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Who: Solomon Koenig and Audry, a House Ecu representative.
What: A polite conversation about terrorists. Over tea.
Where: A community youth centre run by the House Ecu.
When: Newdi afternoon.
Notes: When he's not directly handling legal affairs for Hellsing (or carrying out assassinations on Sir Hellsing's orders), Sol finds time to be doing a lot of the boring legwork and research involved in the Candlelighters open investigation.
Warnings: None presently.

Solomon Koenig's involvement in this case dates back months, now, and the neat notes in folders kept under lock in his office at the guild hall reflect as much. When it became clear that the paper trail for the known Candlelighters he'd managed to connect to the houses (Mariam Eads, Abidan Biskup, Esdras Zabat and Lydia Cadwallader) had gone cold, he'd reconsidered his focus on just the four of them and began, instead, working backwards. Habits, connections - their communities, their cohorts, where they bought their fucking groceries.

He's known from the beginning some of where it would lead him, but Hellsing treads carefully around the House Ecumenal and he didn't go directly. It's inevitable, though, and going about it in the right way could be a valuable opportunity - which is why he calls ahead, schedules an appointment, and arranges to meet with a 'public relations attache', Audry, at one of their community centres. He's precisely on time, and wryly aware of at least some of what he can expect; interviewing neighbours had involved many cups of tea.

(And many cigarettes, afterwards.)

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On time, what a rare and unexpected pleasure. (No offence mister legal agent, some of us are just used to self important philosophers.) Audry - humanoid though very blatantly a member of the xenian community with her tough greyish skin and fleshy head-tresses where her ape cousins may have hair - can be found right outside of the centre. Her official excuse is I'm on the lookout for Hellsing, though the truth is much closer to I would really like to get a smoke in before politics begin. She promptly kills the smoke at Koenig's approach and straightens up a bit. If she's the least embarrassed at being caught practising unprofessionalism it doesn't show. Her smile is the solid sincere expression upon which friendships are built.

"Solomon Koenig, I presume, please," she holds her hand up - I have no weapon - before offering it to be shook. "I am called Audry; I hope you will forgive us our homely locale here, we don't have a lot to choose from." ... that isn't pointedly church-y and full of acoustics. "Come on inside - do you take tea at all?"

Solomon spreads his own hands obligingly in a mirroring gesture before they shake - he makes note of her appearance without really seeming to react to it, which is presumably par for the course for someone who works at Hellsing, where both his coworkers and civilians tend toward the xenian end of the spectrum. Never the most expressive man in the world, his manner is easy and there's no suggestion he finds anything amiss about having caught her smoking, possibly because the smell of Holy Smokes is still lingering about him from the cigarette he extinguished under his shoe before he rounded the corner.

Common ground is a beautiful thing. "I do, ma'am," he says, politely, resting one hand on his leather satchel as the pleasantries get solidly underway. "And it's no problem. I've been spending a lot of time in living rooms the past few months."

If the handshake itself is any indication (and it should be) whatever Audry's species is appears to be warm-blooded. Her head-tresses move among themselves, unaided by any wind. It would be fair to read her other expressions and posture like one would read a human being's, and as such her own assessment seems to be politely neutral, possibly curious.

"Ah, Baedal politics; City of Couches, huh." She speaks as if she has first hand knowledge about living rooms and hostile cushions. Then again one must entertain the idea that she's merely endeavouring to be relateable. "Well the kettle is already on, and perhaps we shall have some proper chairs. Let's find out."

It's an adventure of discovery! If Solomon is amenable to coming along inside, Audry will be happy to guide him past a hallway and into a kitchen. There are indeed some proper chairs here as well as a sturdy table that at some point used to be a door. A cat dozes lazily on a windowsill and somewhere else in the building someone laughs. Mugs soon happen and they are followed by the promised kettle while actual seating arrangements are made. (The tea itself appears to be bergamot.)

"So mister Koenig, what can we do for Hellsing?"

