Simony Signs Up

Log Info

• Title: Simony Signs Up

• Emitter: Telamon

• Characters: Ravenstongue, Simony, Telamon

• Place: Ravenstongue and Telamon's house

Lupecyll-Atlon home, midday

The weather is cold and rainy, a precursor of things to come as the year steadily winds down towards its end. The chilly rainfall drives people indoors, to fireplaces and stoves and warm havens. Such a place is the Lupecyll-Atlon home, that humble-looking two-story house in the University District.

Inside, Telamon is finishing a little bit of organizing. He's rearranged the bookshelf in his upstairs study, clearing enough space for a miniature shelf-space of sorts, holding several diminutive notebooks. He heaves a sigh, his lips quirking as he realizes Lily's writings are now stored next to his copy of 'On Plants and Potion-Brewing'. "Appropriate," he muses to himself.

Straightening, the half-sil paces out of his study, heading downstairs. Dressed in casual garments, his mind flits to his wife's. (How are you doing, love? I'm thinking about a little lunch, to be honest.)

The house is a quiet place without pixies bickering about boys nor plants. Cor'lana finds herself curled up underneath several blankets with Pothy in her lap, petting her pale-feathered friend as she resides in the sitting room downstairs. There's a cup of tea on the table that she's been reaching down to take every now and then.

(Lunch sounds great. Anything to take my mind off more musical rewrites and... You know. Fae rebellion.) Cor'lana sounds greatly amused by the last bit. Pothy, meanwhile, peers up at her meaningfully.

"You can't just talk mentally all the time. What's wrong with shouting? You know, using your lips the old-fashioned way?" Pothy sighs. "I get you're being cautious, but..."

"No, that's just convenience," Lana replies. "Telamon's upstairs, I'm down here with you. You're the reason I'm anchored down currently, snugglebutt." She smirks as she pets Pothy's little feathered head.

The Goblin has been flexing her power of late, using magic to accomplish things that before she might have done manually. Today, she flies, avoiding the puddles and mud below, and with the help of an other-worldly glow, she remains untouched by the cold. Her hooded, thick leather cloak keeps the rain at bay. Mostly.

Her destination is a familiar home, one with a still-green backyard. The door bell is rung before she enters. Simony's cloak is left to hang, her choice of clothes being a simple grey homespun shirt and pants, bereft of any markings, with her tilted hourglass symbol around her neck glowing brightly.

"Hello, Tel, Lana? It's Simony!" The Goblin makes her way into the living room.

Telamon is coming down the stairs as Simony enters, his pace slowing for a moment before he realizes who it is. "Simony!" His face lights up with good cheer. "Here, let me help you with that. The weather's awful today -- hence why I'm inside." He helps hang up Simony's cloak, before leading the goblin into the living room.

Of course, Telamon walks over to the sofa where Lana is lounging with Pothy, taking her hand and kissing it lightly. "We were just about to have lunch," he explains to Simony. "And we are plotting. Some things have occurred since our discussion in the gardens -- generally good ones, but the scope of our endeavor has grown a bit."

"Hi Simony!" Pothy greets before Cor'lana can even get a word out. This earns Pothy a look, and Cor'lana sighs before smiling pleasantly at Simony.

"Hello, Simony." Cor'lana gestures to Pothy in her lap. "I'd love to get up and give you a hug, but I've got this lump of feathers keeping me weighed down. Pothy's heavy."

Pothy makes a noise of extreme disgust, especially when Telamon kisses Cor'lana's hand. "I am not heavy, and I do not care for the implication you make." He looks up at Telamon. "Please make her apologize for calling me heavy."

"Anyway," Cor'lana says, "what Telamon's said is true. We have a lot to talk about. Make yourself comfortable?"

"Hi Tel!", she exclaims cheerfully, "And thank you!" The glow follows her, adding a little ambiant light to the room. A faint outline of angelic wings can be seen, sprouting from her shoulders, easily twice her size. She hugs at Telamon's waist a moment, before spotting Cor'Lana and Pothy. With a grin, Simony runs to climb up onto the couch, to hug gently at the 'trapped' sorceress. "Hello Lana, and hello Pothy! How are you all?"

She moves to settle back on the couch, her expression a mix of concern and curiousity.

"I am almost afraid to ask." Her pince-nez is removed, and she uses the hem of her shirt to polish the little lenses. Gesturing to Tel with it befire replacing it on her nose, she smiles faintly. "You had moderately concerning news before, how have things changed?" The Goblin glances back and forth between the two Sil, "I'm all ears."

