Nissa stared down pensively at her hands tightly clasped and rested on her lap. Her concept of time had escaped her, and she hadn't the slightest idea if she had been sitting there, just looking down at her hands, for minutes or hours. Even every second seemed to drag, slowing to a maddening crawl. It had been that way ever since she'd been escorted into the waiting room of the hospital, away from Emmara whose present condition remained a total mystery. All she knew before she was torn from the side of her lover was that, after the shocking events that had caused her to try and leap from the school rooftop, Emmara had drifted into an unconscious state no one could lift her from. Nissa wasn't even sure if bringing her to the hospital had been the right choice, but it was all she could think of.
"Emmara..." Nissa muttered to herself, leaning forward so that her forehead rested against her hands. Maybe if she had been more attentive, maybe... or if she had decided to stay a moment more instead of taking her dramatic exit, maybe, just maybe, Emmara wouldn't have... Nissa bit her lip- already fairly chapped from habitually doing so since she had arrived at the hospital.
There had been signs that she had been exhausted, sure, but to suddenly throw herself from the rooftop of the school, not even Nissa could have caught that such a thing was going to happen. She wanted someone to blame, angrily thinking back to Emmara's human friends- the Liliana girl especially, who had shown up shortly after Nissa narrowly had saved Emmara's life. But as much as she hated them and thought them below her, even then she could see that they were blameless. Stupid, slow and constantly in the way, yes, but not to blame. The only person she could blame was herself, even though she'd done everything to rescue her.
"U-Um... excuse me..." Slowly, Nissa lifted her head as someone approached and addressed her. It was one of the hospital staff- a human girl with long, black hair that fell slightly in her face no matter how many times she attempted to brush it away in the short time Nissa observed her. Her uniform, belonging to the nurses on staff, seemed a little messily put on- the buttons one off from where they were supposed to be. Already she didn't like the tone the young human nurse had in her voice- all nerves and confusion, sounding unsure instead of coming to share answers. Her eyes darted from side to side, quickly evading Nissa's gaze. Now, however, wasn't the time or place to be annoyed, so the elven woman had no choice but to contain her usual mannerisms in the presence of the nervous medical assistant. "You... You're the one who came in with the unconscious patient... Emmara Tandris?"
"Correct." Nissa responded simply with a nod as she eased carefully on the edge of her seat.
"I-If you don't mind me asking... what is your relation to the patient?" The girl asked, fidgeting slightly and holding up her clipboard like it were shield. What did that make Nissa, then, if not the monster she intended to defend herself from? Maybe her expression was a lot more harsh than what she had thought in the presence of the human. Nissa opened her mouth to speak- words sharp and phrases barbed at the ready- before shutting it. What was she to Emmara, anyway? Had Emmara not gone and done something so foolish and shocking, then maybe...
"I'm Miss Tandris' fiance. We're... newly engaged." Nissa explained, her gaze cast downward. Even in such a situation, simply saying those words brought a warm feeling to Nissa's heart. There wasn't a doubt in her mind Emmara, all smiles and kindness, would have said yes had she actually gone and proposed instead of putting it off.
"No matter what it is you have to tell me... no matter who you really are... you know what my answer is going to be, if... if you love me as much as I love you." Nissa recalled Emmara saying before she had left her the first time.
"Oh... congratulations!" The nurse stammered, forcing a smile as she poked her head over her clipboard.
"I doubt you came here just for that." Nissa muttered, watching as the human girl retreated back behind her clipboard shield the moment her words sliced through the air. "How is she? What's wrong with Emmara?" Maybe it was because she had asked with such concerned earnest, but the girl seemed to let her guard down a little before she answered- although her expression was nothing short of morose.
"I'm sorry... we're unable to ascertain why it is this has happened, but Miss Tandris seems to have slipped into a coma. Everything we have tried up until this point has failed to wake her." She apologized, bowing her head slightly. "If you don't mind, are there any medications she currently takes? I can't guarantee for sure, but it might possibly help us to know."
"She takes something for her anxiety, but I don't know the name." Nissa answered. "She's been taking it for years, though, it wouldn't make much sense for something like this to happen now..."
