The Choices We Make

[Molly Quincannon] Entropy is a beautiful thing. Sure, Molly missed Israel's phone call owing to redoing the dye job on her hair (though with the stuff that comes out in a couple of washes rather than her usual two to three week job; there are reasons) but not by much, and she'd planned to call Israel as soon as she was out of the shower anyway. So, thankful to be more or less on the tail end of the previous week's Paradox bitch-slap (though she received another, minor one the day before, it's nothing to write home about, comparatively), she calls Israel back and says she'll drop by as soon as possible the following day, depending on Israel's availability.

She arrives with baked goods - they smell of chocolate and caramel and pecans, whatever they are - and a note to her voice that combines bewilderment, sympathy and determination as undernotes to a sort of a preoccupation. Clearly, Israel's fears about Molly having done something about this Technocrat were justified.

"Hey, Israel; thanks for having me over; there is a lot to say and I'll try to keep the run-on sentences to a minimum, I promise. I brought baked goods, by the way; I found this recipe for chocolate caramel-- Puppy!"

Then, after a very short pause, ".......That came out wrong."

[Israel] Israel's availability was, in some ways, wide open. Since giving up her day-to-day position at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind and currently taking a leave from Graduate work for her PhD she is afforded far more flexibility in arranging her various other projects and responsibilities. There's a deadline looming for a new book but progress is coming along nicely now that she isn't generally inundating herself in mad levels of juggling responsibilities and desires...
...that and not being chased by Nephandi or hunted down by Technocrats [actively, at least] helps.
The flexibility is nice: Though the real reason for cutting out a day job and courses wasn't really to free up her day planner. There was the question of the safety of coworkers and coeds, too.

There comes a point where you have realize you pose a certain risk to the Sleepers around you.

At any rate, Molly got a call back in the early morning [Solomon is her alarm clock and that mechanism is beyond Swiss in its precision] inviting her to come over whenever she liked. Yes, with a certain amount of relief in her tone.

And yes, there is a puppy! -- though not of the confectioner variety -- a just-out-of-infancy harlequin Great Dane pup with massive just-wait-until-I-grow-into-these-bad-boys paws and already a little under the size of a Cocker Spaniel. Dane's -- well bred Dane's at least -- are a tame breed. Intelligent, loyal, dedicated and good tempered. The pup Molly's squeaks over regards her from Israel's heels: Not rushing forward, not darting out the door. A considerable amount of trained restraint for a puppy and just one of the first indications that Israel is probably 'cheating' here. But a pup is still a pup and she isn't trying to train out his good nature: That sweet tail is a'wag-wag-waggin' and he stretches up his slightly wrinkled muzzle to gaze up in anticipatory longing with big, gorgeous blue eyes soulful and adoring.
Oh please, oh please, oh please let me sniff you! Oh pleeeeaaaasssee give me snuggle-scratchings-loves!

Israel inhales the scents of non-canine chocolate caramel goodness; the familiar elements of Molly's perfume and fabric softner - the tinge of a recent hair dye. She herself is recently showered after her daily exercises and Molly may or may not catch scents of honey and almond oil natural hygiene products; hushed ethereal wafts of the dreamy evocative oil Molly herself got her for Yule. Molly may be pleased that Israel wears it well: The scents combine to something soft and ephemeral on her which is fitting for its allure and intention. The blind woman chuckles quietly at Molly's words and the puppies valiantly-restrained eagerness.
"Well, he's not made of chocolate and caramel but he's still very sweet." Shutting the front door behind Molly she feels for, finds and turns the lock and master bolt, then squats down easily in her dark yoga-style pants to lay a comforting [but superior] hand on the pups head. "Molly, meet Atticus. Atticus, this is Molly -- do you mind approaching him and letting him sniff your knuckles before I let him go to you? I know you are quite animal friendly and welcoming, but I want him to learn good manners."

Somewhere in the house are the scents of good, strong coffee and the yeasty smell of homemade bread dough rising.

[Molly Quincannon] "Oh, sure!" Molly does as requested, holding out her knuckles to let Atticus have a good sniff. As much as Israel wants Atticus to learn good manners, Molly's having to practice serious self-restraint to not just sit down on the floor and immediately ear-ruffle the pup. Her house is not exactly free-range-pet-friendly and prior to that, parental pet allergies meant not so much as a hamster. She loves dogs (they match her energy levels); she just can't have one. "Hey, Atticus. As she says, the name's Molly and I am the sort of person who could play fetch with you for hours without getting bored. How's things?"

That last seems to be directed at both of them - a sort of a conversational stepping stone between Atticus and Israel. But it's to Israel, with a wry sort of grin-tone in her voice, that she says, "I know from the sounds of you that you have things to ask me and I have things to ask and tell you, but I figure yours'll be faster. And as I was saying before I got distracted by the cute, chocolate caramel pecan cookies. They're sort of like those Turtles chocolates? Only ... as a cookie."

[Israel] There are wet nosed sniff-snuffles and an exponential raise in the rhythm of wagging to the point where the hind-quarters flex with glee. Such odors! Other animals! Yummy forbidden foods! Delight, delight, glee!
Ah, for the unbound heart of the puppy.
With a in-the-throat sound of amusement, Israel's desires for a well trained dog are satiated and she pats the pups head with a click of her tongue and a word of Hebrew. "Go on and make friends - here let me take the cookies - with many, many thanks of course. They sound - and smell - delicious." So she holds out her free hand for the treats before Molly's arms should be full of adoring, warm, soft fur and love.

With guide-cane in hand [yes, she usually uses it in her own home though there barely seems a need] and treats in the other she moves to the kitchen, "There's fresh coffee and bread bowls to form and bake if you don't mind my working between treats and talk." Awaiting affirmation as she moves to the kitchen island goes about getting plates for cookies and filling mugs of coffee: The cream and sugar are already set up for free use. "Well, I ran into Ashley and a new Magi in the city - Elizabeth Zhao? - and they were filling me in on further going ons with the cabal in town that call themselves the Horsemen? The ones you'd mentioned to me already. Ashley brought up the rouge-Technocrat they are after and why and said you'd mentioned feeling sorry for him. It didn't take much of a leap to discern you've probably tried to track him down or are planning to..."
And I was concerned...
...she doesn't have to say that part. It shows through loud and clear, really.
Though at least the concern is sincere and not a cover-up for vexed.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly hands over the treats and then ... *thump* She is on the floor, ear-ruffling and scritching and letting Atticus sniffle and snuffle and generally satiate his curiosity about the new smells of NewPerson! in his territory. There are snuggles and "You're being a good boy for Israel, aren't you? You haven't chewed anything vital, right? One day if Israel gives you permission and you approve, I'm going to take you out for fetch-play and running around; yeeeeees I am."