The table suits Solomon just fine, as does bergamot tea; he lets his cup cool off just a little before he touches it, instead producing four photographs from within his satchel and sliding them across the table. The photos are sepia-toned and range from carefully posed (Eads) to mildly alarming (Biskup, on a leash; it looks like this image has been judiciously cropped by someone longsuffering) - these are the most recent images of the four former House Ecumenal followers, now Candlelighters, that he's been able to chase down.

Arraying them neatly, he says, "For the past several months, I've been attached to the Hellsing investigation into the Candlelighter organization." It's a high priority, being worked on quietly and steadily since they became aware of them - there's a team of agents and paper-pushers who have the Candlelighter case on their load. "These four individuals broke away from the House and with a pretty slim margin for error, I can tell you that they joined the Candlelighter cause. They're tied, at least, to the recent plague outbreak. I'd like to know more about their history with the House and individually, whatever you can give me to work with."

Taking a sip of the tea, he shrugs - in person, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who works a desk job, but Baedal's funny like that. "I need to know more about the lives they were living before this." It is not an accusation toward the House; it's an opportunity for the House to be cooperative and concerned and avoid the necessity for such accusations.

Baedal is funny in a lot of ways. If Audry have any misgivings as to what Solomon Koenig's extracurricular activities might be she will keep them to herself. It's not like she's volunteering her own particulars. Instead, she levels her attention on the pictures, cup in hand. Her interest seems sincere enough, tentacles curling slowly as if though they are an unusually ponderous nest of snakes.

"I see. Well. Unfortunately for this particular type of inquest, the House is not in habit of keeping very detailed records of its members." For reasons. The crease on her forehead may suggest that she personally doesn't approve of shoddy record keeping. Or maybe she's considering the implications of Biskup's compromising photoshoot. Or the whole Candlelighter thing. She eventually puts a finger down in front of one of the pictures. "I don't know any one of these people on a personal level, but I believe this is Ms. Cadwallader. Lyra, or Lucy, something. No, Lydia. She did not take well to Baedal, some people just don't." Shrug. "They pulled her out of Spatters some years past, which is how she got with the House to begin with. She was pregnant at the time, I'm not sure what happened to the baby. If she carried to term they'd be about four now."

Audry's focus shifts from the photo back up to her guest. "I heard she disappeared, figured she died or moved out to the country." Or both. She's not very attached, and made less so by the suggestion of betrayal. "You say she's with these 'Candlelighters' now?"

"The houses from which the plague was spread were under Hellsing investigation prior to the plague," he says, studying the pictures - he's spent a lot of time with them, lately. "We'd already connected them to Candlelighters at the time, and my investigation into it since then says, yeah. I got these people off the house ownership records for several of the buildings. That's Lydia Cadwallader, Esdras Zabat, Mariam Eads and-" a slightly droll look, because Sol is not unaware of the incongruity of handing her this picture as they sip tea in a community youth center, "-Abidan Biskup. One of Ms Cadwallader's neighbours did mention a child, but...there's not a lot of records for that, and they've gone to ground since. Best guess is the group's in hiding in the Spatters."

Sol has some feelings of his own about the hint that Cadwallader might've taken a child into the Spatters, but now's not really the time for that.

Some of this is news to Audry as it probably should be. She shakes her head as if to gently admonish and denounce murderous extremists, irresponsible parents and indiscreet gentlemen all at once. She's not bothered or tired, it's more a wry air of these people, what could we expect.

"Spatters is no place to bring a child." Nor, presumably, is a dangerous sect outlawed by a remorseless government, but hey. "I can assure you that no one who would freely associate with these Candlelighters have refuge with the House. It's not just irreconcilable philosophical differences; self-preservation is extremely motivating." Apparently she's not about to assume that anyone who presents like Solomon Koenig harbours illusions or has anything but polite patience for anyone selling the same.

"Beyond these four I have little doubt that the Candlelighter ranks are full of House dissenters. You'll still find people here who argue that it was ill-advised to oust the more extreme elements, as if what they needed the most was guidance." One might be lead to think that Audry is not the best spokesperson for the House so much as the most convenient one when it comes to disassociating from a group with strong anti-xenian sentiments. One might also be lead to think that she's aware of the distinction. "Of course, there has been somewhat less of that lately."