"A-ah... well... thank you anyway." The nurse said with a slight, pitying smile that Nissa wasn't bothered to catch. "We'll keep you updated if there any changes." She remained standing before Nissa for a short while longer, expecting an answer that never came, before sighing lightly and beginning to turn to leave.
"U-Um..." Much to Nissa's surprise as she looked back up, the human nurse had turned back around, a slight look of determination in her features. It was enough, at least, to keep Nissa's attention. "Do you need anything- water, coffee? You've... been out here for a really long time. Everyone else has been, well, a little too afraid to ask- I'm ashamed to say..." She chuckled nervously, shoes scraping against the tile. It took Nissa a moment to realize she wasn't just shuffling but was, in fact, re-approaching her. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed.
"Afraid, was it...?" Nissa lightly laughed back before shaking her head. "No, I'm alright. If I need something I can get it myself."
"O-oh..." The nurse responded, sounding a bit dejected, before speaking up again.
"You're really brave... if you don't mind me saying." Her words were full of warmth and admiration. "I remember when my grandma was taken to the hospital when she had a heart attack I was all tears and no composure. I-I mean, you do seem worried about your fiance, but you're so composed, even now... It's really admirable."
"If you could get inside me head, you'd know I was the farthest thing from composed." Nissa shook her head and shrugged. "I guess I'm just used to keeping everything inside."
"I think that's really cool, I wish I was like that. All the other nurses always tease me because I'm no good at keeping things inside or to myself..." The girl smiled warmly, the clipboard she had once used to shield herself now held down near her waist. "I'll try to keep you up to date on how your fiance is doing."
"Wait!" Nissa found herself saying as the girl began to turn to leave. She jumped slightly before turning around, looking surprised. "...What's your name? In case I do need something and need someone specific to call. Frankly I'd rather not lower myself to ask anyone else here for assistance." The girl gave her a quizzical look, probably a little stumped by Nissa's last slur of a comment, before her expression softened and she answered.
"My name's Narset. U-Um..."
"Nissa." Nissa responded with her own name, figuring the girl was stuck on how exactly to ask. "Nissa Revane."
After exchanging a few more, short pleasantries, Narset was called away, leaving Nissa to once again sit all by herself in the waiting room. Now that she had time to sit and think to herself, she couldn't help but notice that her short exchange with the young nurse had been the first time in what seemed like an eternity where she had such a pleasant conversation with a human.
But all those pleasant feelings were burned away as someone leaned over her from behind, resting a firm hand on her shoulder.
"How unfortunate, for such a thing to befall your cute, innocent girlfriend. I wonder, though, what would cause such a soft-spoken person like her to want to throw herself from the roof, huh?" Nissa rose and tore herself from the intruder's grasp, turning sharply to come to find Baltrice sneering back at her. "A lovers spat gone ugly perhaps?"
"You..." Nissa growled. "I had a sinking feeling you people were behind this, even though I refused to believe it. You're all a bunch of lying snakes, Bolas especially! He promised he'd do nothing to Emmara! I shouldn't have trusted any of you..."
"So quick to aim your anger at other people when it really should be directed more inward. So typical of an elf." Baltrice spoke mockingly with a toss of her half-shaven hair.
"What are you blathering on about?" Nissa snapped, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the deviant of a girl. "And where is Bolas? Seems rather cowardice of him to just send his filthy human lackey to come and torment me."
"Don't take my master's absence for him actually fearing someone as pitiful and pathetic as you. Our time of action is upon us, so Bolas is a bit too busy to deal with traitors like you himself." Baltrice explained in an acidic tone, circling around so that she was standing on the other side of the room behind Nissa, the leather of her combat boots squelching with each slow step. Nissa was forced to turn around as well, once following the girl with her eyes was no longer possible.
"Traitor? I've been nothing but loyal- framing that Exava girl you practically mind-raped. If anything you people are the ones who betrayed me, doing... whatever you did to Emmara!" Nissa snarled.
"You intended to tell little miss Tandris everything. As heartfelt as opening up to her would have been, it would have put our operation in a lot of danger. And we can't take any risks this close to our goal, so we... did away with her before you had the chance to spill your guts, as it were." Baltrice explained, seeming all too giddy about every word she said. "And also, for that, we dismiss you, your contract with Bolas and his promise to keep Emmara out of harms way null and void- like intended."
