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the Project	By : theLureln Category: +M through R > Magic: The Gathering Views: 11901 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Magic the Gathering characters or settings, anything else is mine. This story is not being written for profit.

Chapter List
- 1-the Project
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-10
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 30-30
- 31-31
- 32-32
- 33-33
- 34-34
- 35-35
- 36-36
- 37-37
- 38-38
- 39-39
- 40-40
- 41-41
- 42-42
- 43-43
- 44-44
- 45-45
- 46-46
- 24
- 25
- 26
Venser normally considered himself to be a patient man; someone who respected the privacy of others and tried not to push personal boundaries unless absolutely necessary. However that did not seem to extend to someone he was interested in romantically, because the instant the other man left, he found himself fighting down the urge to simply demand who the guy was. He knew it was her ex, of course. What he was curious about was where the two of them stood at the moment. There were obviously some unresolved issues between them; something Lorissa had hinted at previously but Venser hadn’t thought it would be an ongoing problem because he’d assumed the man was out of her life. That didn’t appear to be the case; although in her defense she looked as shocked by his arrival as Venser felt, which meant she clearly hadn’t planned on seeing him again.
He watched Lorissa’s face as she stared at the retreating back of the man in blue. She could never be accused of being a duplicitous person; her expression betrayed her every thought. She looked confused, upset and uncertain. He didn’t care for the naked vulnerability she was showing; he’d known that she’d been hurt by her previous relationship but he’d hoped she was on the path to mending. Right now she seemed raw; maybe it was just running into her former lover again that made the pain seem so fresh in her eyes. Whatever the case might be, he didn’t like it at all since it was an obstacle to any chance he might have with her.
“So, care to tell me who that was,” he asked in as casual a tone as he could manage, wanting confirmation from her.
Lorissa flinched in surprise, her gaze abruptly swinging to his. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she debated what to tell him. She had never thought to see Jace again; let alone have to explain anything about him to Venser. She blinked rapidly as she sorted through multiple responses before lamely settling on, “He’s someone I used to…be with.”
Venser sighed but was careful to keep a neutral expression in place. “Since you don’t strike me as the type who is “with” many people, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess he’s the complicated situation you mentioned to me before.”
Although Lorissa could feel her face heating up even more when he so easily understood who Jace was, she was relieved he had guessed the truth without her having to get into any real details. She nodded hesitantly. “I’m not sure why he came here, and I’m sorry you had to see that. I normally keep my personal and work life separate.”
He held up a hand to stop her from going any further, even though he wanted to know much more. “It’s alright; I can wait until you’re comfortable enough to talk about this. I just wanted to let you know, there’s no pressure from me. I’ll be here when you’re ready, for anything.”
A surge of gratefulness rose up in her, suffusing her with warmth for this kind, gentle man. She impulsively leaned in and hugged him, forgetting for a moment that she was at work and had already drawn a small crowd with her earlier set down of Jace. Although Venser was aware of the presence of the other mages, he was pleased to be on the receiving end of a sign of physical affection from her so he didn’t particularly care who was watching. The other Izzet members, seeing that the situation seemed to have diffused with the departure of the man in blue, dispersed rather than staying to witness such an intimate interaction, although in the morning the rumors would start flying in earnest.
Lorissa, overwrought and confused by her conflicting feelings for Jace, was so thankful to have the patient Venser by her side that she stayed in his embrace probably longer than appropriate. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart while his strong arms held her close and made her feel safe. Venser kept telling himself that this embrace didn’t mean anything; he was a smart man and recognized she was floundering after seeing her former lover. Someone less scrupulous might have taken advantage of her vulnerability; he was touched she had chosen to share it with him but also aware it would be too easy to mistake the moment for something it was not.
“Well isn’t this cozy,” an amused voice startled Lorissa into pulling out of Venser’s embrace, her eyes wide as she turned to face the speaker.