You know. What with all the horrific acts of violence going around.

"I bet." His voice is so dry, and he'd acknowledged her point about self-preservation with an inclination of the head moments before that- she's more than right about his lack of illusions. He's much more naturally inclined to be actively suspicious, and Audry's probably the ideal candidate to speak with him.

He's unaware of the likelihood they aren't unaware of that. There are a lot of layers to this meeting on both sides, and they'd be doing each other a disservice to pretend otherwise. It just doesn't have to slow them down, either; Sol's not fond of politics, is never going to be the political animal that Velma has always known he could be, but he knows how to handle them on his his feet and keep moving. It's one of the reasons why he gets to be the one who deals with these interviews.

One of many.

"If it's at all possible for you to give me a list of any dissenting former members of the House, I'd like to be able to go through and either connect some more dots or rule out involvement. I understand what you've said about record-keeping, but I'm betting that there'll be people who remember, and I can work with a little if I have to. If anyone who does think they can help me with that would be willing to speak with me or another agent, I'd appreciate that, too." He's respectful, not pushy; they need to be on the same side, here, as much as possible.

To be fair, the House and its people have the massive advantage of having been around. They may not be very intimidated (or impressed) with relative newcomers like Hellsing just yet, but any opportunity to garner support or discredit enemies should be seized. That note of self-preservation makes a great case for adopting a policy of tit-for-tat.

Audry drinks her tea, watching Sol. Her confirmations and suggestion that connections between the Candlelighters and the House (a thing of the past as it may be) are more than just mean-spirited rumours may be viewed by some as a gamble. If so, it's one she appears comfortable with. Someone who can dig up the pictures on the table is more than capable of basic maths. Some cards are best left face up.

"I think so. I dare say it'd be far from a comprehensive list, but you've already guessed that." In fact it may even be selective, but that's not necessarily Aurdy's prerogative. "If you can give me a few days, I'll have someone - or I suppose I 'll bring it myself - over to Sobek Croix?"

Intimidating the House, currently, would be counterproductive - they want to be able to work with them if the Candlelighters are emerging from their midst, and working to rule them out as presently corrupt (a possibility they have no choice but to consider, especially in Baedal's political environment) would only be made more difficult that way.

Sol in 'polite and personable' mode works here, with the bonus of being someone who can navigate murky political waters without making an arse of himself, and his own indifference to whether or not they impress (or don't) anyone outside of Hellsing is probably one of the reasons he could very well be a long lost member of the titular family. Mostly, he's interested right now in whether or not they'll make this courtesy show of cooperation - and whether or not it'll be anything more than a courtesy show. Audry's already skipped denying that there is any kind of connection (he's got more than just photographs to back up that conclusion), and he's mildly curious how much is party line and how much is her own opinion.

Probably not something he's going to find out, though, or at least not in anything like a hurry. "That sounds perfect," he says, resting one hand over his mug absently- he doesn't have a lot of fidgety mannerisms, this one, and it isn't hard to see where he'd be something else (something much less friendly) with just a slight adjustment. It isn't that he's on the edge of threatening people at all times, it's just his nature; he's not something tame.

"I'll give you my card, got my office hours on there-"

The House's current face of choice - non-human as though it may be - doesn't intimidate easy either. Still, you don't grow up where Audry grew up without learning a thing or two about paying attention. She smiles, it's a quick and genuine thing though not exactly conciliatory. Office hours. Her voice doesn't change from the politely interested tone she's been keeping with so far. "That works. Should I call ahead?"

She'd rather ask what exactly it is Solomon Koenig does for Hellsing when he's not behaving in the kitchen of a youth centre, though that would be impudent. Not to mention toe that party line she's supposedly maintaining. Ah well. What is life without a bit of mystery.

"Not a bad idea," he says, with an engaging smile, sliding the card across the table - helpfully answering her unasked question: the card declares him to be Solomon Koenig, Hellsing's Head of Legal (the department is, admittedly, basically 'Sol and his aides' at this point). It lists the hours he can be found in the office, his CiD number and the CiD number of his primary assistant. "But I'll let reception know I'm expecting to hear from you and you shouldn't have trouble catching me."