"Like intended?" Nissa's eyes widened as the anger building inside of her began to rise. She clenched her fists so hard it stung, but she dared not un-clench them. "You mean you meant to do this from the very beginning!?"
"Emmara, unfortunately, stood in our way of our plans. And thus, she shall be the first to fall- to make way for our new age- our victory." Baltrice grinned as she approached Nissa who shrunk back slightly as the younger girl invaded her space. "Not that I have to share in any of the specifics with you, but that cute, diligent little nurse you were speaking to and everyone else on staff at this hospital here won't be able to wake Emmara. Her sleep is as good as permanent- hers... and soon to be everyone elses."
"What... do you mean by that?"
"Like I said, I don't have to tell you anything. We're no longer working together, so I don't need to keep you in the loop. I just get to watch as you stand there, squirming in apprehension, unable to do a thing to help Emmara or stop any of us." Baltrice laughed, sounding like she was enjoying herself a bit too much.
"You forget I already know a whole lot about you people. What's to stop me from telling everyone about you now that I'm no longer under that smart-ass dragon's command, huh?" Nissa growled threateningly.
"Heh, just because you no longer work for him doesn't mean he still doesn't control you. Once you're his, you'll remain his, either among his ranks or against them." Baltrice smirked, not the least bit taken aback by Nissa's words. She, instead, continued to approach Nissa and force her backward. "If you breath a word of this to anyone- anyone at all- your dear 'fiance's' slumber will become nothing but a tragic, empty flatline. And not even the power of Bolas or any mage will bring her back then."
Nissa stumbled back, tripped up by and landing back into the chair she had once been sitting in. For the first time in a very, very long time she felt it: the crushing sense of complete and utter defeat. Baltrice laughed, amused, looking down at Nissa in a manner that, in any normal situation, would have pissed the elf off. Now, it just made her feel all the smaller.
"Buuut, if you want someone to blame, other than yourself, I suppose you can thank Liliana..." Baltrice added, looking impossibly more enthusiastic. "She, too, went against Bolas' orders and voided our little deal with her, so it was decided that each of her friends would suffer. So, even if you didn't try and rat us out to your girlfriend, she still would have been on the chopping block eventually."
Liliana awoke to the sound of someone lightly rapping at her front door. She lifted her head up from the couch in her living room where she had collapsed almost immediately once she had arrived home, the stress about what had befallen Emmara far outweighing the stress of finals. She had more or less drifted through the rest of the day in a dream- or maybe it was more fitting to call it a nightmare- state, unable to focus on anything but her own crippling fears. Despite how careful she had been, it seemed Bolas had begun to make good on his promise to punish her, and she had nowhere or no one to turn to.
The knocking came again, a little louder this time, when she didn't immediately answer. She looked around, gaining her bearings. The last traces of sunlight were just barely lighting up the sky outside, so it seemed that she hadn't slept for very long, despite how heavy her body felt and how groggy she was. As exhausted as she was, she had half the mind to let whoever was outside go on knocking until they gave up- that was, until they called her from the other side of the door.
"Liliana? Are you in there? It's Jace..."
"Jace...?" She tiredly called back, immediately regretting it. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to see anyone, especially then. The last thing she wanted was to be among her friends when she knew, deep down, that no matter what she did something awful would befall every last one of them and it was all her doing. But, now Jace knew she was home and probably wouldn't leave knowing she was inside. And, if not seeing her friends was the one thing she wanted to do the least, raise any amount of suspicion among any of them was a close second. "I'll... I'll be right there, just... give me a second."
Slowly she made her way over to the door flipping on lights on her trip to the entryway and trying to make herself look at least a little more presentable than someone who had flat out passed out on her couch after an entire day of stressing out. After quickly running her fingers through her hair- freeing up the larger knots and providing herself with minimal grooming- and smoothing out her clothes, she finally opened the door inch by tiny inch.
"Hey." He said nervously, awkwardly raising his hand in greeting with the other shoved into the pocket of his sweatshirt.
"Hey..." Liliana responded back in kind, leaning on the half-opened door. "Sorry, if you came over because you were worried. I just have a lot on my mind right now, and I... didn't really feel like talking to anyone."
