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xp_logsAlani meets with Angelo to discuss the CoH and what he knows about them.
Alani glanced around Angelo's office with interest, blindly unpacking her notebook and a pencil from her bag before picking up her travel mug of coffee and taking a sip. Finally, convinced she’d seen everywhere there was to see, she turned her attention to Angelo, offering a small smile. “Thanks for taking time and doing this.” She chirped brightly. “These Church people... they don’t seem too good and anything is useful.”
He nodded, smiling back despite the serious subject. "They're not good at all. Though I can't prove they had anything to do with the stuff I know about."
A wry chuckle escaped as she nodded. “Well if that doesn't sound like a good, old fashion hate group, I don’t know what does. What I found online was mostly picketing, some non-human passing mutant funerals, and lovely preaching about God’s mistakes - capital ‘g’ of course.” She frowned at the sentences in her notebook.
"That's the stuff they do in public,'' he said with a nod. "But years ago, and I don't know if it was some psychotic sub-sect or what, but it got a lot more... twisted."
That deepened her frown, and Alani stared down at her notebook as she spoke. “By twisted do you mean... violent actions against mutants? Or something worse?”
"Definitely violent, and definitely worse." He wasn't looking at her, but off somewhere in the middle distance. "I found people taking mutants and - crucifying them."
"Oh my god.” Her voiced raised a pitch as she stood, dropping the book down before anything happened to it. “I... oh sweet, white, baby Jesus. You know, I thought I was mentally prepared for anything but that is fucked up.”
"You see why I didn't want to talk about it on the journals", he said quietly. "Especially where Maya could see, God knows what she would have gone and done..."
She nodded, slow and grim, before running a hand through her hair. “Yes, that’s a very smart choice. Sorry, um, I need a second before I can write, but these mutant crucifixions was it non-passing or just all, regardless of appearance?”
"All. I think it started with non-passing, but it didn't matter as long as they knew somebody was. The, the last one they took, she... nobody would have known unless she used her powers. But she worked at a mutant outreach, too."
“Okay... okay.” Alani closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. After a moment she opened them and sat back down, beginning to write what Angelo had said. “So, this last person may have been a guess - at the very least, her proximity to mutants would have made her a target - and they took word of mouth? Does that seem correct to you?”
"It could have been", he agreed. "It wasn't like I was asking them for details when we went to get her back."
"That is understandable, to say the least. I doubt even I would do much questioning in that situation.” She didn’t look up as she finished writing. “And, you said you couldn’t exactly prove this connection to the main Church?”
"Yeah. It didn't seem like anything they'd done before - mostly they were just picketing, which was annoying and could maybe be hurtful, but not actually violent."
“Okay... so that’s what it sounds like to me, but I wouldn’t put anything past a group of people that waves off the picketing to silently endorse violent actions...” She allowed herself to trail off before frowning and looking to Angelo. “I’m realizing the most I might be able to do online is a warning. Is that enough with these people, in your opinion?”
“It might, if it gets people thinking they could be more dangerous than they seem”, he said thoughtfully. “If people think they’re all talk and mouth off to them, and somebody takes notice...”
Alani nodded, knee bouncing as she tapped her foot against the floor. “That’s kind of my thought, potential backlash be damned. Though... I think I’ll go into town to post, because I’d like to not get the mansion’s IP address dragged into the mix.”
“Good thought”, Angelo agreed. “I mean, like I said when you arrived, the security’s second to none, but still, we don’t want people picketing the front gates.”
“Well thank you,” she gave a slight, lopsided grin. “I like to pretend I learned something and do not want to draw attention to this nice place.”
"And it's hard to make people go away, legally speaking, when they aren't actually trespassing on your property. Whatever else they might be doing."
“See, that’s a great thing to be reminded of, especially when picketing bastards are running about... hoping all they're doing is picketing," she added quietly. "I feel almost like I'm running a whisper campaign, except it's not really slander."
"You'd better keep it as anonymous as you can anyway. Even without the danger, if they did decide to try for a libel suit, you wouldn't be able to prove it's true."
“You're right. Obviously, I'd rather not have my name and face connected to this with my parents address out in the universe. It has been a while since I started an anonymous social media, but I have confidence. Is there... any additional information you feel should be shared about this group?" She focused on him, head slightly cocked.
“Oh, just a few things. I don’t know if the people I remember are still involved, but tell you what, I’ll write down all the details for you.”
“That would be beyond helpful, honestly.” Alani ran a hand through her hair. “Really this all has been eye opening.”
He smiled, more than a little sadly. "I wish I could say this wasn't just the beginning of what I could tell you."
Alani returned the smile, tightly, with her eyes falling to her notebook. "It is a step forward I didn’t previously have. And that is something.”
"Anything I can do to bring the Church of Humanity down, you've got it." He nodded to her notebook. "Speaking of which, I know a guy who can leak embarrassing photos if we ask him. And if he can't find any, he can make real convincing ones."
“Between us, and hopefully Sooraya and other residents, I think we have good odds.” She chuckled, looking tired but amused. "My goodness, Angelo, are you proposing a smear campaign? Because I am not opposed.”
