No Quidditch League?

[Molly Quincannon] Molly's got sentry duty at the Chantry house - a slice of Americana with a few obvious recent repairs and a rather scarred front lawn - and it's a good place to have a quiet conversation with a new ... well, apprentice ... about the things she needs to know. So Molly picked Isabel up in her blue TARDIS-like VW Beetle and drove them out to the Chantry house. "I'll show you around, do some work on the perimeter security," she explains, and then pulls a face as she adds, "...and then I have to code some transmission scramblers and encryption and a self-destruct sequence on top of some AI because one of my cabal-mates can shape robots out of plasticine but has the security-consciousness of a lemming on crack. But I love her, really."

Once there, Molly guides the way in and, while checking the bulletin board, she tells Isabel, "Okay, so this is where we hang out. You have basic access, which means that if you want to liaise with one of us, or you need a place to hide from someone nasty - or a place to stay because something nasty happened at your place - you can come here. But there are places you can't go - attic and basement. Not until you're into a cabal, anyway."

[Isabel Burrows] There was a moment of hesitation before she got in the car. A VW really? Oh well.. Isabel smiled and got in the car. She offered polite chatter on the ride over - about the weather, TV, sports and the like.

The rich magelet was dressed nicely, but not overdone today. She wore a pair of sensable shoes, dark wash jeans and a button up shirt in a soft pink. Her lipstick was in the same color family and her makeup was light. Her hair was simply pulled back at the nape of her neck.

Isabel eyed the Chantry as they drove up and even more as they got out of the car and Molly started walking. She gave a blank look to Molly as she went on about -something- with a computer and robots? Yeah, that went right over her head.

"Are the basement and attic doors at least marked, so I don't accidently go wandering in? I wouldn't want to get in trouble in my first week here.."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly doesn't dress up - or at least that's Isabel's experience. She dresses almost exclusively in black (which washes her out terribly; she'd be far more attractive if she wore more colour) and today it's a T-shirt with a wholly unintelligible mathematical equation printed on the front and her baggier jeans.

Molly nods to the comment about the doors. "I think so, anyway. I only recently got access to those areas myself, and the attic library is certainly marked. I haven't been down to the basement yet, but I'm sure it's the same. Anyway, if you do miss it, just know this is a two-story building not counting the attic and basement. If you see stairs leading down on this floor? Don't go down them. If you go upstairs and find another staircase? Don't go up them." She gives an apologetic smile. "We didn't used to be so ... um, security-conscious. We had some issues awhile ago. Twice over, now. And that's some of what I guess I have to teach you today. But first, the kitchen. I require coffee and I brought some grocery restock. All of us are encouraged to do that when things are running low. Want anything?" This as she leads the way to the kitchen to put some things away.

[Isabel Burrows] "Right.. stairs are bad, good to know."

"So, do a lot of you.. or rather us, hang out here?" Isabel followed Molly as she showed her towards the kitchen. "I think coffee would be lovely.. actually."

"Do all of the people here who are awake.. or whatever, allowed to be here?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly chuckles at that first bit. "No; any flight of stairs but that one--" she points at the stairs in the entry foyer "--are bad. For now, anyway. And coffee it is!"

She sets the coffee maker to percolating and puts away the various bits and pieces she brought to restock the fridge and cabinets as she answers Isabel's other question. "In theory. In practice, you need to be vetted by Ashley first. The rules go as follows - you're a new mage in Chicago, you meet Ashley. She's the Deacon - that means she's more or less in charge of the place, pending input from cabal Emissaries. Which I will go over in a minute, promise. Sorry; there's a lot of info to go through just as background to simple questions, I know it's kind of huge. Anyway. Ashley's in charge and she has to know you before she'll put you on the list for basic Chantry access. Every mage in Chicago who's met Ashley so she knows they're not ... erm, the enemy ... they're allowed to be here - in the living quarters, anyway."