After an all-too-short moment of that, Molly stands up, pats her outer thigh in a 'come on, then' sort of gesture and then moves into the kitchen. She sounds sheepish when she says, "Sorry about that. Overwhelmed by the cute and loveable. To business, then." Heavy sigh, and Molly finds a place to sit herself down, and if Atticus happens to be by, ear-scritches resume. (She could do this all day. Seriously.)

"Yes. Yes, I tracked him down. Israel, he..." The tone of her voice is probably sort of akin to what Israel the Caregiver feels all the time; sorrowful and hopeful, with an added note of frustration and a (frantic, of course) need to do something. "It's not as simple as the data Gabriel was given make it out to be. That's why I went to talk to him; you know we've been played before. I wanted to make sure that it wasn't happening again. And it is, Israel; the Horsemen are pawns. There was just enough truth in that document to sell it, and the rest was carefully doctored to make it look as damning as possible. And ... oh god, Israel..."

(This is when one knows it's serious. Molly almost never references a deity.)

"There's just so much and I don't even know how to say it right. Do I start from the beginning? Do I assure you that I took every precaution and then some? What?"

[Israel] [[WP! Compassion trumps other things...]]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Israel] You haven't chewed anything vital, right?
At that Israel snorts slightly - wry amusement: "Solomon's slippers of all things. Not vital but, well... thankfully that was revealed after he accepted the new 'housemate'."
Though there'd been repercussions all the same that night - for other things more than the pup and the slippers - and of all things it wasn't the puppy who ended up with a sore bottom. [not, mind you, that Israel would have stood for such a thing]

Atticus does indeed follow: In all his floppy eared, too-big-pawed ungainly, energetic clumsiness. [the three shallow steps that lead up the split-level of the living and kitchen area must be conquered!] And, oh yes, positions himself for further affections to be received and shared in kind. Oh she loves me, she loves me, she loves me! Bliss! "You're also welcome to take him for fetch whenever you like. I'm afraid I don't dare do it outside my own comfort zones least I unwittingly beam some poor kid at the dog park."

But then there are affirmations of deductions: An admission that for a moment makes Israel sigh. But there are also emotional words to follow. Sorrow and hope and confusion and need... and such things have always trumped Israel's other impulses. Whatever might have followed the sigh is willfully put aside. She stops after pouring the second mug of coffee for herself and moves around the kitchen island to reach out for, feel for and find Molly's elbow-bicep-then-shoulder... squeezing there gently. "It'll be arlight."
Bless her, Israel Cohen's greatest 'gift' may be nothing more that when she says stuff like that -- quietly, compassionately, gently, faithfully -- somehow it easier to believe it.
"Probably best to start from the beginning. All I know about the man is what Ashley told me: The Horsemen say he is a rogue-Technocrat who was involved in creating some kind of pharmaceutical that cuts-off Awakened magic. A mini-Gigul," she hates that word: She hates what it represents and even more so she loathes that the Hermetics took a term that means positive refinement of the soul in Kabbalah and turned it into connotations of a horrible, worse-than-death punishment. "she called it."

[Molly Quincannon] Israel will not see the look Molly gives her as she reaches for the comforting hand with the one not scritching Atticus' ears, hovers her own over it for a moment, then rests hers atop it, accepting the comfort. But she may well feel it; feel the eyes on her, the tension and relaxation in tandem, true ambivalence in that she is pulled both ways; gratitude (Thank you for saying that) and something akin to despair (How?!?).

Then she sighs. "From the beginning, then. Well, it started with Ashley sort of saying she'd send someone along with me because waiting and caution would be best, but I guess she was busy with other stuff and never got around to it because time was ticking and if we didn't get information from him sooner rather than later, he wouldn't be alive to get it from. So I somehow managed to do what the Horsemen couldn't - I tracked him down. I brought him food - I could see when I looked back at him in the hideout he had near my place, Israel, and he wasn't eating. He couldn't; he ran out of money and he's been out here in this cold for..." That hits her hardest of all, clearly. She doesn't know a lot about Nathan's past, just hints, but enough to know that he seems to have a particularly intimate knowledge of how hard New York winters can be on the homeless. Too close to home. "Anyway, I also figured that a peace offering would be a good ice-breaker, and it actually worked. We talked. He didn't even try to hurt me."

Deep breath, and then she goes on with it. "Yes. Yes, he was working on the mini-Gilgul drug. What the paperwork didn't say was that the ... 'human test subjects'--" She shrinks from those words; hates relegating people to meat or worse, but those are the only words that apply "--were volunteers, or at least he thought they were. That they had no control over their Wills, that they came to him - to them - for help. If it's true, then he really was trying to help people in the only way he was taught to do so. If he was lied to about it - because he believed it, I know he did - then he was lied to and he was still trying to help people. But most importantly, he knows it was wrong. The cost of it ... it's eating at him. And yeah, so it should. But ... thoughts for later. Facts now."

Another deep breath, and she moves on. "Also, they didn't kill the brain-damage victims. That was the Horsemen, when they attacked the place. They had no intention of killing anyone. Long story short, the Rogue Council doctored everything to make absolutely sure that there would be no mercy shown to these people. For a group that talks about embracing enigma rather than dogma, they're all over feeding people dogma when it suits them. Anyway, he also will cooperate with us."

There's more to say on that last, obviously - all opinion, all to do with that sorrowful, determined, hopeful note in her voice, but she's stuck with the facts and now she needs coffee. And oxygen. In that order.

[Israel] There are shifts in her expression at various points of what Molly has to say: Strongest of course in response to words regarding a man without food, left to the cold. Suffering. She, too, thinks of Nathan [and unlike Molly, Israel has been literally bombarded by the former-Cultists memories of those days and much more.] and others she's known of, encountered. Few people understand the Sorrow Israel carries: How so you easily quantify or explain feeling the collective resonant lamentations of suffering on earth that fuels you - constantly - to make it better. To do what is, ultimately, impossible: She cannot heal everyone or everything. She cannot ease everyone's suffering. Like a nurse in a field hospital she can only tend to those immediately under her hands: It is only her Faith [her Hope] that all things are interconnected - that helping one person results in a positive oscillation to hopefully counter those of pain, malice and suffering - that keeps her from Despairing.

