Niles and Dorian Duel

INT - Khymeia Academy fencing hall; day

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) had gotten to the academy's rarefied grounds and paced his way toward the fencing hall, something he'd long had time to pre-scout and envision a little early. He took a moment in the orangery to stop and smell the blooms there, grim expression changing none for the sweetness they imparted. He had in fact been fairly churlish unto surliness when roused to speak at home the past few days. Unshaven to reveal a days old 6 o'clock shadow he was unkempt as he could be when he had a uniform to put on. Considering lately he'd only shown up at dinner and not timely, leaving as soon as he'd wolfed down his food and could, he'd nigh-studiously avoided conversation or engagement with his own kin while living in the stormcloud he'd been carrying around with him. It drew his brows into a permanent golden kink above his nose and his lips had rarely left their scowl. Until he was here and the show was on. Then... then even without Dinah present, he'd turn to Lilah and symbolically hand her a letter to be sealed until his demise. It was helpfully addressed: To: D.

As he handed it over he'd thank his sister who was not by blood, "I am grateful you stand for me. You honour me." He'd punctuate with the wink, the hard sharp one which said he was certain he had this. It was something in the way his nostrils flared, letting off some of his pent up ire.

Blake Jermyn scrambled in the door as soon as he could, not about to miss this fight for the WORLD. He brightened as he caught Dorian before the fight started in earnest, giving him his usual big, bright grin and wave before approaching a bit closer, the smile fading to something more earnest, something more heartfelt. "You got this man, I believe in you," he insisted. "Do it for my loves that he stole from me. Do it so you never have to worry about him getting Dinah too. We got your back, man. Forever and always." He reached out his hand, offering it to Dorian to shake.

Delilah Harper-Windgrace: Delilah had followed Dorian around at a respectful distance ever since he came down from his roost on the top floor, intent on performing her duties as Second to perfection. She'd made note over the past few days of his general absence, and plainly dour mood when he was seen, but she'd been so preoccupied with work so she'd not confronted him on his mood. If she were honest with herself, she wasn't sure she would have done so, regardless. And today certainly wasn't the day for it, so she'd remained relatively silent thus far today, the only indication of feelings one way or the other of this display being a glance to Stan as they'd travelled up to the Academy. As they'd made their way through the orangery, however, she had closed her eyes briefly, nearly overwhelmed by the scent from the blossoms. Focus, Lilah! When they finally did enter the location of the duel, she'd stood a touch taller (insofar as the little Scot could do such a thing) and offered Dori a terse nod as she accented his letter, slipping the envelope into her breast pocket, before a slightly mischievous grin tugged on her lips and she said, "Breab a thòin. Ye got this, big brother."

Hector: showed up to find a gaggle of people standing with Dorian and not so much with Niles. He wasn't sure what that said, but it was only polite for the opposition to have SOMEone. He absently wondered if anyone was officiating this. Tipping his enormous Witch hat back, he slid into Roesler's corner. From across the way he could see Drystan, Lilah and even Blake. He didn't think it'd be too much of an issue. He'd already said his opinion on the whole thing last night and him and Drystan had a chuckle. As far as he was aware...this was supposed to be a FRIENDLY duel to first blood. He'd seen Roesler flirting with Dinah and was pretty sure that the man knew what he might be getting himself into. Hector always assumed that people had mostly decent intentions or were just playing around. His thoughts about immortals were that they got bored and liked to play dangerous games. It was neither 'good' nor 'bad' in his eyes. He was merely a human and was on Earth to serve the Earth and teach others. So he'd do the gentlemanly thing today and make sure that Roesler was tended to. He DID like the man. He'd been nothing but helpful and because of his generosity, Hector was going to be able to rise above literally landing on the island homeless without a shirt on his back.

Drystan Windgrace (jacksonn.shepherd) had stood at the back of the hall, waiting on his brother and sister to arrive. Only Dorian showed up with Lilah, the other sister and Dolli wasn't there. His lip twitched as he held his chin in his hands, arm crossed over his chest. He had been stealing glances down the long hall to spy Hector and finally lay eyes on the man that all this fuss was about in the first place. He looked like he would make a nice conversationalist. ANd Hector was right, he also looked like he could purposefully swoon you over. Bah. Other prople began to file in and he just paced a bit keeping silent.

Lex Dashrix stepped into the gym and surveyed the arrayed partisans with a critical eye for a long moment. He carefully approached the good doctor and sketched a mild bow, "Do try not to die Niles." he intoned quietly, "It would be most disappointing if our business was left unresolved over a woman." he offered with a faint smile as he stepped back to observe the final preparations on both sides.

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) stood in casual attire, snugly fit to his frame but mobile. He had one of the sabres in hand and was testing the weight and heft, muscle memory making the movements practiced and fluid the more he repeated them. He lunged and recovered to straighten up, surveying the small crowd that stood across from him with an amused twinkle in his eyes. Roesler was not wearing his spectacles today. The blue-green eyes, flecked with silver and slashed through with that odd flare of red, centered on Dorian and his gathered family. "I have no intention of dying, Alexander," he replied with a wide smile. "This is merely a friendly diffusion of tension. I'm sure Dorian won't get terribly carried away."

He gave Hector a respectful and appreciative nod as the man came to stand in his proverbial corner. "Always lovely to see you Hector. And congratulations on acquiring the Apothecary," he said jovially. "Health and wellness willing, I hope to call on your services to assist at the asylum when this is said and done."

Roesler stepped forward into the main hall, the blade of his sabre resting in one hand as the other held the hilt tightly. Attention on Dorian, he cleared his throat and raised his voice.

