[center][h1]Ian VS Iris[/h1][/center]
[center][b]The Academy- Midday[/b][/center]
[center][i]Themerlinhawk & Grin[/i][/center]

Ian sighed as Lazarus pushed him into the circle on the mats where he’d been having his advanced students fight. Lazarus was an excellent martial artist. Claimed he’d learn from some guy named Alzir Alvuad. Ian had no idea who that was but when Ian had been making a decision about the class Lazarus had mention that he’d learned from Grandmaster Lee and that had immediately convinced Ian to take the class. It was mostly a combative class but it had a lot of philosophy to it.

He took of his gun belt and his ASPs leaving them on his back pack. He left Fidrieon on his right hip. Lazarus didn’t have rules about instruments. Other than they were not to be used to influence thoughts or to use directed magical assaults. Luckily for Ian, Koshmar did none of those things other than Nightmare Fire. Ian just used the serial killer's calm and the heightened reflexes. He wore his sleeveless Gi, his hands were wrapped, and his upper arms were crisscrossed with scars from his academy missions. None of the students liked fighting him. Mostly it was his reputation. Lazarus called a new name, It was the new girl. Iris. Ian rolled his eyes, none of the students here approached his skill level. It wasn’t their fault but nor was it Ians, He’d been doing this his whole life. 

Iris stepped on the mats, hesitating. Something about the way the boy looked at her like she were prey for his next meal. She didn’t back down, however, for she trusted Lazarus with her life. Whatever he wanted for her in this fight, she would work her hardest to achieve it. She unwrapped one of her bandages around her ankle and used it to tie her hair up. Her red tattoos glimmered with the skin on her arms and legs, as some of the students noticed.  She took a deep breath. “Ian,” Her warm voice vibrated the air around her. “Good luck.”

Ian seemed distracted and refocused when she said his name and nodded an affirmation. Someone stuck their head in the door of the training room and said something to Master Lazarus who stood and walked to the door. He spoke to the person and stepped out the door. Ian caught Iris glancing after him. “Little bit of daddy complex you got going there.” It was meant as a dry joke but he wasn’t really paying attention as he checked the clock. How long was this class again?

crack. Iris’s fist met Ian’s jaw. Iris’s expression burned into Ian’s mind, her icy green eyes glaring at him with death as their goal. 
“Don’t you dare say something like that.”

Ian staggered ‘what the fuck?’ the girl had an arm, he was still shaking the cobwebs out of his head as he covered up with a double arm block like a boxer catching another punch on the block. Koshmar, time to rumble. He got silence and then a strange voice filtered up from the depth of his his mind. I’m back and I’m here to stay. it was female, and then he heard Koshmar again. Sorry mate, this crazy bitch is back and I need to deal with this once and for all. Catch you on the back side. With that silence reigned. That was until Iris fist connected with his ribs. Ian felt the breath leave his body as he exhaled hard. No help from Fidrieon. Great. And he was already on the defense. 

Iris stepped back, exhaling. “have anything else to say? jerk.” send him into a nightmare. Iris’s eye’s widened at her own voice in her head. no, no I won’t do that. He probably didn’t mean any harm in his insult. 

“Yeah, sorry dearest dad is a problem for you ,typically just saying something is a good way to redress that” Ian kicked Iris straight on not holding back on the power with his front snap kick. It took her off her feet. “I advize staying down, don’t know why you’re so wrapped around the damn handle” With that Ian dropped his guard and rubbed his jaw. She had a serious right that was for sure. 

Oh the little bitch is going to get it now. Blood found it’s way out of her nose and she inhaled yet again, taking in as much breath as she could.
“you want me to stay down? Okay.”
Iris smirked, then opened her mouth and her throat pushed. A scream, louder than anything Ian ever heard blasted his ears. Iris stood up and used this opportunity to grab his hair with her hands and throw it down as her knee came into contact with his right temple. 

Ian’s head snapped back. ‘Are you really going to use a direct attack from your instrument?’ Ian slammed his fist into her right thigh targeting the sciatic nerve. This fight was not going his way but he was too distracted by the absence of Koshmar and the ringing in his ears to think of anything other than fighting back. 