To say such matter call to her is an understatement.

There are arched eyebrows at news of the Horsemen apparently killing victims of whatever that drug managed. The thinning of her lips over talk of the Rogue Council. Uncertainty when it comes to the conclusion of the homeless, rouge-Technocrat cooperating with 'us'.

Molly finishes and needs coffee and oxygen in that order: Israel gives her time for it. She doesn't immediately launch in with words. Indeed her first response is to let her hand move from Molly's shoulder to Molly's cheek and then - using that frame of reference - to lean up and in to kiss the other womans upper cheek/temple. "I'm sorry: It can't have been an easy conversation - emotions - to be involved with." She knows that all too well: The price of being highly empathic is that others emotions become your own all too intimately at times.
So she also knows the sway it holds...
A moment - a long moment - after she hears the other woman's coffee mug touch the polished granite counter again; after she lets Molly simply breathe...
"I think I'm write in saying that, like me, you are a something of a humanist: You want to believe - or at least be open to - the better in people. The good." And before there can be an objection, "I'm not saying you're wrong in believing the man. I'm just saying we have to consider the possibility that you could be wrong. Or that the truth still very much lies somewhere in the middle of all this."

Letting her hand drop - to give Molly some air - the immediate after-response most might expect might be something along the lines of 'Who have you told?' or 'Were you careful?' or 'Here's what we'll do'... but then they wouldn't know Israel very well. What the delicate, soft-formed woman asks instead is, "How are you holding up?"

[Molly Quincannon] "I'm not saying that I couldn't be wrong!" It's not loud, the explosion, when it comes, but it's deep; not in terms of vocal tone (that's bordering on shrill, though not quite there yet) but something wrenched from waaaay down deep in the pit of her stomach. Or her soul. Or both. "All I'm saying is that he deserves a chance! You weren't there, Israel; you didn't see him, or hear him! You didn't see the look in his eyes when he spoke of the dead! You didn't watch his face as he actually listened to a different point of view! God, Israel, if we unilaterally mistrusted everybody who came out of the Technocracy, we wouldn't have Virtual Adepts! Hell, we wouldn't have any us because fuck only knows what would've happened with World War Two without them! This is one man who's been taught unutterably badly by an organisation with the empathy and imagination of bread mould and I can't..."

Thus Israel has the honour of being the second person in Chicago to see Molly cry. At least this one, she won't cringe about later. She minds Chuck having seen it. Israel ... not so much. It's not uncontrollable sobs, and she even speaks through the occasional choked noise, but it's still pretty clear that she is.

"...I cannot bear the thought of not giving him a chance. Not 'Ashley glares at him until he feels like a bug under a microscope', not that I blame her but still. Not someone pointing a gun at his head. I know what he responds to, Israel. Simple kindness. Reasonable explanations. Patience. He's not irredeemable, and ... well, it's also kind of personal. Where would I be if someone hadn't given me a chance ten years ago or so; taught me ... not 'the' right way but a good way? I will not see someone with that kind of potential go down like that because of ... of bigotry and half-truths and if we kill him without giving him a real chance, we're as bad as they are."

Then, a sniffle and a watery chuckle. "As you can see, I'm holding up just peachy. Thanks. And sorry. I don't..." She gestures vaguely, though Israel can't see it. Still, the missing words are clear enough, one supposes.

[Israel] [[WP again! This is gonna be harder than anticipated in a new way...]]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 4, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[Israel] Thankful there is one general area of emotion that Israel doesnt' fall into easily: Anger. Oh, she feels it alright, but it's rather hard to get her there. There are precious few people in this world who manage to well and truly piss Israel off. Her fuse is long and slow [though, yes, kind of boggling when it does finally go off]. So Molly feels no ire or disapproval or affront when she erupts. Not loud or violent but an upwelling eruption nonetheless.

"Hey now..." softly, at the end of it all. "No need for apologies." The hand has returned, but now instead of squeezing Molly's shoulder the hand moves to the opposite shoulder in a one-armed embrace. "And I agree with most of what you've said. I don't believe in unilateral condemnation any more than you do and I also agree we'd be as bad as the Technocrats we accuse if we aren't willing to give people a chance. I think you'll find many of us agree with you even if we don't express it the same way you do."

Here she pauses... he she has to stop and remind herself that there are other matters that need addressing as much as she might love to not do it. At least not right now. But she knows if she doesn't there's at least one other person looking to do so who would handle it... with far less compassion. So she steels herself up. She draws her arm away and gives Molly some space; another moment to collect herself [though it's with some reluctance -- given her usual druthers she'd be happy just to hold the other woman while she cries] and draws up the other island stool. "The thing is: We have the responsibility to balance these desires and drives with the knowledge that we are none of us - none of us - an island. This man may well need you: But so do we. We need you to keep in mind the dangers certain actions present and how to mitigate them. I trust you took every precaution you could think of."
For the record: She does trust this. She is sincere as ever. She does believe Molly takes to heart what she learns. The question is what she learns and what she hasn't. And this too is sincere: Israel's concern and urgent need to get something through to Molly. "But you never, never should have gone alone. Even if you felt you couldn't wait for Ashley to get Kage or Emily to go with you there are any number of others you could have asked for backup. And I am honestly distressed that you didn't, Molly. Truly distressed. It terrified me when Ashley told me about your wanting to find the man and I knew you'd probably do it alone. And I can't lie: It hurt me, too. It hurt me because it was reckless and endangered not just yourself, but others of us, too. What if you were wrong? What if you'd been caught? Do you think Nate or Sol or I would have left you to the hands of Technocrats anymore than we left you to the hands of Nephandi? Do you realize how badly this could have turned out? For you and others?"
Sighing she shakes her head, her expression somber but also somewhat imploring. "I am so very, very pleased that you are alright. And I hope - I very much hope - that you are right and that this man can be trusted and truly wants to make better of himself and redeem his actions: Unwitting or otherwise. But in your desire and need to help him you cannot, cannot forget the others of us who depend on each other for our joint safety. Which... is another thing..."
She really doesn't want to do this: Not here and now. But this is the opening and she told Sol she'd do it and... well.
Lord, the choices we make...
"Solomon and Ashley spoke to a Mage named Wren at the Chantry the other day. Wren started talking about the lack of cameras for security measures and how it might be remedied. Given it's a matter Solomon discussed with you and Wren then stating that she knew of Mages in the city who feel their ideas are being ignored, he is struck with the impression that you've been complaining to non-Full Chantry members about... Chantry specific matters. He's... displeased. And asked me to talk to you about it since... well, he isn't unaware of how these sorts of conversations sometimes go when he's at the helm.
Molly you are passionate about what you feel and believe: And those things are good things. Things that I love about you. But you are also reckless and that puts us all at risk.
I know it isn't easy: But you need to try and find a balance, Molly. Somehow. Things are too dangerous right now for anything less."