"A warm welcome to all of you, and a heartfelt thank you to the Khymeia staff for allowing us to use the space," he said with a sweep of his hand. "Dorian, are you finding the provided blades satisfactory for your purposes?"

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes): || The terms had been set, if simply. First blood. That was a wonderful goal. A line drawn in red. He healed quickly, but surely not quickly enough for the stain to show on the white he'd donned. Yellow at the neck from dreams which had come in fits and starts.

After the encouragement from his youngest sister, the scarlet-haired one, he'd looked up to his big brother's face, flipped his previously palmed favoured lighter the tall man's way, and explained, "I did not bring myself a coffin nail, but I rather think I shall need one. In the pleasant way, that is." A dopey and also entreating grin punctuated, one that was obviously glad that he had the new patriarch there, just before he'd found his buddy's hand out-stretched. At least he could show his brother his bad behaviour and judgment which came naturally to him as his fit and restless form.

All of the impotent rage of long loving a woman he could not have, of standing by and watching his father die, well those were for sorting now; Blake brought that back into focus. And though he did not realize that was the face he was making, one of certainty about an idea that was murky but pressing, needing expressing, he'd reached to clasp one of Blake's hand's to shake it just then. Even through the kidskin gloves, the heat of his hand would be palpable, and he'd glean a hint of just the lackadaisical bent one might need, tied to the fervor of undying desire for vengeance. Maybe that was what brought the other hand over the man's with false lower legs, and Dorian stepping aside to show Niles that he'd been recruiting beyond battle as well.

Surely that was his intention because he'd beam at his opponent when he turned and took a pace and a half his way. He'd grasp the provided weapon and try it with a few modest swings, nodding and beaming on, though the politeness was a thin veneer through gritted teeth that emitted a line that had been rehearsed, "I am delighted, my lord. Ahm, I mean Niles, our friend. And you?"

As he'd finished speaking he also went quite still, glaring with silver eyes drifting around Niles' physiology keenly. There could be no doubt the trained soldier of the clan was considering how best to take his opponent apart, given what some centuries of dueling had given him to lean upon. A cocksure grin showing teeth spoke to his certainty, and maybe his ferocity too.

Blake Jermyn gave Roesler a harsh glare as the man stepped forward into the arena, so filled with burning, seething rage that if looks could kill, it may well have set the man on fire where he stood-... But, no. No. This is Dorian's day. Maybe Blake's would come, eventually... His gaze shifted to Hector next, a small smile fleeting across his lips, only to fade as he realized which side of the arena the man was on. His friendly smile was swiftly replaced with a look of shock and... Was that pity? Perhaps.

But it was Dorian who focused the brunt of his attention, his bare hand gripping the other man's gloved one, hoping to transfer at least something of the fervent hope and support he felt, hoping that if there was any power in prayer, if there was any magic in the fervent rage and hope in his soul, that it would carry his dear friend to victory. "You got this man," he murmured under his breath as Dorian strode out to greet Roesler, begin his duel in earnest, "you got this..."

Delilah Harper-Windgrace: Lilah's alert, calculating eyes moved from Dorian across to Roesler, watching the man make a few, careful swings of his own weapon. A couple centuries of learning to careful watch people, to just predator from prey, made it obvious he likely knew what he was doing, and she hoped Dori wouldn't become overconfident, let his obvious emotions get the better of him. From there, her eyes traced over Hector, no judgement in her expression on the side of the conflict he found himself on, and to Lex, whom she vaguely remember from Roesler's banquet, but was certain she'd not seen since. Crossing her arms over her chest, she just stood, waiting for the festivities to begin.

Drystan Windgrace (jacksonn.shepherd) repeated what his brother said out loud, loud enough for it to ring deeply across the hall and back, clearing his throat and coughing before he did, "Gentleman's rules, fight till First Blood. No tricks No foul play. No using anything but your weapon in hand, not weapons of the mind." He glared around, hands on his hips. Gods how many times had he played this part in duels Dorian had over the many years. guns, knives, bare fists, it didn't matter. He sighed a little and ran a hand through his hair, tugging it behind one ear. He watched as Niles moved on his feet, quietly judging his stride. He looked to his brother. "The Gods see all, be righteous, Knight." He gave him a nod and that was that. He didn't know what to say directly to Dorian, because he had been beyond approach as of late.

Hector: bites his lower lip and feels his cheeks fill with heat when Roesler congratulates him on the Apothecary. "Ah, thank you so much." Then he straightened himself and smoothed a hand down his front. "Absolutely. I adore the staff and people of the Asylum. I would love nothing more than to be able to help more." He lit up like a Christmas tree. It was everything he could do not to dance a little happy jig. He managed NOT to go full kid in a candy store like he had the night before with Drystan, skipping through the store and seeing all the ingredients and plants. And then Roesler addresses the crowd, immediately being so incredibly genteel, just like he'd described him. This was the only side of Roesler that Hector had ever seen. Then there was Lex. He's never actually met the man and looked to him curiously. Bowed his head, hands in front of him politely. "Good day, Sir. Hector Graham, pleasure to make your acquaintance." He glanced across the way again, seeing Blake for a moment give him an odd look. It was a good thing that Hector was wearing his glasses. Hector saw so much of the other world that his eyes had lost their sharpness to the 'real' world. It was hard for him to gage what the look was, but he assumed it was a 'why are you over there??' He offered a gentle smile to Blake, as if trying to reassure him that it wasn't deep. When Dorian raised his voice to recount the rules, Hector followed. "Heard and understood." He pointed to his own eyes, behind his glasses turning pure white. "A gentleman's duel of blade-to-blade, overseen by peers and the Eyes of All. May this settle all grievances and move forward in blood and glory."

