Chapter Text
Loquatius Seelie was sneaking in. He doesn’t do that too often but he’s confident enough that he could pull it off, his earlier failure notwithstanding. Earlier was a trial run of sorts, information gathering if you will. When acquiring permission for an interview through the official means ends up in a failure, some subterfuge was needed. Wearing a totally different face, he strode in looking like he owned the place.
He was trespassing and of all places in a place of learning. He had no interest in learning whatever they were teaching but he had heard rumours of a visitor coming to the place. An Abjurer of sorts, from Avalir he heard. They don’t get too many extraterrestrial visitors, not in Cathmoira, not when Avalir had only been three years into their venture.
He didn’t really know what they do or why they were important but some guys from the office bet him that he wouldn’t be able to get an interview from them. Naturally, he didn’t need to prove anything. He was already gaining popularity rapidly and in the next few years he’d be the face of the paper but what was life without the fun.
Curls of brown locks obscured his eyesight. He cursed himself for choosing such an inconvenient disguise. He had been turned away once and he was making damned sure that it would not happen again. He was going to get that exclusive interview and get some brownie points from his boss.
He liked to think that he knew what he was doing but as with all the things he had done since coming to the Material Plane, he smiled and talked his way through it. With a grin and some pleasantries, he greeted the registrar by name. Using what he learned from his failure, he expertly wove the conversation to his liking. A nod here, a change in tone, and with a flourish and bow he was given permission to enter the place.
His face morphed slightly as he walked. He let his hair grow shorter, turning it a lighter shade of auburn. He adjusted his coat before pocketing the pair of glasses he was wearing. Next, he adjusted his gait to be like of a man idle and had walked the halls plenty of times.
He began to poke his head toward many of the rooms. Trying to find the person he needed. The task had become more tedious than he anticipated. It had been a time since he had to resort to this means of gathering information.
“Hey, you!” a voice called out in his direction. Loquatius didn’t pause, it couldn’t have been him that the person was shouting for right?
“You with the orange hair!” He paused, turning his head in the direction of the voice.
He saw a dark-skinned elf, dark hair sloppily tied into a bun. Clothes crumpled but free of any dirt. She looked like she was irritated. Gesturing to himself he asked, his voice light and airy, “It’s Auburn actually, but are you talking about me, miss?”
She rolled her eyes, “Yes you! And besides, it’s the same thing.” She turned around to go back to the room where she came from.
Loquatius had to blink, what a strange encounter. He was about to go on his way when she shouts for him again.
“Are you coming in or not?”
Loquatius grimaced internally, this was not part of the plan. Not wanting to raise more suspicion he reluctantly followed her inside.
“You're a bit slow, aren't you? Anyway, I'm so glad you came here. We have so much to discuss.”
Loquatius blinked, “I beg your pardon?” Did he accidentally change his appearance to one of her colleagues? He asked himself.
She stopped abruptly, hands clenching an arcane tool of sorts, “Oh my gods, pleasantries! Right! Pleasantries, that's a thing. Do I have to offer you tea or something?”
She rummaged through the cluttered mess that Loquatius thought was her desk. A few quills fell to the floor. He watched as she quickly gave up before grabbing a worn mug that had seen some use. She gives it to him looking exasperated.
He takes the offered beverage before realizing that it was half full of a coffee partially drunk. He placed the offending mug away from his person. What an outrageous way to treat a guest. The situation was baffling, downright strange. And that is saying something because Loquatius thought he knew everything he had to know about the Material Plane but apparently not.
“There, coffee I think. I hope you like it black because that's all that you are getting. Now, pleasantries are done. Let's talk,” she said as she unfurled a rather large scroll. More clutter fell off her desk.
He had to intervene, he didn't even know her name, “Excuse me, but can I ask for your name?”
“You still don't know? It's right there” –she gestures at a nameplate partially hidden by the clutter on her desk– “for a supposedly brilliant wizard you sure are slow.”
Finally, it clicked. Synapse firing on his mind. She thought that he was the visitor. The same person he was on the hunt for. The very same person he was hoping to get that exclusive interview with. The fey inside him was tickled, he was up for some mischief. He could work with this. What a very interesting diversion.
He glanced back at the nameplate, Laerryn Coramar. An interesting name. What a colourful individual.
“Okay so–” he lets her rambling wash over him. Five, ten, maybe twenty minutes passed, and Loquatius was rapt in attention. Her voice got more and more excited as the minutes passed. It was almost like he wasn’t in the room, he could hear the passion in her voice.
“–After that, I did some field research. Hate doing it but it was incredibly fruitful. I studied the excess Ether residue after the last Replenishment, about 10 percent of the Ether reported from the Etheric net never really made its way back to the network of leylines for Domunas. The current system is inefficient. I surveyed the receptacles myself and there were plenty of runes carved in where there shouldn't be, probably relics from the first launch–”
Loquatius could only nod like he knew what he was hearing about. He was so in over his head but he couldn’t help but marvel at how incredibly rude and yet how brilliant the woman was. Who was this woman? Now Loquatius wasn’t stupid, he needed to be smart enough to do what needs to do but he could recognize just how on a different level she was from him.
“–That’s where I hit a snag. All my calculations point out how my theory is probable but most of my evidence is currently anecdotal and magic is particularly finicky and hard to quantify. I think I’m missing some key variables I’m hoping you could provide–” This time she is full-on standing over her desk. Her gaze was intense as she honed in on Loquatius. He had to swallow and fight the urge to blink.
