Gingerbread politics

[Molly Quincannon] Molly hasn't exactly been a regular feature at the Chantry, but that wasn't exactly her choice - it's hard to justify regular trips when you're being followed and don't want anyone to track the place down through you. Now that she knows she's not being followed anymore, she can visit. Though in this case, it's mostly a business trip - she has plans to speak to people if they're around, and take preliminary readings, in preparation for some security bolstering. It's the least she can do for the place. So there's a tool bag as well as her usual laptop bag, making her look rather like she's saddlebagged like a pack mule when she comes in.

She announces her entrance, of course; no reason to surprise anyone in an unpleasant manner. "Hello?"

[Ashley McGowen] There aren't very many people to patrol the chantry at present. The number of cabal members has dwindled in the past month: Owen left (promised to return.) Riley and Alex left. Ashton left on business. Daiyu was killed. What that means is that each person devotes one day a week, more or less, to being on chantry grounds at all times. So that there's always someone there in the event of another attack.

Ashley's schedule is more flexible than most. Other than working as a TA a few days a week, she doesn't have any scheduled responsibilities: she works on her thesis, she teaches an apprentice. Occasionally she has freelance copywriting that she does. So in a way she's lucky.

She does have a dog though, and they're almost as needy as children, can't be left alone for a full day and night. So he's here, and he's the first thing Molly notices when she opens the door: the loud, rapid clicking of his toenails against the hardwood floor as he hears someone come in, and the lanky frame and alert ears. The single, sharp bark from Zane brings Ashley out of the library and to the top of the stairs. She stops when she sees Molly. "Hi."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly remembers Zane, a little, from their brief meeting, and extends a hand to greet him. "Hey, Zane. Sorry if I smell of ferret."

Then Ashley's at the top of the stairs, and Molly looks up with a smile. She looks a damn sight better than she had last time they saw each other, it must be said. "Heya, Ashley. Hope I didn't bust in all inconvenient. Though I did want to talk to you anyway, so if it's not inconvenient, maybe I'm lucky. But," she adds, with a roll of her eyes at herself, "I'll start with polite. How're you doing?"

[Ashley McGowen] Ashley, unfortunately, looks a good deal worse since the last time they saw each other. The Hermetic looks a touch too thin, bruised beneath the eyes from lack of sleep. It's in her appearance, though, not in her carriage: she seems if not lively, at least full of the confident manner and sharp energy that the other magi are used to seeing. The house is warm, so both her shoes and socks have been discarded; she's wandering around barefoot in a T-shirt and jeans, and after Molly's been there a moment she descends the stairs.

There's no return smile, but that isn't so unusual a thing from Ashley. She has a book tucked under her arm, and looks up at Molly once she reaches the bottom of the stairs. Molly wanted to talk to her; there's no surprise in her expression.

"I was reading," she says, and even though it's an odd way to respond to the question, her tone isn't that of someone who is complaining at an interruption. "You look better."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly looks Ashley over, then says, "I brought coffee, if you want any. And there's kind of mangled gingerbread; I can cook it but shapes are beyond me, so it's mis-shapes, but it's pretty good." She doesn't say that Ashley looks like she could use some caffeine and food; just makes the offer. "And I am better. Not ... all the way better, but ... y'know, getting there. How about you?"

No, she's not doing the business-talking just yet. Refreshment and concern first, then business talk.

[Ashley McGowen] "I'm not a coffee drinker," she says, "but I'll have some gingerbread. I'm sure it tastes fine mangled." Zane is sniffing at Molly's hand still, wagging his tail, and Ashley reaches down to pat the dog and rough the fur along the side of his neck before heading back to the kitchen. The dog seems all too eager to follow.

It would appear she's not dodging the question; she looks back over her shoulder at Molly for a moment. "Getting better," she says. "It's easier now that the Labyrinth is dealt with." In some ways. In most, it's not; Ashley still avoids walking up the front walk when she comes into the house. She goes all around the back so she doesn't have to look. Most people didn't know Daiyu and Ashley were close at all, beyond cabalmates, much less the truth of the situation. Ashley herself has been as sparing on the details as she was when Daiyu was alive.

She adds, "Being stuck at the chantry on a Saturday is kind of a drag, but at least now we know someone's going to be here."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly leaves off scritching Zane's ears with a final pat of his head, then nods and moves in the general direction of the kitchen, saying, "Well, there's probably tea around somewhere, if that's better. I've been trying to get into it but there's some levels of healthy eating I can't deal with. I need my coffee."

Once in the kitchen, she sets down her laptop bag and puts the tool bag on the table. She opens it and produces a foil-wrapped lump. "It's not easy," she says, unwrapping the foil to reveal chunks of gingerbread that do actually smell quite nice, for all they're broken bits and chunks. "Takes a lot of strength. And support and stuff. I know for a fact you've got both, so ... all I can say is you're awesome for hacking it as well as you are." There's genuine respect there; she doesn't know what Ashley is going through exactly - she'd never even met Daiyu, in fact - but she knows what Solomon told her; that everyone had a time of it. And she knows how a survivor looks.

She offers the gingerbread to Ashley and then goes to switch on the kettle and find a coffee maker. "Yeah, at least part of that is what I wanted to talk to you about. House security, and ... well, other stuff. Is it really only people who are in a cabal who get sentry duty?"

