Cupcakes and Challenges

[Molly Quincannon] In and amidst everything else there is to do around the Mage community, Molly still makes sure to check in with Isabel regularly, and lessons in the whole Mage thing happen a few times a week. Isabel's seen the development of Molly's new Prime focus (Molly now matches Isabel's own skill set where she doesn't surpass it, and they're learning some new tricks together as much as Molly's teaching) and perhaps learned a thing or two about foci of her own. "It's all about what gives you confidence to do that voodoo that you do so well," is always the comment. "Crystal-waving, wands, esoteric bits of code, bad Latin ... whatever, y'know? Anything that'll get you into a mind-set different enough to change the world, do that."

When Isabel turns up for their regularly scheduled tutorial session, Molly appears at the door looking a bit more mad scientist than usual. There's a tiny screwdriver tucked behind her ear the way most people would store a pen they were in the middle of using, there's bits of thin multicoloured wire hung around her neck, she's got a scorch mark from what might be a soldering iron on the back of one of her hands, and her glasses are a bit askew. She looks a bit frantic, which is hardly unusual - there's something in her eyes that's always a bit frantic, but generally in a cheerful way.

She looks a fair bit more serious than usual, just now.

Still, she musters a smile and steps aside to let Isabel in. Wherever the building that Molly has got her uber-geek on has been taking place, it's thankfully not in the communal living area. There are the two ferrets in their well-contained HabiTrail environment, but it's as tidy as Molly's place ever gets. "I hope the last few days have been okay. Before we do anything like go into detail about why I look like something the robotic cat dragged in, coffee? Tea? I also made cupcakes - chocolate, if that's a deal-breaker. Yes, I can cook now. Baking's surprisingly soothing sometimes. So name your poison and take a seat! How's things?"

[Isabel Burrows] "Hey Molly.." She called as she stepped towards the house. A hand rose in greeting as she saw Molly standing in the doorway. Yes, she looked a bit different - but.. with knowever knows what she got into, maybe it wasn't something to worry about.

Isabel didn't look any different than usual. Her chocolate colored hair was perhaps a bit shorter - but still neatly styled and left down. Her make up was light and tasteful and she wore a pair of black knee high boots, black hose, a matching skirt all beneath a buttoned up dress coat.

Her eyes lit up a bit at the mention of cup cakes. "Ooh.. coffee and a cup cake? That sounds wonderful.. Thank you.."

As she unbuttoned her coat and sat on the couch, she did mutter a hello to the furry friends in the habitrail.

[Molly Quincannon] Coffee and a cupcake (chocolate as advertised, but with bright red icing and a yellow gumdrop on top, like the cherry on a sundae) are duly provided and, once everyone's settled, Molly says, "So okay. I didn't get an answer to the 'how's things?' question. I'd like an answer to the 'how's things?' question. Mostly because I'm a nosy sucker, to be honest. But partly because ... well, it'd be nice for somebody to be able to tell me things that are relatively normal and without me having to pry them out of said people with a freakin' crowbar and yes, I sound bitter and it's not directed at you and I'm sorry and I'll explain in a minute. Ahem. Sorry. Anything new and interesting?"

[Isabel Burrows] A brow arched slightly at the little tirade. "Uh.. things are fine. Nothing out of the ordinary. I went and bought some new boots last night.." She motioned down to them. "And.. that's probably been the highlight of my week. Oh, I also caught up on my DVR."

"Now..maybe the more important question. How are things with you?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly looks at the boots. "Nice. And you got your hair cut, I notice. Also nice. I'd be more effusive but you know how it loses me, fashion, sometimes." Today, Molly is decked out in battered blue jeans and a t-shirt that says "PEBKAC" under what used to be a lab coat but has been patched so haphazardly and with so many different colours and patterns of fabric that it looks more like the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat than anything else. Which tells one a lot about her fashion sense.