She pulls a packet of Mallowmars out of the bottom of the grocery bag, opens it and offers it Isabel's way before grabbing one of her own. "Now, cabals. You know I sent you that readme file about Trads?" (She would have; very basic information that would fit in well on Wikipedia.) "Well, that's not the only way mages group themselves. Just because people work magic the same way doesn't mean they have the same goals. Cabals are to Trads what villages are to ethnic groups, I guess. There are four in Chicago now, each with an Emissary who attend meetings and help set the rules for this place. Following so far?"

[Isabel Burrows] "Oh.. gotcha." She grinned and snagged two marshmellows from the bag. Mm.. marshmellows. Know that would go well with 'em? Hot chocolate!

"Yeah.. I met Ashley. I met her after an incicent that was a little scary for me. It got a little more scary after Ashley dug around in my head for a bit. So.. she at least knows for sure that I'm not whatever enemies go after you guys."

"Wait.. people live here? Or.. are they just a communial living areas?"

"And yea.. I got the file - started to go through it.. haven't made it too far into it though." A brief pause. "Ok, so Cabals are a group of people with the same goals.. but maybe aren't in the same tradition, right?" She was trying to make sure that she understood the concept. There was just so many new things lately!

"I am following.." a beat. "Mostly."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly winces at the mention of the head-digging. "Yeah, that's never comfortable. I mean, Israel was gentle as hell when she had to do that with me but it's still really kind of weird, having someone digging through your head's read-only files. And not that many people live here now. I think some used to but now it's mainly just crash space. There are bedrooms upstairs and it looked like people were living in there but they've moved on, as far as I know. People come and go so quickly here. What was the scary incident, if I can ask?" While Isabel might be all about the hot chocolate, Molly's about the coffee, which she pours into mugs when it's all brewed. Molly's taste in coffee is way, way better than her taste in clothes. Gourmet all the way.

After handing Isabel a mug of coffee and dousing her own mug liberally with sugar, she says, "Yeah, that's exactly it about cabals. I mean, my cabal is me, the city's two Sons of Ether and the resident Dreamspeaker. We sort of coalesced around a mission statement. We're dedicated to keeping an eye on the ... scary incidents. Make sure they don't turn horrific. Most of us have seen enough horrific. And I'll go into 'whatever enemies go after us guys' in a minute." There's a slight stress on the 'us' in 'us guys', because of course they'll be after Isabel too, but that's as far as she goes on it for now. "But if you need me to slow down or re-explain something, don't be afraid to tell me, okay?"

[Isabel Burrows] "Oh don't worry, I'll let you know if you lose me.." Isabel took the mug of coffee and took a nice sip and a moment of savoring before she spoke back up.

"Apparently, it was a spirit that decided to mess with my head? I was walking down the street and all of a sudden, I turned the corner and I was alone - save this one weird guy. Things just got strange.. like scary strange. Hard to explain really.. and after that I woke up on the ground in the middle of the sidwalk with a nasty bump on my head. Apparently I was only out for like two seconds - but it felt like an hour or so."

[Molly Quincannon] Another wince from Molly. "Ooh, yeah. The spirit world's been a bit pissed lately. Something to do with the various nasty that's been around the city for awhile. Which brings me to the danger zones and why there's so much ... well, justified paranoia wouldn't be too strong a term for it."

Another sip of coffee and she sighs. "Okay. There's these ... people. Sort of. They're called Nephandi, or 'Fallen' is another word for them. Basically, they're people - mundane sorts, mages, whoever can be recruited - who have had their souls ... corrupted. By ... well, demons is probably the best catch-all phrase. These demon-things want to corrupt and/or destroy reality. I mean all of reality. It's a bad scene. But don't worry too much; we drove the last of those bastards out of town, so far as we know - serious sweep and clear. Just they did some pretty hefty collateral damage and we're all still recovering. People might be a bit twitchy for awhile yet, though." She frowns, considering. "Did you ever get the hang of that thing where you can ... sense a resonance on someone?"