[Ashley McGowen] "I keep a lot of tea here," Ashley says, and in fact when she reaches the kitchen is already taking down the teapot and strainer and filling the kettle with water. She spoke truth: there are five or six fifty gram bags of different varieties of tea that were in the cabinet. Since Molly's here she adds extra water before setting the kettle on to boil; she'll at least offer it.

Molly says that she's awesome for hacking it as well as she is, and Ashley looks up and over at her. Meets her eyes for a few seconds. And doesn't answer. It's not hostile; she simply seems unsure of what to say. After a moment it occurs to her that she should say something, so she says, "Thanks."

A pause when Molly asks about the sentry duty, and Ashley frowns while she picks up one of the chunks of gingerbread. "Yeah," she says, "but honestly, that's up to the Sentinel - the Council, at the moment - and not me. It's mostly because full members are restricted to certain areas of the chantry, so it's a security issue. And fairness, too, I think."

[Molly Quincannon] "Wow," syas Molly, peering into the cabinet over Ashley's shoulder at the vast array of tea there. "Got any recommendations for someone who really prefers coffee but also appreciates the sweet end of the spectrum? Just because I can't give up coffee entirely doesn't mean I can't expand my horizons, and you look like an expert."

She doesn't press about the hacking-it; just meets the look. Perhaps Ashley isn't all that much on empathy, but Molly's often an open book, and what she has to say with that look is I'm part of that support, by the way. I may not get it, but ... I'm here, anyway. Then she smiles a little at the thanks, nods and lets it go, moving on to the rest. "Well, I might be able to offer a little bit of help. I've had a camera array covering the exterior of my place for the last month or so, and it's been working really well. I can set that up here at the house if anyone thinks it'd be helpful - infared for night vision, the works. Might help with a line-of-sight for anyone wanting to cast something from in here, and at least gives a look at what's coming. But that's a Deacon and I guess a Sentinel thing. So I wanted to ask permission before I started poking around and taking measurements. I could have it set up in a week or so?" Then she shrugs. "Might also be able to help with the warm bodies, but that depends - does a party of two count as a cabal, in the whole Chantry scheme of things? Might be a trio, but that's still in the works."

[Ashley McGowen] "I have a peach black tea up there," she says, "and another one with orange and clove. That one's Kage's, but she's used to me stealing her shit. And a green tea with mint and gunpowder. If you add a little honey they're usually pretty sweet." She prefers the sweet or mellow end of the spectrum herself, it would seem. "My dad drinks a lot of it. It's kind of a habit."

If Molly states a preference, that's the variety that gets added to the strainer. Ashley listens to the rest, breaking off a fragment of one of the pieces of gingerbread and transferring it to her mouth. She chews quietly and watches Molly while the Cultist speaks. "I don't mind a camera," she says, "but you should probably ask the Council. Feel free to take measurements as long as you aren't going into the restricted areas."

Her eyebrows raise when Molly mentions a cabal, and she says, "Yeah. Two counts. As long as you have a stated purpose and you're in frequent contact. Who's the potential third?"

[Molly Quincannon] "Huh. I'll have to keep that in mind. The green tea with mint and ... gunpowder, seriously? That sounds interesting, anyway." She blinks and, still apparently stuck on that, repeats, "Gunpowder? Seriously?"

At the mention of restricted areas, Molly shakes her head. "Oh, hell, no - not unless there are any restricted areas outside. I draw the line at interior cameras - there's a fine line between security and invasion of privacy, and I don't want to cross that line. Exterior only. It'll involve me climbing around on the roof, mostly. Taking measures, making sure I've got all the angles, and inside would all be checking to see where I can run cable and where the screens could go. But yeah, I'll ask the Council whenever you're next meeting up, if that's okay. Sooner's better, I figure."

Then, a chuckle. "Stated purpose, yes, and we're in IM contact daily. My second would be Natyana. Potential third is Thomas, but he's ... a little off the whole political angle. Or he's always seemed that way. But I know he works well with Nat and I've worked with him a time or two and we're pretty solid. So ... yeah, I guess there's another cabal in town." She grins a little sheepishly, eyes the coffee pot and then selects a piece of gingerbread for the munching. "Might take a bit of the load off the whole security rota, anyway, two more warm bodies."

[Ashley McGowen] Ashley adds some of the green tea to the strainer. Her face is turned away, focused on what she's doing, but Molly can see the lift of the skin of one of her cheeks as she does. "Gunpowder. Seriously. It won't taste strange."

She pulls a jar of honey down out of the cabinet and goes to stand at the island in the center of the kitchen, leaning her hip against it. She breaks off another small chunk of the gingerbread, munches at it, glances down at Zane hovering nearby and then gives him the small remainder that's left of that piece. "Go ahead and start taking the measurements now, if you want. The Council doesn't really have official meetings, but if you catch one of the emissaries, they can probably give you the okay."

She listens to what Molly says about the potential cabal. Her eyebrows raise when Molly mentions Thomas - hadn't expected that, perhaps - but Nat, she just gives a nod to. "Yeah. Once you guys are official, let the emissaries know and I'll give you access." Perhaps she means adjusting the wards she's laid over the house; the place usually smacks of Ashley's magic, even when one isn't inside yet, like claw marks against the bark of a tree trunk. "You guys will have to pick the unlucky person to go to meetings, too. I figure it'll be you, but," and Ashley shrugs and doesn't finish the sentence.