The question of how things are with her gets a sigh and the comment, "A bit hectic. Frustrating. Generally leaving me wanting to throttle someone. Specific someones, not random passers-by. And don't worry, you're not on the 'specific someone' list. Well, let's see, where do I start? Romantic issues, potentially big Magely issues, or the bits that might combine both? Oh, who am I kidding - Magely first. Remember when we first asked about Technocracy and I said they hadn't been sighted in Chicago since I got here? Well ... they've been sighted. Investigating a ... bit of an issue another cabal ran into that messed with the 'Crats as much as they messed with my friends. Which ... could be problematic, though you're probably okay if you just ... keep on with how you've been. Me? I'm on info-gathering duty. Which is fun, except for the risks of Paradox or Gitmo."

[Isabel Burrows] "Info gathering duty on the Technocracy? Isn't that kinda painting a big target on yourself Molly?" She looked worried for a moment.

"And.. if I did run into them - how would I know to bolt the other way?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly shrugs at the 'big target' bit. "Well, that depends," she says. "On the mundane front, not necessarily. I've got enough rerouters, IP scramblers, firewalls, spikes and other stuff that explaining would take too long but suffice to say will get me into most systems, hide the fact that I've been there or at least where I'm invading from and mess up their computers if they try to track me down. I've hacked some pretty serious places - though admittedly the Department of Defence is getting me circling like a wary pack of hyenas. Haven't done it yet, but might. Esoterically ... I'm working on a way that I can keep from being tagged if I try the more esoteric stuff, so maybe not so dangerous. I need more Mind know-how than I've got, though, and I'm not sure you've hit the power level to learn it at all yet. But anyway ... yeah, there are always risks, but there's got to be someone willing to take them, hasn't there? Anything that helps the community as a whole, y'know?"

Then the other question. "Well, so far what I've got are a few marines and a doctor who's not in any system I can get into, and very vague descriptions of each. Like I told you, though, they're us, more or less; the difference between us and them is ideological, not anything else, whatever they think about it. They're more likely to have entirely static resonances, but beyond that ... a general read of intent with Mind might get you something, but ... realistically, there's no way to know unless they've actually shown their colours. Just like you can't tell one Trad from another by looking. ...Most of the time," she adds, with a bit of a grin.

[Isabel Burrows] "Right.." She muttered as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Well.. somehow, that doesn't give me a ton of hope of avoiding them. When I was trying to avoid you all before I decided to just go with this stuff.. I ran into you guys all the time. I couldn't go to the grocery store without ending up behind ya'll in line at the deli. It's like I'm drawn to the resonances - even when I try with every fiber of my being to avoid them.." She shook her head slightly.

"Well.. whatever it is ya gotta do, Molly - be careful."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly chuckles a bit at that. "Hey, that's one thing in which I think we tend to differ from them," she says. "I mean, I've never known a Technocrat to meet one, but for all I know, I've felt one and just didn't have the time to say hello. Which is probably lucky, but ... I think like draws to like that way. Either way, that works both ways. Maybe we won't be able to tell them from any other mage, but unless we do anything to really get on-radar? I mean something spectacularly vulgar? They only way they'll know we're not Random J Technocrat is if they check their entire database and find out we're not on it. And who bothers with that sort of thing unless the person seen has done something suspicious?"

Then she chuckles a bit. "Man, do I hear that a lot. I'm trying to moderate caution with actually getting shit done. I know people who go way too far the other way. But I'll try, and thanks for the concern. And hey, don't panic," she adds, with a bit of a reassuring smile. "If I ever even thought I was on their radar? I'd tell you so that you could take steps."

[Isabel Burrows] "Molly, I'm not worried about you being careful because of my safety. I'm worried about you because I like you."

"And.. well, it's good to know that they don't actively seek us out if we're being normal people. And really, I'm not the type who ever draws any sort of attention to myself by doing magic type stuff.."

She dipped a finger into the frosting and put it in her mouth. She then just smile.d "mmm.."