[Molly Quincannon] To take the points in order: Molly's reaction to the concept that many will agree with the whole 'give people a chance' thing is a watery snort that's not derision but just a general sort of disbelief. If anything's derisive about that noise, it's herself she's deriding. "Maybe," she says, clearly meaning From what I've heard, I have my doubts. But she does believe in giving people a chance, and that begins at home.

Then comes the checklist. "Masked my resonance, Forces shield to at least mitigate any potential bullet damage, didn't give my name or anything that could tie back to me and even went disguised - y'know, my natural hair colour hasn't been exposed to the outside air in seven years until now? I named no other mages, I gave no clue as to any of our locations and I made sure we were meeting on neutral ground. And if I'd been wrong and he'd tried to catch me? I'd have tried to set him on fire. If that didn't work, I'd have made sure he didn't take me alive." Calmly spoken, that. She knows there are worse things than death, and if it means protecting the Awakened community in Chicago, she'd kill herself rather than fall into enemy hands without so much as a second thought if there were no other alternatives. "It wasn't meant as a slight to anyone. I was minimising the potential casualties as well as reducing the risk of scaring him away if I went in numbers." Unsaid: There's a hell of a lot more people more necessary than me. So I took the risk and I'd do it again, even if it meant 'you'll never take me alive'.

To the bit about Wren, Molly sighs. "I'll keep that in mind. But Israel, I don't think it's entirely fair to expect anyone to stop venting to their friends about matters that piss them off, or seek advice from a more experienced mage with a different outlook on things, just because they haven't joined or formed a cabal. Which she's looking at doing anyway. Besides, I didn't discuss it with her until well after I made very sure that she was cleared with Ashley. I understand a need for security. I really do. I will try to be careful. I can't promise I won't speak of things to people who aren't part of a cabal, though. I mean, would this policy of silence to anyone without full access to the Chantry apply to Kage? Emily? They're not in cabals either; they don't have full access."

[Israel] Maybe, she says, but her doubt - derision is clear. Israel doesn't harp on that, though: She cannot fault the perception. But then Molly goes on to listing all the precautions she took before going to talk to the Technocrat and Israel is left to shake her head and raise up a hand into the [as she perceives it] darkness, in the direction of the feel-sound-scents of Molly. "Listen to me: I don't doubt you took precautions. I said as much and I meant it. You've learned a lot and it shows. But the crucial element you flat out ignored was that no matter those precautions there was no one - no one - to provide you with immediate back up if needed. Not even someone out of sight and known only to you who could have done something if matters went south. It doesn't matter that they did: This time you got lucky. What about next time? By taking this all on yourself you put us all at risk. You and all the rest of us. That is reckless. That is why the Society and the Guardians are so adamant about cabals, among other things. And it is a slap in the face to people who care about you and trust you and would die to help you," What did she think the Guardians risked in going in after her this Summer? There's no slightness to it now: Israel's body language and tone is outright begging Molly to understand this. "That you put yourself in a position like that all over again."

She takes a long, slow, calming breath... and nods. "No, you have valid points. We shouldn't be in the business of controlling any and everything people choose to speak to whomever they please: If you didn't directly speak of security specifics then, well, no harm done really. I ask that you keep in mind that a perception of solidarity is often where true solidarity starts. And also: You have just as much right as anyone to bring any and all issues to the attention of the council and the Chantry as a whole..." Then she chuckles - more a tired sound than anything else, "And, yes, in my book Emily and Kage shouldn't be any more privy to matters of Chantry specific security than anyone else not a full chantry member. No exceptions. But I can understand why you feel there are exceptions and biases others cleave to."

[Molly Quincannon] There's a long moment of silence. The last thing Molly wants to do is to slight Israel any further than she already has. She knows what the Guardians risked going in after her this summer; she scried it up, after all. However... "You are going to hate hearing this, but I am going to say it anyway, just for the record, because I'm not sure I made myself clear. If I had not been, as you say, lucky - or maybe just actually good at what I do; your mileage may vary - I would have killed myself, then and there, both to prevent them from getting any information and to prevent you all from having to risk yourselves on a rescue mission. That's a big difference from the position I put myself in over the summer. I know what you risked. I know what you did. I would not put you through that again."

She runs her hands through her hair, unfortunately stopping the Atticus-scritches for a moment in the process. "Eff-eff-ess, Israel. I understand what you are trying to say but no one I could call for backup actually understands a damn thing about me. I am what I am. I am a Cultist and we push the boundaries. It's what makes us what we are. No one will let me. No one will even negotiate with me on that kind of thing; I'm supposed to tread carefully around everyone else's beliefs and ways of working and no one cares even a tiny bit about what my Traditional values are or tries to compromise with them. Solomon goes to the extreme of spying on my rotes without even telling me! I'd have been fine if he told me, and I'm grateful to him for what he spared me, but he couldn't even trust me enough to tell me he was doing it. I'm sorry, Israel - this doesn't apply to everyone, or at least it shouldn't, but there are some trust issues there. Which means that no, I can't just show a face of solidarity when I don't see one."

Another deep breath. "This isn't a reflection on you, though. I should have called someone. I just didn't want to drag you personally into another mess, Nat's away, Henri throws things at me when I dare remind her she's in a cabal and Atlas goes a little nuts when you mention Technocracy at all. We're not all lucky enough to have a cabal like the Guardians."

[Israel] She does, indeed, hate hearing anyone speak of killing themselves: It shows with a wince and more. That said the concept is not alien to her. She, Solomon and Nathan would all likely do the same if they ended up in a predicament that warranted it. "None of us begrudge what was done last Summer, Molly. While I understand wanting to spare us from it: It is what we do, among other things. And I understand the conviction you went in with: But there's nothing saying you would have been able to pull it off. What if you hadn't even had sufficient warning that things were about to go south?"

