Meeting the locals

[Administrator] Molly Quincannon, welcome to Magnificent Mile (North Side) (Now)

[Administrator] Callista Alexander, welcome to Magnificent Mile (North Side) (Now)

[Callista Alexander] It's a coffee shop, just not quite the usual clone that you can't avoid when walking around commercial areas of any city. This one is independently-owned, with a much broader range of drinks on offer. Trying to drag in the fashionable locals, there's also a wide selection of teas on offer. For the sweeter tooth, there's also the usual variety of cakes and pastries.

Callista is currently sitting cross-legged on a wooden chair with a mug of tea held mindlessly in one hand while she flicks through a book that's resting on the table in front of her. There's a stack of other books perched near the edge of the table. The one on top is titled Bringing Science and Medicine To The Masses, others are related to politics, law, and economics.

[Molly Quincannon] [[Awareness first, I think, though I've got an entree ready either way...]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 5, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[Molly Quincannon] Callista has been fortunate enough to find Joe's. Joe's is one of the better independently-owned coffee shops on the Mile, and is the only place in the city that a certain nerdbomb can get a quintuple-shot mocha. On soggy days, quintuple-shot mochas go down a treat, so Molly, now purely unrecognisable to those who would have served her ordinarily (who will likely be a bit bewildered when a total stranger orders the formerly raven-haired nerdbomb's regular drink - perhaps she should only order four shots this time?), enters Joe's with her laptop bag and her general nerdbomby sort of look.

She stops on the threshold and her eyes scan the room. She pays attention at the best of times, but lately it's been more important to keep her third eye open. So she scans the room, wondering where that Searching feel is coming from...

Oh! I know you!

She orders her drink first, and then she approaches Callista with a smile that speaks of mischief and general good cheer, and eyes that sparkle with curiosity and interest. "Hi there; you're Callista Alexander, right? You just started anchoring on the local news. Mind if I sit?" She gestures to a nearby empty chair.

[Callista Alexander] [[And Callista's awareness, on the offchance]]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 3, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Callista Alexander] Wondering just where am I supposed to find time to read all this stuff, Callista starts getting a feeling that there's a sudden rush on in the store. Lunchtime, maybe? What time is it, anyway? But it's not actually any noisier. Hmm. Anyway, she'd best try to get some of this read while she has the chance.

Although it looks like she isn't going to get the chance, as she's interrupted by Molly. Popping a receipt into the book as a bookmark, she looks up - expecting to find herself a stalker. Not that it's totally unexpected to be recognised, but then it is only the local news. But looking up, she suddenly realises just where the Frantic feeling is coming from.

"Umm, hi. Yes, and yes. Have we met before?" Not exactly like meeting up with an old friend, but there's certainly no intonation of sod off in the reply.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly shakes her head. "Nope; I just remember seeing you on the news. But I think we've got things in common, don't you?" She holds out a hand. "Molly. Also sometimes known as Mary, SisterQ and a few other things not for public use. Also, sometimes, Info-Slut." She grins a little and shrugs. "British guy. Cockney affectation. I think affectation, anyway, but it's a deep one for someone so ... Hollow ... as he can be." A hint, a clue. "So you new to Chicago, or is it just that the job's new? And either way, what do you think of Joe's? I love this place; really. Oooh, lots of books. Student, too?"

She speaks like someone who knows Chicago, this gabby thing with the Frantic feel and the near-inability to speak a sentence without a question mark at the end.

[Callista Alexander] Still holding off on judgement about the stalker, but Molly does have a point about having things in common. And she doesn't seem to be quite the type to make people disappear without worrying about bystanders getting in the way.

"Well, I guess we have an interest in the news in common at least. Can't say I'd mind my interest coming from a warmer, dryer location than it's usually stoff in now and again, but it's not that bad. At least it's not snowing." Yet.

"I'm new to the city, so haven't met too many people yet outside of work and study. I certainly haven't met anyone else with similar interests, yet. It does seem really rather hard finding things in common with people, sometimes. Brothers, and sisters, so to speak."

Callista uncurls herself from the chair, and nudges one of the others out from under the table.

