RP:Pack Your Pixie

From HollowWiki

Part of the Surface Tension Arc



Synopsis: Whilst researching illusions in the Mage’s Tower in Xalious, Skylei is greeted by an old friend, Kovl. In need of his help and knowing the usefulness of the pixie, Skylei details her new plans to cause trouble in the Underdark in order to ‘protect’ the exiled elves. To her amazement, and perhaps to his too, he agrees to assist her. They also enjoy a nice cup of tea.


Mage Tower

Behind a stack of books nearly as tall as she is, Skylei is sat at a desk. The books, clearly taken from the nearby library are all documenting a subject near enough unknown to Skylei; illusions. It had never really seemed particularly important for Skylei to maintain a working knowledge of such a topic until recently and, as such, she is currently embarking on a self-taught crash course to little avail. “Argh.” Shoving a single book, about half way down the pile would cause the tower to come crumbling down. The books fall in a perfect line, scattering across the floor each one display its title “Magical Illusions: 10 Steps to Success”, “Illusionary Poisons and Potions and How to Make Them”, “Teach Yourself Illusions in Seven Days” and the cliché, “Illusions For Dummies”. Each one is marked with countless notes, but in spite of all of her reading Skylei is visibly frustrated. Taking a quick break she would push her head down against the desk and sigh audibly.

Kovl zips toward the staircase with his wings folded, calculating the perfect time for... There! The pixie's wings shoot open, catching air to slow his descent just enough to land his butt comfortably on the banister at high speed. Closing his wings again, the illusionist zooms down the banister like it's a slide. It's always been the best part about staircases, considering this pixie rarely -actually- tended to use them, except for the handrail, of course. Of course, Kovl lets out a customary "Wooo!" as he slides. Just before the pixie hits the end of the handrail, his wings snap open like a parachute, flinging him into the air to close this totally respectable and dignified descent. A familiar face grabs his attention as he heads toward the door. Skylei? The pixie blinks, taking in the scene mentally. Kovl, then audibly voices his question, "Skylei?" A smile crosses his face. "Learning some card tricks?" The pixie chuckles.

Skylei lifts her head from the desk at the sound of a ‘woooo!’ coming from upwards. Expecting someone much larger, she is quite delighted to see who her new company is. “Kovl!” If she hadn’t been quite so engrossed and stressed by her work, she might have even hugged him; as far as it is possible to hug a pixie. “If only it were card tricks, Kovl. I didn’t realise just how complicated it was to produce flawless illusionary replications and then project them onto flesh and blood and then allow that flesh and blood to move naturally.” She is of course talking about creating disguises for people, but it classic Skylei complexity, “I have the biological materials and I thought I could crack it but… ugh.” Skylei looks like she’s about to bash her head off of the table again. “Got any tips?”

Kovl stretches before standing up straight, looking as qualified for the job as he can. He even cracks his knuckles. No one can deny how expertly you appear with a good knuckle-cracking. "I wasn't aware you were into magic, Skylei. And putting illusions on flesh and blood is not exactly a novice's job. What have you tried?" The pixie tilts his head and adds, "And what would you need a disguise for?" A keen smile crosses his face and a hand runs through his hair. "You're pretty enough as it is." The pixie puts forth the cheesiest flirty smile that he deems is possible.

Skylei is impressed by the knuckle cracking. It assures her that she is in safe hands with Kovl who, by this knuckle cracking, is obviously an illusionary extraordinaire. Actually, Skylei already has a fair idea of Kovl’s talents and already an idea is beginning to run through her mind. Can he be trusted with a plot like hers? Would he even be interested? Skylei places her most beaming, bright and yes, almost flirtatious, smile on her own face as she replies, “Oh, and you’ve never thought it might be convenient to be someone else for a day whilst you… cause a little bit of trouble?” Skylei appeals to the mischievous side of the pixie, whilst she continues to flick through one of the books, “I had thought a potion with the illusionary effects might be the most plausible, but I feel that for the full effect, I imagine that magic would be needed.”

Kovl blinks, "Have I thought it to be convienient to be someone else? Me? Ever?" A large smile crosses the pixie's face. He leans forward although with such a small frame, it doesn't accomplish much. After giving Skylei a splendid wink, "No." Kovl pauses, straightfaced as he studies Skylei's reaction. "And by 'no', I mean 'yes'". The pixie chuckles. "Potions are not my strong suit. That's my sister's work. But I can certainly make an illusion. Now, about yours: have you tried what you are doing, but harder?" Another smile crosses Kovl's face. He winks again to punctuate his joke. "What's your project?"