Lex Dashrix: "See that you don't." Lex replied coolly. He took a few steps back and observed the two men for a moment as they tested the weight and balance of their blades. They were well matched to his casual observances though he had reason to doubt Niles appraisal of his opponents willingness to maim or kill. "My you both find what you seek in this contest then."

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) stepped further into the hall, stopping at the mark where he and Dorian would be within engagement range and centrally located in the space. "To first blood, nothing but our blades," he stated, nodding as he lifted the saber to his face. He held it straight and upright, his other hand tucked behind his back. To the appraising eyes in the room Niles was certainly less muscular than Dorian... slender and lithe but not overly strong by visual appearance. He knew how to handle a blade though and he certainly didn't seem nervous about the duel itself. The smile on his face was casual, amicable - no mockery evident on his features.

The tri-color eyes wandered as he waited for Dorian to take his position, landing briefly on Dinah as she appeared in Dorian's end of the hall. There was a subtle nod, a little mental tap that he made no effort to make private - if people were searcing for telepathic communications, they were likely to pick it up. /"First blood is mild. He won't be terribly harmed, you have my

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently): promise,/" was the message. Then he swept his sabre downward toward the floor and bent at the waist to salute Dorian before taking a stance, left-handed with his right foot back and his weight balanced.

"On your ready, Mr. Windgrace," he said to his combatant.

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes): || Win or lose, the school would see recompense for the use of the space from the Windgrace clan. Likely a donation to the place's treasury or something like it. Fair was fair. Dorian was sure Drystan or Dinah would see to that part if he failed to. The family name fairly demanded they have involvement in such a space.

For his part, the blade was well weighted, enough like the one that the royal navy had put upon his hip centuries past that he took the measure of it in those few swings. One thing the fallen Charles Windgrace had made certain of, was that his second-born son was a soldier. What the middlest lacked in magical talent, he'd tried all his life to make up for physically. It was why he danced when his siblings studied. For all his physicality, though his mind was loud, his heart and soul were. Beyond the veil he was not lordling but godling. And his ire was a cold fire burning in the center of his chest, implacable, self righteous, so that it affixed a sneer of certainty upon pale rose lips under nearly blazing floes of fire in arctic grey eyes, long shadowed by a stormy unrelenting blanket of emotion. Thickened, perhaps, darkened by storms brewing up behind him when he felt the beginnings of the approach of a certain presence.

It was a really good thing his brother also called to him, reminding him that this was not the first time he'd been on this field. Even IF Drystan was too fair to be relied on to rule for him. That was his part to prove on these tiles, before the sun, stars, and eyes upon them from inside the hall or without. It was something to bet upon, good clean sporting fun among gentlemen with names as currency beyond pockets.

So it was that Dorian did not immediately start to swing or entice swings. Instead he went and raised his hilt before his face and bowed in time with Niles, who was as able a dancer, with longer limbs if less sturdily proportioned. He took a pace and a half back, and rather than going on the offensive he wanted, he'd casually wave his blade to one side, a person pretending not to care while drawling, in a whisper whose growl could not be garnered easily from beyond windows, "Her heart, really?"

That was his ready. As all smiles fell and the cold fire of his rage took over dictacting where to strike first. Which he did attempt. At the tall man's shoulder, an obvious attempt to draw focus that way to strike elsewhere.

Dinah (dollihead) was late, and it was by no means an accident. Striding in on clicking heels, unlike her kin who wore white, blue, gold... Di was clad head to toe in black. The only touch of colour that offered her at all were the emeralds in her ears and on her finger and the gold powder glinting at her eyes even if they WERE behind a veil and slightly too-wide. It had been a few years since she had attended a duel over her. When had the last one been? Long, long ago. She approached behind her family without a word, hands clasped in front of her, the faint bittersweet scent of lingering incense and the far more current scent of clove cigarettes following after her. Di clasped her hands behind her back, chin lifted imperiously as she took note of who was on each side of the dueling hall without moving beyond that.

The psychic tapping was met with a curious tilt of her head, and instead of the usual clarity of the youngest wingraces' mind, today it was a muddle of whispers and shrill, tinnitus-pitch keening.

<" I will hold you to your word, doctor ">

Blake Jermyn just offered Hector a faintly sad smile, a small shake of his head, and then his eyes focused on the duel before him. His heart leapt in his throat as Dorian lunged, wondering if it would be over this quickly. The sound of Dinah entering made him jump a little, but he gave her a friendly little wave, grinning as he spotted what he assumed was the subtle diss of funeral garb. And then the door opened again, and.... He did a double take, squinting at the Italian in the blue fur-trimmed coat. He could have SWORN he'd seen that face before...

Luciano shuffled into the building politely. His hands stuffed into his coat pockets as he looked around at the ornate interior. The man simply took a position within the crowd and peeked into the dueling room. Ready to observe in silence.

Delilah Harper-Windgrace: Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Lilah canted her head as the duel began in earnest. She couldn't help but overhear Dori's whisper which began the duel, and she gave her head a small shake. As she heard her sister enter, Lilah glanced back over her shoulder, offering her a brief nod before turning back to the activities, muttering under her breath, "A' sabaid feargach...mearachd mhòr..."

