[ if he were too fast for Diamond to even take a picture of him, it should stand to reason he was too fast for Leona to land a direct hit. even more so when it wasn't entirely unexpected, given Leona's penchant for hissing and acting out, and it takes little effort on Malleus's part to move swiftly out of the way only to stand and press up against him, urging Leona back with the press of his palm against his chest.

far be it from him to refuse a fight, but causing a scene in this place probably wouldn't bode well for either of them. he doesn't know if any of the other Savanaclaw dormmates are here, but he knows of his own and can only imagine the look on Lilia's face should he cause a ruckus in a place like this. ]

You had better mind that temper of yours, Kingscholar. There's more than one way to skin a cat, after all.

[ it's hard to tell in what vein he makes that little observation, if he means it literally or figuratively - but the way he smiles after speaks volumes of how likely he is to resort to violence if Leona keeps asking. ]

Would you like for me to open the door, so you may wander outside? You need only to ask.