Iris cried out by the blow as her arms wrapped around Ian’s own. She pulled him closer and she smacked his right temple again with her forhead. Still being close to his face she hummed some melancholy chords that intensified the area around Ian. She pushed him onto the floor and kicked herself off of him, her green eyes glowing with boiling energy. she broke her bandage keeping her hair contained. The strands of red shone like copper, falling wildly as her arms rip her harp off of her back and held the instrument horizontally. 

Ian clambered to his feet, pissed beyond belief. At Least Fidrieon was good for something. He drew the flute from its sheath holding at his side like a sword. He was seeing double but he didn’t give a shit. All he knew was that he was in a fight and he needed to win it. Nothing else mattered. 


Iris no longer hesitated, her fingers caressed the strings with intimacy, the gracefulness of her talent sending peaceful waves of music out of the instrument. Iris started panting, sweat slipping down her skin. She sent a whisper through to Ian, one that felt hot though she was far away, and one that sent ice down his spine. sleeeep….fall into it…..I’ll embrace you with warmth you’ve never felt before.. Iris’s armor gradually melted into a long black silk dress, her angry expression softening. Her hair fell in gentle copper curls in front of him. Iann….come towards me….A seductive smile found her lips. Let me embrace you. 

Ian’s eyes widen. ‘What the hell? fear gripped him, the same kind of fear that gripped him when Koshmar use to play with his dreams. Fidrieon fell from his nerveless fingers as he scrambled for the lone pocket on his pants. The deck, he needed the deck. 

Iris gracefully strided up to him, her soft fingers folding over his own, causing his arm to go numb. That’s it Ian….fall to me...it’ll be worth it, I promise…. Her voice was warm butter slipping all over him. Her hand caressed his cheek, before the skin tore in half. Everything Ian saw was ripped from him, replaced with Iris, cutting her scythe deep into his flesh. her tattoos were glowing like a mixture of lava and blood, as her green eyes pierced through his own, their glow burning it’s light into his pupils. The remaining warmth of her voice turned ice cold, sending shockwaves all over his body in spasms. Then silence. Deathly silence swallowed up the room, leaving Ian and Iris staring at one another with an intensity that could have a deafening sound of its own, if it spoke. 

Ian seized the deck in his pocket but part of his animal brain told him this was a lost fight. The rest of him scream to keep fighting. To kill the thing that had hurt him. Ian tasted blood from his lips. He realized he’d barely missed losing an eye to her harp. His hand ran along the edge of the deck. 53 cards. The enchantment shattered and the world came rushing back in. His head hurt like crazy, his vision was blurry and his face was on fire from the harps slice. He couldn’t focus. How the hell had this even happened. 

Iris walked up to him, her expression unreadable. She wiped the dried blood from her nose, then with one final blow her foot found Ian’s temple with full force, collapsing his world.

The was a roar like thunder. Lazarus had slammed the door of the room back open. Dracul unsheathed in his right hand and essence curling around him. It was so thick that it was visible to the non gifted. He took in the scene. Iris standing over Ian. Suddenly Ian jerked upright his eyes alight with purple fire. “Hello bitches!!!! I’m back!” the voice was decidedly not Ian’s. “Time to die you fucking cunt!” Suddenly Ian was holding a gun pointed at Iris at point blank range. He open fired. Lazarus moved faster. The RIP rounds tore apart in the air as Lazarus’ shield flared to life between Iris and Ian. “You fucking buzz kill” The voice cackled madly. Suddenly Ian collapsed again. He fell to all fours on the mat, shaking his head. “What?....” He realized he was holding a gun and couldn’t seem to understand why. Lazarus bent to help him and then Ian put two and two together. Right when Lazarus touched him. Ian used the now empty gun to slug Lazarus in the solar plexus “I told you this was a bad idea.” He tossed the gun aside. Fidrieon was back in its sheath. Lazarus doubled over in surprise more than pain as Ian forced himself to his feet and out of the classroom before Lazarus or the other students could react.

Iris stared at the mats on the floor in front of her, her panting the only thing she could hear. I’m sorry...Ian….I’m so, so sorry…. nobody spoke while tears trailed down her face, her legs limping towards the door. In fact, silence remained for the rest of the class, and for the first time ever, Iris couldn’t find the heart to sing.