[Down into the music rooms, to where the grand piano sits. His stance is a tired one, and he seems to want only the quiet as he slips in and closes the door behind him. No need for a lock tonight. He just needs the quiet.
He does not notice Fandaniel yet, too preoccupied with setting up the instrument.]
[ Down, down to the music rooms, and at the closed door, he pauses. Carefully, he will reach for the handle, testing for the lock — nothing — and then ease it open only enough to peer inside. Seeing him preparing the piano, well.
He will wait.
Better to wait for the music to better hide his steps. ]
[There is no sheet music that is pulled. Solomon's hand simply find the keys, and they play. Technical but sorrowful, a hobby picked up out of nothing but time rather than passion. Something to do, to keep an ancient mind busy. To keep it connected.
The music flows, and he still does not hear Fandaniel.]
[ The door slowly opens and Fandaniel enters, approaching step by step, slow, measured. There's still a chance he knows... Still a chance he's thinking to fool him... Who would lower their guard after all of this? Surely not Solomon, but that doesn't mean Fandaniel won't see how close he can get.
If he can get right up behind him, as close as possible, he will draw a scalpel helpfully borrowed — much like Yugamu — from the chapel-turned-lab. Simple enough, then, to slide the cold metal up against the side of Solomon's neck. ]
[The change of presence in the room is enough to earn him pause, his hands slowing. But he's aware of the position he's put himself in. Foolish. Foolish.
So while his hand does start to leave the keyboard to slip against his jacket, Fandaniel moves faster, and Solomon goes perfectly still at the touch of sharpened metal to his pulse point.
An exhale, slow and purposeful.]
Alright. You have my attention.
What's the matter?
i know what card that icon is from and i never got it rip
He belongs to me, and I to him. [ That's right, the bitch is jealous. ] So I would very much appreciate it if you stayed away from him from now on. See? Is that not simple enough?
You would think I would not care, no? And normally, you would be correct, but there is something about him that... I have no desire to share. I do not want you speaking to him. I do not want you looking at him. I do not want you even breathing in his direction.
[ Every word sounds increasingly unhinged, desperate. Fandaniel has never been 'on' as far as sanity goes, but this is, perhaps, a step even further than before. ]
Ah, of course. You would have to at the very least speak to him to tell him you are no longer interested. To send him away. Certainly, I will not hold that against you. I am not entirely unreasonable!
[ Is he serious right now? Unfortunately! ]
As for what I will do, well. [ He won't move the scalpel from its spot. It remains where it is, just so, but he will lean closer, so that hot breath tickles Solomon's ear. ] I have abstained from Father's bloody farce by choice thus far, Solomon. Do not give me cause to decide otherwise.
[ The reaction is immediate and, shockingly, that reaction is not to slit Solomon's throat. The scalpel's blade moves away, and instead, he grabs for the sorcerer's hair, meaning to grab it roughly between his fingers and yank his head back so they can finally look at one another, eye-to-maybe-a-little-upside-down-eye. ]
How dare you call him a dog! I do not! I would not! Do you not understand?! How long it has been since I have felt anything?! There should be nothing! Naught a single feeling stirring within this wretched, dead heart of mine!
[ Which might explain why he's being so crazy about this now. It's a bit much. ]
He will survive this, and then he will kill me, and it will be what I have always desired!
[His hands jerk against the piano with a clattering of half-played keys, face strained at the forced angle. But he meets that crazed look with one that doesn't break, pained as it is.
A slow exhale. Another.
Control in the face of the uncontrollable. Let the fear die away from your heart.]
And how do you plan on ensuring that? Killing every other person here??? Unlike your god, you can't just loophole your way into that drastic a solution.
[ He twists the hair in his grasp, vicious to the end. ]
Of course! Of course, I will if I have to! Do you think me incapable?! If I must find a way, I will do it!
[ He laughs. It's terrible. The only saving grace here is that the scalpel is no longer dangerously near any skin at all, but instead is waving in the air as he cackles on. ]
Sika Madu and their plans be damned! If she had any real foresight, she would know how I would react to this! To Nishi!
[The scalpel is, at least, not quite so close. And although he yelps at the pain that digs like knives to his scalp, one of his hands once against tries to reach for his coat.
Closing around a pen.]