Drystan Windgrace (jacksonn.shepherd) felt her presence without needing to look over. Dinah made her fashionably late entrance and stood between him and Lilah. He took a small step back and slid his hand around Dinah's waist, finally turning to look at her. "Glad you could make it, sweet sister." There was a heavy underscore of sarcasm, He leaned and nuzzled into her ..hat. Oh... she was veiled even, this time. He pulled his head back from almost kissing the felt and frowned a bit sideways giving her a small squeeze around her side before releasing her and returning a forward a step, as a man he didn't recognize came in and quietly took his place to observe. He side glanced at Delilah, let out a huff of a breath and just shook his head.

Hector: has basically every ghost, spirit and otherworldly creature in the area on alert for shenanigans. He doesn't expect there to be anything untoward, really, but if there was any doubt at the conclusion of the duel...he could clear it up. Ghosts tended to enjoy tattling on the living. It wasn't like the living who wanted something out of being rats. They just liked to have an affect, so give them a job that could fuck over a living person? Oh Hell yeah, most would take it. He glanced to Lex again. He absently wondered if the man's seriousness meant that this issue was more serious than he realized, or perhaps the guy was just all business. He shrugged it off and went back to watching. He saw Dinah walk in, looking like it was a funeral. His brows furled tightly together and then...wait...who was THAT guy?? Hector's head made a curiously quick jerking tilt and Drystan's shadow would stretch out behind him longer than normal. Just a couple of eyes on the other side to scrutinize the person he'd never seen before over by the Windgraces and his little Blakey. Hopefully HatMan would keep his hands to himself and just observe as he was instructed. And it was on. Dori lunged. Fight fight fight!

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) took in Dorian's approach and his casual stance with sharp eyes. He marked the movements, the shifts in weight and responded to his question with a slight widening of his smile. "Offered freely," he replied and moved his elbow outward to position his blade to *lightly* parry and deflect the obvious feint, as if preparing to shift a heftier block to a second attack. "Central, vital. A fitting place for someone of utmost importance, wouldn't you agree?" Roesler made no offensive, not yet. He was content to use footwork and clever blade positioning to avoid getting hit and parry Dorian's blade, gauging the strength behind each blow so he might have a handle on how upset the swordsman was beneath the casual veneer. There were no psychic shenanigans after that initial telepathic message to Dinah. Roesler was keeping himself contained in his own head, behaved but observant.

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) became in a manner of a few moments a singular purpose, one of fulfilling the purpose of retrieving red to bring to the surface of a very colourful person. And what aided him, greatly, was how his sister hadn't even been able to speak to him for some days. As if seeking red here would make the bloodshot colour of Charles eyes would be resolved, as if his twin's rage doubling back upon his own wrongdoing and wrong-thinking would be somehow dissolved in this one task. And when he was answered blithely, civility began to quickly drain. Though he did not say as much, or anything else apart from the grunted exhalation of motion, his swipes, and slashes came furiously again, testing Roesler high, low, at the midsection, there again, then a cheekbone, after that a thigh, in a fast flurry of near-perfectly executed katas, blows and their after-effects to approach the next, with the fury of repeated youth's golden gleam at it's heart.

Arrested agency boiling over given rein. The guttural sound would only land at the precise instant his blade did, as it had become part of him.

Dinah (dollihead) tilted her head and shifted her weight to lean herself against Drystans' side for just a moment, though she didn't speak in reply, letting out a soft huff instead and reaching up to adjust her fascinator neatly before her hands dropped back to where they clasped behind her back.

The stranger that entered behind her brother caused her to turn, silver eyes peering at Luciano through the veil for a long moment before her attention turned back to the duel, chin lifted as the men exchanged words, and Dorian began to get angry. She exhaled low between her teeth, remaining otherwise silent, though one hand reached out to rest against Drystans' arm.

Blake Jermyn seethed in inner turmoil as he watched the duel take place, teeth grinding against each other, hands tightening to white-knuckled fists as hope and fury clashed within just as surely as blades clashed without. He took in the liquid grace with which Roesler moved, commiting each motion, each *strategy,* to memory. One never knew when they'd come in handy, after all... Dorian came at him fast and furious, a blazing assault similar to what Blake himself would do on first instinct. And... He'd scoffed at his friend for this challenge at first, ignoring his advice to lay low as he did, but... All the same, he was grateful for this opportunity, to observe the approach firsthand.

Luciano simply lifted up a hand and tilted his flatcap to those that were looking at him. Quickly turning his attention back to the duel.

Delilah Harper-Windgrace: Delilah continued to watch the lunges, feints, parry's, and both men's footwork. Even in his anger, Dorian's skill was undeniable. But rage in such a duel was a double edged sword, no pun intended, and she hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him. Lilah of all creatures knew the benefits to a well controlled rage...'controlled' being the operative word. She hoped her brother managed to maintain his, or this would be over before they knew it. Pursing her lips, she considered another possibility...if he grew angry enough, the draw of first-blood may not end up being enough to satisfy him.

Hector: was busy making sure the space was safe and there were no shenanigans going on that he wasn't really caught up on the 'conversation' that was going on between the two men. It occurred to him that they were 'fighting' with words as well as swords. He quirked a brow, but just shoved his hands into his pockets and resigned himself to watch. His head was filled with whispers, a ghost bemoaning this, a ghost squirrel chittering wanting nuts it could no longer eat. And of course HatMan was across the way, observing things from the other side. It was no wonder that Hector was an alcoholic, when this much tended to go on around him at any given moment when he was sober. But then shit got real, and Hector leaned against the archway, white eyes going wide as he watched Dorian go from 0 to fuck you. His brows knit tightly together and he waved a hand at his ear as if batting away a fly. It was a 'not now' gesture as he tried to actually WATCH the duel. Shit was spicy! He chewed nervously at one of his lip piercings and wished he could pat Dori's shoulder and tell him to take a breath.