[Molly Quincannon] That gets a bit of a blush, covered by a sip of coffee. "Well, thanks. I'm fond of you too. And before this starts turning into a Barney Theme Tune moment, that's why I'm reassuring you; because I like you and I wouldn't want to put you in any danger just because I sometimes have this need to poke hornets' nests, metaphorically speaking. And subtle is good. Or so the world keeps telling me. So don't be too dismissive of your talents. They're useful and covert, whereas mine can be covert but sometimes involve setting things on fire. A lot."

The reaction to the cupcake is another smile. "And another baking success; woo! And at least there are plenty of people to share it with. Having a boyfriend who's, amongst other things, diabetic makes cooking practice hard."

[Isabel Burrows] "How is the boyfriend?" She smiled some as she took a bite of the cup cake.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly opens her mouth to answer that question. Closes it again. Swigs coffee. Bites her lower lip for a moment. Evidently, the answer is 'not well' - or at least 'things between us are not well'.

She settles for, "Oh, y'know. Busy. Cheerful. Emotionally uninvested. Probably lying to me. Possibly about to get dumped. You know the drill."

[Isabel Burrows] She gave her a sympatheic look. "Oh Molly.. that sounds awful. Why don't you boot his ass before he has the chance to hurt you? Sometimes its better if you see it coming to be the one to end it. Can make you feel better.."

[Molly Quincannon] "Oh, he's not going to dump me," is the response to that. "That would involve actually admitting that we're an item, which he's reluctant to do despite regular dates and more or less regular sex. As to the hurting me? Been there, done that too. Not physically, obviously, and not even intentionally. I think that makes it worse."

Then she shrugs and munches on her cupcake. "I probably should. Boot his ass, I mean. I probably will. But I think some of his douchebaggery has to do with some stuff he's dropped hints about. I probably ought to give him the chance to vent all that and ... you know, learn from his mistake of 'being a collosal ass'. That's me. I'm a giver."

[Isabel Burrows] "Have you told him how -you- feel about it? And step number one to getting him not to be a douchebag is to cut off the sex until he realizes that you guys are an item.. or aren't. Guys think with their little brain most of the time I find.. cut off it's regular supply.. and he might have to find a new way to get it out of you. Which.. might mean admitting you're together and not being an ass?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly was unfortunately in mid-coffee-sip when that bit about cutting off sex comes up, and promptly chokes on it. Wheezing, half-drowned laughter ensues. "I ... don't think he'd care. He seldom initiates. He's not your average guy. He's like ... the world's friendliest AI-driven automaton. Anyway. I've tried to tell him how I feel about some of the douchebaggery he comes out with and he either gets defensive or ignores any validity to my point of view. The problem with dating mages," she adds, raising her coffee cup in a salute. "When you can twist reality into at least some of the shapes you want, there's a risk of becoming a self-absorbed, over-opionated, utterly hubristic shithead. Which explains about seventy-five percent of the Order of Hermes."

[Isabel Burrows] She couldn't help but giggle at Molly's near inhalation of the coffee. After it had passed - the tone turned more serious again.

"Ugh.. I'm sorry Molly.. that sounds like it sucks. I guess it's a good thing I'm not dating anyone. I'd still get rid of his ass. Focus on yourself and what not."

[Molly Quincannon] "It has its compensations, which is the only reason why I haven't done it already. And in case you haven't noticed, I really suck at focusing on me. Hence the surrounding myself with people who are awesome; they give me lots of fun things to focus on that aren't me."

Then she grins, munches the rest of her cupcake and says, "But seriously, thanks for the advice, and it will definitely be taken on board. Now! We've got the 'Cloudy With A Chance of Doom' announcement out of the way, and we've bitched about my love life. Let's do something fun! Something new. Stretch your Sphere-wings! So ... where do you want to go with it? Correspondence? Time? Forces? Challenge us for the day; c'mon!"

[Isabel Burrows] "Time.. I'd love to learn some time today. I want to do.. awesome and trippy stuff." She grinned even as she finished the cup cake. Her teeth were a little red from the frosting - but she didn't seem to mind.. which might be a sign that she was relaxing some.