Skylei suddenly becomes conscious of where they are as she attempts to explain what it is that she wants to do without implicating herself. This is the mage’s tower and the Arch Mage is, of course, none other than a Tiphareth. “Just a little, uh, visit. Down South, y’know the deep south. Skylei would pause and point at the floor in the hope that Kovl would understand that she was implying the Underdark, “Just to cause a little chaos. Well, a lot of chaos. And maybe implicate someone else for the chaos.” Skylei would pull a lock of hair from her pocket. If Kovl hadn’t understood the implications of her ‘down south’ suggestion, he would when he saw the hair. Coarse and snow white, it could be none other than drow hair. Sliding it back into her pocket, “Now, I can maintain an illusion for all of a good few minutes. It’s clunky at best and, I’m going to need more than a couple of minutes. Frustrating, no?”

Kovl tilts his head another way as Skylei gives her clue. The pixie bursts out in laughter as she tries so hard to explain her destination in terms of cardinal directions that would make young adolescent blush. No, no. Kovl knows she means somewhere else, and the pixie has two guesses though a third one comes to mind, and that third one is 'or somewhere else entirely that I haven't guessed'. The pixie looks at the hair, a little confused, but after flying to it and taking a breath through his nose to recognize the scent of drow, his guess got a little better. He nods. "I have so many questions." Kovl doesn't ask right away because he notices Skylei's need to be discreet.

Kovl has the filthiest of minds, but perhaps that shouldn’t surprise Skylei as much as it does. She pulls a face, turns red and gets up from her chair, picking up ‘Illusions for Dummies’ as her chosen reading for the rest of the day, “You know, I have a key to Josleen’s apartment. She’s away playing in Gualon this week. Would you like a cup of tea?” This translates to ‘I have a private place we can talk, where nobody will be. Come with me and I’ll answer all your questions.’ Should Kovl agree, she would walk with him across the square making meaningless small talk. Only once they were inside the apartment and she was settled with a drink would she turn back to the matter in hand, “What do you need to know?”

Kovl wonders at Skylei's face before he realizes she must have known his initial impression. He lets out a chuckle and nods at Skylei. "I would love some tea." Kovl follows Skylei to Josleen's apartment, flitting back and forth over her shoulder like a fly, if that fly found a smelly, delicious, rotting breakfast on both shoulders of his victim. For some reason. Kovl moves to stand on the table where Skylei is seated after sipping tea from a spoon. "Why do you want to go to the Underdark again? It -is- the Underdark you were talking about, right? And not just a euphemism for something else? Who do you want to cause chaos to? Why? As who? When? Tomorrow? Today? Is it today? Is it just you?" Kovl pauses. "Do you regularly have tea in Josleen's house when she is gone? Does she know you are even here? What's she doing in Gualon? Did you add milk to this tea? It tastes delicious." Kovl has another sip as he waits for Skylei's answers.

Skylei is only a little flustered by the barrage of questions. She had been leaning up against the wall prior to Kovl’s interrogation, but she moves to slump in one of the armchairs, detailed with a tiny flowery pattern in gaudy yellow and pink. It suits the rest of the room, that is to say, gaudy and obtrusively patterned; styled just to Jos’ tastes. Placing her dainty teacup down on a lace coaster before she started to answer the questions, “Josleen lets me stay when I wish” Lie. The key is strictly for emergencies, but Kovl needn’t know that, “She’s playing a series of concerts down there, maybe for the Governor or something? I don’t remember. Something fancy.” Taking up her teacup, she continues, “A few months ago, I was attacked.” Skylei pulls at the collar of her shirt, loosening it to reveal a serious of healing marks, “I was poisoned, so the healing has taken a while longer than expected. She attacked me again last week.” Now Skylei rolls up her sleeve and displays two very fresh wounds covered by layers of bandages. The bruises radiate widely across her arms, tainting her skin black, blue and green. “A drow priestess. A noble. She’s killed multiple elves in the last few months. I don’t want to kill her, merely place her in a similar level of discomfort that she’s placed me, see? Trouble for trouble, if you will. And I’m going next week. Following the meeting of elven council. If the result of the meeting is as bad as I expect it to be, I would not be surprised if one of them agrees to join me.” She pauses before continuing in the same casual tone, “And yes. This tea has milk in it. Delicious, no?

Kovl takes another sip as he listens to Skylei's casual answers. The pixie is actually quite impressed with how she handled those questions so calmly. Many others may simply be flustered, and the pixie often asks rapid-fire questions for that reason. It's a prank, if you will. Kovl's emerald eyes scan over the wounds as Skylei reveals them. This question is unpartnered now as the hilarity fades, "You are still quite vague on what you plan to do. What is your actual plan?" Kovl smiles warmly. "Perhaps I can help you not become a pincushion for drow."

