Do you need to pay deflect when targeting with Ahri Inquisitive's triggered ability, and can you decline to pay it?

Ruling: Yes, you need to pay deflect when targeting with Ahri Inquisitive's triggered ability. However, you can decline to pay this cost, in which case the triggered ability will cease to exist and be removed from the Chain before becoming a Chain Item.

Sequence:

• Ahri's triggered ability goes on the Chain
• If targeting incurs a deflect cost, you may decline to pay it
• If you decline, the ability is removed from the Chain and does nothing
• If you pay, the ability stays on the Chain and resolves normally

Nuances:

• While deflect itself is a passive ability, when it creates a cost for a triggered ability, players may decline to pay that cost under the rule allowing players to decline costs for triggered abilities