Telamon considers, then gestures. "Sisig bursag." There's a shimmer in the air next to him, and he directs the unseen servitor with a pointed finger. As the servant moves off, Tel turns his attention back to Lana and Simony -- and Pothy.

"She's teasing you, little brother. She doesn't want to move you off because you're so warm and cuddly." He grins at Pothy, before turning his eyes to Simony.

"The other day, our pixies were informed that they were in danger, remaining here. Lily was most distraught." Telamon's expression is hard. "I don't fault the Wee Queen for warning them -- indeed, I feel she did us a service by getting them clear. I hope that eventually, they can return."

"This was just the overture, though. We were visited by our sister Auranar, and an old acquaintance of sorts: Lady Faphinae Cari'thana. She is..." Telamon pauses. "Complicated. She was once a rival to my father, but more importantly, she has connections within the fey courts as well. At this point, we moved the discussion to someplace more... secure."

"Speaking of which..." Cor'lana pulls away from the hug given to Simony. "Before we go much further. Pothy, fetch me that scroll."

"Aye-aye, captain!" Pothy responds, and he takes flight from Lana's lap to fly upstairs. He returns quite shortly with a specific scroll. Cor'lana recites the words and casts the spell from within it, her robes preventing it from being consumed, and the windows of the house darken a moment before returning to normal.

"Now we are safe." Cor'lana smiles. "We moved to Leca'fi Amdamu. There, we discussed Faphinae's ambitions. Apparently, she used to work for the Queen of Air and Darkness. At some point, she left and had her kids--one of them being a paladin who Telamon has worked with recently by the name of Cor'ethil Cari'thana. Apparently, when Cor'ethil was young, Faphinae called in a favor with the Queen to cure a condition that Cor'ethil had. She did it for Faphinae... But years later, he sent an assassin to kill her son."

Cor'lana sighs. "That assassin hasn't killed him and won't kill him. But that's the kind of evil we're talking about here. Faphinae plans to overthrow the Queen, and apparently has been plotting this in secret for some time."

"Oh no. Who would threaten the pixies? Or is it more likely you and Lana are in danger, and the pixies could be caught in the middle?" Simony's brow furrows and she frowns. "I am getting awfully irritated at my friends being threatened. And more so as it seems I can do little to prevent it."

Her expression brightens a little as she watches the effect of the scroll, and she pats at her lap a moment. "You can sit in my lap for a bit, if you wish, Pothy."

The Goblin listens intently as Cor'lana continues where Telamon left off. Her head tilts slightly. "Is that... Corey you speak of? The name is familiar, I've met him once or twice I believe. Seems like a good man." Her expression grows puzzled. "She cured a condition he had... and then later wanted him killed. So that is when something's influence showed itself."

She rubs at her face and sighs. "I don't know if the Queen being overthrown is a good thing or bad thing. Hasn't she been a thorn in ... everyone's side? I mean... she allowed that sword to be used."

"Indeed. He prefers to go by 'Corey', as sometimes elven names can be a mouthful." Telamon's eyes twinkle, as he takes a seat in a chair next to the sofa, adjacent to Lana. The unseen servant soon arrives with a large jug and three tankards. "Quelain," he nods to the jug. "Something light for the food."

Telamon's eyes glitter sharply. "To answer your question, though, Simony, I suspect it is the latter. After we had moved to Leca'fi Amdamu, I used the castle, and my own magic, to summon Captain Doyle there, and we wormed some answers out of him."

He sighs. "Much as I expected, the Queen's actions are not to his liking. Her son is having certain... difficulties, and if he succeeds her to the throne of the Unseelie Court, it could be disastrous for them. Hence her entanglement with the fiend Koz'gon."

"Well, we discovered that it's not her making deals with fiends," Cor'lana says. "It's her son. He's impotent. Which is a giant problem. Fae rulers are one with the land; they sustain the Court they rule. If an impotent ruler succeeds to the throne... Goodbye, Unseelie Court."

She frowns. "Her son, Cul the Cruel, has been trying to fix his impotency by making deals with fiends. She's letting it happen because she loves him, more than anyone or anything. It's the reason why Faphinae's overthrowing her--she loves her son. But she also loves mortals in general, it sounds like. Unlike the Queen, who is... vicious, and utterly cruel."

Cor'lana looks at Pothy meaningfully as the bird settles into Simony's lap. "I won't forgive her for what she did to Pothy."

"I rather enjoy lengthy Elven names. They are often whimsical in nature." Simony smiles as the jug and tankards float into the room, though the smile vanishes as Telamon lays out the pressing problem. "Certain difficulties... such as weakness... or insanity? Risking being eliminated possibly leading to civil strife... or in the latter example, leading the Unseelie court to disaster? So the Queen is... dealing with a demon to what? Lengthen her life? Kill all who might be a danger so her son has an easy rule?" The Gobbo rubs at her face and looks to Lana. "Oh. Oooooh."