[Molly Quincannon] "Well, you're talking to the right person," Molly says, giving a grateful little smile as she pulls the chair out the rest of the way and sits down. "If you're talking about what I think you're talking about - the ... erm, 'vibes' thing, I guess is the only way to put it..." She waves a hand somewhat abstractedly in the air between them, as if to somehow outline the space where Searching meets Frantic and makes the area around their table feel like someone digging for their car keys when they're five minutes late for work and counting. "Anyway, I've been here a week shy of eight months now, and I'm pretty much the community Rolodex, for at least one of the things we've got in common. So ... launching straight into it, I guess - who do you run with? Zen masters, mad scientists, party people, net-heads, whatever ... or unaffiliated, maybe? We've got a few of those. But then, we've got a few of everybody, though some of them are hermits and some of them are hiding and damn, dunno what we're going to do about House invitations now..." Then she shakes her head. "Sorry. Tangent. And yeah, you missed most of the snow, I think. Where're you from, originally? I know a few people not so much used to the snow, but they're generally not from around here. I think people from around here are used to bundling up like Nanook of the North when November rolls around."

[Callista Alexander] "Well, meeting up with people with similar interests is always pleasant. Well, usually. Well... sometimes? Having too many people with stuff rushing to their heads close to each other does seem to bring about arguments faster than walking into a local bar and shouting out Green Bay Packers Rule."

Callista shoves the books back into the bookshop carrier bag they originally came out of, so there's a bit more space on the table.

"I'm.. leaning towards the whole Zen thing. Or trying to, anyway. I didn't get too much classroom time before having to head back here, so having someone to help me get out of Lotus position when my leg gets stuck would be kinda handy." She smiles, easing a little around the slightly-less-stranger. Still not going to be giving out her home address any time soon, though.

"I'm originally from over on the west coast, though. I could never work up a decent tan, so thought I may as well move somewhere that wasn't going to stand out too much. Where were you based before?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly, for all she talks, is a very good listener; she doesn't want to miss anything, apparently. First thing she says is, "You'll like Elizabeth, then, and vice versa. She's heavily into the Zen things, and has been for lifetimes--" no, she is not being facetious, apparently "--so she'd be happy to help you out. I ... am not Zen. I am the anti-Zen. Party people, though most people take me for a net-head. Dissonant, the whole thing, but what're you gonna do?" She shrugs, and that last clue in particular she does not expect to be picked up. While everyone knows Cultist and Virtual Adept, that Cultist sub-Trad known as the Dissonance Society is not widely known. Still, she throws it in for colour, and then moves on. "She's from the West Coast too, actually. So'm I, from way back, but haven't been there in years. Started in Washington State, then New York, Texas, most of the Southern states and a year in Des Moines that I will never ever do again. It may be insane around here these days - and yeah, there's probably some stuff you really need to know about who and what is running around Chicago at the moment, though you've probably had news blurbs on some of it, as I first got wind of it through media myself - but anything's better than the death-by-boredom that is Des Moines."

Then she clears her throat and proceeds to look sheepish behind a swig of her caffeinated monstrosity. "Sorry. Way TMI. Um, so ... not been Awake long, I guess? Why the cut-off in classroom time? Or is that not a topic for discussion? I mean, it's okay if it isn't; I just ... ask questions until someone asks me questions to shut me up."

[Callista Alexander] "Elizabeth. Is she about, these days? I've picked up enough to know that elusiveness is the better part of valour sometimes. Can't say I'm sure how that'll work, given my line of work." She shrugs, something to worry about later if (or, probably, when) it happens. On the other hand, she'd probably be missed if someone else made her vanish. So who knows! Still... "Is it that a fashionable group moving into the city? The ones into dark colours, dark glasses, dark limos. Or is it more what than who." Subtle emphasis on the words, but certainly strong enough to notice if one happens to be listening.

"I think I guessed that the whole... zen thing wasn't really yours. I'm sure that chair's shifted since you sat in it. What on earth is in that thing, anyway?" Callista nods towards the mug.

"Looks like you skipped my old stomping ground by. I'm originally from San Francisco. Travelled a bit, out of the country. Then came back. And, no, not been awake long at all. It all seems like yesterday that I saw the world in a different light, but then they do say that travel broadens your horizons. If only they knew, eh?. But long story, short: I had a plane to catch, and a life to be getting back to. I wasn't ready to walk away from it all, much to the school's disappointment. But, then, everyone needs to find their own path. Wherever that eventually leads."

Callista grins. "Don't worry, I'm more than capable to telling people to shut up. It's just.. nice to have someone to talk to about this stuff again."

The hint at dissonance completely goes over her head.