[Isabel Burrows] A brow rose as Molly went on about the demon things. She stayed silent on the topic for now and just sipped her coffee. So.. wow. Yeah, it just kinda blew her mind that demons really did exist and corrupted people.. and things.

"How do you know if someone is one of them? I mean.. can I spot it and learn to run the other way, or no?"

She'd wait until the question was answered before continuing.

"I don't know how to control it really - it just kinda happens that every now and then I get that feeling. I try to go the other way then.. but every now and then, the spidy-sense doesn't work so well."

[Molly Quincannon] "Mmm." That comes around a sip of coffee. "Yeah, it doesn't always work, but it's the same with anything. I don't think that sense has so much to do with actually doing magic, because if it was magic, it'd be Prime, and while I think you've got that, I haven't yet. Been picking it up, though. Almost got it. Anyway, give it a shot; just ... try to feel what I feel like. I know what you feel like, but it takes understanding a little bit about resonance to explain that yes, you can know if someone's one of them. Though sometimes they mask their resonance but getting a look at their Pattern - that weave of Prime that makes them them - will do it if just being aware doesn't. Apparently, they're ... blackened and twisted, right down to their Avatar. It can be masked, but if you're looking right, you can see the masking too. Takes work, but can be done. Part of why I'm learning, actually." She looks at her coffee. "I was ... kind of part of the collateral damage. I was investigating a lead. Got shot. Got taken. Got tortured." Brief pause, and then, perhaps suspiciously sunny, "Got rescued, though, so all's cool."

Then she shakes her head. "Anyway. Try the spidey-sense. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who calls it that."

[Isabel Burrows] She winced some.. and looked like she wanted to reach out and hug Molly. Poor thing. That must have been awful. Then, quietly. "I'm glad you got rescued too.. and that you all ran them out of town."

There was a thoughtful pause - it didn't feel right just to move on after all that..

"So.. what I can feel, is called Resonance? How is it that different people feel different?"

{Oh, and PS, awareness!}
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 4, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Molly Quincannon] Addressing the running out of town bit first, Molly shrugs and smiles a bit. No telling how long ago this happened, this torture thing, but either way, the geek-Cultist seems to have bounced back pretty well. "Thanks. It's why I set up my cabal the way I did, kind of. We watch the city and try to make sure that we catch the problems while they're still small enough to avoid stuff like ... shootings, torture, property damage, that kind of thing."

Then the smile becomes mischievous. "Yeah, that's why different people feel different. It registers differently for everyone - for some it's nearly sense of smell. But you feel ... subtle, to me. Whereas others of my friends feel ... like politics, or subliminal advertising, or music. People mostly tell me I feel like stress." It's as good a way as any to put it, one supposes; what comes from Molly is a sense of frantic energy - a sense of needing to go somewhere and do something. "Feel it?"

[Isabel Burrows] "I do feel it, actually. It.. almost feels like crazy to me. Like.. not being insane or anything - but, just the feeling that you get when you're somewhere that's really busy and everyone's.. frantic, like you said."

"Do you choose your resonance, or does it.. choose you? I mean.. I don't know why I feel subtle. Can I change it if I wanted to?" Oh yes, so many questions..

[Molly Quincannon] That takes a moment's thought, but the eventual answer is, "...You don't choose it, but it does change, or it can, as more of yourself unlocks. See, that whole thing where you started being able to do things? That's just the beginning. As you learn more, and do a lot of soul-searching? You'll develop a stronger connection to your Avatar, the way you do magic will solidify and change as you learn things ... your resonance will change, but it's not a thing you necessarily choose. I've felt people gain a whole new aspect to their resonance; mine, though ... mine just got more frantic."

[Isabel Burrows] "Alright. So.. it just kinda is and it might change, but maybe not. " Another sip of the coffee and she leaned back against the counter.

"Sometimes.. I wonder how people learn all this stuff. It is.. so much. It seems there is something new every day. Does it get easier, really?"

