection but... ]
Now, where does this lead us? I'd like to see what surprise you have for me in there.
[ With a delighted giggle, Shuten allows herself to drop downwards taking Stephen with her. ]
no subject
Shuten might recognize this dimension as one used to keep a certain Asgardian trickster god busy, but that’s neither here nor there.
Stephen plummets right beside her, the swell of his cloak fluttering behind in a red swath. He looks nonplussed, almost comfortably assured.]
Shuten… Tell me something. Does an oni have a third eye?
no subject
An interesting question, Sweetie. Some onis have literal third eyes, but aside from that...
[ Falling is a different sensation from getting drunk. It's not entirely unpleasant, but she gets the feeling that he's trying to resolve this without any major injuries for either of them. ]
Trying to end this in a stalemate, are you? No third eye on my pretty person here, but I have some foresight when it comes to these little bouts.