[Molly Quincannon] The bit about everyone needing to follow their own path gets a smile and a nod, and she deals with the nice before getting started on the rest. "Well, welcome to the strange, and good to meet you. It's a good attitude to have, yours. Yeah, I think Elizabeth will like you, and vice versa. She's not as elusive as some and is happy enough for people to pass on at least a phone number if it's gone through someone she trusts. We've ... worked together, so that counts well enough." She frowns a little. "I should call her, make sure she's doing okay. That last one we were in on together was a bit of a clusterfuck." Then she shakes her head and gets back on topic. "Anyway, yeah, she's around, and realistically, passing on numbers is the only way, right now. Normally I'd get our administrative dean to get in touch with you, or arrange a meeting, to meet you and get you access to the House--" it doesn't take a veteran mage to know that by 'House', she means 'Chantry' "--but ... damn, we're going to have to work our way around that somehow. And ... that brings me to the 'things, stuff and miscellany' I was gabbling about earlier. I'll elaborate, but simple answer about whether it's 'what' or 'who'...? Would be 'yes'."

Big swig of coffee for fortification, then she goes on. "Okay. We had those fashionable people you were talking about trying to set up serious shop on a ... Prime bit of real estate, if you get me? We ... kind of pulled it out from under them and some of us took a beating and a half doing it but they're here, they're pissed and they're gunning for people. There were a few raids, which is why our administrative dean's incommunicado and why I had to change my look a bit - my place didn't tie to my name so all I had to do was make it so that I didn't match my old description anymore. Easy enough, when you've got ... talented friends." She grins a bit at that. "But that's not exactly the all of it. There's some other stuff going on. You ... weren't doing the field reporter thing at the fire at the Green Mill last weekend, I know, but it broadcast on your network so I know you heard about it. That ... wasn't natural. We're not sure if it's one of our kind going insane or ... something worse, but it's bad, it's basically handing tactical nukes to children, metaphorically and damn near literally ... and it's still out there. So yay for us." She sighs. "At least we haven't got the Cthulu-worshippers anymore. They were complete shits."

Yes; clearly Molly has Been Around.

[Callista Alexander] To share, or not to share... On the one hand, giving out her number to someone she's only just met. On the other... It's not like she can't be traced down easily enough. Hell, just asking at the studio switchboard gets through to her voicemail. So, what the heck. Whatever happens, happens. Callista pulls a notepad and pen out of her coat - hanging off the back of her chair - and scribbles down her name and mobile number. "Well when you speak to her, pass this onto her. And to your... landlady?" As good a term as any, I guess. "When she's up for a new tenant, anyway."

Why on earth did I pick Chicago? Good grief! Callista looks at her mug and mutters to herself, "...said Charlie Brown." She looks back up to Molly. "So it's a nice quiet city, then? Nothing at all of interest going on, whatsoever. I'm so pleased." A snort and half-smile."I heard some bits and pieces about the story, mainly about how strange it all was. I'd been given the wonderful assignment of picking up toast with the image of Elvis on it. Not that it even got used - it wasn't such a slow news day after all! I'll have to dig around a bit, though, see what I can find out about it all. At the very least, there should be a fire marshall's report out about what caused it by now."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly looks at the number, gives it a fairly cursory glance and then hands it back to Callista. "You keep it. I don't like the idea of people's numbers floating around on bits of paper - too easily read. It's in the vault," she says, tapping her temple lightly. Then, perhaps to prove the point (or maybe show off a tiny bit), she recites the number just loud enough to be heard by Callista. No hesitation, no sense that she's going to lose it. "And you can call her Ashley - the 'landlady', I mean. She's not ... that formal. Usually. Much. And it's not so much the 'not being up for a new tenant' as it is that ... well, she's more on radar than I am. Might have to be some other House bigwig you talk to. It's a security thing; I get it, but I don't like it, anyway, moving on."

Then, after another sip of her coffee, she grins. "Good grief is right. As to what caused it? Well ... there's the thing. Whatever the fire marshall has to say is going to be pure crap. What started that fire was raw mojo. And whoever did it not only filled a whole bunch of people who haven't had their alarm clocks go off yet with yet more raw mojo - and the chaos from that you would not have believed even if you'd been there - but it can cut us off from our inherent mojo." Then she snorts. "And if that weren't bad enough? My backup got chivalrous and pistol-whipped me to stop me from protesting when he wanted me gone and I said I wasn't going to leave without him. That whole night was entirely FUBAR."

None of this has been spoken loudly enough to go beyond their table, obviously, and then she sighs. "There's more, too. I need to go have a bit of a rewind-look at a bit of Grant Park because the self-same bitch that did that to the Green Mill threw precognitive horror-visions at a ten-year-old boy. He predicted the ... I think you probably got here around when that happened - the Valentine's Day suicide jumper off South Loop? There's a coroner I'd love to talk to about what he took off her neck and gave to alphabet agencies in a biohazard bag, gotta tell you. Then there was the teenaged boy openly teleporting at a party. A few other things. But yeah, it gets a bit insane around here. But there's good people. If you can avoid the politicking, the rampant brutal assholery and the ones so up themselves they need a laxative to retrieve their heads, anyway. They are minorities, those, but those minorities are vocal."