You know I can't let you do that, Fandaniel.
If you're that concerned about Nishi, make sure he doesn't kill himself first.
cw: tbh i should have slapped suicidal ideation on this from the get go
[He feels the give, just slightly. He needs to take a chance.
Perhaps Fandaniel is too distracted to see exactly where the iridescent weapon in Solomon's hand materializes from, a blade made of something akin to roughly hewn diamond. But the dagger swings out sharply at an upwards angle, tight in Solomon's wrist, intending to slash at Fandaniel's arm and free himself.]
[ He lets out a snarl, more enraged than it is pained, and immediately releases the hair as he jerks back a step. It took cutting into him to get him to let go, the diamond blade cleanly slicing through his shirt sleeve and flesh both on the arc upward. That same sluggish blood mars the shine of the diamond and drips fatly on the floor, only...
That doesn't seem to be all. There's something more.
It flutters from the wound, though that itself is hidden under the cut cloth of the shirt. A dark rose petal, much like the few he'd had in his pocket during the trial earlier. It falls, one, then another, drifting to the floor to join the droplets of blood there. ]
How dare you?!
[ He won't give Solomon much time to process that, lunging after him with his scalpel, swinging out to strike at the man, though wildly, so wildly it isn't particularly well targeted. ]
[The dagger dematerializes almost as fast as it appeared, the pen in Solomon's hand tucked in tight against his wrist as he shoves his weight back against the piano to dodge the blade, the rattling of wires and wood and tones all mismatched as the instrument jostles from the effort.
With a grunt and a shove of his foot, Solomon upends the piano bench in Fandaniel's direction, aiming to trip him up long enough to give Solomon time to get to the door. His back is turned, yes, but only for a moment, surely only for a moment. He can't kill here, he has to desescalate this somehow---]
[ A swing and a miss, and then the bench is crashing into his legs. He spits and curses like an angry cat, scrambling to recover his balance and whip around after the man. He lunges as Solomon passes, jabbing the scalpel forward in a sharp motion towards his receding back.
It's a desperate move as he'll be hitting the floor after such a leap, but it offers him a chance to put it into him and slice, if only for a second. ]
[The blade lands with a burst of hot pain, and as Solomon jerks with a yell, the blade digs in and slices out, tearing a hole through his jacket and coming back brilliantly red right at the back of his ribs.
He buckles and crashes to the side with his shoulder against the door, his hand clenched against the wound, trying to right himself, trying to reach for the scalpel before Fandaniel can get back on his feet.]
Edited (Gotta use his good christian name) 2025-08-31 05:21 (UTC)
[ It's a scramble for the scalpel, then. Despite everything, Fandaniel is, in fact, still housed in the body of a former swordsman. A soldier, even. He gets his feet under him again and launches for the little knife, shedding a few more petals, a little more blood, from the gash in his arm as he grapples with Solomon for it.
And he just... starts laughing, all over again. This may as well look like a slap fight between two literally bloody idiots over a scrap of metal, but it'll be Fandaniel that gets the handle in the end, and with that in hand, he lashes out again, meaning to slice at Solomon's hand or arm to get him to back off. ]
[The grapple is blind and desperate, and more than once he hopes against hope he has Fandaniel's weapon removed from the situation. But too quickly does Fandaniel's hand wrap against metal, and the blade is immediately turned on Solomon's outstretched arm. The line of red knicks his palm to travel an angry path up the side and back of one of his forearms before it finally gives way with a splatter of red against the walls.
It's far more disabling than the first blow had been, and Solomon stays buckled over against the floor as red starts to drip in earnest to join the black. He won't advance any further.]
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He does not notice Fandaniel yet, too preoccupied with setting up the instrument.]
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He will wait.
Better to wait for the music to better hide his steps. ]
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The music flows, and he still does not hear Fandaniel.]
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If he can get right up behind him, as close as possible, he will draw a scalpel helpfully borrowed — much like Yugamu — from the chapel-turned-lab. Simple enough, then, to slide the cold metal up against the side of Solomon's neck. ]
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So while his hand does start to leave the keyboard to slip against his jacket, Fandaniel moves faster, and Solomon goes perfectly still at the touch of sharpened metal to his pulse point.
An exhale, slow and purposeful.]
Alright. You have my attention.