Alani glanced around Angelo's office with interest, blindly unpacking her notebook and a pencil from her bag before picking up her travel mug of coffee and taking a sip. Finally, convinced she’d seen everywhere there was to see, she turned her attention to Angelo, offering a small smile. “Thanks for taking time and doing this.” She chirped brightly. “These Church people... they don’t seem too good and anything is useful.”
He nodded, smiling back despite the serious subject. "They're not good at all. Though I can't prove they had anything to do with the stuff I know about."
A wry chuckle escaped as she nodded. “Well if that doesn't sound like a good, old fashion hate group, I don’t know what does. What I found online was mostly picketing, some non-human passing mutant funerals, and lovely preaching about God’s mistakes - capital ‘g’ of course.” She frowned at the sentences in her notebook.
"That's the stuff they do in public,'' he said with a nod. "But years ago, and I don't know if it was some psychotic sub-sect or what, but it got a lot more... twisted."
That deepened her frown, and Alani stared down at her notebook as she spoke. “By twisted do you mean... violent actions against mutants? Or something worse?”
"Definitely violent, and definitely worse." He wasn't looking at her, but off somewhere in the middle distance. "I found people taking mutants and - crucifying them."
"Oh my god.” Her voiced raised a pitch as she stood, dropping the book down before anything happened to it. “I... oh sweet, white, baby Jesus. You know, I thought I was mentally prepared for anything but that is fucked up.”
"You see why I didn't want to talk about it on the journals", he said quietly. "Especially where Maya could see, God knows what she would have gone and done..."
She nodded, slow and grim, before running a hand through her hair. “Yes, that’s a very smart choice. Sorry, um, I need a second before I can write, but these mutant crucifixions was it non-passing or just all, regardless of appearance?”
"All. I think it started with non-passing, but it didn't matter as long as they knew somebody was. The, the last one they took, she... nobody would have known unless she used her powers. But she worked at a mutant outreach, too."
“Okay... okay.” Alani closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. After a moment she opened them and sat back down, beginning to write what Angelo had said. “So, this last person may have been a guess - at the very least, her proximity to mutants would have made her a target - and they took word of mouth? Does that seem correct to you?”
"It could have been", he agreed. "It wasn't like I was asking them for details when we went to get her back."
"That is understandable, to say the least. I doubt even I would do much questioning in that situation.” She didn’t look up as she finished writing. “And, you said you couldn’t exactly prove this connection to the main Church?”
"Yeah. It didn't seem like anything they'd done before - mostly they were just picketing, which was annoying and could maybe be hurtful, but not actually violent."
“Okay... so that’s what it sounds like to me, but I wouldn’t put anything past a group of people that waves off the picketing to silently endorse violent actions...” She allowed herself to trail off before frowning and looking to Angelo. “I’m realizing the most I might be able to do online is a warning. Is that enough with these people, in your opinion?”
“It might, if it gets people thinking they could be more dangerous than they seem”, he said thoughtfully. “If people think they’re all talk and mouth off to them, and somebody takes notice...”
Alani nodded, knee bouncing as she tapped her foot against the floor. “That’s kind of my thought, potential backlash be damned. Though... I think I’ll go into town to post, because I’d like to not get the mansion’s IP address dragged into the mix.”
“Good thought”, Angelo agreed. “I mean, like I said when you arrived, the security’s second to none, but still, we don’t want people picketing the front gates.”
“Well thank you,” she gave a slight, lopsided grin. “I like to pretend I learned something and do not want to draw attention to this nice place.”
"And it's hard to make people go away, legally speaking, when they aren't actually trespassing on your property. Whatever else they might be doing."
“See, that’s a great thing to be reminded of, especially when picketing bastards are running about... hoping all they're doing is picketing," she added quietly. "I feel almost like I'm running a whisper campaign, except it's not really slander."
"You'd better keep it as anonymous as you can anyway. Even without the danger, if they did decide to try for a libel suit, you wouldn't be able to prove it's true."
“You're right. Obviously, I'd rather not have my name and face connected to this with my parents address out in the universe. It has been a while since I started an anonymous social media, but I have confidence. Is there... any additional information you feel should be shared about this group?" She focused on him, head slightly cocked.
“Oh, just a few things. I don’t know if the people I remember are still involved, but tell you what, I’ll write down all the details for you.”
“That would be beyond helpful, honestly.” Alani ran a hand through her hair. “Really this all has been eye opening.”
He smiled, more than a little sadly. "I wish I could say this wasn't just the beginning of what I could tell you."
Alani returned the smile, tightly, with her eyes falling to her notebook. "It is a step forward I didn’t previously have. And that is something.”
"Anything I can do to bring the Church of Humanity down, you've got it." He nodded to her notebook. "Speaking of which, I know a guy who can leak embarrassing photos if we ask him. And if he can't find any, he can make real convincing ones."
“Between us, and hopefully Sooraya and other residents, I think we have good odds.” She chuckled, looking tired but amused. "My goodness, Angelo, are you proposing a smear campaign? Because I am not opposed.”
