My tears had dried up hours ago but I still couldn't bring myself to leave my room.
"Ailis, we could go for a walk around Ravnica." Tezzeret offered but I just shook my head at him, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. Seeing me staring at my fingers he sighed. "I could take you to any of the planes I've visit...though probably not Grixis. Or Kaladesh for that matter."
"No...I'm okay." I whispered, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Not up to walking around." I added as I studied my fingers, turning one palm over then the other.
"Ailis, you can't just sit here and mope." Tezzeret answered and I raised my head, making him grimace when he saw how red my eyes were. "I was just saying..." He began until I growled at him.
"You're always talking. For once in your life could you not?" I snapped at him and he slowly blinked as I returned to staring at my hands. "I just want to be left alone right now."
"If I'm bothering you that much I'll leave." Tezzeret sighed as he climbed from the bed walking slowly to the door without a second glance at me. Sighing to myself I lay on the bed closing my eyes before I pulled the blanket around my body.
Tezzeret wandered into the kitchen a tiny smile on his lips as he reached the couch, kneeling when he found the remains of my dress. Running the fingers of his left hand across the material he chuckled remembering the moment he had torn my dress, leaving me in just my underwear.
"You were very angry with me. Though I soon changed that." He whispered to himself as he straightened, holding the dress in his hands until he glared at it, tossing the remains of my dress onto the couch. "Although we may never get to enjoy each other again." He muttered as he started to head towards the front door, pausing the moment his etherium hand brushed the doorknob.
Shaking his head Tezzeret rested his forehead on the cool oak door, closing his eyes as he struggled to understand why the woman he cared about and who cared for him would push him away.
I know I shouldn't leave Ailis when she's this upset but what can I do when she snaps at me? I won't force her to talk to me. Not after everything she's done for me.
Steeling himself Tezzeret gripping the doorknob tight enough to crack it and with a tug he pulled the door open, stepping into the bright sunshine. As he pushed the door closed behind him Tezzeret glanced at the house behind him chewing his lip. With a shrug he started to head as far away from Ailis' home as he could, thinking that
Sleep came easily enough but peaceful sleep? That was an entirely different matter and I woke more than once with a gasp, my eyes wet with tears and my heart heavy. Not just at losing the only two people in the Multiverse that I knew loved me unconditionally but also the only man that I thought I might have fallen for. Even if he could be a pain in the arse most of the time.
I briefly considered getting up and making myself a coffee but I found I didn't want to leave my bed. My only refuge from the stares and sniggers of my now permanent form no matter how much I wished otherwise so I pulled the blankets fully over me, snuggling into a tight ball as I closed my eyes tight.
This time I could feel myself growing drowsy and even with the fear that my nightmares would soon return I managed to doze off, my last conscious thought that Tezzeret had abandoned me and I wouldn't have blamed him if he had.
Tezzeret raised his head, blinking as he found himself at another dead-end. Growling to himself he turned around, choosing another direction at random. Which ultimately brought him to another dead-end and he groaned, resting his forehead against the cold concrete for a moment.
I know this city yet I keep losing my bearings. What is the problem?
Still leaning there Tezzeret became acutely aware of a faint chuckle that echoed through his head and he growled, whirling around his etherium arm glowing.
"Get out of my head, Guildpact!" He roared into the sky, waving his fist when he heard a snigger in response.
Tezzeret, just calm down for a moment.
"I don't need your help, Beleren. I know my way around this city." Tezzeret snapped as he turned around, a smirk on his face as Jace's voice faded from his mind. Only to reappear just as he came to the next in a series of dead-ends.
Now will you accept my help? Or maybe you'd like to spend the night wandering in the dark?
Grumbling a few choice words that he hoped the Guildpact would hear Tezzeret finally ran his etherium hand over his face. "I blame you for this, Ailis." He grumbled as he stepped away from the wall and turning around he waved his hand. "How do I get back to the library?" He finally asked and Jace frozed, breaking contact for long enough for Tezzeret to clear his throat.
Go down the stairs in front of you. Take two lefts and a right after that.
