(The Dark) Incense and Insight

[Alice Hart]

Alice simply nods, she neither wanted nor needed his or anyone's pity.

"I agree," Alice nods again, although this time it's with more resolve, as she said, she wanted to see if there was anything amiss with the Moore House. If they headed there first they'd either settle Alice's mind, or..."If it won't bother you, I could call Reeve Antinori and see if she's available to stop by now."

Alice hums, nodding as she assimilated that statement, and what it said about Jesse Jones.

"We could attempt it again. With a different lie, or other bait."

Alice pulls out her own cell, and tilts her head in question. Did Jesse want her to call Alessandra now, or did he want to continue their privet conversation?

[Hugh Everwood]

Seemed like they had their first location picked alright, then they could see where it would take them from there.

"Don't bother me any," Jesse commented with a light shake of his head, "might as well have the Reeve Antinori join us if time permits her to. Same trap or different bait, seems something we should be including her with." Alice seemed very sure she would be helping, so he wasn't going to be questioning her knowledge of the Savage-turned-Reeve.

They could continue to speculate and make plans all they wanted, but if they were going to have the Reeve's aid she might as well be present and have some input. Only seemed the proper thing to do.

Either way, Jesse didn't think there was much else for them to discuss.

Turning his eyes down at the cellphone, saying, "Going to be reading the messages while you're making the phone call," planning to go and do just that.

Might as well be using the time to look through the phone himself, careful-like.

[Alice Hart]

Alice, nodded before she stood and with sure steps made her way back to her desk. Once she sits, and hears Jesse's unique voice once more, Alice turns towards the sound and nods. "Sounds like a plan." holding for a moment to see if Jesse had anything else to add, and when it's made clear either way, Alice with see to what the shadow wanted, or pick up her phone and get down to business.

Once Alice had the number dialed, and the dial-tone in her hear, she waits to see if she'll have to place a message or if Ale will pick up. Either or, Alice's first words are the same.

"Ale? it's Alice. I'm at my office, and I'm trying to figure out a few things, it would be great if you could stop by."

Alessandra

[Alessandra]

Ale hadn’t been very far away from Nox when she got the call from Alice. All she needed to do was find a place to turn around, which wasn’t all that hard, and head back.

She had been about to go out, walk around downtown a bit a scoop out the area. So she was dressed for that in a tight black dress, hitting just above the knee and a fitted leather coat.

Black heels were on her feet and the only hint of color was her blood red lips. Even though she didn’t need to now, she still left her guns locked in her car. The car also contained a change of clothes, mainly jeans and more comfortable clothe should the need arise.

Arriving at the Haunts door, she knocks and once she hears Alice voice invite her in, she will enter. She will close the door once inside. Seeing the inside of the office made her realize that she now had an office. And should maybe spend more time in it.

A bow of her head was offered to the Seneschal, and a smile offered to Jesse, who she was surprised to see here.

What was going on here? Some type of problem?

“Evening Seneschal Hart, Mr Jones.” The small coat was unzipped as she waits to hear what was going on. She hoped the captivating Shadow hadn’t screwed up or something. "How can I be of service tonight?"

[Alice Hart]

After receiving a positive reply from Ale, and the knowledge that the Savage wasn't that far from the Nox, she let her fingers drift over her desk, certain that Jesse was still reading the texts. Her thumb catches a card. Well made and the numbers certainly legible for the Doll's seeking fingers. Perhaps she should call someone else in. They certainly need the man power when they sought to deal with the Brood.

Quickly her fingers dial a new number and seek a hopefully positive outcome to this conversation too.

Once her conversation is done, and the Blind Doll hear's Ale's knock, her hollow voice invites the new Reeve in. "Yes, thank you for coming Reeve Antinori. I've called another; the Carthian, Bae. Hopefully she'll be here shortly." Alice makes a gesture to Ale, toward the couch. "Sorry for the lack of other seating. It's a challenge to arrange everything as I like." Alice says, keeping to her seat behind her desk.

"This is about the fire at the Crone Farm." Alice explains, certain that Alessandra remembered as much as she did about the fire and the frenzy that followed. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to wait until Bea gets here to go over everything again." she says, her hollow tone hopeful and apologetic.

"Mister Jones?" Alice asks, the room. Unsure if Jesse had finished with the cellphone.

[Yumyumcrow]

Jesse confirms, like Robert Cross did before him, that the phone was the main mode of communication between the group who struck the Farm.

There are a lot of texts. The texts are generally short and lack much context. They do provide names and a crude tapestry of movement. Jesse can infer that:

*That the cell consists of Hank, Trudi, Ovid, Tom and B. They seem to get their orders from Julia.

*B appears to have been the owner of the phone.

*The cell seems to gather at night at 'The Crypt'

*A surprise has been left at the chapel. It requires regular maintenance.

There is a throwaway text chiding Ovid "not to get the car bogged down again" when he next visits the Bunker.

There was a heated argument about trying to moving the regular meeting from "The Crypt" to another venue because it was "unhygenic" and "hard to get to" "in the sewers". Trudi led the movement. Julia (also posting for a Dirge) was against. Eventually it seemed that Julia and Dirge won. Trudi's posting rate dropped markedly after that point.