Lex Dashrix watched the interplay of blades carefully but quickly shifted to focus on the mens faces as this duel of honor quickly grew more personal clearly with Dorians building rage. The question was if hte ferocity made his relentless attacks more dangerous or left an opening for the good doctor to exploit. Time would tell but it seemed the day was getting more interesting at the least.

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) || Students had come to cluster around the tall windows, observing with wild curiosity - some of them familiar with the two from patronizing the Cabaret during off-school hours, some of them simply eager to see a fight, attracted by the sound of metal on metal ringing out loudly from the dueling hall as Dorian's increasingly forceful strikes met with parry and block. Their footwork had them moving in circuits around the area. Roesler was practiced; Dorian was better. There were close calls and he certainly wouldn't be able to keep it up indefinitely. "You were there," he said to the man. "Invited, to be a part of it when the heart was offered." There was a grunt and a shift, blade sliding along blade until their hilts clanged together and Roesler was peering into Dorian's eyes, their blades locked momentarily. The wording was deliberate. When Dinah offered her heart Dorian had been given the opportunity to be present. Roesler was counting on Dorian responding viscerally to what had occured when he actually observed the removal, it seemed. "Am I at fault for that?"

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) was, quite simply undone, by what Roesler mentioned. Of course he hated himself for his mind's incapability to watch what his twin had asked. In answer, Roesler would receive the great boon of Dorian tossing his blade aside the moment before he launched himself bodily at Niles. A foregone conclusion that he could crush the wrist that held a blade with his opposing right hand, he'd only wait for the pair to be on the ground, himself hopefully atop the taller man, before he was swinging a gloved fist at that well shaped and cocksure jaw. The first might have hung in the air as the elder of the pair relished that he was intending to rupture that face, but with his blade hand so that the pommel of the thing could make contact with the shapely otherworldly high cheekbone opposite him. Anyone who dared could try to enforce rules, but Dorian didn't seem likely to brook it, as his intention seemed to fully be to induce first blood by blunt force. A punch, then another, accompanied by a guttural cry. If a third

or a fourth were to land, well, that was up to forces more in control of themselves than his own. He was all bent on pressing the bones of one arm while smashing a face, in a snarl of animal rage. Unfurled as it had not been when Dorian lost consciousness in that waiting room, to his great shame while the German had snipped and held his sister's heart. Fault, maybe, if fault meant punch.

Dinah (dollihead) watched Dorians' anger translating into his motions and for a moment she was pleased he'd never really taken to heavy, bludgeoning weapons and that father had forbidden him from the guns. Her face betrayed any sort of emotion, mostly concealed anyway behind the veil and her hand remained at Drystans' sleeve, merely resting there. she uttered another little puff of a sigh at Roeslers' words, and then... there it was.

There was a reason that the rest of her suitors were dead rather than dueled. Anyone who dared COULD enforce the rules but it was Di who moved past drystan, returning her hand to clasp behind herself, walking around the two with enough safe distance that she didn't risk blood getting on her clothes with the same indifference as someone observing a sculpture in a gallery.

Blake Jermyn burned with just as great a fury as Dorian, but his was silent, cold, a black abyss of pure observation. He took in the way Roesler stoked Dorian's fury, deliberate, calculated. Clearly rage was not a friend in this particular fight. And yet, that bright burning fury in his dear friend carried him forward on a relentless march for victory, attempting to crush Roesler to the floor in a way that couldn't help making his eyes go wide with absolute delight, his hand raising into the air for a tiny fistpump, a whispered "yeah GET his ass..."

Drystan Windgrace (jacksonn.shepherd) placed his hand over Dinah's on hs arm, and kept it there as he took a step back allowing the smaller man behind him the opportunity to see something. But then she had broken free as Dorian broke protocol, and Dinah simply ..watched. Grumbling under his breath, he stepped up as well, prepared to remove Dorian by force if need be. He really hoped he wouldn't need to. Just punch and be done, he hoped as he raised a hand out and called out a sharp "EY!" At Dorian's back. "No fists!" Please just listen Dorian.

Hector: seemed to blink and miss something. The ghosts missed it as well, so he could only assume something got whispered or straight into the mind. Whatever it was, it was bad enough that Dorian completely lost his shit. He gasped and put both hands over his mouth, eyes going wide. He couldn't move for a second, just watching Dorian beat Roesler's face in. Dinah moved forward and he started to make little tippy tappy motions, flailing his hands like a Lalafell in a panic. Of course, the hilariousness of the motion was lost on basically everyone but maybe Blake. He swallowed hard and forced himself to take a few steps forward. "Dori!" He wouldn't dare touch either of them, but he didn't have to if it got super too far out of hand. He swallowed hard, looking to Drystan as he stepped forward at pretty much the same time. He tilted his head as if in question and tapping his temple. Your mind grab one and I'll grab the other? Kind of motion.

Delilah Harper-Windgrace: Lilah frowned as the two men's swords locked. She could hear their conversation like she stood right beside them...'Dorian, dinnae fall for this...yer no' gonna fall fer this, are ye?' her mind shouted at her. Clearly, her mind gave Dorian more credit than was due, which became obvious when Dorian threw his blade aside, bodily tackling the man. Lilah bounced on the balls of her feet...her instinct was to let this play out, well versed in giving in to rage. But that was not what this was supposed to be. If they going to kill Niles Roesler, in the middle of what was meanted to be a civilized duel wouldn't be the place for it. Finally, she called out, "Oy! None of that!" While her siblings chose words, Delilah chose actions, running up to try and wrap her arms around Dorian, tugging him back if she were able, shouting, "No' like this, Dori, no' like this!"