"I suppose I should thank you. But I won't, Beleren." Tezzeret growled, shaking his head as he started to head towards a flight of stairs he'd missed in the fading light.
Once the pale blue faded from his eyes Jace rolled them, trying to concentrate on the papers spread all over the table under his nose and not Liliana's laughter.
"I don't know why you chose to help that artificer. The second he gets here you know Tezzeret's going to pick a fight with you." Liliana pointed out as she sat back in her chair, giving Jace a tiny smirk when he rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
"If it wasn't for Ailis being involved with that artificer I would have let him wander around in the dark. I don't need to read Ailis' mind to know how much she cares about him even if it gives me a headache to know I'm helping him." Jace explained as he returned his attention to the papers Lavinia wanted him to read and sign and not the now smiling necromancer.
"Alright but the next time he tries to pick a battle with me..." Liliana trailed off as her eyes glowed purple and Jace rolled his eyes towards the ceiling hoping that for once Tezzeret would control his anger.
Tezzeret reached the library's two massive doors just as it drew too dark to see anything and with a grunt he pushed the doors open, revealing a series of bookshelves. Stepping inside he pushed the doors closed with another grunt, turning around with a frown when he saw two of his least favourite people staring back at him.
Giving him a wave Liliana watched with a smirk as Tezzeret strolled over to the table, choosing a seat as far away from the necromancer as he could get. Dropping into it he crossed his arms, leaning back a little as Jace gave Liliana an eyeroll.
"Before you two start I'm calling a truce." Jace said and both Liliana and Tezzeret opened their mouths, about to argue until the mind mage held up one gloved palm. "I'm doing this for Ailis, who happens to be my friend, and for the library which I really don't want ruined. Or to have to explain to Lavinia why it was destroyed and who caused it." Jace warned and Tezzeret finally rolled his eyes after staring down the mind mage for several seconds.
"I will go along with your truce on the condition that none of the Guildwatch interfere with Ailis and I." Tezzeret spoke and Jace raised an eyebrow at him until the artificer chuckled softly. "I care deeply for Ailis and now because of your pyromancer she won't even talk to me."
"Like that's new." Liliana muttered, leaning on the table with one elbow when Tezzerert glared at her. "Has she thrown you out on your backside yet?"
"Oh shut up, necromancer." He snapped at her, slamming both palms onto the table before he rose pleased to see that Jace actually jumped. "I came here looking for help for Ailis but all you've done so far is prove that you are both petty. I will just find a solution elsewhere." Tezzeret muttered as he started for the door jerking when Jace flashed into his path.
"Move, mind mage or I will make you move." Tezzeret warned but Jace just slowly shook his head. "What do you want? You call a truce then you let you friend run her mouth. If I hadn't promised Ailis not to fight any of you I would slam you into the wall right now."
"Tezzeret, I just want to help Ailis and if that means helping you..." Jace trailed off with a one-armed shrug and Tezzeret snorted, watching with his arms crossed as Jace ran a hand through his own hair. "I'm willing to do this. Now what happened between you and Ailis?"
"Your pyromancer happened, Jace. She summoned a flame and the sight of it terrified Ailis. Now all she wants to do is stay in her bedroom, wrapped in a blanket and hidden from the world. I tried to talk her into going for a walk and she snapped at me, told me to stay away from her." Tezzeret muttered as he took a seat at the table not even looking up when Jace headed back to his seat, his paperwork forgotten.
"That's why we want to help you." Jace said, immediately seeing Liliana rolling her eyes with a thin smile. "Well I do anyway for Ailis' sake. Maybe there's something we could do to cheer her up."
"Then you tell me how to cheer her up if you're so clever. Talking to her doesn't work and I'm not going to try the only other thing I can think of. She'll throw me into a wall if I tried." Tezzeret shot back and Jace blinked at him, confused until Liliana cleared her throat.
"Tezzeret means that if he tried having sex with Ailis she'd murder him. Don't ask me to bring his sorry carcass back when he tries it, Jace." Liliana answered with a sigh and Jace actually coughed his cheeks going a faint pink before he quickly changed the subject.