“Have you ever heard of… rugby?” Skylei mispronounces it. It’s a word that she’s only ever read and never heard allowed, “It’s a drow sport. I don’t entirely understand it. But they hold a tournament annually and there are games all next week. All of the houses compete and spectate; I’ve heard it’s rather a big deal. And well, I visited an order of priests and monks in Vhys. They granted me a spell in the form of a chant; let’s say it’s destructive. I’m not entirely sure how it will work, but I’ve been told it will.” Skylei holds her tongue on this matter. Telling people that you were planning a miniature genocide tended not to go down particularly well. Surely Kovl could piece the puzzle together.

Kovl places a hand to his chin as she mentions rugby. "I am not familiar with the sport, no. So you are saying you want to go to a crowded arena and release a destructive spell... Without killing anyone?" The pixie raises a brow as an inquiry. "Or is it merely that you don't want to kill the one who stabbed you?" Kovl raises his other brow and sips another bit of tea from the spoon.

Skylei takes a large sip of tea. There is a calculated pause before she replies to Kovl’s request, “Minimal casualties, I cannot guarantee none. Though that is entirely dependent on the party who accompany me; the power of the chant is based on the power of the magic that run within the veins of those who chant it. That said the drow respond to death and response is what I want…” Speaking this plan out loud is leading Skylei to become increasingly nervy. She twitches every so often and keeps looking over her shoulder at the door.

Kovl squints at Skylei, a little surprised at Skylei's words. The pixie becomes less surprised at her words as he ponders. "Why has the priestess attacked your people? Did she act on her own? Also, is your plan an act of revenge or is it an act of war?" Kovl is trying to grasp the magnitude of the mission in front of Skylei. Kovl's eyes glance to the door as well to follow Skylei's gaze.

Skylei tries to avoid the magnitude of Kovl’s gaze. There would have been easier ways to persuade the pixie of the validity of her plot, but instead she falls to honesty “Have you been into Sage recently? Seen the squads of drow that patrol? Tried to pass through? I have promised Hildegarde that I will not bring war to her door, so it is not an act of war persay. I merely hope to turn the drow against each other. Raise suspicions that they have enemies closer to hope so that they might leave the elves on the surface be for a while. Is that so bad?”

Kovl nods at Skylei as she asks him about the patrols. "Yes, I have seen the drow patrols around Sage. And I remember how savage the war was between the drow and the elves." The pixie peers at Skylei again. "You never answered if the priestess was acting alone. Listen, whatever happens to the drow as a result of your actions is collectively their fault. We all know how treacherous and greedy and suspicious they are of each other already. However, I'm sure there are children at their rugby event. And probably those who wish the drows never left the underdark instead of forcing an empire on the Elvish territory. Are you willing to kill those who want no business with violence?" The pixie tilts his head.

Skylei ’s cup of tea has gone cold by now, but she continues to sip on it, bashing her teeth off of the rim as she does, “She has a group who move with her. I’ve come across a number of similar patrols who have also attacked me and others savagely. It is an epidemic. And more, they are killing the forest and not just its occupants. War will come, Kovl, if we do nothing. The elves are angry, the drow tormented by their increasing frustration. More vigilante attacks will happen until an all-out war will occur. How many lives lost then? How many homes? How many children? How many innocent communities ravaged? What if I can stop that? Is one small swipe better than entire obliteration?” Skylei pauses once more. “I fully accept that I could die and perhaps it would be fairest if I did. That’s why I need the best protection possible.” She shrugs, “I should get back to my research, no? Practice makes perfect and this…” Skylei pulls a face and a glitch illusion spans her body, “Is nowhere near perfect.”

Kovl listens and ponders Skylei's words. The pixie was always aware of the tensions between the drow and the elves, but the idea that the elves may lash out again for a full-out war is new to Kovl. The pixie assumed the elves were still recovering from the blows they received not long ago. However, Skylei's zeal is proof that elvish pride may cause the race to wage war in light of the circumstances. Or perhaps the elvish resistance is bigger than the pixie knows. Either way, after hearing Skylei's explanation, Kovl knows the possibility of war could quite possibly be real. As Skylei shows her illusion, the pixie shakes his head. "Don't go alone. I'll help you. You're almost certain to die in that disguise if not actually bring a war to your race with how offensive it looks." A smile slips onto Kovl's face to indicate he is teasing her.

Skylei breathes a clearly visible sigh of relief, “I won’t forget it. Perhaps we might even do some good.” As for the illusionary disguise, she simply comments “It is truly horrible, isn’t it? I doubt I’d even get into the Underdark.” There is likely much that the pair have to discuss over the next few days, but for now all that Skylei says is, “Another cup of tea?”