"Well, how about now?" Jace asked, taking a tiny step forward. "I mean... it's only me here. Gideon and Chandra weren't feeling up for it, so they stayed behind. They actually told me to leave you alone..." He paused, rubbing the back of his head before looking up at her nervously. "Should I have? I can go if you don't feel up for-"
"No! I-I mean, it's alright that you stopped by. Gideon and Chandra are treating this like they're stepping on eggshells, so it's pretty good you're thick-headed and do whatever comes to mind first for once." Liliana said with a slight smirk.
"Heh, ouch, was that a compliment or a dig?" Jace chuckled.
"It was the truth, Beleren. But in all honesty, I'm glad you came- just you. You, at least, know why Emmara and I were so close. I can talk to you about it, at least..."
"Well, we don't have to if you don't want!" Jace added clumsily. "I figure it's a real touchy subject- anyone trying to commit suicide is. And besides, I..." He paused for a moment, gaze now down on his shoes as they scraped against the ground. "I'd rather see you smiling... If you don't want me to shove my nose where it doesn't belong I won't pry, but these days something just seems... off about you. I guess I can't help but worry, being your friend and all."
"Hmm, maybe 'thick-headed' wasn't the right choice of words..." Liliana mumbled to herself, a ghost of a smile on her face.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing!" She quickly dismissed. "Anyhow, why don't you come out of the cold? I don't think you came here to just talk to me on my doorstep, and I have the heat on so even if you're not wasting my time by showing up unannounced like this, you are wasting energy."
"Actually, I was hoping we could go somewhere else..." Jace offered up. The thought of being alone with Liliana in her apartment- no one to walk in on them or interrupt them- made his stomach do flips. He wasn't sure about her- a quiet mind and an equally difficult-to-read exterior- but with each passing day, no matter how often he called her his "friend" or tried to set aide his own feelings, he felt as if he were falling for her more and more. But, the last thing he wanted was to force his feelings onto her, especially then, so maybe a change in scenery would at least keep his urges in check. "The diner, for instance, for pie?"
"Suggesting we go out for pie out of the blue? Gideon has finally started to rub off on you, has he?" Liliana laughed.
"I've only been his roommate for half the school year and he's already got me addicted to pie." Jace chuckled. "Though I guess he did give me fair warning."
"So... here you are, asking me to come get pie with you... alone." Liliana spoke thoughtfully, but through a smirk that sent a shiver up Jace's spine. "Could you be asking me out on a date, Mister Beleren?"
"W-what!? I mean... I guess it does seem that way..." Jace's gaze shifted nervously about while he stumbled over his words. "I-I just figured you'd- I don't know- need some company after what happened today and all... It's like Gideon says sometimes, 'nothing makes a bad day better like a slice of pie'."
"Jeeze, calm down there turbo." Liliana chortled lightly. "I think I could use a slice or two, so whether or not this is a date I guess I'll come along- even though, if you want my opinion this is totally a date."
"H-hey!"
"I'll be right out, I just need to grab a jacket." Liliana grinned before shutting the door before Jace could continue to protest about just what exactly their outing was. However, as she walked over to her closet near the door her smile began to fade. By the time she had picked out a jacket to wear she was bitterly frowning and holding the thick cloth against herself. If Jace were less chivalrous and were to peer into the apartment with his mind's eye, there was no doubt in Liliana's mind he would be able to, at least, sense her insecurity.
"Even now I'm still wearing a mask around him..." She thought aloud. "What's the point, now, in letting him get so close? There's too many secrets... too many lies. What's the point in keeping up my charade now?" She looked to the opposite wall of the hall where she had a mirror mounted. Her expression gazed back at her, nothing but guilt written on her face. That was how Liliana truly felt. She could laugh and joke and snark and smile around Jace all she wanted- continue to be the girl he had gotten to know and thought that she was. Continuing to do so now would only put him in danger, but it came so second nature for her to put up walls and continue to act. But there, alone, there was nothing to hide. The guilt she had building up inside was free to bubble to the surface.
"I can't go on like this..." She told herself as she buried her face into the jacket she still held tight against her body. "Not after what happened today."
That, she had convinced herself, had been her punishment for continuing to act like nothing was wrong- for covering up the danger she had put her close friends in with smiles and false assurances. It had to stop, before something awful happened to another one of her companions.