[Molly Quincannon] "Sort of, yeah." Molly perched on a countertop and then reclaimed her coffee. "I mean, it gets to be less info-dump once you've got the basics about Trads and Spheres and resonance and the rest of it. It's the terminology that gets people, I think, when they're first starting out. The reason I say 'sort of' is because ... well, once you understand it, there comes the matter of actually doing stuff. Thing is..." She ponders the best way to say it through another sip of coffee, then sighs and comes out with it. "The thing is that most people learn because they have to. Because being what you are makes you a beacon for dangerous stuff, and you can either learn - what you are, who your friends and allies are, who your enemies are, how you can defend yourself and who will stand with you when it comes down to it - or ... bad things happen. I came to you because I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. And because a part of my Trad's value system is to pass along what good we can. Someone helped me when I was where you are. My turn to pass that help along when someone needs it." She grins a bit sheepishly. "That's how it gets easier. When it's less about terminology and nasty shocks and 'all the myths are true', and gets more into the fun stuff like learning how to mask your resonance or how to use Entropy to clean up at poker."

[Isabel Burrows] Isabel smirked some at that last part. Now -that- sounded like fun. So, all this wasn't about crazy stuff and bad news.. there was some fun and enjoyment invovled. Good to know.

A small sigh. "Good.. I'm glad to know that it might get better soon. I think I'm starting to get some of the terminology down. And, since you agreed to help - which I really appreciate by the way - I feel less like I want to run and hide from all of this. I guess I feel less like my life is falling apart and more like.. this might be ok."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly looked at Isabel for a long moment, then sets her coffee cup down and slid down off the counter to approach Isabel. She doesn't look disappointed, but certainly assessing. Then she says, "Well, here's the thing that, for most of us, really gets the point across. This isn't about parlour tricks or 'it's done with mirrors' or weird science, really. At the root of it, at the core of the whole magical thing? We are telling the universe what to do. At a base level, we are tapping into the very fabric of reality ... and learning to control it. Now, there's the 'with great power comes great responsibility' angle, and there's a definite need to be careful for the whole thing with the Technocracy - which I'll get to in a second - but what I want you to understand is that we? You, me, Emily, Ashley, Israel, each of us? We can see the world for what it is, and we can make it what we want. Now, there's dangers of hubris with this kind of thing, and it doesn't have to be deadly serious all the time, but ... thinking of it as either a curse or a tool is a mistake. We're ... in touch with something very big and very beautiful, and hell, I'm not even very religious and even I know that it's as close to 'the divine' that you're ever going to get, what we have access to. It's ... just very, very big. It's not your life falling apart. It's just ... your life shifting to accommodate one of the biggest, most important things that can happen to a person." She shrugs. "Like losing one's virginity, or finding God or something. Only ... less arbitrary. Because last I checked, the only power losing one's virginity grants anyone is the ability to detect a bad lover at twenty paces."

[Isabel Burrows] .."Can we have the 'with great power comes great responsability' lecture after I learn to do something more substatial than change how a coin lands?" Note, she didn't say.. guess how it would land. She was starting to get that she could change things.. which was a good thing.

"Oh.. and maybe the chance of getting pregnant.. don't forget that!"

[Molly Quincannon] "That depends on how careful you're being," is Molly's response to the last, and is joined by a smile. "And yes, we can save the lecture until later. I think you have the gist of it, anyway; it's the core lesson for every superhero comic, movie and book on the planet. So let's keep on with the ... not so pleasant realities of who wants us different."

She moves back to the counter she vacated, snaffling another couple of Mallowmars on the way. "So, I mentioned Mirrorshades. That's a slang term for an organisation that collectively calls itself the Technocracy. Their main thing is control - they want to control how the mundane world is; what people believe and think. They want to control consensus at a base level, and they've actually been doing a pretty good job of it, with ties in government and law enforcement and ... 'friends in high places'. Now, they're actually just like us, but they refuse to believe it. What they believe in is 'enlightened science'. Kind of like the Sons of Ether and the Virtual Adepts, but without the open-mindedness; they call us 'reality deviants' and ... well, we went to war with them a good long while ago. About a decade back, it supposedly ended in a stalemate of sorts - techincally, apathy won. But to make a long story short, they're another bunch that want us dead or recruited, changed so that we're just ... turning the world into something out of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Most of us are ... understandably resistant to the idea. And not very keen on the idea of being assassinated by people who don't like that we actually have minds of our own."