[Molly Quincannon] There's a chuckle at that. "No, it's just ... I wonder about the logic of it. I knew this guy once, he was into brown-brown - cocaine mixed with gunpowder. Now, I never got cocaine anyway; I mean, it tastes like those fake banana flavoured circus peanuts and destroys the sinuses. But I just wonder at ... adding gunpowder to things. At least tea doesn't get you as crazy as this guy used to get."

The rest gets a smile. "We're more or less official already, to be honest; we've been set up for a month. Just..." She shrugs. "We've been a bit busy - not just she and I, but everybody - and we haven't been able to ask about it yet. I mean, we've been operating as a cabal but not ... y'know, made it official with the Chantry yet." With a chuckle, she finishes, "Yeah, and it'll probably be me. Put Nat in a room with more than three people and she tends to hedgehog. Unless she's really pissed off, apparently. Are the meetings that bad?"

[Ashley McGowen] Molly mentions the taste of cocaine, which if anything is what seems to take Ashley aback, and she looks up for a few seconds. Then she says, sagely, "I guess it's a Moroccan tradition. The gunpowder, that is."

When Molly asks if the meetings are really that bad, Ashley's sole response for a few seconds is an eyeroll. Then she reaches for another slice of the gingerbread; maybe she is feeling a little healthier than she looks like she is. "I just hate politics," she says. "And all the arguing and the bickering about little details that nobody fucking cares about." Details that are unimportant to Ashley, but she's generally a big-picture person; fortunately, there are other people to figure these things out. Like Emily.

"But at least there's free food. I'm a grad student. That shit matters."

[Emily Littleton] If you catch an Emissary...

That's easier to do these days. Now that the restrictions at the House have been lifted post-Labyrinth and the Emissaries themselves make up nearly half of the Sentry rotation, it's pretty easy to find them at will. Nevermind that some of the Emissaries have things to do at the Chantry between rounds -- study, cataloging the library, communing with the Node.

A staff of seven active members is insufficient to support even a Chantry this size, but it doesn't keep the few full members from trying. From wanting to do even more. From wearing themselves thin at times, too.

Emily is making her rounds of the city. She checked Owen's mail; likely encountered another (heart-wrenching) well-meaning postcard. She stopped by the Farmer's market and got things both for the House and for her home. She picked up a couple things at the regular market, for restocking the Chantry shelves. It had gotten rather lean during the unoccupied days, and bit by bit they're building it back up.

She's got her messenger bag and a fabric carrier bag today. Some leafy greens and a precarious placed bag of apples are peeking out of the top when she knocks twice, then pushes the door open. The Singer still does not stop near the entryway to take off her shoes, instead she progresses toward the kitchen and the sound of voices.

The voices prompt this, a warm and lightly accented "Hello, the House" just before she turns toward the gathering spot.

Are the meetings that bad?

Emily looks from Molly to Ashley and then shrugs. That's all she has to say on it, just now.

[Molly Quincannon] "Sierra Leone, apparently." That's all Molly has to say about brown-brown; well, that and, "Just so you know? From that look? Once. Taste-test like the FBI do, and once. Gah, never again. It felt like someone stuck a blowtorch up my nose and the effects ... eh, not worth the sinus aggravation." She chuckles. "That one's sort of on the grey-area list for us anyway, and I'm not exactly chemically fuelled. Except caffeine. Which hardly counts. And I'll shut up now."

Then, bits about the politics and the niggly details and ... Emily, who gets a smile. "Hey, Emily. There's gingerbread and your choice of coffee or ... well, less brown-brown than green-green, I guess. Given green tea and mint and all. How're you doing? I'm just being filled in on meeting stuff, as I'm probably going to have to start ... y'know, going to them now." She grins. "And it's fortuitous that you're here, Emissary person. I was asking about setting up cameras on the exterior of the House - defensive measure, to be able to see who's out there without ... y'know, going out there. Line of sight is way helpful in a lot of ways, and it's working well at my place. And was told to bring it up with an Emissary. And here you are."

[Ashley McGowen] "Yeah," Ashley says, when Molly mentions Sierra Leone, "I read a memoir." One might think that memoirs and such things involving human tragedy might not be Ashley's cup of tea, so to speak. She surprises people. Her eyebrows just raise at Molly when the other woman mentions the effects. It's the look of someone who has never done any experimentation in regard to substances.

She glances toward the kitchen doorway when she hears Emily's greeting. She's leaned against the kitchen island, barefoot; she tries to keep the house rather warm today. Emily has been to Ashley's apartment a few times - that tends to be how the Hermetic prefers it. Zane thumps his tail when the Chorister makes her appearance.

Molly mentions green-green, not brown-brown, and the Hermetic just looks toward Emily and quirks a grin. Turns around again to give Emily a chance to answer Molly when she hears the kettle begin to hiss - one gets used to the small cues without needing to hear it scream, after a while - and pours some of the tea through the strainer. "You want some, Em?" she asks, even though she's already taking down a mug.

[Emily Littleton] Emily shifts the fabric bag in her arms a little, just enough to tuck her keys into the pocket of her leather jacket. That jacket is still new enough to have a crisp collar and cuffs, but it's wearing in well. It's hidden a lot of things in its pockets already.

