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Jackie had sent word to Alexis informing her of two developments- first, that she had Patchie's blessing to help split the load of playing diplomat as Legate of the Mists, and secondly that she's found a way to free Helldivers- though a costly one. After asking for a chance to meet, the request had been granted, leading to Vorpal approaching the stated meeting place a bit earlier than indicated. Just to be safe.
The elder goth asks for a meeting at the Autumn Lodgehouse, and she shows up five minutes early. Normally Alexis shows up to Events dressed to the nines, top hat and all, but today she's wearing a pair of loose black knit palazzo pants, an XTC Nonesuch tour shirt which is in suspiciously good shape for as old as it must be, and black combat boots. She shrugs her way out of her heavy black wool coat and hangs it up inside the door. Script and text float gently across the surface of her powdery-soft skin. She takes her water bottle out of the coat's pocket and settles down in a chair by the fire.
Jackie smiles at Alexis as she herself joins the elder, arriving perhaps a minute or two behind her, though she keeps her longcoat on, perfectly comfortable in its confines (and never you mind the amount of peace of mind it grants). "A fine and wonderful evening to you, your Majestic Queen of Cult Couture~" Jackie greets her warmly, moving to melt into a chair likewise, a shadow cast by the flame warming the Autumn Crown. "I appreciate your time, you know."
"Regent, at the moment, I suppose, but thank you all the same." Alexis takes a swallow of water and closes the metal bottle, screwing the top closed and setting it on a side table. "I do know. Take a seat, Jackie Vorpal, Shadow-girl of Direct Action, and tell me what I can do for you."
Words slip across her face, disappearing down the side of her throat.
"Regal regent of resplendent... hm. I'll get back to you on that noun," Jackie reassures, smiling faintly at the appellation aimed her way. Clearly pleased, this one. "Well, two things. One exciting and dangerous, another less thrilling but hopefully still advantageous. I'll start with that one." Jackie leans forwards companionably. "I've asked Patchie if she'd welcome me as a second Legate of the Mists. I've got solid contacts in both the Kindred and Mage communities, as well as having proven myself an ally to both, between facing down Strix and delivering their minions back to their own kind, and helping the Mages track and take out some of the bastards waging war on existence. Is that an endeavour you'd feel comfortable supporting me in?"
A small wave of her hand, and she settles comfortably in her overstuffed chair, resting her old bones in front of the crackling fire. "The alliteration is noted," Alexis answers amiably.
"Mmm." She nods her head. "Potentially. Let's find out what the second thing is before I agree to anything."
"Fair!" Vorpal agrees, pulling out The Knife- sheathed, mind- and setting it delicately on a coffee table between them. "I took up the challenge of finding a way to free Helldivers from their Silver Cords some long while back. I came into possession of a sword from a severed timeline used to attempt to sever mage and changeling goodwill by severing Peter and Doll's lives, and I thought to myself, "Self... that's an awful lot of severing." So I made sure it was clean of any actual magical effects, broke the blade into pieces and buried them in a Hedge river under timelocked stones to let them... you know, marinate." She taps The Knife. "This is what was waiting when I came back months later. And... well, it certainly works a treat, Snowy is proof of that, but... the cost is pretty hefty."
A small wave of her hand, and she settles comfortably in her overstuffed chair, resting her old bones in front of the crackling fire. "The alliteration is noted," Alexis answers amiably. "Mmm." She nods her head. "Potentially. Let's find out what the second thing is before I agree to anything."
The Autumnal Regent listens, her ink-dark eyes focused on Vorpal. "What is the cost?" she queries, question marks curling across her cheek.
"When I used it to free Snowy. The only time I've used it properly. It shredded my sanity. I'm well stocked on reality gripping materials, and it blew half of them out of the water like it was nothing." She's quiet a moment. "I'm okay, and I guess I sort of was then, but only functionally so. It was awful. Um. But. I don't know what factors influence its effects. Perhaps it'd be gentler with a less... Storied individual?" Her voice echoes how much she hates admitting that.
"Hmm." Alexis scratches her cheek absently. "I believe you have made my choice for me. To trust delicate negotiations to someone, I need to trust - implicitly - in their control of their own mind. Patchie is ... brusque... in their way, but they are solid as a rock."
"So. Use your contacts, find out if you're right - what the structures of this knife that you've created are - so that you know how to work with it, or if it's wiser in other hands - and bring me that report."
"We'll decide then, together."
"That's perfectly reasonable on all fronts, if I'm quite honest. I'll start looking into the particulars at once, and return when I've a satisfactory... oh, heavens. I'm writing a research paper. And here's me thinking I escaped them by virtue of evading upper education," Jackie sighed with an entirely faked sense of disappointment.
A soft laugh like the distant rustling of vellum. "You wanted to avoid research and academia, and you joined Autumn?" Those inky eyes slow blink, cat-like. "Quite a silly plan, I think." Alexis folds her hands on her stomach. "I look forward to your results."
Jackie harrumphed delicately and without rancor. "Research, I enjoy. Experimenting, exploring, all of that is a delight." A deep breath and a mostly feigned morose sigh. "It's the part where it has to be collated and full of citations and documented trials that exhausts me! I don't doubt it's value, nor do I begrudge doing what so many others before me did to pass on their knowledge, but dag gummit, I don't have to smile when I do!"=
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