"Wow, that took a while- did you get lost?" Jace joked as Liliana stepped out of her apartment, now clad in something more appropriate for the chill outside- a black jacket that draped down to her hips, black fur poking out from the high collar and the hem. It seemed a little too fancy for just taking a swing by the town diner for pie, but it was also the warmest thing Liliana owned
"A lady can't be rushed, Jace." Liliana smirked as she pushed her way past him. He followed her with his eyes at first, almost immediately catching that there was something... different about her. Even though she'd only been gone a minute or two, something had clearly changed- maybe not in her physical appearance. There was a certain air about her, like someone who had just resolved a huge problem. It wasn't something he could just chalk up to the fading light outside, but as much as it was a matter Jace wanted to press he held his tongue and followed behind her, joining her at her side once they reached the bottom of the stairs.
The trip there was pleasant, although both parties could tell the other was forcing it. They talked about nothing all that important or meaningful, just small talk that quickly veered off in another direction whenever a topic that would bother the other came up- the maze running, the guilds, Emmara. The smiles were fake and the laughter was forced and they both knew it- and both of them knew the other knew it with each time their fingers accidentally brushed against one another or when they accidentally bumped shoulders, pulling away as if they had burned each other and apologizing like it, too. The tension was so thick, it threatened to drown them.
When they finally reached the diner, the both of them were quiet- having run out of things to say that didn't bring up a topic that one or both of them weren't prepared to bring up at that moment. They were quiet as they were seated and quiet as they hid behind their menus. They wound up speaking to the waitress more than they spoke to one another. It was only when their drinks arrived- just water for Jace and an extra-strong coffee for Liliana- and they had grown tired of busying themselves stirring the liquid around in their cups with their straws that they grew tired of the silence.
"Emmara... I wonder what would have driven her to... do something like that..." Jace wondered aloud, eyes focused on the table. "She seemed fine when I saw her this morning... but I guess that's how these sorts of things happen. Whenever you talk to people whose friends committed or tried to commit suicide they always bring up how they didn't see it coming and how they couldn't have imagined what drove them to it. I guess this case isn't any different."
"That's... where you're wrong, Jace." Liliana spoke in a voice hardly louder than a whisper as she clutched her glass in her hands. "This case is different! This... wasn't just Emmara trying to kill herself. I know... because it's my fault. It's all... all my fault."
"Liliana, stop, you can't go blaming yourself for something that you didn't-"
"Please, Jace, just stop. Please stop being so nice to me, stop going out of your way to try and cheer me up and make me happy! I'm not worth it- I know I'm not." Liliana hissed. "I just... wished you'd known from the start, just how rotten I am. Maybe then you wouldn't be..."
"I don't care!" Jace suddenly exclaimed, causing Liliana to jump. "Whatever you're going on about, I don't care. No matter what it is, my feelings aren't going to change. Even if you never feel the same, Liliana, I'm always going to love you." He paused, faltering a bit as the confidence he'd begun with began to wane. "I bet it seems really weird, huh... loving a girl who doesn't love me back. I bet it's even weirder that I'm okay with it. Just so long as you're here... it doesn't matter how you feel about me."
"Jace..." Liliana muttered, unable to stop tears as they began to build up in her eyes. "You're such an idiot..."
"Ah! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that! I don't want to force my feelings on you, I just-" Jace began to apologize as Liliana wiped at her eyes. "I just want you to know I care for you and I'll be there for you no matter what!"
"Is that... a promise?" Liliana asked, still rubbing at her eyes.
"What?"
"No matter what happens, will you be able to still say all that romantic bullshit to me?" She questioned, looking back at him with watery eyes. "Even if I'm a complete monster, will you be able to go on about how you love me, and that you'll always be there for me?"
"..." Jace stared back at her in shocked silence. It was rare to see Liliana like this- cheeks flushed and eyes brimming with tears. These things were genuine: the tremble in her lips, the tiny, muted sobs, the sand- almost desperate- look in her eyes. This was Liliana. Slowly, he gave her a nod, determination in his eyes. "I promise. No matter what, my feelings aren't going to change."
"Then..." Liliana mumbled. "Will you do to the dance with me?"
"W-What!?" A blush appeared on Jace's cheeks as he leaned over the table.
