Foreword: I've been especially active in the r/DestinyJournals subreddit as of late, and began writing a number of different shorts. I'm going to start re-posting them here.
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> open transc "parlour-backroom03-0247
----------------
TYPE: Transcription
DESCRIPTION: Conversation between various parties in a back room of The Parlour (Magpie District, Last City)
PARTIES: Six [6]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter, designate Sleight-3 [S3]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter, designate "Lady" Olu Alderdice [OA] (POI#0195); One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter, designate Rega-7 [R7]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, designate Wahei Ohr [WO] (POI#0247); One [1] human, designate Charlie Tango [CT] (POI#0320); One [1] human, designate Paul Kent [PK]
ASSOCIATIONS: Alderdice, "Lady" Olu; Dusk Tarot; Kent, Paul; Ohr, Wahei; Parlour; Rega-7; Sleight-3; Tango, Charlie
//AUDIO UNAVAILABLE//
//TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS...//
[PK:01] And I believe that hand goes to me. Trips treys, plus two trumps, Glory and Valor.
[S3:01] [EXPLETIVE DELETED]
[OA:01] On the contrary, my dear Mister Kent. Ten-high four-flush, with a Tyrant trump.
[S3:02] [EXPLETIVE DELETED] How the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] did you get the Tyrant?
[CT:01] Ha! Olu, you complete [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. You've the Devil's own luck.
[OA:02] LADY Olu, if you please, Mister Tango.
[CT:02] Only judges and magistrates call me "Mister Tango." I've told you, your ladyship, you can just call me Charlie.
[OA:03] Of course.
[door opens]
[PK:02] Rega! So good to see you.
[R7:01] Back at you, Paul. Like I'd turn down a chance to see you for an evening.
[CT:03] Rega-7, glad you could join us.
[OA:04] Quite. I was almost getting bored with taking glimmer off these three.
[S3:03] [EXPLETIVE DELETED]
[OA:05] Language, Mister Three. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
[CT:04] 'Course he don't. Exos don't have lips.
[R7:02] Charlie, Sleight... Lady Alderdice.
[S3:04] Rega. Who's your friend?
[R7:03] Well, Paul's met her. Wahei, this is Sleight-3--
[S3:05] [grunts]
[R7:04] The infamous Lady Alderdice, and that's Charlie Tango. Everyone, this is my teammate, Wahei Ohr.
[S3:06] Or what?
[WO:01] Just 'Ohr.'
[S3:07] Or what?
[WO:02] Just 'Ohr.'
[S3:08] [pause] Or what?
[WO:03] Just 'Ohr.'
[pause]
[WO:04] I have all day. How long do you have?
[CT:05] Heard that one a few times, have you?
[WO:05] Just a bit. And would you be THE Charlie Tango?
[CT:06] I object to the "THE." Tells me I'm not keepin' as low a profile as I'd like.
[WO:06] When the Corsairs found out you'd gotten into their vaults and stolen armaments and sold them off in the black market, it didn't take them long to figure out who did it. You could count the number of people who could get away with it on one hand, and of those, there's only one not presently in the Prison of Elders, and actually, that's not accurate, since it occurs to me there's been reports that someone managed to break into Vanguard vaults and then there was all the chaos that the Kell's Scourge managed to wreak before they were stomped out after they got into Botza District--
[R7:05] Not the time, Wahei.
[beat]
[R7:06] Anyway, care to deal me in, boys and lady?
[WO:07] Me, too, please.
[CT:07] Pull up a chair.
[sounds of chairs scraping, glimmer and silver clinking, chips clattering]
[OA:06] The game is Dusk Tarot Poker with a double box. Are you familiar, Miss Ohr?
[WO:08] Indeed I am, at least in theory. I spent a few years studying cartomancy purely for the novelty, though I was never able to specifically confirm the efficacy of the practice as a means of determining the pattern of Fate, but then that could just be due to the nature of paracausality upon such things, after all, the saying is that 'Guardians make their own Fate,' so having a Lightbearer attempt a card reading would probably skew the results, but without further evidence to confirm this, I can't really determine anything--
[R7:07] Not the time, Wahei.
