Trump-Talk

[someonetocarry]

So somebody wanna tell me where the Trumps were hidin' this Jaunt? My other self in there was kinda on the sidelines of whatever action went down, given the whole havin'-a-baby thing, and I don't remember talkin' to anythin' that might fit a Trump in disguise.

[Little does she know... still, it's a place to start the conversation for various interested parties, right? Including herself. Because she's not actually even sure which Trump marked her.]

Comments

[claudiometer]

Considering the fuss about 'barbarian dragons,' I'm going with the shrines. I didn't do any shrining myself, though, so I have no idea which two were kicking around.

[someonetocarry]

Went to a shrine all of once, but never did talk to any dragons or spirits or anythin' like that. Just my midwife, who was coming in to give an offering the same time.

[volving]

[ Cass generally avoids the network, but she's half been paying attention because of this very thing... ]

One was... a dragon. I think. I talked to... it a bit.

[someonetocarry]

Yeah? Uh, what'd the dragon say to you?

[runawaystory]

You're right. There were two of them, actually.

[runawaystory]

There were four of them. Two were posing as dragons, the foreign ones. Hijacking prayers so on. The other two were there as observers. I don't know where, though.

[someonetocarry]

Huh. Wonder if the observers could mark folk, or just the ones who actually talked. Cuz I definitely didn't talk to no dragons, or anybody paradin' about as one.

[solvethepuzzle]

You have confirmation that there were four? [Three, he'd figured. The fourth is news to him.]

[thornsofmalkav]

There weren't any on the walkabout as far as I know. We even had a seance and you'd think that shit was pure trump bait.

[someonetocarry]

What was the walkabout this time? You got the lay of what happened in the Jaunt yet?

... I'd offer, if not, but I only got bits and pieces myself.

[runawaystory]

...That is surprising.

[Given the one legit seance she's attended, Rosalie's surprised one of the Trumps didn't take the opportunity to mess with people.]

[comebewe]

They were in the shrines.



...We spoke to one. They told us that they were after 'synodiporia'.

[And since not everyone can speak Greek...]

Fellow travelers. Those who walk together.

handwaving that by asked for release when he noticed other travelers disappearing

[bypartisan]

I'd been wondering. The language--Old Earth Greek to Barrayaran Greekie--seems to have shifted a bit over the last millennium. I got the 'walking' and 'meeting' from the root words, but--

[...]

Ah. Thank you for releasing me when I begged it of you, by the by.

[someonetocarry]

Huh. Well, we do call ourselves travelers, don't we. Do they call themselves travelers, too, then? Like they consider themselves one of us?

Or if that's what they're lookin' for, maybe they want to.

[It doesn't necessarily fit what they've been doing so far, but... what else is that supposed to mean?]

[leftbehindagain]

So it is cooperative. Whatever it is they're up to, they can't do it without us.

[failgoyle]

"We."

So you really have been possessed this entire time?!

[Priorities.]

[awitchdidit]

...tell me everything you can about your conversation with the Trump. I'll make sure all the relevant information gets written down and stored somewhere everyone can find it.

[lunchleader]

So...they're still seeking people to travel with them? Or is it just us that they're looking out for? Because the one I met in the temple didn't talk like that.

[A pause, and a feeling of chagrin comes across the psychic network as Right wrinkles his nose]

I mean, the other me. Still a little weird...

[detectivewonder]

It's also been used as a code word for communist sympathizers in Greece, the same way "fellow travelers" was in America and the UK, or "sympathisant" in France and Germany. It's a translation of the Trotskyist Russian poputchik, which, yeah.

[bite_the_hand]

[So he's listening to the talk about "barbarian dragons" when he suddenly has a realization. Well, shit. ...He feels oddly pleased about getting to yell at a Trump though.]

When prayers didn't work the other me tried yelling at the dragons, but I think it was a Trump that answered. They asked me if I wanted to save my people or destroy my enemies. Except I wanted both of course! When I told them that they said that isn't how they work, and when I told them I'd do both with or without their help they just left. [There's definitely a smug note in his voice at the realization that he apparently got into an argument with a Trump and won.]

And before anyone asks, no, I didn't get marked. I just double checked. [And by anyone he mostly means Armin and Mikasa.]

[volving]

I... did. Get marked. I asked to... save my people. My mark has... wings? An... angel. And water.

I don't know who... it was, though.

[awitchdidit]

Oh, is this where we're talking about Trumps this time? I got some information out of the last Liminal that I wasn't able to share before the scenario started.

It doesn't surprise me that a Trump seems to have snuck into someone else's Jaunt - Magician marked me similarly during last Liminal, apparently in acknowledgement of my curiosity and proactiveness. She said it was against the rules, but that those rules had already been broken anyway, more or less.

[solvethepuzzle]

Not the first time Magician broke the rules, even.

[wholeheaded]

...I believe I interacted with the Fool. This was also at a shrine. Could be one of our observers.

[solvethepuzzle]

[The fourth being the Fool? Hm.] You're one of the Fool's, correct?

[Educated guess based on how things went in that ill-fated battle against the Trumps.]

[lunchleader]

--Wait, you had a baby?

[Right, didn't someone mention that to you earlier...?]

[someonetocarry]

Yes, I had a baby. A little girl, named Rose. Had rather she waited until I was myself again, but babies will come when they want, I suppose.

[fridgeninja]

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!

Mm. I met a Trump in the Sun Temple shrine, but it didn't go the way I hoped.

[someonetocarry]

Thank you. She's a delight, when she ain't cryin' or needing a diaper changed. And even sometimes then, when I ain't too tired to appreciate it.

How did you hope it would've gone, with your Trump?

[venetianprince]

I, um. I only just recently found out that who I talked to wasn't a dragon... Eheh. [His laughter sounds sheepish even across the network.] I didn't realize it was a Trump until someone pointed out the Mark on me.

I met Judgment, if the mark on my back is anything to go by. It's actually a nice-looking mark, so I actually feel kind of happy about it... ah, but I've heard it's better to be wary about these Trump marks.

Judgment told me to be merciful and use good judgment, at the shrines. I was asking for guidance- I wanted to protect people, to know where to do.

(And congratulations on your daughter! She's so cute!)

[someonetocarry]

Thank you. I've been waitin' a long time for her. And she's very worth it.

[At least she doesn't have to as how he knows she's cute; Wash told her about the sensory livestreaming post-birth. She gave him a bit of a swat for that. He could have waited a little, until she hadn't looked quite so terrible.]

Guess there was a bit of a markin' party goin' on this Jaunt. And bein' wary I think is smart, no matter how friendly they seemed to begin with. We don't know what they mean, right?