The Codename

The A Association group chat buzzed with an energy entirely different from its usual financial reports and whispered intelligence. This was the day after their gathering at Laurence's ancestral castle, and the members, now scattered to their respective corners, were giddy with their newfound capabilities.

Short, choppy video clips began to flood the chat. One showed FXUnicorn_Cat, her fingers crackling with faint red lightning that danced between her fingertips.

Another depicted G. Hawthorne, carefully coaxing water from one glass to another with an unseen force, the liquid defying gravity in an arc. There were others too: a sudden burst of light from Larry the Lush, a faint shimmer of displaced air around Diamond_Diva9. All sorts of simple tricks, but for those who had only ever dealt in cold, hard data and tangible assets, it was nothing short of miraculous. The collective amazement was palpable.

StreetLaw: "It works. Tested the method with some of my loyal followers. Only one awakened, though. Confirms our theory: Laurence's castle is definitely special. We should secure it. Make it our primary base of operations."

Bookworm_Reg: "Can this follower be trusted, StreetLaw? We're talking about incredibly sensitive information here."

StreetLaw: "Absolutely. His loyalty is unquestionable. Blood oath, the whole nine yards."

SkyHigh Roller: "This changes everything. If we can replicate this, if we can identify more 'spiritual hotspots' and acquire all the dodecahedrons, we could establish a formidable force. Imagine an army of awakened individuals. We need to expand our acquisition operation; purchase every dodecahedron we can find across the globe."

John Curator: "Whoa, hold your horses, SkyHigh. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. While I'm certainly eager to acquire more artifacts for... research... we must not raise undue suspicion. We've only just touched this power. We need to train our personal abilities first, understand the nuances. Expanding too rapidly, too overtly, could attract unwanted attention from the government or the existing supernatural force. Better to hone our own power before we make grand, sweeping moves."

Palette Princess: "I agree with John. This isn't like cornering a market. This is an entirely new domain. We need to understand the 'resonance' Laurence's journal mentioned. My own aura keeps shifting colors and forms. Is it different magical affinities trying to assert themselves? It's clear our specific aura color and feature dictates where our greatest magical strength lies."

Larry the Lush: "Hold on, everyone! Before we dive too deep into strategy, a thought. If we're going to be referring to each other in real life, 'Larry the Lush' and 'Diamond_Diva9' aren't exactly conducive to an air of mystery, are they? How about we adopt codenames? And since we were called Arcana Anonymous at the beginning, what if we use the Major Arcana as our titles, as core members?"

A pause, then a flurry of typing.

Lord Fitzwilliam: "A wonderful idea, Laurence! Precisely the sort of symbolic gravitas we need. I shall be The Emperor."

The others quickly followed, each selecting a name that resonated with their personality, role, the perceived nature of their new magical affinity, or just a cooler sounding code name.

Lord Fitzwilliam: The Emperor

Bus Drifter on Rent: The Hierophant

AluM7: The High Priestess

StreetLaw: The Chariot

Bookworm_Reg: The Hermit

John Curator: The Tower

FXUnicorn_Cat: The Wheel of Fortune

Diamond_Diva9: The Empress

SkyHigh Roller: The Magician

Baroness von K: Death

G. Hawthorne: The Star

Palette Princess: Temperance

Larry the Lust: The Sun

Cipher: The Moon

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FXUnivorn_Cat (Fortune): "Hey guys, random thought. Should I have picked Strength? Then I could yell 'I'm Strength, unlimited power!' every time I use my magic."

A chuckle rippled through the digital ether, even if unseen.

Larry the Lush (Sun): "Ha! Classic, Fortune. But you gotta admit, 'The Sun' has a nice ring to it when I'm manifesting a bit of warmth, eh?"

Diamond_Diva9 (Devil): "Perhaps you'd be less 'unlimited power' and more 'chaotic discharge,' Wheel of Fortune. It suits your... unpredictable flair."

SkyHigh Roller (Magician): "The name doesn't make the power, Fortune, the power makes the name. Though I do like The Magician. Very apt for me."

John Curator (Tower): "Regardless of personal preference, the designation of our Arcana serves a dual purpose: identity and, potentially, an indicator of our specialization. The question now is, what about expansion? Should we recruit more individuals to fill the remaining Arcana of the deck? We have a significant number of Major Arcana, but what about the Minor Arcana, or beyond?"

Bookworm_Reg (Hermit): "Indeed, Tower. If we expand our core membership beyond the Major Arcana, what then? Do we simply... make up cool-sounding name? 'The Duke'? 'The Chancellor'?"

A few laughing emojis popped up in the chat.

Palette Princess (Temperance): "No, no, that sounds ridiculous, Hermit. I think we should keep the core membership small. Elite. Just the Major Arcana. Maybe a few carefully selected 'Knights' or 'Pages' if we need specialized agents. But the leadership, the true power, should remain limited to our current thirteen then expanded when capable member is recruited. Quality over quantity, especially with something this... sensitive."

Cipher (Moon): "Temperance has a point. An exclusive group is a secure group. Too many cooks spoil the broth, or in our case, expose the magic."

John Curator (Tower): "Does anyone have any recommendations for potential recruits, then? Individuals who might possess the right temperament and, perhaps, the necessary dormant potential?"

SkyHigh Roller (Magician): "Not me. My 'friends' are mostly business associates. Not exactly the type to keep a secret like this for long."

Larry the Lush (Sun): "Same here. Can't think of anyone who'd fit the bill and not spill the beans after a few too many cocktails."

Bookworm_Reg (Hermit): "I have someone in mind, but I'm unsure if they would keep it a secret for long. Their temperament is… mercurial. So, for now, I agree with Temperance and Moon. No new core members joining anytime soon."

Palette Princess (Temperance): "If someone were to join the core members in the future, I suggest we implement a full group vote on their admission. It ensures everyone trusts them."

FXUnicorn_Cat (Fortune): "That's not a bad idea, Temperance. A good way to vet anyone wanting to join the ranks of the Arcana."