"I'll tell you everything then. It'll give me some time to gather up my nerves and the things I need to tell you. There's so many things you don't know..." Liliana lowered her head, almost in shame.
"Y... Yes. I'll go with you. I'd... I'd be delighted!" Jace spoke, unable to hold back a smile. Liliana couldn't help but smile back before staring down at her coffee, looking down at her reflection in the brown liquid. She hoped, after it was all said and done, that Jace could smile at her the same way once she told him all of her sins- once he got to know the real Liliana Vess.
Avacyn couldn't help but feel the slight sense of unease as she traveled down the dark corridors of the school. The incident with Emmara, the school nurse, hardly seemed like a simple case of someone trying to commit suicide. Adding to that was the fact that she and fallen into a coma, according to the Ravnica City Hospital staff. Something about it seemed wrong, but she dared not open her mouth and voice her suspicion. They were too close to the end game to suddenly become concerned about the Selesnya guild leader's current state of affairs. It was unfortunate and unforeseen, but it was just one, isolated case. Maybe she was simply being paranoid. Maybe...
"Father, I'm coming in." She called once she'd arrived at the doors to the dean's office and given the wood a few, light raps with her knuckles. Opening the door she found Sorin standing by one of the windows, looking down at the moon-lit campus below. Even though he was especially good at masking his own expressions, after thousands of years of standing beside him, Avacyn found him especially easy to read. And in that moment, basking in the glow of the moon, she could tell he was upset.
"Avacyn..." He greeted, turning to her and giving his angelic daughter a slight nod.
"I..." She began, words pertaining to more important matters dancing on her tongue before she shook her head. There was something she had to get off of her chest first, at least. "I'm sorry that there was nothing I could do to save Miss Tandris. I should have foreseen it and done something. As the guardian angel of Ravnica, I should have-" She looked up from the floor where he gaze had settled to find Sorin had approached her. Her words totally escaped her as he reached out, running his long, slender fingers through her silvery hair.
"Maybe there are simply things even you cannot accomplish, Avacyn. In any case, it's not me you should be apologizing to, if you really want to apologize to someone." He spoke in an even, unmoved tone. "There are other people who were far more inconvenienced by what happened with Miss Tandris today than I."
"Sir..." She nodded her head in agreement, watching as he pulled away from her and began to return to the space he had once occupied by the window.
"I assume you bring news from Selesnya, then?" He asked her as he drifted away from her. "Have they come to a decision."
"... Yes, sir, they have." She nodded, following after him slowly. "The members of Selesnya have chosen to elect Garruk Wildspeaker, of the night class, to lead them in Emmara Tandris' absence."
"A night class student?" Sorin stopped and turned to Avacyn, raising an eyebrow. "It isn't against the rules for a night class student to take up the position of guild leader, albeit it's certainly unheard of. It just seems out of place for a guild like Selesnya to elect someone from the night class- especially someone like Mister Wildspeaker."
"I feel similarly." Avacyn agreed. "But it isn't our place to question the decisions the guilds make. We can only trust they have the guild and school's best interests in mind. Maybe there's simply a side of Mister Wildspeaker we're not seeing."
"That or Selesnya has been driven to make a rash decision with the running of the maze soon to be upon them. Maybe they saw fit to elect someone with a little more of a brutish streak." Sorin offered up.
"Two guilds having to name new guild leaders- and so close to one another." Avacyn sighed as Sorin turned away from her once again. "Such chaos right before a major event... with Ral Zarek leading Izzet and Garruk Wildspeaker leading Selesnya, things are shaping up to be a lot different than we had hoped."
"And... no word from Jace if he even plans to run?" Sorin asked.
"He seems unmotivated to make a decision." Avacyn shook her head. "But, at the very least, Nicol Bolas has yet to sink his claws into him."
"Heh, at least we have that one piece of good news." Sorin laughed bitterly. "There isn't a doubt in my mind Nicol Bolas is planning something with the Infinite Consortium, but they haven't seemed to have made a move yet. With any luck, things will stay that way." He paused, looking out at the dark campus outside thoughtfully.
"...Or have they already...?"