She is momentarily distracted by the bird in her lap, pale hands lightly stroking and caressing Pothy. "Now I'm trapped.", she says with a little laugh."

"Okay.. so how does this problem get fixed? The Queen is cruel, and I can't see her becoming LESS so if her son is killed. If she is cast down, what happens then? Is her son automatically the ruler, and thus, the court is doomed? It seems like both of them need to go... need because they are a danger to us, and have proven it many times over. And by us, I mean the mortal world."

"I take no pleasure in this, but the Queen's antics are not just a danger to the Court, but to Ea as well. This fiend has already wreaked havoc with the attack on the Arcanists' dungeon; what else might he do?" Telamon's expression is stony, his voice hard.

"I won't rule out her abdicating in favor of Faphinae, but it's unlikely. A woman willing to indulge her son's dallying with infernal powers is probably not going to see reason. We will most likely have to kill both... and therein lies the complication. Installing Faphinae... who is dangerous, but far less so than the Queen... will require the Queen's blood, to forge the link with the land."

Cor'lana nods soberly to Telamon's remarks. "I don't think she'd ever abdicate," she says. "And... Pothy says the only person, or anything, that she loves is her son. If that's all she has, she won't let go of him rationally. Especially where it's hard for fae to have children to begin with. She might not be able to have another, herself."

She sighs heavily. "Faphinae has a long road ahead of her... But she told all of us that she suffered under the Queen, when she was a part of the Court. I believe her when she says she'll be a kinder Queen than the one the Unseelie Court currently has. And maybe, just maybe... Grandfather won't want to kill every fae he meets if she does."

Pothy peers up at Simony. "The Queen wanted to make Grandfather one of her Ravens." That's said flatly, with just a note of disgust.

"How about we install Grandfather as the ruler of the Unseelie court?", the Goblin wonders. "I don't know him all that well, but he does not seem to be one who would cut deals with demons. Even if he is evil, which I doubt, he would be responsible with the various magics and items of power the court holds. Grandfather would take it seriously and not fall to dallying around."

Simony pets at Pothy a bit more. "Ah I am reminded I have some seeds and nuts for you, that I will bring the next time I visit. There are some exotic ones fron Am'shere too."

"I mean, I suspect Grandfather would understand that his son is an issue, and deal with it promptly, instead of being blinded by love."

Telamon simply shakes his head. "Won't work. Grandfather stepped away from the Court, and has no desire to return. And it's questionable if they'd accept him anyways because of his long-standing animosity towards them." He sighs, raking his hand through his hair. "Unless Faphinae keels over dead or something, he is not an option."

"Love can blind, Simony. The Queen's actions are reprehensible, but understandable. No one wants to admit that someone they love may be seriously flawed -- and evidently, Cul's title of 'the Cruel' wasn't hung on him lightly. Add to that his impotence and trafficking with fiends, and well..."

His further commentary is interrupted as the unseen servant comes out bringing platters of bread, cheese, cold cuts, a jar of mustard, and some fresh fruit. "No, I think we'll work with Faphinae. She has a better familiarity with the Court anyways."

"Telamon's right," Cor'lana says. "Grandfather has no heart nor head for fae politics. All he wants in the world is to live quietly in his woods. All he wants is to bake pies and cakes and make cups of tea for when his family comes to visit. I won't force that crown upon him."

Pothy bird-blinks. "Seeds? Nuts? You had better not forget them next time."

Cor'lana happily accepts her platter, making herself a sandwich already with the cheese and cold cuts. "She knows the Court better than any mortal alive, I'd think," she says. "After all... She used to work for the Queen. The word she used was 'centuries'. And time does pass differently in Quelynos compared to here, but... I do believe it's centuries here in the mortal plane, too."

"Well, that does mean protecting Faphinae until she can take power. Who else among the court has a good enough standing to take on the rulership? There's no way they can't know how vulnerable the whole system is right now. If Faphinae doesn't moove soon, someone else will. And if the Queen gets a whiff, heads will roll. And she does have that horrible sword."

Simony's eyes widen at the buffet coming to the living room, and she looks embarrassed as her stomach gurgles. She looks to Cor'lana and nods. "I wasn't suggesting surprising him with it. I would suggest asking him. But .. if you two are sure Faphinae is a good choice, so be it." The Goblin begins to build a sandwich with the breads, cheeses, cold cuts, mustard and fruits offered, building all the flavours into one tall sandwich. She inhales and exhales. "So what's the plan and how can I help?" Simony crunches into the sandwich, and chews. "The strawberries go surprisingly well with the mustard."