A leanly built man in the brilliant red and blue colors of the guild was regarding them with a definite smirk. His frazzled dark hair streaked through with grey and white identified him to Lorissa immediately, although she recognized him on sight anyway. Ral Zarek was one of the Firemind’s favorite mages; possessing a brilliant mind even in a guild full of geniuses. He was rumored to be temperamental and impetuous; she wouldn’t know personally since she’d only ever seen him from a distance before. She wondered what had brought him to the library; it wasn’t a place he was given to haunting. She hurriedly stepped away from Venser, aware how unprofessional she had looked standing in a man’s arms while at work. She sincerely hoped he didn’t mention anything to the guildmaster.
“How may I be of assistance sir,” she asked as she forced herself to meet his gaze, conscious of his much higher rank in the guild.
Their eyes locked and his smirk turned first to a sneer, and then dwindled to something more thoughtful when she refused to lower her eyes or be cowed by his arrogant demeanor. He knew men capable of wielding magic who didn’t have as much spine as this powerless girl. “Our parun received numerous reports that a stranger had made his way into the library and was making some sort of scene with you; but this is the man you were assigned to help from the Senate correct?”
She nodded once in affirmation. “Yes sir, the person you are referring to was on his way to a meeting with the guildmaster but stopped by to talk with me since he’d arrived too early.”
He began to pace around the area in front of her desk; examining her closely as he walked. He preferred men himself, and he couldn’t see what might have attracted the Living Guildpact to her. She was pretty enough he supposed, but she had nothing substantial to offer in the way of power besides her ties to other guilds. He was genuinely curious as to what had drawn the two of them to one another. “And why might that be?”
Her cheeks took on a red tinge but her gaze never wavered when she answered, “Niv-Mizzet had asked me to assist him with a project in the past, and we stayed in touch after.”
Ral arched an eyebrow, thinking the two of them must have kept very much in touch indeed, for the kind of scene some of the Izzet mages had reported seeing. The man had swept into the library like a storm and been exuding so much power when he talked with Lorissa that he’d interrupted some of the experiments being carried out near the library, the pulses of his energy disrupting them completely. Apparently he’d made some sort of declaration to the girl that had earned him a set down and he’d taken his leave. Most of the people present didn’t know who Jace was, but of course Ral did. He’d made a habit of keeping loose tabs on the Living Guildpact and was also aware that this was not even close to being the first time the Mind Sculptor had sought out Lorissa. They had, in fact, met on various occasions that he presumed ended in trysts, although he’d never actually gotten a detailed look nor had anyone trailing Jace. The man was simply too good at monitoring his surroundings; if anyone got too close they would be identified and Ral wasn’t about to risk his own machinations on a curiosity.
Behind her, the other Planeswalker, Venser, was watching him warily. The man was big, solid and good looking. If Ral hadn’t already been taken, he would have been tempted to assist him with his research personally. But he was quite content in his relationship and, if appearances were to be believed, the man’s interest was already engaged by the young woman at his side. Niv-Mizzet’s wish for Venser to be paired with Lorissa was going to take hardly any effort on Ral’s part as far as he could tell.
“Try not to make any more scenes at work,” he finally admonished her, although he kept his tone dispassionate to dull the effect. He turned his attention fully to the other man. “I’m Ral Zarek, by the way. I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”
Venser was feeling protective of Lorissa, he wasn’t sure if this man was a friend or foe to her although it was apparent he was her superior in the guild. Best to play nice for her sake. “Venser.”
A man of few words it seemed, Ral mused, his polite smile in place as he studied the other man. The quiet ones could be dangerous. “Niv-Mizzet wanted me to check on you. How is your research coming along?”
“Fine,” Venser answered cautiously, something about the Magewright putting him on edge.
“Excellent,” Ral replied, wondering exactly how tedious conversations must be with a man who gave only one word responses. He felt sorry for Lorissa. “I’ll be taking my leave, but the Guildmaster has asked that you pay him a visit tonight Venser.”
And with that pronouncement, Ral turned and strode out of the room. He was not looking forward to assisting the pair in partnering up. Not only was he not a matchmaker, he had no idea how there could be any chemistry between a powerless human and an introverted Planeswalker. He had told Niv-Mizzet he would do his best, but he really thought the relationship was dead in the water. But, to get in the way of Jace’s plans for the girl, whatever they might be, he was willing to give it a go.
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