"Sorry to drop in on you like this." Tezzeret couldn't help but roll his eyes as his guest insincerely apologized for dropping by. He knew very well she wasn't sorry, and she'd probably known he wouldn't have been able to shew her away when she showed up at his door like she'd somehow accidentally wound up in Favarial, a good hour's drive away from the Ravnica Academy campus. The only reason he lived so far away from work was so that he wouldn't be bothered when he was home- not that it kept Baltrice away. Once again, she used the distance of the trip she would have to take if he sent her away to her advantage. Not that she, at least, was a bother, he just knew she wasn't sorry about it and was a little upset she'd cut class to visit.
"It's alright, I just wish you'd call me or something before you show up. That's the reason I gave you my number, if you recall." Tezzeret sighed as he pulled two wine glasses from one cabinet and a half-drunken bottle of wine from another. "I can't say I was exactly prepared for company."
"It's alright, you don't need to put on airs for me." Baltrice called from the living room. "I like things better that way."
Tezzeret returned with wine to find his young companion had already sprawled herself out on his couch, her boots kicked off into different directions of the room. Her jacket had also been taken off, thrown onto the floor where Tezzeret nearly stepped on it.
"Already making yourself at home, eh?" He groaned as he carefully pushed her jacket to the side with his foot and made his way over to the couch. Displacing pillows and cushions, Baltrice scrambled into a sitting position to make room for him, patting the space right next to her on the couch as if he weren't going to sit there in the first place.
"What can I say, your home is my home." She shrugged, taking a glass of wine from him the moment he sat down and took a greedy sip of it. It was such a big, rushed gulp, Tezzeret wondered if she'd even tasted it. "You're not helping, offering me alcohol."
"This just ensures you wont be able to leave until morning. No midnight errands for Bolas for you to run." Tezzeret explained himself, taking a much more smaller sip of his own drink. "I don't intend to share you tonight."
"Well aren't you romantic... or creepy, or whatever, I don't care." Baltrice smirked, sliding closer to him before leaning to her side and resting her head on his lap. "I've already finished all of Bolas' little tasks, so he shouldn't require me anymore tonight. That's why I ditched classes and came over in the first place. I hate doing all these tasks for that stupid dragon, they exhaust me and leave a bad taste in my mouth. I'd rather end my day on a good note after all that."
Tezzeret looked down at her as she nuzzled her face against her lap, unable to hide the red tint now present in his cheeks. He reached down, running his etherium fingers of his one, false hand through her hair and listened to her moan lightly in approval. As he did so, he leaned down, moving to press his lips against the exposed skin of the nape of her neck before she turned over to look up at him. She smirked, as if she'd done so just to catch him off guard.
"Did you want something?" She asked with a sneer. "A kiss, maybe?"
"I-I-" Tezzeret began to at least attempt to say before Baltrice reached up and pressed a finger against his lips. He grumbled in discontent, a little bothered she had moved to silence him.
"Later. I have something to ask you first- the other reason I came here." She said as she sat up, but positioned herself so that she was straddling his legs and facing him. All the while she kept her finger pressed to his lips, refusing to let him speak. Tezzeret obeyed grudgingly, catching a whiff of gasoline and leather on the girl's hand- some of the usual smells that clung to her. "The end-of-the-year dance... would you be at all interested in accompanying me?"
"You know, you asked me about the last dance, too. The one where we couldn't even attend because Bolas had us working that night?" Tezzeret recalled, but also bringing it up to warn her not to get her hopes up. Nicol Bolas did have a way of asking things of them at the most inconvenient times.
"I know, total cock block... But, this time I'll make sure we won't be called away. The time for us to truly mobilize is drawing closer. Soon, we won't be able to enjoy moments of peace like this, so I think we should take life by the balls while we can, before this whole chaos with the maze consumes all of our time." Baltrice told him, moving her finger from his lips slowly down to his chin. "So? What do you say? Will you come with me?"
"I don't know... maybe, we'll see-"
"You're lady is very impatient, Tezzeret." Baltrice playfully warned him. "She'll only accept 'yes' or 'no' answers tonight."
"Well then, I guess you really leave me no choice." Tezzeret chuckled.
"Oh, on the contrary, Tezz, you have options." Baltrice sneered before she leaned in, nibbling at his neck. Tezzeret's breath hitched involuntarily, and he heard her as she chuckled mischievously. "Your choices are 'yes' and 'hell yes'."