[Isabel Burrows] "Are they kinda like .. Agent Smith?" It was the best anaolgy she could wrap her brain around to describe what Molly had just been describing. "And.. they don't want us back in line with the others - they just want us dead?"

Bloody hell. Why did this world have to be so crazy? Things were so much easier before she knew all this crazy stuff.

"Are there any of these Mirrorshades in Chicago? And how do we know if they're around?"

[Molly Quincannon] "Exactly!" Molly beams, quite proud of Isabel for picking that up so quickly. "And ... it depends. Some of us are ... easier to bring back in line than others, I guess. Someone like my friend Natyana, for example, wouldn't fit in well with how they do things. She doesn't use anything that even looks like their enlightened science. If she stepped too far out of line - in their view, anyway - they'd kill her soon as look at her. Someone like me, on the other hand ... well, I use stuff that looks like science a lot. Me, they might want to ... 'bring back into line'. Mostly, though, they're not on some massive manhunt or anything. They just want to maintain the status quo. As long as the status quo is still there, they're pretty quiet. Sometimes we can pull off stuff they can't and they'll try to con us into working for them - and sometimes we'll even do it, if it's something that we would have taken care of anyway. Mostly, though, we steer clear of them and they do us a similar courtesy if we're not too overt. Some of us don't like the restrictions, though - we're trying to build a better world, after all. Don't worry; no one's going to come kicking down your door any time soon."

Then she shrugs. "As to whether there are any in Chicago? Haven't seen any, but with the messes we've had here lately, I wouldn't be surprised if they upped their presence in the area soon. They're harder to spot, but you want to be careful of people with really ... erm, static resonances. Anyone who feels very tidy and squared away, more than the average. I mean, most of us tend towards something a little messier; Mirrorshades are generally a lot more ... methodical-feeling, I guess? But that's really only a basic guideline, and they can shield too. Basic rule of thumb is be careful who you talk to, and where."

[Isabel Burrows] "Alright.. so if the resonance reminds me of having a stick up someone's butt, I'm gonna go the other way. Not that they'll notice me and my massive amounts of magical powers and the like anyway.." A small grin.

Seeing the marshmellows again, Isabel snagged a few more and popped them into her mouth. Only after she was done did she continue on.

"Do you awakened sorts.. do anything for a fun? You know.. have a broomball team, or something?" She was really joking about the broomball.. but, eh, she wanted to know what she could get involved in.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly giggles. "Awakened types do for fun what everyone else does for fun, more or less. I mean, we just do it with more style. Me, for example? I take bojutsu classes - Japanese quarterstaff fighting - and I've taken up belly dancing. I also code video games and ... occasionally hack various databases to make sure that ... oh, y'know, my friends stay out of jail and certain nasty dirty companies don't let dangerous products out onto the market or pass restrictive legislation that'll make my friends' lives harder. Yes, that is what I do for fun," she adds with a smile. "I have friends that jog, some of them code video games as a hobby, others cook, some do specialist research ... but in terms of Quidditch? Not so much. Though I hear there was a pretty massive water fight at the solstice picnic this summer." She ponders. "We really ought to do more all-community activity that doesn't involve defending this house or otherwise warlike activity. But some of us don't get along so very well. I mean, we're just people, after all. Very strong-willed people with radically different views."

Then she gives Isabel a mischievous grin. "Why? Thinking of starting a lacrosse league or something?"

[Isabel Burrows] "Damn.. no Quidditch.. and I was looking forward to getting my broom and stuff.." Isabel chuckled lightheartedly.