She reaches now to locate and take up her own coffee - gone somewhat cooler than she likes - and sips it... then, for good measure, searches for the package of homemade cookies and takes one of those. Oh yes: Israel is a firm believer that food always helps. Not that she gorges herself - she eats small but often, rather than binging - but a treat never goes amiss.

"There are trust issues. I'm not blind," her lips quirk slightly, "to that. And, yes, you are what you are. You push the boundaries. You ask for the freedom to do so. I only ask for the returned freedom of some peace of mind in my own safety and that of those I care about. And that's the tricksome part about freedom: It requires give and take from everyone to actually work." She licks a bit of chocolate-caramel-nutty goodness from lips and shakes her head. "And I fully recognize that, really, all of us need to get better about it. I can't speak for anyone else: But you should never, ever hesitate to call me. Ever. I love you for trying to be protective of me: But just as you are who you are, I would not be myself if I didn't make myself available to help others some way, some how." It's a statement of fact and nothing more: No heroics, no martyrdom, no saintliness.. it is her duty and reason as she sees it and that is that.

She finishes off the cookie... offers up a small smile, genuine though understandably preoccupied, "This is really good." And, "What is done is done and I'm grateful it went well - as well as it could have. So what are you going to do about the man? From what I understand Ashley and Elizabeth felt the Horsemen wouldn't be easily dissuaded from their course..."

[Molly] Israel can't see wry, grim smirks when they appear on someone's face. She can hear them in a voice, though - all aware of how morbid this all sounds but equally aware of the necessity of such contingencies and really not wanting to go into detail because Israel clearly dislikes the idea of such being necessary in the first place. "There's all kinds of ways to make sure that you have the time and warning you need to do a thing, if you set it up in advance," she says. Likely Israel knows something about this; she's seen Nathan work, after all. "My skill set isn't all about being nosy, y'know, and one of the things I'm learning a lot about is prepwork for as many contingencies as my analytical little brain can manage. So let's just say I thought about that possibility too, and laid in plans accordingly, and leave it at that, shall we?"

Then she sighs and moves the topic along; clearly, she doesn't want to pick that one up again. "As far as trust issues go ... I don't want to get into an argument about it, in part because I agree with you. Also because I don't want to get into a big long argument about Chantry politics and ... well, other things that if I started on now, we'd just get caught up in it when there are more immediate issues."

Clearly, however, that 'argument' is coming. Though possibly not with just Israel.

"All that to say, I'll remember to call you. Still, for all it's what you do, and who you are, to help people - and I know that; I can feel that about you, as can everyone with an ounce of perception - sometimes ... sometimes people need to take care of you. Not even as much because you need it, but because they need to know that they're in some way giving back for all you do. So I'm sorry if you find it frustrating but I'm not sorry that I try not to drag you into more mess than necessary." There's weight to those words - clearly, this is not the first time in recent memory when Molly probably should have called on Israel in some way but didn't. Still, that one at least sounds (feels, whatever) less urgent and less security-issue-laden; just ... something else. Something slightly embarrassing to her now, no more.

Then the question, and the answer comes, "I'll talk to Ashley. I've already set that up. I'll lay out what I know, tell her I've taken my lumps for going without backup and then tell her that he's willing to cooperate because he knows full well he's screwed to the wall if he doesn't. I'll recommend that she Mind-scan him to make sure he's on the level and work from there ... at least if she seems less happy to just hand him over to the Horsemen and wash her hands of the whole thing as she did last time we discussed this mess. Anyway, then I'll talk to the Horsemen. Gabriel, at least. Lay it on the line for him and point out the old saying about 'do I not destroy my enemies if I make friends of them?'; also point out that ... y'know, the Rogue Council's supposed to be about pursuing the enigma rather than the dogma and just outright killing someone because some faceless entity tells you to is pretty dogma-following. If none of that works ... I don't know. I ... can't just let him die, though, Israel. There's potential there. I can feel it. I want to teach him, not kill him. I mean, Technocrats can turn around and ... really, truly Awaken, can't they? Etherites and Vdepts are only the biggest examples of that kind of defection, or so says rumour. I hate the Technocracy too, but ... the organisation and way of thinking, not the people."

[Israel Cohen] Israel may not like the idea of suicide; but it is by no means foreign to her in this sense. Molly speaks of the contingencies she had in mind, ready to go and the blind woman nods, somberly: "All well and good, except for the very crucial truth that Magic will not always work when and as you need it to. We all know this. We've all experienced it. No plan survives the engagement in totality, Molly, not when it comes down to the wire and violence is eminent. And that is why having backup in the form of someone else to provide support is so important: So if it all comes falling down there is someone else to act where you cannot. We can attempt to cover as many contingencies as we like -- but ultimately we are each of us only human and someone else will very often think of or provide some element that one alone misses or cannot fulfill."

As for the question of trust and Chantry politics: Yes, Israel is just as agreeable to forgoing that. Not because she doesn't care or doesn't want to listen. But because the conversation is heavy enough as it is and, more so, the Chantry council has any number of open avenues to take to address such concerns to a whole. Instead she smiles - a small, accepting smile - at Molly's reiteration that she wanted to look out for the blind woman in return... with a flicker of head-tilting curiosity over the sense that there may be something left unspoken. "Thank you," sincere; quiet. "And if this was a minor concern that just involved - or mostly involved - yourself or personal concerns of others or the like, I may be more agreeable. It would be horribly hypocritical of me to think only I had the ability or right to look after others. But when it's a matter that could very well affect myself and the community as a whole... then don't you think I or others have the right to know and be involved in some way, shape or form?" Here she speaks carefully, openly - and as kindly as she can, "You have a lot to say about personal freedoms and yet by making command decisions regarding Technocrats of all people, you made a choice for all of us, no matter how it pans out. That is where I have a hard time understanding your going off alone, haverti, outside of my basic concern for you."
The Hebrew word is foreign to Molly, of course, but the inflection of it speaks of an endearment of some sort.

