Come one, come all...storytime with the Arcana

[stacks_the_deck]

As the sun set it became rather apparent that it wasn't only the sun's rays that had lit up the Embassy so it seemed to glow. No, there was plenty of light of its own shining out of all of its windows of colored glass, making it a rather cheerful beacon in the night

Comments

OTA, but especially other Diamonds/Christophe (as she snuck in cookies)

[uncutclarity]

Of course the Jack of Diamonds is there, looking her Diamond best. It's not strictly necessary - she asked Cadogan to come, and Claudine was more than capable of intelligent questions - but Avery's always been a curious cat. Besides, she and Christophe had long ago discussed delicious sweet baked things, and she hadn't had the opportunity to bring him anymore experiments.

A girl's handbag can hide all sorts of things. Like lemon bars in tupperware.

Although it does appear that they've manifested enough servants to keep the Fool in cookies for the rest of his life, so maybe it was unnecessary. Nonetheless.

[diemwnt]

Of course the next Card down in a straight flush is there, trailing with a touch more distance than he had been accustomed to sticking to his previous Jack. The slight furrow of his brow isn't smoothed as his neck cranes to examine the breadth of the world they're being ushered deeper into.

It's a castle. As much a faerie castle as the Diamond one he'd come into five years ago. There must be something that makes the Deck-borns' lips all twist slightly at this entire ordeal, but of the life of him he doesn't genuinely understand it. Maybe Avery will have insight.

She is Jack.

[uncutclarity]

Avery isn't Deckborn, of course. But she's lived in the Deck so long that most people forget that - and she does, too, because she doesn't really remember Canada. It is a faerie castle, one different from their own glossy white and blue one. It's full of spires and stained glass and it reminds her, honestly, of an avante garde church like some of the ones she'd wandered through in her year in Europe.

Why did they purge Arcana from their history? That's the question she keeps asking herself, and the one she'll ask their representatives, but only when they get to that point. They aren't their yet, however, so she adjusts the strap of her bag and raises her hands.

/What do you think of all this?/

[diemwnt]

They're a little old for him to let his first thought be that they need to start setting guards against y Tylwyth Teg. The thought is nevertheless the first thing that flits through his mind when asked for his opinion.

/That we need more stringent security details./

Because divorced from the history of the thing, apart from the un-puzzling of whens and hows and whys to untangle the rift of the Deck and the Arcana, the practical matters were not to be minimized. This was a lot of people--this was an entire castle and a lot of people inside it--that hadn't been accounted for.

That was an even more terrifying threat than the unshakable discomfort that the entire thing was the fire of a pwca leading the entire Deck into the marsh.

OTA

[sevenbyright]

The invitations had come as a surprise, but possibly not quite so much a surprise as the sudden increase in population at the newest castle. Of course, something like this couldn't be passed up and Sieben's best company manners are in place. The better to perhaps disguise the sharp glances at the servants and the observations he's making in light of the reports from Zoë and Sandy.

With luck, they'll learn the point of all this soon enough.

[aceofsorts]

Oliver's been buried in dubious 'research' of late, and possibly spending too much time at Club Castle (there the main body of information seems to be) than any self-respecting misanthrope should without wanting to brain someone. And of course he's here for their little announcement, still pondering on his and Frankie's failed attempts to round up the rest of the delegates.

"Good grief," he says to Sieben a little wearily as more servants swan by. "They've multiplied." The main question is that of transport, of course. Teleportation? At this point he's willing to take it as a viable option.

[sevenbyright]

"Yes, there are flocks of them now," Sieben murmurs in response as he watches a group of them. Trained servants, clearly, the equivalent of the Deck's own Twos and Threes, but the Major Arcana has no equivalents of Twos and Threes. "I do wonder what their instructions are."

[aceofsorts]

It's questionable, the idea of the Major Arcana each playing their role and having servants who are either outside of the system, part of a new system or something else. Oliver's sure the servants wouldn't be members of the Major Arcana themselves.

"I'm not a fan of 'wait and see,' but..." Hardly any way of knowing until either they're told or they execute them. "I shouldn't think they'd be doing anything but watching like hawks tonight." The servants, that is. Which is why it's important to keep cool and carry on.

OTA

[cardstitcher]

With all the excitement coming through her office lately, Frankie had nearly forgotten her other duty as Club Emissary until the invitation had appeared in the hand of an unfamiliar but smiling man. She has no idea what to expect, no more than any of the other Cards she can see milling around. She'll look for the other emissaries later, although it seems like every Suit has several high-ranking Cards at the embassy tonight.

She can't help glancing around for Christophe. It's been weeks since they've talked, has he finished the books? Has he made Gustave finish the books? What did he think of them?

Re: OTA

[foolishlywitty]

Oh! Oh look, Frankie was there too! it was very much not polite to dance like an excited puppy, so Christophe didn't do that much. Instead, he made his way over to the doctor, snagging a servant holding a tray of snacks on his way.

"You came!"

Yay~

[cardstitcher]

Even with the slight uncertainty and awkwardness she's feeling at being here Officially, Christophe's genuine enthusiasm is pretty contagious and she's already smiling when he bounces up, although she looks a little askance at the servant proffering the tray with a calm smile

"Sure I came," she says as she takes something small and delicious. "Wouldn't miss it. It's good to see you again, how have you been?"

[foolishlywitty]

Christophe's beam was contagious, it seemed. Even the Twins couldn't always hate him - even if they were a bit condescending.

"It's going to be great! Asarlai is pumped for it. Thank you for coming." Because it would've beensad if she'd been too busy to make it. "I helped decorate. Kind of. With the lights. Have you gotten a tour yet? I've been good, have you been good? Thank you for those books! We're really liking them."

OTA

[acethatmatters]

This would actually be the first time Julien's set foot on Arcana land but it had seemed past high time for him to just come and see the place for himself. So he'll be in one of his best suits and not at all making a secret of looking at everything.

[ishineon]

"A far cry from the other castles, I'd say." It's an idle remark, meant more for the ears of the Arcana servant nearby. Just because they were servants didn't mean they didn't keep their ears open, surely.

[acethatmatters]

"Oh, it is. Pretty, I suppose but..." he waved a hand and shrugged. "Insubstantial?" Despite the size. And the fact it was clearly solid. There was just something about it that didn't feel quite real. Though perhaps that was only due to the way it had appeared.

"And what do you think we'll be getting out of tonight, then?"

Because apparently a mutual enemy (let's not be coy, of course that's how Julien sees them) means he can be polite without extra edges to Säde. At least for a time.

[ishineon]

It's appreciated, Julien. Really. "Insight, if not a lot of information. Or at least, not any information that can be confirmed or corroborated."

Because whatever might be said, it was possible- if only marginally- that it was only a pretty tale to win the trust of the Deck.

OTA

[ishineon]

Säde has only visited the castle once, and she makes a point of looking around again, spotting what little differences there may be. It's more the servants that catch her attention than anything else, although she can't shake the suspicion that it's little more than a trap.

[lowtohigh]

There's nothing wrong with a little optimism and wonder underneath the webs of contingency plans, is there? Eileen certainly hopes not. It's hardly the worst time to check in and confirm that, however. "...it's rather lovely, don't you think, Miss Säde?"

[ishineon]

"They've gone to great lengths to make it so, dear." Nothing wrong at all, if she cares to ask.

[lowtohigh]

"It's very hospitable of them, at any rate." She barely feels her own fingers linking together as she glances again around the hall. "We so often do the same among ourselves. That's reassuring."