She blinks, slowly, as Molly's words rush over her. The Cultist speaks volumes, and quickly, and it can be a little off-putting at times, or just a bit more to parse than Hello and How Are You?. She slides past Ashley into the kitchen and starts slipping produce into the fridge.

"Ah, Emissary person is it, now? I feel I ought to have a name badge. Like Deacons at Church." There's a wry cant to her smile, here. Just a slip of amusement. Emily casts Ashley a seeking glance for a moment, then goes back to her task at hand.

"And hello, to both of you." First order of business. "Green tea with mint is fine, thank you." Second. "As for meetings... when your group is officially formed, let me or Israel or Wharil know who your Emissary will be and we'll start inviting you to meetings. I'll add your members to the Sentry rotation."

She says this simply. As if that's all there is to it. Now the carrier bag is emptied, so Emily closes the fridge and crouches so she can rub at Zane's head and ears affectionately. Emily Littleton is not a pet person. Not at all. But she makes exceptions for Zane, who is more like a person than a pet for all the keeping Ashley company he does. Zane is one of her favorite non-mage people. Zane outranks many of the local magi, on Emily's favorite people list. (This is likely because Zane is mute, and not likely to call or attend meetings.)

The cameras thing is tabled for a moment. There's too much to address in one mouthful, here. Instead she looks up from her Zane scritches and asks Molly, "If you don't mind me asking, who's joining up?" There's a beat here, just long enough to draw breath, nothing too terribly meaningful. "Have you talked to Chuck about it?"

[Ashley McGowen] ((Skip me next round, AFK for dinner.))
to Emily Littleton, Molly Quincannon

[Molly Quincannon] "Oh, we're official," Molly says to Emily. "Have been for about a month, actually. Emissary'd be me; it's me and Nat - Natyana Wapanee, you remember, from the pet shop?" Which is a better way of putting it than bringing up the meeting prior to Molly's rescue. "Nat ... doesn't really handle even mid-sized groups of people very well, so that leaves me. Anyway, we're going to ask Thomas if he wants in, but that's a maybe at best; he more or less turns his nose up at politics, but we're going to ask him anyway."

The mention of Chuck gets a look even as she nudges the (misshapen lumps of obviously homemade) gingerbread in Emily's direction. "That's the list of joiners-up, anyway. As for Chuck ... not specifically, no. The subject of cabals came up, like, two months ago, but never since. Not like there's been a shortage of other stuff to talk about anyway. Why? I mean, why would we have discussed it? I mean, it sounds like there's a thing there and I know of no 'thing', Chuck-wise, at least insofar as cabals are concerned. What am I missing?"

[Emily Littleton] The Singer stands back up from her crouch and washes off her hands before she accepts either Gingerbread or Tea. Zane may be one of her favorite people, but he is still very much a dog, and Emily -- fastidious Emily, perfectionist Emily, particular Emily -- will not touch anything edible, or any preparatory space, with hands of dog fur and slobber. She's drying her hands on a kitchen towel by the time Molly's done with her rapid-fire Chuck-related questions.

Emily leans back against the counter, its edge near the small of her back, and works the fabric with her hands. This is an idle gesture, something incidental. When she's done, she folds the towel and sets it beside the sink, rests her hands on the edge of the counter, continues her lean.

"No thing, really. I was just curious." That's all it sounds like, too. "You two are close, and you've worked together. With Riley and Alex gone, and Owen out of town, your group may be a better fit for him than working with me. I figured it would have at least come up, if you're grouping up." A shrug here, no judgment. Emily moves right along -- or rather backtracks -- to the next topic.

"Wharil, Israel and I are meeting tomorrow, though it's a little late to get you up to speed on the topics at hand. I can tell them, though, that you're officially cabaled -- that will serve as notification for all the active members, and Ashley can grant you full access here and we'll add you to the Sentry rotation. In the meantime, I'd ask you to familiarize yourself with the notes from the first meeting, and whatever I can get you from tomorrow's conversation, so you'll come into future Council meetings with some background."

She thinks over this bit a little, then adds: "I don't expect all of the decisions the Council has made thus far to be necessarily agreeable to you, but not having to rehash their reasoning as a group over much would save a lot of headaches, ne?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly blinks at that, more than a little surprised. "But ... Chuck's got a cabal. He's got you. Yeah, we're close, and we've worked together, but ... well, you guys could really use his skill set - not that you haven't got techie awesome, but let's face it; he's got us both beat and particularly with Riley gone, there could be a too many geeks thing. Besides," she adds with a bit of a sad smile, "while I think he'd fit in really well with a group whose entire remit is to keep an eye on things, be the 'one if by land, two if by sea' brigade - the scouts, in short - I think my methods would probably drive him a little bit nuts. I just ... didn't figure he'd want to leave where he is and work with me. He's loyal. You know that."

The rest gets a nod. "I've seen the list of House code of conduct on the message board. No, maybe not everything will be a thing I agree with, but knowing why helps with that, and I'm not going to kick up an unnecessary stink over anything anyway. Just send me over whatever you think I need in whatever format you can and I'll look it over. As to getting me up to speed on current topics ... if there's anything written down, you might be surprised. Apprentice-level Mind works wonders on that kind of thing. But your call."