She raises her mug in a sheepish, ironic toast. "...Welcome to Chicago?"

[Callista Alexander] Callista drops the paper into the dregs of her tea, the water-based in spreading and quickly becoming illegible. She smiles, replying, "As long as you're not planning on losing your mind any time soon. Or letting any old person read through it. Hopefully your mind isn't the literal open book?"

She makes a few mental notes of things to check up on. Tracking down one of the fire crew from the scene shouldn't be too hard - it would be interesting to hear what they saw of it. The PD probably has its own set of gossip bouncing around, getting wind of that should be easy enough. And the coroner? Well, if she managed to get a quick chat about her floaty corpse, which will probably be the harder part, a quick aside about a necklace shouldn't be too difficult. It's gotta be more worthwhile that toast, anyway. To Molly, she says, "I'll see what I can dig up. I've been introduced to a couple of decent people in the city already, so will see what they have to say. I doubt I can get you into see the coroner who was on, but I may know a person who knows a person who can ask a question or two."

"Gee, thanks! I feel the brochure advertising this place had a few bits glossed over. And I don't just mean having a random drunk on every corner." She'd return the toast, but not with a cold tea that has a bit of paper floating in it. She could get another..? "Thirsty?"

[Molly Quincannon] Molly shakes her head, though the vivaciousness of her dies a little to leave a very different sort of frantic - faint hints of 'trapped animal'. She starts easy enough, with, "Oh, I have talents that'll keep people out. And ... even without them?" She lowers her voice that little bit more and says, "...those ... Cthulu-worshippers ... kind of insisted that I ... be their guest for a couple of days. Forcefully. And were ... very ... attentive. But they didn't get what they want despite it. So..." She shrugs, leans back in her chair and sighs - a long, shuddery thing. Clearly she's as over it as she's going to get, but just as clearly ... well, that kind of code is easy to read for someone with even a little idea of what 'Nephandi' means. It says something. It says enough.

Then they're onto information - a far more comfortable subject. "Oooh, that'd be hella useful. We can do a swap meet sort of thing, maybe; I've still got some rewinding to do, and I'll happily share the results of that for a bit more info on that necklace. Just ... be careful what and how you ask, okay? Remember that the alphabet agencies and the ... 'fashionable people' are kind of hand-in-glove. No sense getting yourself on radar before or unless you really have to, right?"

Then the question, and she looks at her coffee, which is mostly empty - so many fortifying swigs. Then she grins a little bit sheepishly and says, "Maybe just a double-shot this time, thanks. That was five in there and while I'm good with caffeine, I think I'll spare you how I am on ten shots of it."

[Callista Alexander] Callista's learned enough about Nephandi - that was one part of her teaching that they were very sure to cover. She keeps Molly's gaze as she speaks, but leaves it at that. There are times to dig, and times to... not.

As to digging, snooping? Well, she's not quite so recently awakened to that side of things. She grins back, "Well, it's amazing what crazy stuff anonymous sources can come up with. There are some real nut cases out there. Cults and all sorts of things. Who knows what kind of... occult stuff she had on." This has, apparently, not been in her reading list. But, still, it will hopefully make it easier to believe that this came from a random nut case. "But thanks. I can manage a little discretion at times, and don't plan on getting too close to anyone in that sharp a suit.

"But sure, I'm up for swapping information. I'm sure you have sources I don't have, and vice versa. I'm sure we could help each other out from time to time. As for rewinding...? You're... good? Practiced? Talented? ...enough to do that?"

Callista nods and walks to the bar, gracefully ducking under someone's fully loaded (and carelessly controlled) tray of drinks. Rather than try to figure out what on earth went in that drink, Callista points over and ask for another of what Molly had - with fewer shots - and another tea. Walking back to the table with both mugs, she peers into Molly's cup and sniffs.

"You could probably get rust off with this stuff, you know?"

[Molly Quincannon] "And that's the mild version." Molly addresses the last first, with a grin. "You should smell it normally. It's my treat next time."

