>>5915955 >>5916106 >>5916243 >>5916258 >>5916317 In truth, you don’t exactly need Testa to accompany you. Rather, what you need is her skill: a means to remove a glamour and undo an illusory transformation. What you require is the ability to reveal the truth of the Prince Consort’s abhorrent and inhuman nature to those from whom he has kept it hidden—either as a means to stop him or a threat to hold over him in the event negotiations fail.
“So you want ... What, Lenses of True-Sight?” Testa laughs. “Tips, that’s like THE goal of Illusion and Divination as disciplines. It’s pretty much High Magic. I’m good, but I can’t make something like that on my own!”
“Well... What if I could help fill in your gaps?” you ask.
Testa quirks an eyebrow.
“Not like that!’ you protest, flushing.
“Good,” she says in a sing-song voice, “because you’re not my type anyway~”
You well know her type: tall, blond, handsome, and built like a dresser. In other words: Logan Pearce, your mutual childhood friend... And a fellow of, ah, more masculine tastes himself. It's been over a year since you've seen your best and oldest friend, but the last you’d seen him, his ‘type’ seemed to be, well, YOU. Upon reflection, it’s rather ironic that someone as skilled in illusory arts as Nicolette Testa can’t see as much... But now’s not the time to break the bad news to her. There are more important and urgent matters to discuss. Namely:
"I know a spell, an elven one, called <Free Senses>. It allow someone to see through illusions. It’s potent.”
“Well, seems like you have it sorted out already, then, don’t you?” Testa says, with a cheeky half-smile.
“...But...”
“Oh, there's a ‘but’!” Testa interrupts again, all too pelased with herself.
“BUT,” you continue pointedly. “It’s not foolproof or long-lasting, let alone widespread. It works for me, and someone else close enough to cast it on. AND it’s a one-off; all it would take is for my spell to wear off for the opponent to cast their own spell again, and it would be for nothing. There’s noeway I could expose him to everyone, to make it stick.”
“Well then, it sounds to ME,” says Testa after some musing, a finger brought cutely to her mouth and eyes tlted upwards in imitation of deep thought, “that what you need isn’t something to make other people see this mysterious ‘opponent’ as he is, but o stop him hiding himself. It’s more efficient anyway: a single lasting item or spell on him, rather than SEPARATE castings or items for everyone else.”
“Testa, you’re brilliant,” you say. “And you can do that?”
“Yuh-huh! Just don’t let it get around,” she says sweetly, batting her eyelashes. “Human guys prefer a girl who’s a little stupid, you know?~”