She licks her lips and drinks more coffee as Molly lays out her next steps, "Yes, I'm sure Ashley will want to Delve him. If for some strange reason she chooses not to I'll do it myself if you need... but I doubt that will be a problem." Ashley is, by far, more... ah... liberal with her application of the 'Delving' aspects of Mind than Israel tends to be. "I hope what she finds there supports what you believe -- I mean that. Maybe I've been too long with Solomon not to be skeptical - lord knows Nathan is an influence there, too -- but it would be wonderful if his words are sincere and his desire to change and redeem himself, too. He would not at all be the first Technocrat to honestly change sides. Why, from what I understand, one of the current heads of the Celestial Chorus is a former Technocrat. It does happen, obviously, and sincerely, too. That said just... you might want to keep an open mind to the potential that you might still be wrong or at least still be lacking other pieces to this... enigma." Her lips quirk -- by 'enigma' she means more 'mess'. "And this man himself -- is he still where you found him?"

[Molly] The initial part of the conversation, Molly more or less packages down into the other thing. Because in the end, it all comes down to the same route. "That goes both ways, Israel. A decision of that kind that I make for myself could potentially have repercussions on others and not just myself. I know that. Thing is - and I don't want to go too deep into this, but it seems to be coming up anyway - I find that if I tell anyone about any action I want to take, the choice is taken entirely away from me. So either I tell other people and am pushed into a course of action I might not agree with under threat of being ousted completely from the matter if I don't, or I do it on my own and minimise the risks to others as much as possible. Which is more possible than people seem to think. If people want me to trust them to watch my back for community safety, someone somewhere is going to have to start trusting that I know what I'm doing once in awhile. All anyone seems to see is that they don't like my methods. I'd be happy to compromise on my methods if I hadn't had proof that 'compromise' seems to be 'fall in line or get kicked off the team'. But that's the 'give-and-take' conversation that we really ought to bookmark for later browsing. It's too big and needs more people to really have it out with at this stage."

Then there's a sigh. "I accept that I could be wrong, yes. I really don't think I am, but I am still open to that possibility. Like I said, you weren't there. I think," she adds, sounding sheepish, "the main reason I wish you had been now is that you'd actually know what I meant if I'd brought you along. It's not a thing I can put into words. Anyway, no, he's not still where I found him, but I know where I'll be able to find him for the next few days." That's about all the detail that Molly seems willing to go into right now, at least about the Technocrat's whereabouts.

She does ask, however, after taking a swig of her coffee (she's a geek who gets really focused on her work; cold coffee is something she's quite used to), "...What does haverti mean?"

Come on. Israel had to expect it.

[Israel Cohen] "Mmm, I don't doubt that you are frustrated - or, more to the point - that you have good and valid reasons to feel frustrated." The validation is honestly, if carefully spoken... "And that there are elements to this that apparently need to be discussed on a level beyond just the two of us. But Molly, by your own words you chose a questionable route to avoid not just exposing someone else to immediate harm -- but also to avoid having your actions questioned or altered at all. Which... forgive me, but I cannot think of a nicer way to put this," which obviously pains her, "Sounds very selfish to me. You are a woman of a great many capabilities. Whatever you may think I believe this to be true and trust it. You are still, however, inexperienced in other aspects. By your own words you are learning to take contingencies in account. You are new to battles of this nature and battle it is. All the more difficult because we are in a position where we must give potential-enemies a chance to prove themselves otherwise if we are - as you said - to avoid being just like that which we loathe. But at the same time with eyes open and understanding that sometimes someone truly is the worse of what we can imagine, even without being truly Corrupted or Tainted -- which, for me at least, makes it all the worse to stomach. But I digress..." standing up she moves to warm up her coffee with some of the still-hot in the pot and offers the same for Molly, "I don't relish being told what to do anymore than the next person... but when I'm learning something and I know there are those with more experience or who can at least offer peripheral aid, then I should admit to my lesser understanding or untried theories and seek guidance. And I refuse to believe there is no one in this city who would offer it without trying to railroad you. I will. Nathan would. Kage. The world is not composed entirely of Solomon's or others who can, admittedly, be overbearing."
And here her lips flex, a shadow of dry humour in a recent memory, "I recently had a refresher on these truths myself, you see. No one is above it. No one. Some of us just admit it more than others. I can't go into a lot of details, but I recently attempted to dive into dealing with a Spirit. And I had contingencies. And I had good, solid reason. And I had the rudimentary and in the end it did not go so poorly as to be damaging.. but it was still a fiasco of sorts. I was in over my head. And it could have hurt someone else: I should have begged Solomon to help me with the matter to avoid the possibility of hurting someone else rather than going it alone full of my own overconfidence."

"At the end of the day you can think of any number of reasons and excuses - valid or otherwise - for why you should go on and do as you please however you like it: But one day it might get someone else seriously hurt. And that isn't a burden I wish on anyone."

Atticus lets out a puppy yawn - fit to break his jaws and someones heart with the cuteness of action and sound - and settles with his muzzle contentedly on Molly's feet: The kind of heat and weight so cherished in infants, be they animal or human.

Israel does arch an eyebrow at what little Molly speaks of in terms of where the Technocrat is. But she doesn't press and responds simply with, "If you need any help making sure you - and he - are secure until such time as someone can verify his claims, let me know." And, yes, she is unsurprised by Molly asking after the meaning of the Hebrew word she'd used, "Haverti is a contraction for Chavera Sheli -'My Friend' in the feminine. The contraction makes it more of a pet name, too. A dear or close friend."

[Molly] Molly is a terribly overconfident person - it doesn't take a genius, empathy-wise, to see it. However, she does listen to things like this, displeasing as a part of her finds them, when they are brought before her. "I do take your point, Israel. It's something I'm working on. But I can't be the only one working on it. And yes, I know there are other people who don't railroad me. Helps if they're in town, though, and in some cases ... well, they aren't. People have lives, and some stuff is time-sensitive and..." She sighs, sips her refreshed coffee and shakes her head. "No. No more of that. We can go round and round with the conversation all day about why I didn't do what I should've done and why my methods were ill-advised, but right now I'm not talking about what I did, because while I do understand and take on board everything you've said, I can't change what's already done. What I'm talking about is the future, because you know something's just going to come up again when this is done. It always does. All I'm saying is that before that happens ... I mean, Solomon and I could work really well together; we play two ends to a middle. Same with Ashley; they both seem to believe in the benefits of security, which I agree with to a point. Just ... not to the point where I don't see the rewards that come with the occasional risk. The two of those things in tandem - the occasional risk backed up with those who specialise in safety, with both sides actually listening and coming to a common ground that allows for both - could achieve great things. People just ... need to be willing to listen. Everyone. But since I can't change what's been done, and you already know that I am bringing people into the loop even though part of me ... kind of cringes to think of this guy meeting Ashley and I hope like hell I can be a decent buffer zone between them if I turn out to be right, that's still all thoughts for later. Things need fixing. I really want to try to fix them. It just can't only be me giving ground. I'm not saying I won't ask for backup next time; please don't think that. But even with me saying that - doing that - it's a matter that needs to be addressed on a larger scale. That's all I'm saying."