"The problem the Queen faces is that killing members of her Court only puts off the inevitable. When Cul takes the throne, the Court will begin to fall apart. I don't think it'd be utterly destroyed -- there is balance there, and the Seelie Court would try to stabilize things if no one else did -- but as I noted, the intervening time would be very unpleasant, and gods only know how it would play out on the mortal coil."

Telamon begins assembling a more modest sandwich. "I won't deny I wish we could ask Grandfather, but Lana has the right of it. He does not want that position or power. It would force him to entwine his life with something that he walked away from, centuries ago. He would hate it."

Tel mulls over the question. "The plan is still being polished, but Faphinae and I both favor a lightning strike -- remove the Queen and her son swiftly. I don't think Captain Doyle will actively interfere -- not unless we threaten the stability of the Court itself -- but the quicker we excise those two, and chase down Koz'gon, the better."

"I think the Captain was clear that he swore an oath to the people of the Court," Cor'lana murmurs over her assembled sandwich. She's living life dangerously today. She actually added mustard this time around. It could be considered a spice... of sorts. "That seemed to imply to me that he does not plan on intervening if we were to take action. As Telamon says, we should act swiftly. Take Cul away from Koz'gon, and Koz'gon loses one of his toys."

Pothy looks longingly at the food. "I want some," he pleads softly. "Please feed me, Simony." She's the begged-upon of the hour.

"The only thing I fear with this plan is how the Unseelie Court might rally around Faphinae... But she's a charismatic person, and she is known to many, from what I understand." Cor'lana smiles at Pothy's direction. "Or we could put Pothy in charge."

"No. Absolutely not. Give me food!" Pothy demands.

"Could we convince the good Captain to prevent the use of the court's... the Queen's repertoire of nasty artifacts? That would be to our advantage I think. What would you have me do?" Simony speaks between bites of her sandwich and sips from her tankard. "I really want to do something about this whole mess. Koz'gon really needs to go. I'll face him in combat if needs be."

Simony eyes Pothy a moment, before shs pulls a strawberry from the platter, offering it to the white bird. "There's nothing stopping you from grabbing a few for yourself."

"The mustard is homemade. I try not to go too crazy with the ingredients." Telamon munches on his sandwich for a bit, before continuing. "Whoever winds up on the throne is going to command the Unseelie Court. I'm just hoping Faphinae will be less... unpredictable than the Queen currently is."

He taps his fingertips on the table. "We definitely don't want the Queen pulling out that damnable sword, or any other toys she might have secreted away in case of emergency. So that might be a good idea. Beyond that, Simony? You're welcome to fight alongside us. I know you want Koz'gon -- and I do too -- but it may be that the path to the fiend lies through the Unseelie Court."

"Yeah, but food tastes better when it's fed to you." Pothy says this like it's a categorical fact as he takes the strawberry. "And... You know..."

He looks at Cor'lana. "I bet I can distract her. While you're dealing with Cul."

Cor'lana blinks. "Pothy... Pothy, no. You can't go back there." She frowns deeply. "It's not just the Queen. There are people who still blame you for that girl's death. We don't want a repeat of Folendel... even if Auranar was absolutely brilliant and beat that man at his own game."

If Pothy could smile, he would. "I think everyone involved will get their just desserts." He either has something Auranar-shrewd in mind... or he wants dessert already. Considering Pothy, it could be both.

"Pothy, it's a fight you should stay well away from. That sword is an existential threat. And if you go to the Ever After, you won't get to taste the seeds and nuts I have." Another strawberry is offered to Pothy, while Simony takes another big bite of her sandwich.

"If I were stronger, I would do it by myself. Keep my friends safe by keeping them out of it. But I'm not..." The Goblin frowns lightly. "So. A coup it shall be. Say where and when, and I'll be there."

"Agreed," Telamon remarks. "Pothy, it says a lot about you that you're willing to step back into the Court. But this is going to be dangerous, and it's going to get confusing. A coup in the mortal realms is not something to treat lightly; one in the fey realm is going to have all sorts of repercussions, I think."

He reaches over to pet Pothy's feathers, before smiling at Simony. "I know you will be. You're a good friend, Simony. I think that's what separates us from the villains; the fact we have friends willing to help each other." He furrows his brow. "Anyways, here was what Faphinae had suggested. First..."

And so, warded by magic, hidden in the cozy home, the coup of the century is slowly assembled.