[Ashley McGowen] "I figured her reasoning is just that a lot of couples cabal together," Ashley says, of Chuck, but she tries not to contribute too much else. She did, after all, in both circumstances - though it ended badly for the cabal the first time. "So it's not unusual. Better to be pragmatic about it, though, I think, especially if you're in doubt as to whether he'd work well with you. A cabal is just as much about that as anything."

She sinks into a brooding silence then, takes another bite of the slice of gingerbread she has in hand. Now that the tea is done steeping, she fills the three mugs and slides them onto the island, along with the jar of honey and some spoons. Her own doesn't get much - the tea is sweet enough that a little goes a long way.

"The reasoning behind the code of conduct was mine, for the most part," Ashley says. "I wrote it. The other meeting minutes are probably helpful though, for rest." A shrug, then. Ashley seems perfectly happy to be taking more of a back seat. Particularly now.

[Emily Littleton] There are things that Emily is not saying. Not showing in the cant of her body or the lines of her face. There are a dozen things thought that don't even surface enough to seem like sidelines to what she offers out to the group because today is a good day, despite the postcards. Today she is that much more controlled, composed, poised.

She nods to what Ashley says, and adds: "People move on, too. What seemed like a good thing several months ago when we were a group of four may not work as well now, as a group of two. Chuck and I talk about these things, but I'm not the only personal in his magical life. I know that. But it was honestly just a question -- no ulterior motive. Occasionally I'm just curious about things." Beat. "It does happen."

Now Emily takes up a tea mug to busy her hands. She breaks off a little piece of gingerbread -- either she's not hungry, or she's not ready to commit to a whole piece on her own -- and does not sweeten her tea. Most days she takes it as it comes, or with a little bit of milk. It's a rare day, or a strong chai, when her tea is taken sweetly.

"I'll let the others know you'll be joining our meetings after tomorrow, then," she says. The timing is explicit. After tomorrow's meeting. It's not a thing Emily points out with her inflection or cadence, but Molly's listening for it so it would stick out. "If you have a proposal on these cameras, I'm happy to bring it to the table tomorrow. Though I imagine the Council may kick it back to the Dean and Sentinel to decide."

This is pragmatic. Simple politics. Now that all of Molly's points have been addressed, Emily's shoulders relax just a little.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly nods. "I'll be taking some measurements and layout look-overs later - which means I'll be on the roof, so don't worry too much if there's scrabbling noises - and I'll have full layout schematics for you before I head home. That should be enough for the meeting." Intonation meaning: Message received; no problem and no rancour to speak of. After tomorrow's meeting is apparently cool with her. Then she shrugs. "And maybe I will talk to Chuck. It's not so much a coupling-off thing--" this at least half to Ashley, though the look on her face suggests that there's a lot there she's not saying about her and Chuck as a 'couple' "--but I guess it would be good, considering cabal remit, to have a less ... y'know, hands-on sort of person at our backs. Thomas is as hands-on as the rest of us. Though there's also Wren, I guess. Bit of a wild card, but I've worked with her and there's potential there."

Then, with a thoughtful frown, a general question. "Not that I'm second-guessing your decisions, but I'm curious - why is full Chantry access restricted to those who are in cabals? I always figured that people without cabals have more need of things like the library and the node. I mean, people in cabals have each other to turn to when they need to learn something new. Those who aren't in a cabal ... don't they need things like a library more than those who aren't in constant contact with people who could teach them what a solitary needs books for?"

[Ashley McGowen] There might be more to Molly and Chuck as a couple, but if there is, Ashley seems unaware of it. She misses the look on Molly's face, doesn't really interpret it correctly; after all, if the expression isn't a clear one it's difficult for her to guess what's inside the Minds of others without the use of magic. Without defying the reality that says that she can't, without stepping past that lack of a bit of brain. The only thing that draws much of a reaction is "Wren?" She hasn't heard of her.

Molly's question about the restricted access draws a bit of a sigh from Ashley. The Hermetic picks up her tea and sips at it and says, "I should just write an explanation for people to look over. The reason that it's restricted is that there are areas like the library and node that would be easily harmed if someone happened to be corrupted. If they Fell or went Marauder. There's still a chance of that happening if you're in a cabal, but at least you have some kind of support network or someone to watch you. Since most newcomers aren't likely to pick up a cabal too fast, it also means that you're an established member of the community by then - you can't just walk in and then have access to the heart of the chantry. There are failsafes."

There's another sip of her tea while she looks over at Molly, leaning her elbows on the island. Perhaps she's expecting some argument; Molly would not be the first to argue the point, after all.

"When I first got to Chicago last summer, there was no organization. No one knew each other and people disappeared all the time. There were two Adepts who headed the chantry here, and they both Fell without us knowing it. Tortured an Orphan I knew until he broke and went Marauder. Kage, Gregor and I spent a long time rooting out all the books and corrupt texts they'd left in the library and destroyed them, and we were lucky they didn't get to the node itself. So we've made rules to make sure it doesn't happen again."

[Emily Littleton] More than half of the people Molly is mentioning do not even have guest status at the Chantry, thus far. Natyana, for all she has been in town for awhile, wasn't on the Access List when Emily checked it to create a lose Sentry rotation. Wren is another new name. The Singer does not imagine she knows everyone in the city, but she's usually good for two names out of three. Three out of five on a bad day.