The texting rate has collapsed since the fire. There are only a few miscalls and group texts upload over recent months:

*Trudi is back after "doing penance".

*A group text calls for a meeting at "the new place" and gives direction - abandoned estate off Pritchard Avenue, north of Sacramento Airport. There was advice to "bring gifts". This text was fairly recent.

Adapted from original post, found in Of Ashes and Dust thread.

[Bea]

And not long after all of these conclusions had been made, a knock sounded on Alice's door.

Surprise, surprise: it was "B".

Not that the blood fueled revenant at the door realized the implications behind that fact.

"Alice," the young Kindred's voice called out. "You rang?"

[Hugh Everwood]

While Alice was calling in the cavalry, Jesse was making sure to read each text carefully and gathering what information could be get from them.

He made a polite noise when Reeve Antinori entered the Seneschal's office, looking through the cellphone until he was sure there was nothing else to get from it for now. By the time he registered Alice's question, Bea had joined them as well and he finally moved his eyes away from the phone.

"Hm, sorry. Got distracted," he waved the cellphone in the air in way of apology to the women present, giving the proper greeting to the new arrival with a friendly, "Good evening, Reeve Antinori. Miss Connelly," and a smile to go along with it, then turned his attention over to Alice. "I'm done reading the texts on it. Doubt much is news to you, the most recent one's talking about a new place they're supposed to be bringing 'gifts' along."

Jesse wasn't sure if the last was recent, or recent-recent — the kind that Alice hadn't heard it before when the investigation was still going strong. Certainly hadn't mentioned any of it to him, she had.

His Beast, meanwhile, was hissing in his head at the presence of Reeve Antinori's — strong, so strong; should flee the room — while wanting to challenge Bea's and rip it up until proven weaker itself. Couldn't decide which it wanted to do, couldn't do either, so it just settled down to glowering as it often did.

With his internal dilemma with sharing a mind with his Beast, he shifted on the couch to make room for the other Kindred present, keeping the phone in his hand for now.

Jesse eyed Bea with some curiosity, but waited for Alice to go and give the rundown of why they were all here, then was going to share the contents of the text messages to the others.

[Alice Hart]

"Yes, yes, come in." She says once she hears the the knock and the distinctive voice of the Domain's newest Carthian.

Bea's even steps herald the feeling of her mewling kitten; not a Beast. In compassion to Ale's familiar rival-threatening presence... Bea's Blood is water thick. "Take a seat on the couch if you like. Or you could stand. Whichever you prefer. I apologize for the lack of seating. I'm still moving in as it were."

Jesse's twang, causes Alice head to sharply turn toward the Shadow. "No. I don't know anything about 'gifts'. This is new. And might be just what we need."

Once everyone is situated Alice begins, "During the Summer Solstice, the Crone Farm was attacked. Firebombed. By the Brood." She explains for Bea. "Currently the only information we have is on the cellphone, Mister Jones was looking through. The cell's large with seven or eight individuals. Including a former member of the Domain. Dirge. A Baddacelli Nosferatu. As I am." Alice holds for a moment, allowing her clipped words to be understood, "There are several locations they use. A Crypt, which might be in the sewers. Something they call the bunker, and there's something in the 'chapel' that needs regular maintenance. I'm assuming that the chapel might be the Moore House. It's where the Lancea Sanctum used to congregate." She adds for Bea's benefit. "We know they use tunnels, it's how they managed to get in and out of the farmhouse."

"Now, Mister Jones. What excactly does the newest texts say?" Clearly Alice was impatient, more then ready to get to the meat of the matter.

[Alessandra]

So there was another coming, this made Ale think something was going on.

Nodding, “Anytime Seneschal Hart. And no worries about the seating, but I’d prefer to stand.” It allowed her easier access to any Kindred who might step out of line.

“The fire? Wow, ok.” That was quite a few months back, David and Katya had been there. “Sure, no problem.” She didn’t mind waiting if it meant getting more info on whatever was going on. Did Alice want to avenge the Crone Farm? Which Ale was assuming she could, or she had new knowledge on who did it.

Her heads turns as she hears the knock and the door opens. Her Beast takes notice, it’s fangs bared when the weaker Beast entered. It wanted to help Alice decorate with the thin blood of Bea, but Ale knows better. And quickly shuts it away, smiling to the woman,

“Evening.” She greets the Carthian with a nod of her head.

Gifts? Only gift she was bringing was her claws and guns.

“I remember a bunker, a few of us tried to hit it a while back, if we are talking about the same bunker. We were able to lure out someone named Cotouri, whom Jospehine, the Reeve at the time, brought back here to speak with. I suppose you could say some sort of arrangement was come to in which we ceased attacking the bunker. Once at Nox, information was shared and it was decided to put a stake in her heart,” she then shrugs, “Really not sure where she is right now, and not sure if it’s the same one or not, but thought I’d share just in case. If it is in fact the same, then I'll be more than happy to share more.”