[WO:09] Right. Dusk Tarot Poker. Same hands as in standard 52-card poker, played with the Dusk Tarot deck. Suits are staves, motes, chalices, swords, and 'trumps,' the last of which is comprised of the major arcana. Modified rules allow for four-card flushes and straights, if the fifth card is a trump--
[PK:03] I think that covers the basics--
[WO:10] --depending on the place, some rules explicitly place the trumps as the first-among-equals in the suits, while others only play the first fourteen major arcana and discard the rest and the Fool, and others will include the others and treat them as 'lesser trumps' which are out-ranked by the 'greater trumps'--
[R7:08] Not the time, Wahei.
[WO:11] Right. Anyway, Tarot Poker with a double box. Five-card draw. Rules as stated, but two 'boxed cards' will be dealt, one each after each round of betting.
[R7:09] Deal the cards, please. Not you, Lady Alderdice. No offense, but I don't trust the inventor of the Tricksleeves with the deal.
[OA:07] I choose to take that as a compliment, Miss Seven. For our game tonight, Miss Ohr, we're playing with the first-among-equals with the greater trumps. Fixed-limit bets.
[S3:09] Ante up.
// ANNOTATION: TRUNCATING TRANSCRIPT. SUMMARY BELOW. //
[S3 takes 3 cards. R7 takes 2. PK, WO, OA, and CT all take 1.]
[Opening ante of 200g. Fixed-limit of 100g per raise.]
[R7 and WO both raise. All stay.]
[First box card is Page of Wands.]
[WO raises. All stay.]
[Second box is Captain of Chalices.]
[R7 and WO both raise. PK and CT both fold.]
[Per Dusk Tarot Poker rules, players who fold must reveal their hand.]
[CT had a high card of Eight of Swords with no trumps.]
[PK had a pair of fives with one trump (VIII Glory).]
// TRANSCRIPT RESUMES. //
[S3:10] Lads, you know the rules. Turn your cards over or pay the penalty to keep 'em down.
[CT:08] Right.
[sound of cards overturning]
[R7:10] I see why you folded, Charlie. Fat lot of nothing in that hand.
[OA:08] And it was wise to fold, Mister Kent. A pair of nines with no trumps won't get you a win this round.
[S3:11] Rega, you in?
[R7:11] Yeah, see that thirty.
[WO:12] I'll see it.
[OA:09] All right then. Call.
[sound of cards overturning]
[S3:12] I have a pair of fives, plus two trumps. Queen and Lovers.
[R7:12] Damn. If it weren't for that second trump, I'd have you, Sleight. Pair of tens and the Scribe.
[OA:10] Ah, but I have you beat, Mister Three. Although I only have a pair of threes, I believe Tyrant and Valor beats your pair of trumps.
[S3:13] [EXPLETIVE DELETED] How do you [EXPLETIVE DELETED] keep doing it?
[WO:13] Sorry to disappoint, everyone, but I believe I have you both beat.
[sound of cards overturning]
[OA:11] Oh, I say!
[WO:14] Flooded house, sevens over trumps. Ketch, Glory, Hermit.
[sound of chips clattering]
[S3:14] [EXPLETIVE DELETED]
[R7:13] Ha ha! Atta girl, Wahei!
[S3:15] Beginner's luck!
[CT:09] Or she does some Light-born trickery with the odds.
[sounds of protest]
[CT:10] Hey, hey, don't tell me it ain't possible. "Guardians make their own Fate" and all that--
[R7:14] That's not how it works, and you know it, Charlie--
[WO:15] Actually, the paracausal nature of the Light means that it's entirely possible. Theoretically, we could easily change the order of the cards, or make the skies open up with thunder and lightning or clear the weather, or make crops grow stronger--
[R7:15] Not the time, Wahei. And besides, we all know that it's not that simple. Every card-playing Guardian would negate everyone else's efforts, people would start shouting, and then they'd take it to the Crucible to settle their differences.
[OA:12] Spoken like someone with experience to it, Miss Seven.
[R7:16] Maybe.
[WO:16] Charlie, if you think Guardians are using their powers to cheat you in poker, then why do you play with us?
[CT:11] Maybe I like to live dangerously.
[WO:17] From what I've heard, that does track.
[CT:12] Again, I don't like the notion people've heard of me.