Then the rest: "Rewinding? Oh, hell, yeah. It's more or less my stock-in-trade, these days. I can fast-forward too, though that's always a bit of a bitch because then you have to throw in probability theory and you can never tell exactly what's most likely. At least, for looking, I can do that. Can't actually affect anything in either direction yet, but give me time; I'll get there. But that's a lot of what I get called on to do, in ... let's say 'community projects'. Rewind and have a look-see, intercept transmissions in the same sort of way as well as in the now, and a whole lot of other mundane and not-so-mundane hackery of the 'don't let them call in backup' vein. There's other stuff too, but mostly, my favourites involve the when, the where, the what-if and the kerboom. With a bit of the--" she taps her temple again "--and the raw power of the universe stuff." So Time, Correspondence, Entropy, Forces, Mind and Prime, from the sound. "It's been a long process, initiate and all, but worth it. How about you? You said you haven't been up very long; what's in your not-so-mundane bag of tricks?"

[Callista Alexander] With an exaggerated grimace, Callista replies, "Pass! Thanks, but I prefer something that will actually decompose before the cockroaches leave the planet."

There's a look of wonder, and curiosity, as Molly runs through some of her tricks of the trade. She'd heard of some of this stuff, but the monks at the monastery had been... reluctant to give such vulgar displays of power. At least some of the other students had been willing to show off. Still, what could she do?

"No, not that long. Enough to know my own Mind a little, and enough to know when someone's been sending off for Correspondence courses. But..." a shrug. "I guess I'm just a little more mundane that some people we probably know."

[Molly Quincannon] Molly doesn't seem chagrined by Callista's lack of 'tricks'. After laughing heartily at the comment about her coffee, she just says, "That's cool; just means you know the really important thing - that is to say, exactly how much you still have to learn. People who have too many tricks forget that, sometimes. Learn 'em, sure - use 'em - but never see 'em as the be-all and end-all. That's ... actually more directed at me than at you, honest," she adds, that sheepish little grin resurfacing. "I'm at the stage in my life where I don't want to forget that I don't know everything, even if I like to pretend I do. Except I also don't, because then I'd have nothing to be curious about anymore, and that would suck. But if you ever want lessons in something that someone more in your ... social grouping, I guess, doesn't have and I do? Don't hesitate to ask. I'm not too bad with the teaching; you could sit in with my student. And if it makes you feel any better? She was more mundane, as you put it, than you are when I first met her. I had to tell her most of the stuff that you clearly already know. Fashionable people ... Cthulu-worshippers ... madmen ... the works. At least you know what to look out for." Then she shrugs. "You've got a lot of other talents, too, from the sound. Don't sell yourself short. Mundane's more useful than some of the high muckamucks give it credit for. Half the stuff I've done that's been really useful? Has all been mundane anyway."

[Callista Alexander] "You know, " a sip of tea, "I sometimes wonder if that's why the monks were ok with me leaving. I get that, for those guys, decades of isolation and discipline and control lead them to where they are. That was the path they took - whether it was their choice, or the choice of the universe, doesn't really matter - but it's not mine to follow. Teach enough of the basics to avoid madness, anything with more tentacles than legs, people who wear anything as long as it's black, trying to break consensus in a crowded room... That's not to say that they were happy to go. I'm not sure I was completely happy about walking away, given how little I did manage to pick up while I was there. But, " another shrug, "I know how much I have to learn. I know enough to survive without offending the audience at all. And I know, now, that I'm not as alone as I thought I was before my stalker pitched up." Callista gives a grin, and toasts Molly with her mug.

[Molly Quincannon] Molly raises her own mug and gives her a bit of a smirk. "I'm a stalker now? Oh, come on. If I was a stalker, I'd be e-stalking you. It's not like I hacked your Facebook page or anything. If you even have one. It's just ... y'know, it's not the best thing in the world to be alone at the best of times, and ... well, for Chicago, this is not the best of times. No one needs to be out in the cold, metaphorically speaking, and as for us? We need all the help we can get just keeping all those things you were talking about from turning this place into a smoking crater or worse. So it all works out. I don't know much about how you guys work, but I do know that there's that bit about the journey being more important than the destination, and maybe that's what leaving was all about. One way or another, fate or luck or divine will or whatever, we all end up where we need to. And if we're lucky, we find a friend or several along the way."

With that, she clinks mugs with Callista.

Then she grins a bit and says, "Okay, now for the important stuff - good restaurants, cheap furniture, and where not to go if you don't like beer that tastes like someone fermented it with year-old gym socks." Thus there is more idle conversation about what there is to do in Chicago that doesn't involve getting shot, stabbed, squished, driven mad, tortured, kidnapped or stampeded over ("unless that's what your into, which ... I figure no"). After which she fires off a quick text message comprising only her email address. "Just send me a generic hello first, and I'll generic-hello you back with my encrypt/decrypt software. Then we can trade gossip and intel and all that good stuff. Keep in touch, okay? Elizabeth or Ashley or I or all three will call soon, alright? Take care; see you soon." With that, she's off to wherever she calls home.