Indeed it is, as she pauses for a moment (chair creaks, there's a scritchscritchscritch noise and probably a thumping tail as Molly reaches down to the puppy-head on her boot and gives him a scritch behind the ear) before going on. Her voice, when she speaks again, is tinged with gratitude and amusement. "Thanks, Israel. That, at least, he - and I - have got covered. And before you ask or worry? No. I am not harbouring him at my place. Trusting and open-hearted and screamingly overconfident I may be, but I'm not stupid. But I've got warding capability and you know I wouldn't risk Ellie by not using it, and he also has warding capability or he wouldn't have stayed ahead of the Horsemen as long as he has. Really, right now it's all down to actually talking to people and hoping like hell they'll listen. And also hoping like hell that I'm not wrong." She doesn't sound like that last is a thing she doubts, though at least she's admitting that it's a possibility.

The snippet of Hebrew - the pet name and its meaning - gets a smile that can't be seen but is possibly bright and warm enough to be felt even before Molly speaks. "It's beautiful. Thank you. I ... haven't had a pet name in a long while. Not since my first crew, back in the day. Well." Sheepish, now. "Not unless you count 'Info-Slut', anyway. Thomas has such a way with a nickname, doesn't he? Man, now I kind of wish I'd come up with something a little more across-the-board meaningful than 'Janeway' for you, but I don't know any other languages ... well, sign, but that's not really helpful here. So ... I go with what I know."

[Israel Cohen] For all that Israel strives to build things up: Health, Hope, Worth and more; for all that she strives to perceive what is good and positive in a situation, it doesn't mean she doesn't notice what... needs work. And there are none of them who aren't misunderstood on some level: Those who see nothing more than Molly's overconfidence. Those who see Israel's compassion or goodwill as naivete or a rouse. Those who label Solomon a zealot loose-cannon. On and on and on and on... no, would that she could tell Molly that people like Solomon and Ashley would be utterly willing to work with her on the same level. Would she could take away all the stubbourn prejudices and narrow frames of paradigm that inevitably exist in the mixed company of Magi.

She might as well say that Basil Gillingson is, any day now, likely to start hugging people and passing out roses.

If nothing else she tries not to fall into the trap of lying to herself [it's all too easy; more so than most care to admit] let alone others, "From your lips to Gods ears, then. In terms of finding a way to get more than just a few willing to compromise." In lieu of liquor to toast with she raises her mug instead: It'll have to do.

As for the rest regarding the Mystery Man, well: No reason in pressing further there. The situation is what it is and she's hopefully made it clear that if she's needed she's willing to help as and how she can. As for the rest...
..Faith and Hope aren't things that come as easy as breathing. Not even for Israel all the time. It is a conscious effort of Will to keep oneself open to such possibilities. Upward momentum always is. Leave it at that.

So instead she returns the warmth of the smile she cannot see but hears in the open tones of the other womans voice... then chuckles when she speaks of Tom's habit of nicknames. "He calls me 'Seer' -- I'm still not entirely sure if it's a compliment or insult or something in between, honestly." And then she waves a hand while the other goes in search for another cookie, sensitive finger tips showing her the way. "Oh I'm still quite pleased with 'Janeway' now that I get it. I mean, really: Captain of a space ship... space vessel? Er... intergalactic star-cruiser? Well, at any rate it sounds quite adventurous. And in my imagination I fancy her a tall, stalwart, statuesque woman - it is nice to imagine myself tall."

[Molly] Molly raises her own mug when Israel raises hers; clinks them together, softly. "Hear, hear. I guess at the end of the day it's finding the right conversational wavelength. I can talk with Ashley about a lot of things, up to and including the bit where she kind of trashed my paradigm, and while that stuff's mostly 'agree to disagree' stuff ... she listens. She takes stuff on board. And she did agree to the whole future-scrying thing. Maybe I'm in an optimistic mood - reducing someone to tears of gratitude with the Almighty Power of Pizza kind of does that, I think - but maybe it's not as impossible to hit compromise as it sometimes seems. Hope and faith and a lot of patience; that's the ticket."

With matters of the Mystery Man dealt with (Israel has made it clear that she's willing to help as and how she can; Molly is aware of this but is at this current moment without such need, and that's in the wake of their recent conversation so the 'do I need help with that part?' question is foremost on her mind), Molly grows thoughtful at the mention of Thomas' nickname for Israel. "It fits, I think; Seer ... not so much prophet as visionary. Also, one day I'll have to tell you about an Etherite that blew through town in the fall. Transdimensional travel; alternate universe stuff. I always meant to tell that story but other stuff was always going on. As to the Janeway thing ... yeah, adventurous and stalwart and fair. Diplomatic, too. You're nicer, though." She doesn't mention Kate Mulgrew's height, although she knows it - she'll leave Israel to think of Janeway as tall, when she stands at about the height Molly does when she's not wearing boots with three to four inches of platform sole.

Then, as a matter of sheer curiosity (because it's come up recently), she asks, "...I gotta ask. Exactly how much of what I say do you not get? I don't say that in a bad way; just ... Nathan pointed out that there hasn't been a single conversation that he and I have had where he's understood every reference and you don't give me that bewildered look as often as he does so I was wondering if it's that you get more of what I say or if you're just trying to keep the conversation going instead of stopping it every five minutes to ask me what the blue hell I'm talking about."

[Israel Cohen] With a chuckle she nods knowingly, "Ashley and I have quite a few 'agree to disagree' conversations as well. And she does listen: She is just much more straightforward - often to the point of bluntness - in how to deal with a matter once she's absorbed it. Solomon is much the same, just tack on, oh, fifteen or so more years of being used to doing thing his own way and unrelentingly to boot." She speaks with great fondness of both of them. Fondness and love: Platonic for Ashley and, well -- 'romantic' doesn't really do credence for how she feels about Solomon. It falls short but it's as close as one might get with one word. "And I admire them both for it and I think I understand - as much as I might without having lived their lives - where it comes from. I believe in cooperation. I believe in respect and kindness. I also believe in the power of differences and respectful opposition, frustrating as it can sometimes be. Of all of Gods wonders, how can I not see the grand scope of human diversity as one of the Greatest?"