Lex Dashrix was very nearly getting bored with the clever swordplay and minor wordplay until Dorian dropped his blade and pursued a more, direct, approach. "Well that is a novel approach." he offered as he looked across the way at the reactions on the windgrace side of the hall. "More satisfying and less deadly, efficient all around really."

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) did not smile. There was a raise of eyebrows and a slight look of shock as Dorian tackled him, bringing him down easily considering the man's greater strength. Roesler made no effort to hang onto his own blade, the saber clattering to the floor and rolling away as his hands went to attempt to buffet against the onslaught of Dorian's fists. There was a crunch as knuckles collided with bone, a nose breaking here, a tooth chipping there - the angular German face got pummeled awfully until Lilah came to attempt to haul him off. He did not return blows... nor did he attempt to throw Dorian off of him. He seemed content to let the man make a furious mess of him. The more Dorian hurt him though the harder it was to keep the Glamour up. Roesler wasn't terribly against showing himself at the Academy but something did keep him from letting it go much further - his body morphed, bones cracking loudly and skin stiffening until Dorian was wrestling with a massive constrictor and not a man, a serpentine body slithering to avoid his blows and wriggle out from beneath the blonde to coil up a distance away.

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) hadn't really ever had a chance to use unbound rage. There was always Charles keeping him back from the impropriety of claiming his sister for his own. Or at least heaping a heavy dose of fatherly disapproval on faith in what he was capable of. Not so while the very agita over his dead father found expression, ironically, seized by the sound of a Scotswoman his father decidedly oppressed, from landing a blow before another anvil could fall.

White gloves showed that he'd shed that blood, and not his own. And upon realizing it, he'd tip golden head up to look at Lilah. A moment after he'd see what he'd wrought.

Then, only then would he face the only direction that called to him as sun did sunfliower, push himself up from his fists and staring at Dinah rise to his feet. As a malicious afterthought being played out, he'd take Nile's pilfered blade up from it's short distance apart from the ruined arm to quickly strike a slash to the man's prone forearm, proof undeniable. Grotesque and arctic a conflagration though it was, a certain logic still managed to produce itself. Then, he'd toss the rapier to his twin to catch and turn pacing from the grounds, fuming no less than he had been. He'd stalk past anyone shoving them as need be passively. On the far side of the orangery though, it might be unclear if he'd taken the transport down, or just simply disintegrated.

Either way, the "soft" WIndgrace was gone. And his triumphal procession was heralded by the fluttering of wind or wings as always were a potential for the floating Academy grounds.

His own glamour was cast aside in fiery eyes set upon breaking that pretty face, but only in that, as far as he was certain. The proof of this was left behind as he'd handed off his bloody gloves to Delilah's central body mass before storming out. He really hadn't meant to leave such a mess, but he would, unless forcibly stopped. It would take him a moment to deal with the truth of all things being possible that his twin had espoused, and bringing that to mean what he wished. It would take him more than a moment to reconsider what he'd done.

Dinah (dollihead) 's mind was a whirr of whispers and needling frequencies, and as drystan and Delilah set to try and tame the other twin, she canted her head to one side. As blow after blow rained down onto Niles, she remained stock-still until the sword was tossed towards her and she snatched it from the air, pressing the blade against her cheek. She took a few steps forward, towards where delilah had had the gloves shoved towards her and she reached her hand out towards them.

"May I?" The first words she'd spoken aloud since she'd arrived, before she turned towards Niles the Snake in the heap where he'd noodled up.

She approached curiously, setting the sword down on the ground in front of the constrictor carefully so the blade didn't rattle from the tiles, turning to look towards the windows for the tell-tale sign of fiery wings.

Blake Jermyn sighed, shoulders slumping as, of course, the vicious charge was against the rules, and must be stopped. Clearly all of it going according to plan. Clearly all of it going into Blake's little list of mental notes, filed away for later. He bit his lip as chaos erupted, making no move towards the fight. Making no move to pull Dorian away. He knew, perhaps, that he should. That this was a trap, and that Dorian had fallen headfirst into it. But all the same, some tiny part of him held onto hope. Some tiny part of him wanted to see *blood.*

And blood there was, the sound of bones cracking under Dorian's fists like music to Blake's ears, thrilling, almost arousing in its brutality... But. Wait. Why were there more cracking sounds than there were blows? Oh... Oh *fuck*... A gulp, his blue eyes gone wide. Well. THAT was another thing to keep an eye on... And then he wasn't the only one who was shifting, Dorian himself shifting to something gleaming and golden and glorious even as he stormed out in humiliated defeat. A soft sigh left his lungs, a shake of his head. They'd lost the battle, but the war was far from over... All the same, he was going to have some consoling to do later, that was for sure.

Luciano clasped his hands together and gestured towards Lex. Dropping his head back as he finally spoke, "Okay, I thought I was the only one. Thank you." He cracked. A smile drifting across his face for a moment as he leaned on the wide door frame. Now watching with much more interest as the duel turned into a brawl, and then a scrum.

Luca's eyes went wide as Roeslers transformation took place. The man dipping his head down to peer clearly at the situation over the edge of his sunglasses. The man twisted his body and pressed it flat against the door frame. Seeking to avoid getting in Dorian's way. A fleeting moment of concern and perhaps fear in the strangers eye as they stormed past.