Bit of a wild card, Molly says about Wren and Emily's eyebrow raises, just a touch, before settling down again as she blows over the surface of her tea. Then sips.

After Ashley's explanation, Emily adds: "We would like to have the resources to offer less restricted access to the Chantry, but there simply aren't enough active and able members of the community. At the first meeting, we discussed our ideal functions for this House -- as a Sanctuary, as a Safe House, as a place of Learning, as a Community Center -- and agreed that the first thing we must assure is Security. The Node and Library mean nothing and offer nothing if they have been compromised or corrupted. A safehouse is nothing if it cannot be protected. Once we have the means to protect this place, comfortably, then we can work more on outrecah and community building."

There's a touch of regret to Emily's explanation. It's not where she wants to focus her attention: the martial side of things. It's not even what she enjoys. But necessity comes before idealism, and they've done a poor job of holding the Chantry this year.

"When you join the meetings, you may also wish to keep in mind that there are others who view the Node as something of a sacred symbol. Allowing unrestricted access will be morally objectionable to them, due to how they feel about the preservation of sanctified places. The Council's backgrounds are varied, and rather conservative." She shrugs a bit, and there's a note to her tone that excepts herself from the group she's talking about. Not entirely, but enough that it echoes back to Emily's earlier Awakened days. To the Them and Others mentality of being an Orphan for the better part of the year.

[Ashley McGowen] "The node is sacred," is Ashley's quiet interjection. "Conservativism has nothing to do with it."

[Molly Quincannon] Ashley may expect an argument, but she doesn't get one - not from Molly. She asked for an explanation; she got one, and one that makes sense. Thus is she satisfied. "Okay," she says. "Makes sense. There's got to be a way to make sure the solitaries have access to the information without the library, but ... eh, that's for actual discussion with everyone involved, so I'll just let it percolate. I just wondered; figured there was a reason." And that's the end of that.

Then, about Wren: "Wren's a V-dept, just blew into Chicago. Bit of a name on the music scene, has a bit of a rep with any of us who work really heavily online. Riots at concerts thanks to some weird algorithmic s--" She bites her lower lip; in some company, she tries to avoid swearing. "--stuff she throws into her beats. Still, I've worked with her and she's got the flexibility and the quick thinking. So ... yeah. Oh, I can pass you a number, Ashley; I know you'll want to meet her. Just I only found out she was in Chicago when the whole mess was at its height so haven't had much a chance 'til now."

[Ashley McGowen] There's no argument, which is something for which Ashley is relieved; she's argued the point many times over now, and finds it tiresome, to say the least. It's in her bearing and in her expression, and nods once to Molly when she makes her reply. Her brief reply. "I don't really see it as my responsibility, or the responsibility of the chantry, to make sure that everyone has learning materials," she says. "There are ways to acquire that on your own. But that's something that's better addressed to the council, if it ever is addressed."

And she shrugs then. Listens to what Molly says about Wren. About her being big on the music scene. Ashley just frowns and sips at her tea.

"Yeah," she says, "give me a number, and I'll meet with her. Have you spoken with her much?"

[Emily Littleton] She hasn't been holding that piece of cake or cookie in her hand all this time, no. Emily nibbled at the gingerbread -- or rather she broke off very small pieces and placed them in her mouth, one at a time, so that she should not run the risk of get crumbs down the front of her sweater, or in unmentionably uncomfortable places.

If Molly is looking for approval or distaste in the Singer, she'll find more the former. Emily doesn't break into conversation with a hey, this is great! but there's no wince, either. Not even the internal twinge she gets every time Chuck offers to make hot dogs. That she's broken off more than one small mouthful by now speaks to her approval.

When Molly pushes the idea of the unincorporated mages having access to the library, Emily's mouth purses a little. There's a knowing flicker or some dark amusement that crosses her eyes. It doesn't linger. It doesn't taunt or prompt or even encourage. She knows what lies down that road and Molly is more than welcome to see if she gets further than the Singer had, herself.

"There seem to be plenty of new faces," Emily says, noncommittally, between sips of tea. It's a nod more to the turnover in the community than anything. She'd felt the leavings more keenly than the new arrivals. (Save one. [Oh, but he's hardly new.])

[Molly Quincannon] As Emily speaks, Molly rummages for iPhone, pen and paper (a scrap of graph paper) and accesses Wren's contact details, which she scribbles down and hands to Ashley. "Yeah, there's a few," Molly says, with a rare note of distaste of the sort she doesn't normally show to new arrivals. "There's a guy named Vito - his resonance is creepy and he's possibly the rudest little freakshow of a man I've ever met. He's mostly hanging out with Lara, as far as I can tell. I don't know whether that's good or bad, really. There's Wren, obviously, and then there's ... I dunno if he's new, but I hadn't met him. Really ... feline guy by the name of Jarod?" Then she smiles; after talking about Vito, her bearing got easier. "Also an Indiana Jones clone name of H Colin Eastman. Dunno if any of you have seen any of them?" It seems that if the remit of Molly's new cabal is to gather information on the ground level and identify ... well, anything that needs identifying, she's doing pretty well.