The next few sentences were a blur from his mind. There was a pause as she asked him a question that frankly he didn’t know the answer to. A second in, a minute in, the silence turned into an awkward one. Then as quick as a bolt of lightning, the realization dawns on her face.
“You’re not them aren’t you?”
Loqautius flashed her his most disarming smile, “Unfortunately not. Although, whatever you’ve just discussed was utterly fascinating. Some, well a few actually, terminology flew in over my head. You were asking something about the Etheric Net? And something about leylines I believe?”
He watched as her face turned a shade darker. Fascinating.
“Uh? Who are you? What?” she sputtered, eyes blinking rapidly.
“Oh, I’m just a nobody whom you’ve grabbed to be a great sounding board. Hey, if everyone is just as brilliant as you then this place must be so exciting.”
He watched as she narrowed her eyes, her earlier embarrassment faded away, and a hand hovered at her side, “You do realize you were loitering on a restricted part of the university? Right?”
There was another pause as Loquatius couldn’t offer any other explanation, “Wait, are you here to steal my research!?”
It was his turn to blush, or at least let his current appearance blush the brightest shade of red he thought was appropriate. He run his hands through his hair, looking appropriately chastised. He could still salvage this, he hoped at least.
“Excuse me, I actually am given permission to ‘loiter’”–he says doing air quotes– “around and besides you were the one who mistook me for a colleague of yours.”
“Who gave you permission? Don’t tell me, the registrar!”
It was his turn to be incredulous, “You mean Moira?”
She snaps her fingers in agreement, “Yes, her! She lets anyone in, she doesn't know how to gatekeep properly.”
“What,” he says flatly, “She turned away a reporter earlier. What do you mean she lets everyone in.”
She sat down defeated, closing the scroll, “She was probably fucking with them, it gets boring to do that job. Besides she hates the media. To which I say more power to her.”
He couldn’t help but screech, “Are you fucking serious? Oh my gods you are serious. This is why I never went to any University.”
“Can you go now?” she said with an eyebrow raised.
He quickly turned his head towards her, “What. Just like that? You’re turning me away?”
She crossed her arms together, “Yes. You are not the person I needed. To think I did some pleasantries. I went through all the effort to make you comfortable.”
Loquatius had to laugh at that, “Make me comfortable? You gave me a half-drunk, cold, black coffee. That's far from making your guest comfortable. You sure are interesting. I’ll tell you what since I’m already here and your lecture was entertaining. I’ll try to help you.”
She spun an arcane device on her fingers, “You? Help me? When you couldn’t even follow my lecture. Honestly, you are worst than some of my students. Besides I’m busy.”
“With what? I may not know what you wizards do I do have my own magic. Come on just give it a try. It’ll make the last thirty minutes you’ve wasted worthwhile.” He said as he grinned from ear to ear.
“Fine. Do whatever you must.”
He walked closer to her, “First I must ask, consent to touch?”
She stared at him dubiously, “I consent but remember I can report you for sexual harassment.”
He lets out a chuckle, “I’m quite the gentleman you know. I won't force anything you don’t want to do.”
Loquatius held out his hand, letting her be the one to reach out. A few seconds passed before she took it, “Miss Laerryn Coramar I’ve only heard you lecture once and frankly most of your points I couldn't understand. Though it is not your fault for you are quite brilliant, a genius I say. A step above us mere mortals. I can only hope to inspire you so you may continue in pursuit of your interests.”
Every word he said he imbued with magic that is his own. Letting it shape the world in a tangible way. Magic behaved differently in the Material Plane, they treat themselves more seriously. And yet they taste more colourful than those found in the Feywild. It must be the emotions felt by the caster.
Her mouth agape as he uttered the last of his sentence, “What was that? Did you just give me magic coffee? My senses feel sharper, more alert somehow.”
Her hand was surprisingly warm, yet her grip was… solid for a lack of a proper term. He was almost sad to let it go, keyword being almost. He let her hand fall from his.
“I am but a humble bard my lady,” he takes a glance at her again. She was already deep into another scroll. He couldn’t help but grin, “I’ll see myself out then?”
“Yes, yes. How have I never connected this before, everything is so simple," she dictated to one of her arcane quills floating about.
The scraping of his chair echoed around the room.
"Wait, wait, wait. I forgot to ask your name,” she glanced up abruptly.
“You may call me Quay,” he said, already taking out his glasses from earlier.
She hummed, index finger resting on her lower lip, “Quay… hmmm, that’s not your name I take it?”
“Oh, it’s a name I’ve chosen for myself,” he said adding a whimsical tone to his voice.
“I like it. And I tend to not like many things. It suits you but not your face, I think. I mean it suits your personality,” she said while making a shooing motion, "Ugh, I'm not making any sense. Now shoo, I have much to do."
With a nod and smile, "Glad to be of help." Loquatius strode out of the room. His thoughts were not leaving the strangeness of the encounter.
"Laerryn Coramar," he uttered once more. The name tasted sweet with a hint of sour notes on his tongue, like candy you can't help but eat. He walked back to his workplace, his earlier mission now forgotten from his mind. Only seeing three days later, penned on his planner, an interview for a certain Avalir wizard was already scheduled. Loquatius laughed at how the world works.