[WO:18] Then you'd hardly be getting work, would you?
[CT:13] What do you know about my work?
[WO:19] As I hear it, you managed to hijack a treasure skiff belonging to the Spider, and not only got away with it, but were able to sell it back to him.
[beat]
[CT:14] That's true.
[WO:20] Not only that, but you impressed him well enough that he'll still do business with you, in spite of all that.
[CT:15] Spider likes knowing there's someone who can pull off jobs like that.
[WO:21] I might want to talk more about your work, Charlie.
[beat]
[CT:16] Why?
[WO:22] Not now. Let's play another hand! I like this game.
[sound of chips clattering, cards shuffling, being dealt]
// ANNOTATION: TRUNCATING TRANSCRIPT. SUMMARY BELOW. //
[S3 takes 3. PK and R7 takes 2. WO and CT take 1. OA takes no cards.]
[Same ante and rate as before.]
[R7 and WO both raise. S3 folds.]
[S3 had a high card of Nine of Motes, with two trumps (IV The Tyrant and IX The Hermit).]
[First box card is Six of Chalices.]
[WO raises by two. All stay.]
[Second box is Three of Swords.]
[R7 and WO both raise. CT raises by two. OA folds.]
[OA had a high card of Ten of Chalices and two trumps (III The Queen and VII The Ketch).]
// TRANSCRIPT RESUMES. //
[PK:04] So where's that leave us?
[S3:16] We're at a thousand to call.
[CT:17] You still wanna stay in, girls?
[R7:17] You know I do, Charlie.
[CT:18] What about you, Warlock? You still in?
[WO:23] Of course. In fact, I raise again.
[R7:18] I'll see that.
[CT:19] You're not gonna bluff me, Warlock. I'll see you and raise you.
[WO:24] I'll raise you again.
[R7:19] Oof. Ah... I'll... fold.
[sound of cards overturning]
[S3:17] Looks like you had a pair of aces, and the Techeun trump. Huh.
[PK:05] You folded with that?
[R7:20] Gettin' a bit too high for my tastes.
[CT:20] You can't bluff me out! I raise you again.
[WO:25] Call.
[S3:18] You don't have enough on the table to match him.
[WO:26] Huh. So I don't. Tell you what. If I lose to you, Charlie, then I'll owe you a favor.
[CT:21] Oh yeah? I might need some access into some of the restricted areas of the Tower...
[R7:21] Wahei...
[WO:27] I know, Rega. I know. That's fair, Charlie.
[CT:22] All right--
[WO:28] But, if I beat you, then you owe ME a favor. Fair's fair.
[CT:23] I'm not the one who needs to--
[OA:13] Come on, Charlie. Fair's fair. If you're not confident, then we can just--
[CT:24] Nah, nah, you're not bluffing me out. Fine. Favor on the table for the winner.
[WO:29] Shake on it.
[CT:25] Fine.
[beat]
[sound of cards overturning]
[WO:30] Two pair. Fives and Queens.
[CT:26] [EXPLETIVE DELETED]
[S3:19] High card, Kell of Wands. Even with two trumps, that's not gonna beat two pair.
[R7:22] Banking on getting the four-straight and a trump, were you, Charlie?
[CT:27] You got the Devil's own luck, Warlock.
[WO:31] Maybe so!
[PK:06] Congratulations, Miss Ohr.
[S3:20] Another roun~XXX
----------------
> open transc "parlour-alley-0247"
----------------
TYPE: Transcription
DESCRIPTION: Conversation recorded in alley behind The Parlour (Magpie District, Last City)
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, designate Wahei Ohr [WO] (POI#0247); One [1] human, designate Charlie Tango [CT] (POI#0320)
ASSOCIATIONS: Mahal, Aunor; Ohr, Wahei; Parlour; Praxic Archives; Praxic Order; Rega-7; Tango, Charlie; Toland; Traitor's Die; Umbranomicon
//AUDIO UNAVAILABLE//
//TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS...//
//TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS...//
[CT:01] --the hell did you get a full trump flush?
[WO:01] Just luck.
[CT:02] [EXPLETIVE DELETED] No one's that lucky. You cheated.
[WO:02] The only cards I touched were my own.