What's the matter?
i know what card that icon is from and i never got it rip
Good, good. We need to have a little chat about Nishi.
IM STILL WORKING ON IT TOO scroll of thirst will never let me have grandpa
He hesitates, eyes carefully level at the piano keys. His mind races.]
What about him?
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He belongs to me, and I to him. [ That's right, the bitch is jealous. ] So I would very much appreciate it if you stayed away from him from now on. See? Is that not simple enough?
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Are you not a sharing sort, Fandaniel?
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[ Every word sounds increasingly unhinged, desperate. Fandaniel has never been 'on' as far as sanity goes, but this is, perhaps, a step even further than before. ]
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Remember you can die.]
There is only so much I can do to prevent that, Fandaniel.
And what do you plan to do, if I can't accept?
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[ Is he serious right now? Unfortunately! ]
As for what I will do, well. [ He won't move the scalpel from its spot. It remains where it is, just so, but he will lean closer, so that hot breath tickles Solomon's ear. ] I have abstained from Father's bloody farce by choice thus far, Solomon. Do not give me cause to decide otherwise.
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He's still a person.
Unlike Fandaniel.]
Are you afraid someone will kill him before he has a chance to kill you instead?
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How dare you call him a dog! I do not! I would not! Do you not understand?! How long it has been since I have felt anything?! There should be nothing! Naught a single feeling stirring within this wretched, dead heart of mine!
[ Which might explain why he's being so crazy about this now. It's a bit much. ]
He will survive this, and then he will kill me, and it will be what I have always desired!
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A slow exhale. Another.
Control in the face of the uncontrollable. Let the fear die away from your heart.]
And how do you plan on ensuring that? Killing every other person here??? Unlike your god, you can't just loophole your way into that drastic a solution.
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Of course! Of course, I will if I have to! Do you think me incapable?! If I must find a way, I will do it!
[ He laughs. It's terrible. The only saving grace here is that the scalpel is no longer dangerously near any skin at all, but instead is waving in the air as he cackles on. ]
Sika Madu and their plans be damned! If she had any real foresight, she would know how I would react to this! To Nishi!
cw: suicidal ideation mention
Closing around a pen.]
You know I can't let you do that, Fandaniel.
If you're that concerned about Nishi, make sure he doesn't kill himself first.
cw: tbh i should have slapped suicidal ideation on this from the get go
He wouldn't. He wouldn't! He has no right to kill himself before he kills me! Do not lie to me, you miserable, little cur!
cw: suicidal ideation yeah lets just keep that up here just in case
Perhaps Fandaniel is too distracted to see exactly where the iridescent weapon in Solomon's hand materializes from, a blade made of something akin to roughly hewn diamond. But the dagger swings out sharply at an upwards angle, tight in Solomon's wrist, intending to slash at Fandaniel's arm and free himself.]
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That doesn't seem to be all. There's something more.
It flutters from the wound, though that itself is hidden under the cut cloth of the shirt. A dark rose petal, much like the few he'd had in his pocket during the trial earlier. It falls, one, then another, drifting to the floor to join the droplets of blood there. ]
How dare you?!
[ He won't give Solomon much time to process that, lunging after him with his scalpel, swinging out to strike at the man, though wildly, so wildly it isn't particularly well targeted. ]
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With a grunt and a shove of his foot, Solomon upends the piano bench in Fandaniel's direction, aiming to trip him up long enough to give Solomon time to get to the door. His back is turned, yes, but only for a moment, surely only for a moment. He can't kill here, he has to desescalate this somehow---]
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It's a desperate move as he'll be hitting the floor after such a leap, but it offers him a chance to put it into him and slice, if only for a second. ]
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He buckles and crashes to the side with his shoulder against the door, his hand clenched against the wound, trying to right himself, trying to reach for the scalpel before Fandaniel can get back on his feet.]
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And he just... starts laughing, all over again. This may as well look like a slap fight between two literally bloody idiots over a scrap of metal, but it'll be Fandaniel that gets the handle in the end, and with that in hand, he lashes out again, meaning to slice at Solomon's hand or arm to get him to back off. ]
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It's far more disabling than the first blow had been, and Solomon stays buckled over against the floor as red starts to drip in earnest to join the black. He won't advance any further.]
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