Gosh, legal matters? In Baedal? That's certainly something. Precious maybe. Audry can't decide, and allows a brief really? to surface in her otherwise schooled expression. It's not that she questions the truthfulness of this paper here so much as the idea that anyone would want to push that particular rock up the hill on purpose. She may have some bias, who knows.

"Very good, thank you," she says, smoothing her face back to a neutral default getting caught up in that engaging smile. Her fingers flex. It's an absent minded sort of gesture. "I shouldn't need more than two days. Four at the out most." See, they are totally going to give this priority. "Anything else I can do for you?"

Under the circumstances, it's probably not surprising that he's taking cases that aren't strictly legal in nature. (But let him tell you about the time he had to, in his own words, 'pull a rabbit out of my own ass' with the legal system at this branch of Hellsing's previous set up. That was fun.) Nevertheless, there's a hint of dryness in his expression in answer- a bit of very educated self-mockery as his smile sharpens slightly and he cocks an eyebrow in acknowledgement. Yes, he really is a lawyer, yes, he really is delving into the complex headache of trying to make sure Hellsing's in compliance with local laws as much as possible. He's never been one to do things the easy way.

(One might think he might find something about this contradictory, given what else he does for them, but legal right and ethical right aren't always the same- neither are legal and ethical wrongs. He's well-acquainted with that not insignificant detail.)

"I'll leave these pictures here with you," he says, instead, tapping one of them with his fingertips. "They're named and dated on the back. If you could show these around, see if anyone remembers them, anything- I'd like to hear about it."

If only she knew, and this was the venue for it, Audry may be moved to offer her kindest good luck wishes. Possibly while laughing, but that is neither here nor there. Her attention shifts back to the photographs.

"I'll see what I can do," she says, and she will, just listen to her, voice making that non-committal statement sound like a promise. At least she's in a position to know who to ask and how to approach them. Besides, sticking Biskup's picture under the noses of certain House officials will be its own reward. "Anything else you need, while we're here?"

"The Princess gives me a filthy look when I start interrogating people I'm not meant to, reminds me of my mother," he says, managing to make it charming; his smart mouth is presumably why he's heading the legal department and not being shunted into Nuala's political pursuits. "So in the interests of keeping me in her good books, I think we can leave it there and I'll catch you in Sobek Croix this week coming?"

He could've just said 'I think that'll do for now', but that wouldn't have been as much fun, not with a sense of humour that tends towards the dryly self-skewering.

Audry frankly does not care one way or the other, though her friendly smile stays a little longer than perhaps it should, were it a strictly genuine article. Maybe it's something he said.

"Absolutely. Will you want these returned?" She's talking about the pictures, as indicated by a hand that seems to really wish it was holding on to another cigarette right about now.

"No, that's fine. They're copies." Sol has the originals, because he's very, very good at his job; he's been working on actually dragging one of these people back to Integra in his teeth (...mostly figuratively speaking), but he's not the only one using magic and he's been stymied on that front more than he'd like. At least he's not stuck with only one avenue of investigation at any given time. "Thanks for meeting with me, Audry. Take care."

Of course he does. Aurdy's just making a point about being service minded and straying away from words like interrogation. Her head-tresses - after some time of remaining perfectly still - slowly begin to uncoil. "Not a problem, Solomon Koenig, it's what I'm here for. If you think of anything else, I trust you'll let me know."

Me not us. Well. Maybe she's a little charmed, after all.

Religious organizations put him automatically on the wrong foot - especially ones like this, so uncomfortably reminiscent of his own (good, healthy, fulfilling) early life - and though he covers it well, that's where the impulse to push a joke of quite that nature comes from. Go there first, defuse his own discomfort, hopefully keep it on an easy enough footing that it stays easy. Sometimes he misses his mark, a little. It happens to the best of us.

"I'll do that," he says, running a hand back over his hair before he collects up his satchel and, since decent tea shouldn't be wasted, finishes that quickly. "If you need anything through Hellsing, too, you've got my number."

He'll be lighting up again before he's all the way down the street away from the centre. Holy Smokes are easily one of the best ideas the guild has had.

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