Then, addressing Ashley's question, "I keep in touch, yeah. Mostly online, but there was a bit of a ... weird zeitgeisty deal a few weeks back and she helped pull us out of that. When it's important, she's got a good head on her shoulders, from the look. Just her musical persona sometimes gives her a rep for ... um, mishegoss waiting to happen. But apparently it's mostly an act encouraged by her agent, so whatever, y'know?"

[Ashley McGowen] "I know Jarod," Ashley says, shifting her gaze in a manner that implies more than passing familiarity, "and I've met Eastman." There's a bit of a smirk at the mention of the latter and she adds, "He was one of the people I went to for sources for my thesis." Ashley, particularly for a Hermetic, seems rather well connected; there are few people she doesn't know well, and fewer still that she doesn't know at all. Nevertheless, Molly's mentioned two new names. "I don't know Vito either."

But at what Molly's offered about Vito, at least, she seems to have some concern. Some readiness, particularly when Lara's name comes up as well. She lets out a short sigh and watches Molly write down the information.

"Well, her musical persona doesn't matter much to me," Ashley says, with a shrug. "I mean, it sounds like an anti-establishment deal anyway. As long as it's the right establishment..."

[Emily Littleton] [Favorite dice pool]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[Emily Littleton] Ashley glances a little to one side when she mentions Jarod, but Emily doesn't even blink. Reaching over to nab another piece of gingerbread, she says, "I've met Jarod, and Eastman."

Then she leans back again. Munches on her gingerbread, sips at her tea. The names are given even weight, and both spoken in passing. While they're at this game she mentions, "I met someone who goes by the name of Lord Bedlam, as well."

Which brought another name to the tip of her tongue, and a little pique in her expression of some flavor of remembrance. "Ah, and Isabel's still looking for a mentor of some flavor -- perhaps not actively; she's still a bit in denial. How are we supposed to further that, Ash?" A nickname, perhaps this lets slip how much more comfortable she's gotten with her friendship with the Adept.

"Aside from asking pointed and seeking questions every time I run into her?" Her smile shifts to a warmer sort of wry. This query echoes her early interaction with Ashley to a tee.

[Molly Quincannon] The concern about Lara and Vito gets a snort. "How do you think I feel? Nat's moved in with her. She knows about that murderous stalker mess but ... well, this is Nat; she'd defend those she cares about to the death, and I'm not about to tell her not to follow her bliss, y'know? Just, if Lara does what she did to one of her last bedmates ... I swear she's going to pay." For all Molly's normally fairly easygoing, there's a side to her that's decidedly not, and it's only dug its roots in deeper since the Riveira incident. It shows up now, and she looks more than capable of fulfilling that promise in nasty ways.

Then she shakes her head, and the moment passes. "But yeah, it's definitely anti the right establishment. Wren's trying to encourage a little more open-mindedness. It's a good thing." Then she looks over at Emily. "Lord Bedlam, huh? New one on me, and a person I ought to meet, I think. Sounds fun." Plus, and she doesn't say this to most people, but a combination of Lord Bedlam and Mad Maudlin is just too good to be ignored.

Then discussion turns to Isabel and Molly winces. "Yeah, she needs some tutelage fast. Word is that there was a Needful Things kind of mess off the Mile and she only managed to avoid getting totally sucked in by quick thinking on the part of others and a lot of luck. I don't think she has much of a clue, and if she doesn't get one soon ... she might not get so lucky. I'd offer to teach her ... still could, I guess. I'm not all about the tech, not at root."

[Ashley McGowen] The information Molly offers up about Natyana and Molly makes the Hermetic blink: she wasn't aware that they knew each other, that they were together, that Lara moved in with Nat at all. Then again, she doesn't know Nat very well, and this isn't really the particular brand of information she keeps herself aware of. She bites the inside of her cheek as though deciding whether to speak on it. Ashley, though, generally says what she feels, which in this particular case happens to be, "Does she know about it?" And that's all.

And if Ashley has little good to say about Lara it's because she, too, is loyal; she can barely wrap her head around what Lara did to the aforementioned bedmate. A beat, and she says, "I know Terence, too. I actually gave him your cell phone number, Molly. Hope you don't mind. He was looking for some like-minded people in the city."

Isabel she has to think on more. There's a wry smile at the playful jab; Ashley knows her teaching methods cause apprentices no small amount of stress. That half the time they don't realize what it is she's trying to teach. "The best thing would probably be to bring her to the chantry and have her leave a note on the bulletin board," Ashley says. "I could assign her a mentor, but I don't know what she wants yet, and she doesn't seem to be the proactive sort." A glance toward Molly. "If you want to find her and talk to her, try it. The impression I got was that she might understand a Cultist's approach."

[Emily Littleton] Emily is still standing there, in her jacket, with her messenger bag slung across her torso. Thankfully, her body has healed from the previous month's foray into the Labyrinth. That does not, however, keep her shoulder from protesting the dig of that strap against the side of her neck. She has finished her tea, by now, so she washes out her cup at the sink and dries it. Then she leaves it on that fabric towel, so it has a chance to air dry before going back into the cupboard.

"Mmm, I don't know if we're quite to that, yet." Assigning Isabel a mentor. "But it may happen. She seems --" Emily considers the word for a moment, "Reluctant. If this city were gentler, I'd leave her to it. After the last few months, that reluctance could prove lethal." Displeased, Emily echoes the sentiment they've all felt or expressed in one way or another.

