[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]

H-hey.

[This is ... man. This is kind of weird. He knows that voice, insofar as it's possible to know it from mental presence alone (not the same as the Interface, not by a long way), and yet last time he'd heard it...

Things had been so different.]

I've ... been discussin' it with one'f my friends, and I'm pretty good with Tarot meanings. So I'm gonna be runnin' a class on the whole lot of them in a bit, once I've set things up, so everyone knows what's going down. I don't know all of them, but I'm damn good with the meanings of the Major Arcana... y'know, the Trumps themselves.

So... anyone who wants t' come along, feel free.

... I can tell ya about those three now, though, if you like.

[howexciting]

That would be much appreciated, KAN--

[Ah, but that isn't his name, is it? Much like his first meeting with Alcuin...]

... messere. Information on them is vital, as we can use it right now.

[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?

Private to Kanji

[willyousee]

KAN--? Your pardon, I'm afraid I don't know the proper term of address. Am I correct in thinking that the program KAN-2, later KAN-3, inhabited your form on the Grid?

[The cadence and voice probably sound familiar, though he's gained a slight French accent now that they're back in liminal space and obviously more formality.]

Private reply:

[creativefool]

The name's Kanji. And ...yeah. That was the other me down there. It's - you were - he was - ADM, right? I heard you singin' before, but I didn't want to interrupt...

Permaprivate

[willyousee]

Kanji.

[He speaks the name carefully, as though cementing its pronunciation. His voice is warm and friendly, practically smiling.]

My name is Alcuin - Alcuin nó Delaunay - and yes, the program ADM wore my face for a time. It is a pleasure to speak with you as yourself. You are welcome to stay and talk after I finish Singing. Or if you come to Leonardo's workshop, I am often found there as well. I would be pleased to meet you in person.

Otherwise I expect I will see you at your class! I am woefully lacking in education concerning the tarot and their significance, and I look forward to correcting that.

Re: Permaprivate

[creativefool]

[There's a moment's hesitation as he tries to work out the best way to address someone who he's only known as an echo, and just falls back on-]

Alcuin-san. Same. It's ... good t' talk to you as you.

It'll be good to see you there, too. I haven't really taught anyone this stuff before, but what I've got, I'm gonna do my best to share.

[willyousee]

Just Alcuin, please, I have no need for honorifics. [He sure will be using them with you, now.]

I suspect you are not alone in that feeling. Many of us see ourselves as students rather than teachers. And yet. [Chagrined laugh.]

[creativefool]

[Well... okay, he can do casual. He laughs back slightly.]

Seriously. We've all gotta try and do our bit in this mess, right?

[shiroganeheir]

Kanji, now that I think about it, I could send the entire thing to the network, so people with the ability could call it up later.

I seem to have picked up that ability somewhere.

Hopefully it won't just confuse people.

[creativefool]

Y-you could? Damn. That'd be a big help, now ya mention it. This info needs to stay out there somewhere... however that works.

[shiroganeheir]

Certainly. It is vital information to this investigation, after all.

[There is a very familiar mental smirk to her words.]

I will be there after all, so it is no problem.

[creativefool]

Tch. Yeah, no kiddin'. But seriously, I appreciate it.

[He's going to need all the help he can get.]

[shiroganeheir]

As always, Kanji, anything you need all you must do is ask.

If there is anything else I can assist with, please let me know.

[creativefool]

Anythin' you can assist with. Huh. I'll let ya know, sure...

[abweichend]

[Levi had of course listened to the explanation given to Leonardo about the Trumps present in that place...

And he very much appreciates the straightforwardness of Kanji's presentation of them.]

...When and where is the rest of this being held?

[Because Levi's so in. He could stand to be a little better educated, given the increasing number of Trump sightings and Trump markings and general Trump fuckery that's been going down.

Times have changed, since he'd arrived.]

[creativefool]

I'm still workin' out a location: got a room in mind off the big courtroom lookin' place, but I'll try 'n get a network call out when it's happening. I've just gotta work a coupla things out, but it shouldn't take too long.

[abweichend]

I'll look out for that, then.

[Levi'd known regular cards well enough to rack up some side coin back in the Underground (and from anyone stupid enough the be hustled in the taverns topside), but this Tarot shit isn't something he's familiar with on more than a surface level even after all this time.]

...Thanks. This sort of shit doesn't exist where I'm from, but it sounds like you've got enough experience with it to fill the rest of us in.

[creativefool]

No problem - if it can help anyone else, I'm glad to share. Me 'n a few of my friends are pretty familiar with this crap - I started studyin' how it works last year. Still not an expert on the little details, but I know about the bits that're relevant to what's going on.

[abweichend]

That's what I'm looking for- anything relevant.

[Because let's be real- Levi's no scholar. He does the stabbing and the slicing, among other physical-based tasks.

Still, it can't hurt to have at least some idea what the fuck they're dealing with.]

Maybe we can make something out of the Trumps' taking people with such useful hobbies...

[creativefool]

[There's a faint psychic snort of a laugh. 'Hobbies' isn't how he'd describe it, but ... eh, close enough, he had studied it out of interest as much as out of necessity.

Just to prove to himself that he could.]

Guess they think that it'll help to have people on their team that know how they work.