Delilah Harper-Windgrace: Delilah had been prepared for a fight, to struggle against her older brother, to salvage what she could of this situation, which seemed to be very little. The blood had been spilled, some bones broken. Whether this was a win or not was up for debate. She was thankful when Dorian had relented with the barest of her touch, her shouts managing to get through to him, mostly. She noted Roesler's transformation, but she paid it little mind, her attention of Dorian. She accepted his bloodied gloves with a terse nod, watching the blonde man storm off. Letting out a soft sigh, she offered Di a small smile, brow furrowed as she asked for the gloves, which she surrendered readily. "Well...that wis a whole thing..." she muttered as she turned her attention towards the large snake.

Drystan Windgrace (jacksonn.shepherd) hadn't done a thing other than yell, and then it was all over. Dorian with his blade use on the transforming Niles, and his mad rush to leave left hm dumbstruck. His mouth hung open a bit as he looked from the doors, to Niles and Di, and then to Lilah and back again a few times. He let out a breath he'd been holding and slowly approached Dinah, who had taken up next to the now large snake. His face turned into a decided frown as his fingertips lightly touched Di's back and he stood one step back from her, looking down at the coiled thing. He tentatively said, "Do you need help?"

Hector: ripped one of his lip rings chewing on his lip in concern for what was happening. He opened his mouth to yell at Dorian again, but then Roesler...morphed? With his nose scrunched up and mouth slightly agape, he watched a literal snek slither out from under Dorian. "...huh..." He shook his head and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, shoving his glasses partially up his head. Hector had weirdly never seen Niles without his glamour and he'd certainly never seen him change into a big ass snake. He shrugged it off and looked to Lilah, making sure Dori didn't struggle and accidentally punch her in the nose as well. It seemed like Dorian was going to get up and walk away, but at the last second he snagged one of the swords and gave the retreating snek a slash. Hector huffed and rubbed at his face before shaking his head. From all the blood shed, he would drop to one knee and make a motion in the air. "Dear Goddess, may you forgive the blood spilled upon your peaceful face, this day. Let your healing love and peace come over all those gathered and crimson return to the Earth so that it may be made green." He swept a hand left, and then swept a hand right. He would not leave such negative energy in a place that was 'borrowed.' Would that he had thought to bring a piece of rose quartz or selenite with him, but of course he had no way of knowing it was going to end this way.

Lex Dashrix stepped forward as the Windgrace brother was pulled from Niles and looked down at the ruin of hte mans face with some appreciaiton ofhte handiwork before it shifted and morphed to that of a snake. Lex shook his head, "Really Niles a snake? I'd think you'd be less contrived." the professor however took a swift step back as Dorian returned with the blade, "I think you've proven your point that just exce...." he sighed as the slash was made and then the man stormed out, "sive."

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) might have recovered more quickly from the pummeling, as fucked as his face was but that final slash, made at flesh morphing into scales, rippled into something hideous. Iron burned and sizzled at the fae's skin, cleaving a grotesque opening in the side of the massive constrictor that left swathes of muscle splitting in the wake of the blade's touch. Iron was a natural weakness for the Sidhe and his body reacted violently to the contact. The constrictor shuddered and coiled along itself, twitching and convulsing along the ground until it fell still, breathing shallowly as blood pooled beneath it.

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes) had fully made his point and left it all on the field. Given had hadn't any emergent need for aid, his kin could be sure they'd seen him soon at another meal; however feral he'd been, he was not without his sweet tooth. Nor inability cook, outside of rations or assembling grotesque sandwiches. He'd left a big imprint of his eldritch aided rage in the room, and in his wake. Aerials plentiful enough in emotion to take off upon and be assured gradual landing upon Callisto once more.

Dorian (alexandros.lycomedes): *Given he hadn't had

Dinah (dollihead) bowed her head as she took the gloves, slipping her hands into each of them. White gloves with reddened knuckles as part of her ensemble now. She lifted her silvery gaze from the patterns on the back of the gloves and she stared towards Delilah, a faint smile touching her lips. She looked upwards to her elder brother, eyes still slightly too-wide, though she wiggled her fingers in the gloves and tugged them back up into position, taking a few steps backwards towards Drystan. That was, at least, until Roesler literally split and hissed and sizzled and she sighed gently. Glancing up towards the windows, she stepped towards the wounded Sidhe and reached her hand out towards him after neatly removing the gloves again. Her free hand reached for the pool of blood and she dipped her fingertips in it, touching them to her tongue before reaching for the snake again with a blooming pulse of healing magic to do what she could to help the wound along.

Blake Jermyn shuddered in sadistic bliss as he saw the snake's skin split under Dorian's blade, unable to help a smirk crossing his face, wicked satisfaction gleaming in those icy eyes. Who cared if this was all according to plan, some things in life were just, worth enjoying... Just, maybe not so publically. He shook his head as he made to leave, only... Something was bugging him, something at the back of his head. Turning to that familiar stranger in the blue coat, he squinted at him again. He'd SEEN this man before... But where? Slowly, clattery metal feet carried him over to the man, one hand raising to tap him on the shoulder as he whispered. "Hey. Buddy. Do I like, know you from somewhere?"

Luciano was a bit confused as everything unraveled. Just watching in stunned silence. The man went as far as to take his circular shades off just to get a better look. Idly running his thumb over the lens to clean it. He -jumped- slightly as Blake snuck up on him. Turning his head with a slightly wild gaze, looking them over with a pause...

"Uhhh... No?" He replied cautiously. Keeping his voice low as to not disturb the situation in the main 'area' as it was.