"I think I'm going to head out soon," she announces, but not unkindly. "I spend enough time in this place as it stands and with tomorrow's meeting my life is all magery, all the time, this weekend." A little eye roll, but it's good-natured. And when her life isn't all about magery, it's about school. The other Singer is no longer present to soften her unrelenting focus, to pull her back to the rest of her life from time to time.

[Molly Quincannon] "Reluctance is one thing, but she's got to talk to somebody. I liked her; I don't want to see her get eaten. I'll getin touch, if you've got a number or something; I can at least explain a few of the basics. I'll try to be gentle, promise." This with a bit of a smile; she remembers very well the first time she met Isabel, when Emily dropped by. Simpler times. Then, to Ashley, "No problem; I trust your judgement. If they're allowed in the Chantry, I'm cool with them having my number. Now just gotta have curiosity gnaw on my liver until he actually calls. Awesome." But it's good-natured; she really doesn't mind.

To Ashley's question, she sighs. "I told her. I don't know how much stock she put in it, though. Keeps talking about how Lara really wants to change. To be honest, I haven't seen much indication of it, though to be fair, she did end up helping out when there was a bit of Umbral nasty over in Chinatown awhile back. I just ... don't know how much that means in the long term. There's a difference between leading a bunch of stoned fratboys out of an opium den and ... well, facing your very literal demons. I'm keeping an eye, put it that way."

Then she smiles Emily's way. "Gotcha. Good to talk to you, though. You're going to have to come over sometime; I now have a kitchen and everything, and am looking for people to cook for. It's a pain, cooking for just one." Then, with a nod to Ashley, "You too, if you like."

[Ashley McGowen] The Chinatown mess: this she hadn't heard, which is surprising given how much time she used to spend in that area of the city for a while. Then again, for the past month she has utterly avoided it. Still, she too looks skeptical when Molly says that Lara really wants to change. "There's also a difference between doing something like that now and not betraying other people when she needs a way out," Ashley says. "But if you're keeping an eye out." And there she is content to let the matter lie.

"I'll try and get a hold of Isabel too. See if I can figure out enough about her to send her toward someone suitable if she doesn't end up liking your approach," and a nod, brief, to Molly. Molly might not be all about the code at the core, but it certainly does make up quite a bit of her methodology.

Emily mentions the meeting tomorrow and the Hermetic gives her a sharp grin. Something teasing, but affection or camaraderie never softens the edge out of those sorts of expressions on Ashley, regardless of what she might try for. "You'll have to let me know how it goes," she says. She, after all, doesn't have to attend. For once.

[Emily Littleton] Emily writes out Isabel's number for them both, and hands it over. She doesn't have to look it up in her phone first. Emily's pretty good with numbers, with memory, even if she doesn't have a truly Eidetic one. Then Ashley quirks that smile at her and the Singer shakes her head.

"You and Kage," she mutters, mildly ruefully. Ashley will know exactly what she's referring to.

"I'll see you both around," she says, and the colloquialism comes more easily to her, but is still a little stilted. "I'd like to see your renovation sometime, Molly. I'll ring you when I get some free time." A smile, warm enough to be friendly, offered to each of them before she makes her way back out of the kitchen with a little wave. Instead of going upstairs to study as she'd planned, Emily heads home for the evening. There's a Sentry on duty, after all, and she'll be back soon enough for her own rounds.

[Thank you both for the scene!]

[Molly Quincannon] Molly nods, looks at the paper once, then stuffs it in a pocket; that look is all she needs, really, and she can programme the number into her phone later. "Later, Emily; hope to hear from you soon. You'll have to let me know dietary requirements then, too. And luck at the meeting!"

To Ashley, there's a nod about that which they are leaving lie - the Lara thing, and the keeping an eye. It's what Molly does, after all. "Yeah, I'll call her; we'll meet up for drinks and see what's what there. Who knows? Maybe Nat's way might appeal to her. There's ways and ways, anyway. And on that note," she adds, looking at her tool bag, "I probably ought to start doing what I came here to do. So I'll be around, so scuffling on the roof should be ignored and if you need anything, shout. Um ... does the house need anything else? Groceries, rewiring, whatever? Let me know, anyway. I do want to help where I can."

Barring anything else from Ashley, Molly collects her gear and is off, and will be around the Chantry for an hour or two, taking measurements and readings and emailing Emily the schematics she deems best for an external security camera array.

[Ashley McGowen] Ashley takes both her cup and Molly's to the sink to be washed, when the Cultist begins collecting her gear. Ashley has a long evening of watching ahead of her, and it's going to be quiet, unless anyone else happens to come in or out. It isn't too different from her apartment, these days - but at least then she can get out and walk. She feels a touch trapped in the house. Restless. Uneasy at the thought of going to sleep upstairs again.

Zane's as much here as a comforting factor as much as the fact that he can't be left alone for that long, though Ashley would never admit it. "I think most of us just drop off groceries when things are getting low," she says. "Other than that the house is in pretty good shape."

She nods a farewell to the two of them and washes the mugs clean, leaving them on the fibercloth next to Emily's. Instead of leaving the kitchen she slides to the floor next to the dog, pulls the book she was reading off the island down into her lap, and starts to read again.