[open to all] Trump speculation + calling

[howexciting]

... Perdonatemi, I have an announcement.

I am not sure anyone else is aware of this, but the payphone by the door can connect to the Trumps. Or at least, when I attempted to call a Trump, it went through. I am not sure if all the Trumps are available for a call or not. I have heard some of them are dead, so they are likely not, at least. In truth, I am not really sure why they are allowing us to speak to them, now. We should all proceed with caution.

Further... if anyone has information on any of the Trumps that appeared this past Jaunt - The Magician, going by ROSE; The Hermit, going by SAGE; and The Devil - please, share it. I am not well versed in the mystical meanings behind the Tarot, only the cards and their numbers. The Magician is one, The Hermit nine, and the Devil fifteen. While I cannot say I know much about The Hermit, I am aware of many aspects of SAGE, as I was a Crypto this past Jaunt. I... I can tell you what little I know about him, if it would help.

... lastly, if anyone was Marked and feels comfortable coming forward with that information, I would be much obliged to hear it. Private or public, it does not concern me; I shall not come forward with that information unless you are comfortable providing it publicly. With so many Trumps amongst us, I cannot believe any of them would leave empty-handed, as it were.

Comments

[creativefool]

...Kanji. It's Kanji Tatsumi.

[Something inside him'd still pinged at the name, though. It's not going to be easy to push aside, and he's not sure he wants to.]

And sure. Gonna try and give you the basics.

I'm ... gonna start with the easy one. ['Easy', he says.] Hermit. SAGE was... pretty much true to a lot of what the card means, as far as I can tell.
It's all about isolation and introspection. Looking inside yourself for answers, rather than going out and seeking them somewhere else. Understandin' that everyone else is different on the inside, too, helping people but not forcin' them to do things your way.

Magician... ROSE... that's the Arcana that's all about being dynamic. Going out there, making a start, being focused on what you want and not letting anything get in your way. It's about knowing you've got what it takes to do what you need to do.

And Devil ... that's one of the uglier cards in the deck. It's all about being bound and chained. Whether that's something like ... being made to do things you don't wanna be involved in, bein' kept in the dark... or being the one to get yourself stuck in a situation. Closin' your eyes and ...pretendin' things ain't happenin'.

[howexciting]

It is a pleasure, Messer Tatsumi. I am, as you may know by now, Leonardo.

[Leonardo listens to all of these, quietly.]

The Hermit did fit that description very well, from my limited understanding of him... I do not know much about the Magician, I am afraid. And the Devil...

[It gives him almost a shiver. Bound and chained, his worst nightmare in many ways.]

... he must have been behind Harrogate, then. We saw quite a few shackles in the Liminal Space past it, mostly submerged in water.

[creativefool]

...Heh. 'Kanji''s fine. [He really can't stand on formality after everything that's happened, after all.] And - Leonardo-san. [...Not sure about the honorific there either, but he's going to go with it just for the moment and hope for the best.] Cool. It's good t' talk to you, uh... again.

But - damn, there were? As if seein' the things lying around here wasn't bad enough... I wasn't around here back then, so I couldn't really say, but that does sound a lot like it'd fit.

[And from the fleeting bits he'd heard of Harrogate? Yeah. It wouldn't be entirely inappropriate.]

[howexciting]

Kanji. Then if that is fine, I must insist you merely call me Leonardo.

[He gives a small mental chuckle over the network, amused.] Again? Well, neither of us were quite ourselves, but... I take your meaning. I do hope that things will not be awkward, between us? My Infiltrator role might have upset you, and I would not wish that to reflect poorly upon me.

Then the Masquerade was hosted by the Sun and Moon... Harrogate by the Devil... Heartbeat Academy by the Lovers... and the Grid by the Magician, to recover the Hermit. It is starting to paint a picture. I believe a Trump, or Trumps, may be behind each Jaunt, sort of... being its patron, if that makes any sense.

[creativefool]

[There's a bit of an awkward mental laugh at that, but ... hell. If casual's the name of the game, he can roll with it - the usual boundaries definitely aren't in place after these past weeks, he thinks.]

Upset? Nah, I ain't upset about anythin'. You... the other you, he did what he had to, and ... he was always there for me. ...For the other me. Ugh, dammit. [At the far end of the line, Kanji's just shaking his head, trying to kick his sense of self straight.] It... meant a lot, anyway.

But - but, Trumps, right! Yeah, I see what you're gettin' at. They're sendin' us places that match ... what they're most interested in?

[howexciting]

I... yes, I believe I understand. I'm... glad.

[And that is all he'll say on the subject, for now.]

It seems that way, yes. Do you think they might be competing amongst themselves over their attributes? As I understand it, each of their interpretations is broad enough that it is bound to conflict with another Trump somewhere.

[creativefool]

[Right - down to business. Staying focused for now.]

Huh. There's a lot of overlap between some of 'em, yeah. Some more than others. So I dunno if they'd exactly be competin' over that, but I guess where the stuff they're interested in matches, things are gonna get complicated...

[howexciting]

They might form alliances over such things. And those opposing values may be where the lines are drawn in the sand, as the expression goes. It is a thought...

[creativefool]

It's a good thought. They're obviously teamin' up over some things, split over others...