"Na, I wasn't thinking of starting anything - not yet. Though, I like to have a good time and was hoping to meet people. I don't really want to keep doing this running around the city randomly running into people thing. I was thinking if there was.. like something organized - maybe an.. ice cream social or something.. I could meet people? I'd even be willing to send out invitations."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly claps her hands and rubs them together in a 'I am plotting something fun' way, and the mischievous grin just sells it. "Well, then! I think I may have just the thing. See, I was actually planning a Halloween party. Well, kind of a Halloween-slash-birthday party because I was actually born on October thirty-first, but I'm downplaying the birthday element in favour of a costume party to sort of wash away the yick. But between bojutsu, belly dancing, learning to shoot, helping my friend build robots and the day job? I haven't really had the time to pass along invitations or even plan much of anything. If you wanted to get to know people around the city, no better way than passing along messages, maybe? I mean, I've got most of Awakened Chicago in my virtual Rolodex. And a party's kind of an excuse to get everyone socialising. Though ... don't be surprised if it doesn't entirely work out according to plan. Like I say, some people around here really don't get along. Don't get me started on Basil Gillingson."

[Isabel Burrows] "Are you wanting to have this halloween slash birthday party on Halloween, or the Saturday before? I can make little invitations with orange and black homemade cards.. and glitter.." Ooh, her eyes lit up - party planning, her specality!

[Molly Quincannon] "Well, Saturdays are usually best, for parties," Molly says, after thinking about it for a moment (and smiling a little at the mental image of some of her friends receiving glittery homemade party invitations). "Most people don't work on weekends so there's no worrying about people being too busy or having to get home early because there's work the next day. I suppose the question is where to have it. I mean, I guess it'd be my place or here. My place is probably party-friendlier, if only because it's hard to wreck a concrete floor."

Then, curiosity gets the better of her. "So ... what do you do? I mean, in general, not just as a career or whatever. Like, how do you spend your time? 'Cos I'm thinking party planner or interior decorator."

[Isabel Burrows] "Saturdays.. alright, that I can do. And if you want to offer out your place.. I'm ok with planning it there. And you're right - the floor would be better to clean if people got drunk and sloppy and spilled. Plus.. you have tons of room for decorations."

"Well.. I don't really have an offical job - but I do like to think I can plan a mean party.. and if I had a real job, I think that's what I'd want it to be. I don't really need the job, but I find that I get really bored so it might be time to do something more than shop all day and get my nails done." She grinned.

[Molly Quincannon] "Okay, so my place works - and more to the point, I have more room for people. Dunno what Neal is going to make of having paper jack o'lanterns attached to his Habitrail maze, but I'm sure he'll cope. He's a tough little con artist." Then she looks a bit thoughtful and adds, "I dunno what else you really need to do to plan a party. I mean, mostly every time I've done it, it's been with other Cultists. And they've all been party planning machines in their own right. There's even a network you can tap into, with the right skills - it's like the magical equivalent of conference calling. So you put out the call and all of a sudden, you've got a deejay, two bartenders, a rock band and everyone offering to bring food. I don't know if it's like that here."

The grin gets a chuckle. "Well, it's good to have a goal and something to do. I mean, what do you shop for? I mean, is it the basic clothes and stuff, or ... I mean, I guess you can tell, I don't really ... um, do clothes. I mean, I can? Kind of? But it perplexes me, most of the time." She shakes her head with a rueful smile. "Shopping well is a talent. But I couldn't do the nails," she adds, looking at her own neatish but short fingernails. "They wouldn't survive five minutes."

[Isabel Burrows] "I'll make it up to Jack.. I'll get him a little halloween themed toy and he'll probably forgive us for decorating his things.."

"Oh.. and I hope it's that easy. I think a DJ and a few bartenders would be great. Oooh.. and some catering people to prepare tasty little bites. And.. a costume contest. Oh, it's gonna be fun." She clapped quietly and excitedly. Yay! Something to do!.. and a timeline too!