Drystan Windgrace (jacksonn.shepherd) furrowed his brow as the wound erupted and Niles the Snake fell limp. "Oh now what..." He spoke out loud what Dinah's face expressed as she went about the same process he would have, but instead he walked around and knelt, lifting the head of the snake off the cold floor, and put it sort of in his lap to cradle as Dinah did her thing. He looked up at her from under his brow. "So this is who all the fuss is about?" His eyebrow went up slowly at his sister. She didnt mention the giant snake part when describing him the other night.

Delilah Harper-Windgrace: Delilah raised an eyebrow, looking down at the wounded snake. As the man, Lex, spoke of Dorian's excessiveness it adding the small sword slash, she had some trouble arguing the point, but when he reactioned as she may against silver, she muttered, "Aw bugger..." She wasn't a healer, this was beyond her. Thankfully, Dinah was more than capable of dealing with the situation. Glancing from her sister to Stan, she inclined her head in the direction of the exit. "Ah'm gaena catch the transport back down ta land, try an' catch up with Dori, check on him. Ah'll see ye both back home." Glancing back down at the wounded snake, she said softly, "Gute besserung, Herr Doktor," no malice in her voice. With that, she turned to make her exit.

Hector: was in the middle of praying when the snake split open, coiled in on itself and looked like it got mangled from just that one little slice. "Jumping lizzies what was that blade made out of??" On instinct he started to crawl towards Roesler-Snek. He reached up into his hat and took a few things down, including a little mouse. The candles on the brim were taken down and he carefully made a tiny circle out of wax and placed the mouse in the center. No one asked him, but also no one is going to stop him. Blackened fingertips swirled over the top of the little mouse, drawing something glowy up out of the fuzzy creature. He apologized softly and promised the mouse to be reborn in whatever form he desired. The mouse squeaked and fell over, dead. The glowy energy came up into his palm and then with a 'pushing' motion through the air he started to work it toward the injured Roesler. "Rejuvenate, Renew, Relieve..." He chanted over and over again. Even with a terrible wound such as that, surely he would feel somewhat better with both him AND Dinah working on the poor snekky. Glances back to Drystan when he cradles the snake's head and asks if this who all the fuss was about. He offered a faint shrug. "I didn't know he could become a snake. A bit on the nose." Winks to Drystan, but then goes back to healering.

Lex Dashrix: "Well played Niles, embarass the boy and get some time with the sister." Lex suggested with a small shake of his head. "It really has been lovely all but I must be going. "Be seing you professor Windgrace." he intoned politely as he turned to take his leave.

Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently): || Response came from the doctor at a delay. It took efforts from Dinah and Hector to combat his natural weakness to the iron in the blade but eventually the wound did mend, becoming stable enough that he could regain consciousness - or at least communicate with them. Roesler spoke telepathically, his voice unchanged despite the iridescent scaled physiology of his current form. /"Iron. I thought perhaps an alloy like steel would be less damaging,"/ he explained, the head of the serpent wavering a little to stare at the discarded blades. /"Evidently not. Thank you... for your assistance, both of you. I should be able to recover well enough from here."/ He did not shift, though... evidently that would prove far too taxing in his current state. Instead the snake settled in a thick, loose coil in the center of the dueling floor, evidently content to bask in the afternoon sun.

Dinah (dollihead) made a soft noise in her throat at Drystans' words, and after her magic left her fingertips and went to Roesler, she nodded. Dipping her fingers in his own blood, she idly started doodling the unknowable marks down his scaled skin, painting him in eldritch runes.

"This would be dr Niles Roesler. The one man out of all of them that have ever been that dorian believes is the one to sweep me off my feet because he served my heart at his dinner party at my behest" she said dryly. She nodded towards Delilah at her words and she gave a soft 'thank you." to her sister before she returned to her painting. At Lex's words, Dinah's nose wrinkled.

"Dorian embarrassed himself" she muttered quietly, shaking her head before lifting her voice a little louder "A pleasure to see you again, Professor Dashrix, as always. Do give my love to thirteen?"

She stood as Roesler regained consciousness, licking her fingers clean like a cat.

"It was the least I could do." she said primly, turning to look back towards Drystan, and she gestured to the giant, painted, bleeding snake.

"well? your future brother in law, if dorians' delusions are to be believed" she smirked, but there was no mirth in it. "we'll have to see how he behaves later."

Hector: and now is the point where Hector has a mental breakdown. There is only one creature that he knows of that is allergic to iron. He doesn't stop healing until he's sure that Roesler is ok enough. Then he just sort of sliiiides back and pushes himself to his feet. He's sheet white in the face and looks like he's about to shit bricks. He swallows VERY hard and is trying desperately to collect his thoughts. He's toiling over every conversation, every meeting, every missive he's ever sent to Niles to make sure he's not caused obvious offense by Fae 'law' as it were. His family has had an 'understanding' with the Fae for many, many, MANY generations. One wrong step and he could ruin a peace that kept himself and his bloodline 'safe.' He didn't even know how many in this world that meant, and so this was absolutely nerve wracking to come upon, especially under this sort of circumstances. And then Dinah said Roesler SERVED HER HEART AT A DINNER PARTY?? Oh he feels faint. He starts patting himself down like he would pull out a flask, a cigarette, anything mind altering, but he has absolutely nothing on his person. "Tch..." He swallows thickly, his mouth suddenly so very dry. Has so many things he WANTS to say and most of them begin with 'are you insane??' but he bites his tongue so hard he feels his mouth fill with blood. With his head filled with absolute horror, he simply walks out and starts to head back for the isle proper.

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