synopsychic | [open to all] Trump speculation + calling

... 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Automata belonged to two Trumps. One large and frightening, the one in the dark Sectors that must have been the Devil, and another that was "one that is two". The Lovers, I think? I don't know, I never actually saw or spoke to them. I did see the Devil though, and they were trying to... use Tyranny and Oppression to make the Grid evolve I think. They were horrible.

[Sera's mental voice becomes oddly sheepish as she continues, sounding like one might expect a child to sound if they were more than half expecting a parental figure to be angry or disappointed with them.]

I uhm. I also spoke to the Sun, and I Was marked by them. I asked them how we become the people we do during Jaunts, and he said that who we become is based on who we really are. That "every personality is drawn to its greatest resonance." I tried to ask what that actually meant, but they said they wouldn't answer me yet.

... I see.

[That's all he has to say.]

[Oh. Oh that isn't good at all. She'd expected to be scolded for getting marked. Not... that.]

...Are you angry with me, Papa?

[The familial term slips out without her even realizing, too surprised and nervous to remember to hide her true feelings towards him.]

... I am not angry with you, no. It... troubles me that my... "greatest resonance"... could be such a despicable person.

... no, not even a despicable person. A despicable monster.

What are you talking about? ...Do you mean the Mayor?

[Clearly, she didn't consider Mayor Fruosino to be quite so despicable.]

Who else? He chose to doom a world to madness and violent death, all because he tired of bettering it. He offered many human sacrifices - the senseless slaughter of innocents - to placate the Old Ones. He... I... strangled a man to death with nothing but bare hands because it was more convenient than keeping him alive.

Such a disregard for human life... it makes me sick to even be associated with him.

[... well someone has a chip on his shoulder about Harrogate.]

[She's quiet a long moment, but when she finally responds her mental "voice" is gentle and comforting.]

That's what you saw. And because you were trapped in that body, maybe you know it best, but you also only remember all the guilt of everything you did. But do you know what I saw? I saw a man who was bright, intelligent, and kind. Who loved his daughter very much and she loved him in return, someone wise beyond his years who strove to make the world as good of a place as he possibly could.

Someone who suffered too much, unfairly. Who no matter how hard he tried to better the world, it continued to beat him down until he broke. Who had a false god of death and madness whispering to him at his weakest moment, was manipulated until he was willing to do things that otherwise would have horrified him. I've seen monsters use good people to do bad things before.

Yet after everything he did, he still loved his daughter, and did everything he could to convince her to wait, to not audition for the play. But when he saw he couldn't make her back down with breaking her heart, he gave her the role that... That would, in its own strange way, protect her. Would both bring her the greatest honor in the eyes of his dark god and would give her a peaceful darkness instead of the madness and pain the rest of the town suffered. He tried to destroy the world but at least he loved his daughter with all of his heart. That's still so much better than my real mother treated me.

... kind? No. Not after his wife passed. He was always a man of science, but not always of compassion. Until he met his wife, he had no intention of falling in love. And it was all cut short when she died, and left him with an infant and only a few fond memories. That ate up what little compassion he had left. His daughter was the only one he cared about in the entire world, then. His only saving grace was his love for his daughter. And he chose to sacrifice her to watch the world burn.

It would not be a peaceful darkness, Sera. It would have been nothing. She would have been utterly consumed by the King in Yellow, mind, body, and soul. Nonexistence would perhaps be worse, in some ways.

[In the back of his mind, he can still catch the memory of a young teenage girl begging her father: Please, Papa, all I want is to act. I'll audition for a small role, please...

The psychic connection goes quiet for a little while.]

I would argue the same of you. You are only approaching it from one viewpoint, the view of the doting, sweet daughter. Of course you would only see the best in him.

Those that are hurt... it's like the compassion they should have had was cut out of them. I told you about my mother. How she wanted to make everyone in the world a demon and let people slaughter each other until there was nothing left. What I didn't tell you is how sometimes the older scientists would talk about how much she'd changed, how cold she was, how much she changed after something terrible happened to her. I don't know what it was, but I know it was before I was born and she only gave birth to me so she could use me. At least Leonard managed to hold on to his compassion for his daughter, at least there was some shred of goodness that allowed him to love his daughter instead of hating her as much as everyone else. Maybe more. At least you allowed her to call you Papa.

[In the back of her own mind the Mayors reactions to her begging still floated through her memories, vague at the edges like a ghost. And to juxtapose them the painfully sharp memories of her own original parent.

My Angel, this is a very important play, and it can be a very dangerous one to perform. Please, won't you reconsider? I would not be able to bear it if something were to happen to you...

Seraphita, how many times must I remind you to only address me as the Chief Director!? Now be a good little girl and be quiet while we run these tests.]

You're right. I'm biased too. But I know the real you is kind. So it must have been that part of the Mayer that drew you into filling his shoes.

[open to all] Trump speculation + calling

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