"Oh, I like clothes, jewelery, accessories.. shoes. Ooh, I love shoes! I should take you some time. My treat, in fact - since you're helping me out with this magical type stuff.. I can help you show your fashion off! We can even stay with the classic black if you'd really like to.. as long as you get hot shoes!"

[Molly Quincannon] "I don't know if anyone I know deejays or tends bar, but I do know plenty of people who cook." Molly ponders. "Whoever mixes drinks ought to be able to do good virgin drinks; I've got a friend in recovery. As to the costume contest, I ... may have an unfair advantage. I had something made. I make a big deal every year - the costume is like my present to myself."

Then she looks down at her shoes (actually boots with four-inch platform soles and lots of buckles). "I have fashion? I didn't think I had fashion. I have tomboy nerdcore." Then she looks at Isabel, not judgemental but curious. "I know this is usually a kind of a rude question, but coming from someone who doesn't know designer label or fashion trends from a hole in a tree, I want to understand - what's the appeal? I mean, I get being reasonably well put together and everything, but ... it's such a source of joy for people, and I'd really like to understand why."

[Isabel Burrows] "The shopping or the designers? I shop because I really like to spend the money and wear new things. I feel pretty and shiny and new when I wear a new outfit. Some people like to shop to show off for other people, I like it because it's something just for me. Plus, shopping wastes lots of time.. which makes a day go by rather quickly.."

[Molly Quincannon] "Huh." Molly thinks about that, then nods. "Kind of like when I work a new device. I mean, I build a thing and maybe no one sees it but me, but it's something I did that has awesome. I guess I never applied that to clothes before. Hey, maybe you could be one of those ... fashion consultants? Personal shopper sort of thing? I mean, I get you don't need the money? But this way you could share that style sense you've got with other people and spread the shiny. Spreading the shiny is awesome for the warm fuzzies. You could maybe set up a business of being ... party planning, interior design, style consultant ... a whole 'make your social life more awesome' coach."

Clearly, Molly is someone who thinks big.

[Isabel Burrows] "Well.. that's a little bit big and grand at first. I think I might just start with a little party planning. Nothing too much, I don't want it to become actual work. I haven't worked more than.. three months in my life, I don't want to start out too hard here. Maybe ease into it, alright?"

"And.. since this party is going to be your birthday party too.. is there anything special you want? Certain food.. or whatever?"

[Molly Quincannon] "Well, if you ever want to start that kind of thing up, let me know. I can set you up a killer website, tap a few contacts. I've got a guy in DC who could probably tip me to a few good clients through the political scene."

The bit about the food gets a thoughtful look, then a chuckle and a shrug. "I'm not really all that picky. Just so long as everyone has something they can eat and there's healthy stuff kicking around. Not so much for me, since I used to live on Pop Tarts and am only just learning how to cook, but one of my friends has type one diabetes and needs to watch what he eats. Though ... I admit I've got a wicked sweet tooth. And am a fan of sushi. But seriously, so long as it's edible, I'm good. What about you? Any preferences? Sorry; I know I'm nosy. I just like to know people. And things. And ... everything, I guess."

[Isabel Burrows] "I think that might be cool.. getting a website and all. See what comes of it." A slight shrug.

"So you got anything else you need to do around here? Or.. being that it's your turn for watch, or whatever it was called, do you have to hang out for awhile?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly finishes her coffee and reaches for Isabel's empty mug, nodding reply at the question. "Yeah, I'm here for the rest of the day, until I get relieved. I think it's Nathan on rounds later. Anyway, I'm going to set up here and get some stuff done. Artificial intelligence coding, some project for work, the security systems here ... and a website, from the look. I've got your email so I'll send you some draft layouts later. But yeah, I have to hang out here for awhile, but you're welcome to hang out too. Or ... y'know, party plan in peace. Let me know when you need contact details for the invitations, though."

Then, after getting herself a cup of coffee and making sure Isabel's mug gets washed, Molly sets about all the stuff she said she was going to do, which involves bouncing between two laptops and various bits of the house's roof, setting up cameras.