Which rather leads into some of the other subject points as she laughs - low, musical in a breathy manner, flexing of one dimple in the left cheek - "Thank you, but I cannot quite imagine Tom seeing me as 'visionary'. When he isn't lumping me together with the 'old guard' and 'the Man' he is trying to find some kind of ulterior motive to why I might be nice to him. For all of it I'm fond of the rapscallion. The romantic rogue." 'Fond' and... something more. Something she does not speak of but that is deeper... fiercer somehow. Like she's made some kind of promise to herself in regards to the young man and intends to see it through. "But that's the thing of course: We've all got our preconceived notions. Oh, some of us are better at working past them than others, but they are there. Did you know that, apart from your views on the nature of divinity, did you never tell me you were a Cultist I would never have pegged you for one? We've the youngest among us who want to tear the more experienced down - sometimes for no seeming greater reason than to prove they could... like throwing away a perfectly good loom for no greater reason that another, new one looks so much nicer -- never mind how you might tangle yourselves in its complexities you don't really understand or bankrupt yourself on the cost. And, oh yes, we've our older or more Powerful characters who have had to push themselves so hard for so long to get where they are that it just comes more naturally to them to see to matters on their own or dictate others to do the same rather than wait and worry that someone else may pull it off as well..." Polishing off the second -- or third? [hmm, best to slow down there, Yocheved] -- cookie she rolls her shoulders amicably. "But as a whole? As a whole we are a well-meaning lot. As a whole I think there's very much we agree on. I can only trust that the rest will work out with time and care."

At the last question though there's a blink of her eyes, taken by surprise, then a crinkling of corners of those eyes with affection at the sheepishness of Molly's tone, "Oh, goodness... direct references? Oh I'm afraid there's rather a lot I don't follow," there's apology there, but also something dismissing: As if it doesn't matter. Clarified as she goes on. "But never to the point where I've felt unable to understand what you mean. If that was the case then I would stop and ask. But after a while... there is a strange Paradox in language, Molly. On the one hand words can be powerful. Ask any Hermetic and they'll tell you it is so, though they certainly aren't the only ones who understand it. But on the other hand... words are face less important than concept, than inflection and tone and feeling. I may not always understand references you make: But I seldom have trouble understanding the inflection and feeling behind what you are saying. And that is enough for me, I suppose."

[Molly] "The grand scope of human diversity thing? We have that - the Cult of Ecstasy, I mean." Molly doesn't sound surprised about that part; rather, gleeful in a more deeper, somehow quieter way than usual. Another part of that 'it's nice to be understood' thing. "Part of the Code, actually - point one. 'Thou art miraculous; so are we all'. Open to interpretation, sure - some might refer to it as just being about Awakened. I like to think that we're a planet full of several billion tiny miracles. And the diversity amongst them is just one more." Then, Molly just listens for awhile - it's always interesting to hear other people's opinions of her fellows and friends, and those weights of emotion behind them. Molly may not press Israel about the fierceness relating to Thomas now, but the last time she saw him, she'd been ... concerned. Might be time to pay another visit.

Still, thoughts of that are entirely banished when Israel reaches the part about 'did you never tell me you were a Cultist', at which point Molly starts to laugh. It's not at Israel's expense; there's an odd kind of delight in it. "You and everybody else. I just look at it as me following my Trad values; we're supposed to break boundaries and stereotypes are just one more to bust through. At least, when asked to guess and told I wasn't a Vdept or an Etherite, you didn't get so flummoxed that you guessed 'Dreamspeaker' as a third option. I had that once. Laughed 'til I nearly cried." Molly doesn't say much about the rest. There's a murmur of agreement - not a 'yes, but...' noise; not a noise that says 'I am not really listening but some part of my brain has indicated that there's a pause in conversation so I'd best make a noise to keep it moving'. Just a noise that agrees, and ponders it quietly, and will analyse it all further when she gets home because she really doesn't have a lot to add right this moment.

Then there's the answer to her question, and a nearly audible wince. "Yeah ... I kinda thought so? But I thought I'd ask anyway. 'Cos, y'know, if you ever want to understand a reference, for a better bit of context or just 'cos you're curious? You can interrupt me to ask. I know that meaning is the important thing, but ... I guess we're different. I mean, you know how I get." Read: If I don't get something someone said, I either ask them then and there or I JFGI ASAP.

[Israel Cohen] "I'm somewhat familiar with the Code, yes. Not all of it but I've heard some of it, including the first. And I agree: All human lives are miracles, not just the Awakened. Awakening is a miracle as well, but it is one of many. To be honest, small miracles are often my favourite," here she dimples slightly once more, then goes on to mention something she hasn't spoken of to any Magi in the city outside of the Guardians themselves, "Actually, back in December, after Chanukkah, there was a Gathering of my Craft in Boston. There we decided on a course of action that's been avoided for... well, a very, very long time." Her Craft is old. Older than some of the Nine Traditions, especially if you look back to 'formal' unification of smaller groups into a fully recognized whole. And here there is some... yes, Sorrow... a little trepidation. "We discussed joining formally with one of the Nine. There was one or two among us who suggested the Cult because of some bonds in the Code that are similar to our own beliefs. Ultimately it came down to remaining apart or joining the Chorus... to the surprise of no few it looks as though we'll be going with the latter." She obviously has some mixed feelings about this but mostly she seems to have accepted it.

Chuckling, then, she slips down from her stool, "I'm not sure what I might have guessed as your Tradition -- only that Cultist wasn't at the forefront." And, indeed, they are very different: Israel has her curiosity and a great many interests, but she is never so driven by curiosity as to render it something of a compulsion or addiction in and of itself. "I've never felt like I couldn't ask, trust me, but thank you for making it clear." Then, "Let me let Atticus out for a bathroom break and then, if you like, you can help me make those bread bowls and start up a chowder?"

...and so it'll go, spending the rest of their time together companionably. And when she does take her leave Israel does promise to make sure Solomon has access to some of the cookies [she doesn't mention that he tends not to indulge in sweets very often] and assures her she can feel free to come by and play fetch with Atticus whenever she likes. Atticus who leaves her with much puppy licks and tail wags by way of his farewell.