[CT:03] That's nothing to a Lightbearer.
[WO:03] Oh? Do you have experience with that sort of thing, Charlie?
[beat]
[CT:04] What do you mean by that?
[WO:04] I think you know exactly what I mean, Charlie.
[beat]
[CT:05] I keep that kind of thing secret.
[WO:05] So I've noticed. And I'm not in the habit of telling secrets.
[CT:06] Really. From what I saw in there, you tend to run your mouth a lot.
[WO:06] I do talk a lot. But I never tell secrets.
[beat]
[CT:07] Right. What do you want?
[WO:07] I have a job for you. I need you to get me two things.
[CT:08] I'm waiting for the catch.
[WO:09] Why do you assume there's a catch?
[CT:09] One, it's me you're having do this. People don't come to Charlie Tango for jobs that are above board.
[WO:10] True enough.
[CT:10] Second, you got a reputation, Warlock. If this were something you could do yourself, you wouldn't be coming to me.
[WO:11] Ah, well, I could easily get what I need by myself.
[beat]
[CT:11] Still waiting on the catch.
[WO:12] If I walk in and take out what I want, then it draws attention I'd rather avoid right now.
[CT:12] Still waiting.
[WO:13] They're in the Praxic Archives.
[beat]
[CT:13] [EXPLETIVE DELETED]
[WO:14] Yes.
[CT:14] So if you were to walk in, the Praxic Order would be asking questions.
[WO:15] Yes. Same as if I were to send someone like Rega in to do it. And then I've got one of my friends in trouble with the Praxic Order.
[CT:15] And yet you have no problem dropping me in the cack?
[WO:16] You're not a friend of mine.
[beat]
[CT:16] Harsh. But true.
[WO:17] And also, you're already on their radar.
[CT:17] Also true.
[beat]
[CT:18] This counts as your favor, you know.
[WO:18] Of course.
[CT:19] What is it you need?
[WO:19] There's an artifact the Praxic Order has kept in their archives since the end of the Taken War. It's called the Traitor's Die. A divination object, a waxen avian skull inscribed with runes.
[CT:20] Think I've heard of it. What's your interest in it?
[WO:20] That's not germane to the job, is it?
[beat]
[CT:21] Fine. What's the other thing?
[WO:21] A book. It'll be in the proscribed tomes section, because it was written by Toland.
[CT:22] That doesn't narrow it down.
[WO:22] It was mostly unfinished by the time of his disappearance beneath Luna. But it had been compiled from other proscribed studies by other exiled scholars. It was going to be about his discoveries on the nature of the Darkness itself.
[beat]
[CT:23] You're talking about the Umbra--
[WO:23] Yes. I'm surprised you've heard about it.
[CT:24] If it's illegal, chances are high I've heard of it.
[WO:24] Then you can get it for me.
[CT:25] What's your interest in it?
[WO:25] Again, not germane.
[CT:26] [EXPLETIVE DELETED] to that. You're talking about a book that killed its writer.
[WO:26] It didn't kill him. Ir Yût did that. And to be technical, she didn't completely kill him--
[CT:27] I didn't ask. And it doesn't matter. Anyone who knows about that book believes it's cursed.
[WO:27] You don't honestly believe that, Charlie.
[CT:28] Even if I don't, the Praxics find out I've even been in the same building as it, I'm gonna have that Mahal whackjob after me. You know? That Light-blinded lunatic what burned down a city block 'cuz those Yor-simps took a hostage--
[WO:28] I am familiar with Aunor Mahal. She's already investigating me.
[beat]
[CT:29] What for?
[WO:29] The usual reasons she investigates people.
[pause]
[CT:30] All right. I'll get your trinket and the damned book for you.
[WO:30] I'll leave a message with Sleight on where to leave them.
[CT:31] Good. Using a dead drop.
[WO:31] I will leave additional payment for you.
[CT:32] I thought this was a favor?
[WO:32] That was just to get the conversation going. When it comes to making enemies of the Praxic Order, I feel additional compensation is necessary.
[CT:33] I'll leave a message with Kent on when the job's been done.
[WO:33] Pleasure doing business with you, Charlie.
----------------
> append last transc to "ct case"
> lock directory
> DIRECTORY LOCKED.
> logout
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