Getting their things into the Stevens home wasn't too hard, and both Harold and Lucy Stevens were quite welcoming in helping them, which was a good thing. They got their things quietly into a modest guest room that was across from Harold and Lucy's own master bedroom. Once they had some things set aside they made their way back toward the living room where the Stevens were fairly determined to find out what was going on. And it was Harold that asked Tom first.
"Can you tell us a bit more about this altercation?" Harold Stevens asked, "Anything specific as to WHO did this and potentially made these threats against you?"
"And what they might do to my baby girl...?" Lucy asked, sounding a bit nervous.
"Mom..." Alice gave a sigh she sat down beside Tom on the couch.
The overall situation did make her rather nervous in that there was the threat of someone coming after Tom for his beliefs. In a way it was similar to the actions of any rogue were that had abused the powers it had. Alice knew that some weres would probably have a great deal of concern about coming into the open, regardless of the nature of the plan, but to potentially threaten someone's life when all he wanted was to make things better wasn't right and had the potential to truly be a case of taking protection too far. Coming out into the open would be a great risk for weres, but that fear wouldn't excuse threatening people.
"No, I have a right to worry if there are people out there that would take a swipe at you!" Lucy said firmly, though with her arms trembling with nervous energy.
"They're more than likely to take a swipe at me," Tom answered, "probably because they fear exposure."
"Many in Moon Lake will have that issue," Harold commented, "You had some relatively good points when you made your case in the debate... but were society has managed to stay hidden with a great deal of success. Getting everyone in Moon Lake to go along with the idea will not be easy. As people don't often give up on things that seem to be working."
"I can imagine," Tom said slowly, "and in a way... I can understand the fear... as since meeting Alice... being with her... letting her turn me... it's presented many eye openers with regards to what I "knew" about weres before. And I'd imagine that many weres in Moon Lake have seen the characterization of weres in various movies and are fearful of exposure bringing all those negative perceptions out. In that sense, I can understand the fear... but I'd stand by my point that were society may have already passed the point where it can reliably keep depending on no one knowing about weres to keep itself safe. In this... weres must not only come out into the open but earn the right to live openly. And I WILL fight for that, and if it actually makes a better world for you and your family... and for Moon Lake in the long run, I'll pay whatever price for it."
Tom looked over to Alice who gave a week smile before looking back to Harold Stevens and Lucy. Harold was helping Lucy into an easy chair that was opposite them, but remained standing.
"But... I won't sacrifice Alice to that," Tom spoke, "and while it might mean some travelling with regard to work... as Moon Lake and Seattle are only about an hour apart... it may be safer that Alice is here... particularly at night until things blow over. In that either the secret comes out or people begin to understand my reasoning. As I don't think the two of them would come here and start a scene... particularly after the report my paper got on the gun battle that occurred here a little while ago through the Associated Press."
Harold slowly nodded. Many things in Moon Lake didn't always go beyond Moon Lake, often that what was reported was kept quiet because its reporting remained low scale in nature and really only relevant to Moon Lake. However, events and issues that would have the potential to draw attention at some point were sold to the Associated Press who would then distribute them other papers, usually in the Washington State area. The arrest of Dymixious Drake was one of those issues, given that the FBI wanted him for the murder of Lionel Ulysses.
"I'm glad that you are thinking of my daughter," Harold then managed a small smile as he looked to Alice. He might be a wereraccoon and she a werefox, and in this Alice seemed to take more after her mother than him, but so long as she was happy, he was happy. In this, he could greatly respect Tom Herald, regardless of their specific differences of opinion regarding the were secret, and that was a big part of what made him willing to give Tom a chance. "Though... if you think that someone from Moon Lake threatened you with bodily harm, even if they had the "best" of intentions, it would be best to report it."
"Well... they didn't actually say they were FROM Moon Lake," Tom commented, "More that they just so happened to be in Moon Lake."
"And you're sure they were werewolves?" Lucy asked.
"They certainly smelled like wolves," Tom answered.
"Even if they aren't from Moon Lake," Harold rubbed his chin for a moment, "it might still be a good idea to report the altercation..."
"The most troubling thing though... is that the more they talked, the more they came off as some sort of super-secret agent," Tom commented, " and I'm talking almost James Bond level of secret agent type of activity."
"James Bond?" Harold raised an eyebrow.
"Both were well dressed and made some implication that they were involved in a lot of secret work to protect the were secret," Tom nodded, "about all they were missing was a British accent and sports car."
Tom watched as Harold frowned and rubbed his chin again. He guessed that his potential future father-in-law was thinking over something. He didn't know for sure, particularly as there was much about were society that he was still rather new to. He let Harold think as he periodically looked to him, then to Alice, and then to his wife, Lucy.
"About the only one in Moon Lake that would engage in ANYTHING that comes close to that would be Mrs. Tachibana security services," Harold said slowly, "as they have provided a lot of help for the city with regard to organizing either security measures in large group gathering, likely under contracts with the city or whatever organization has hired them... And they will also do work with regard to handling the Skulk's matters... Like the vixen who went rogue before Halloween."
"But you told me that Akane voted FOR Tom's proposal after the debate at the City Council meeting," Lucy commented, "she wouldn't vote for something and then secretly order her own security services to go after the guy proposing the very thing she voted for."
"The two that approached me were werewolves, not werefoxes," Tom corrected.
"One's were-species really doesn't matter with regard to employment," Lucy gave a small smile, "Tachibana Enterprises and its associated companies is the biggest single business in Moon Lake. While her security service's heads are members of her family, the leading team being her grandsons at present, there are plenty in that security service that aren't werefoxes."
"So... you think they were sent by Moon Lake's werefoxes?" Tom asked. Technically he might count as a member of Moon Lake's Skulk, given that Alice was born into it, but Tom didn't see it that way, himself. The first time he'd ever been in Moon Lake had been with the initial visit to meet Harold and Lucy Stevens, and while working with the city council would involve a lot of trips to Moon Lake to set the plan for the big reveal, but that was more business than anything else. His agreement to the terms the Moon Lake City Council had set had more to do with his sense that the reveal NEEDED to be handled delicately and with a measure of control that wouldn't work if the full report wasn't given, not because he felt himself a member of the Moon Lake Skulk.
"No," Harold shook his head, "Lucy is right. Akane No Tachibana is among Moon Lake's older weres... though she'd actually be closer to middle age for a were... and is well versed in many of the sorts of ins and outs that would relate to protecting Moon Lake's security and the were secret... as well as helping deal with potential rogue weres, but Lucy is right. She did vote in your favor at the City Council Meeting. She wouldn't risk her own personal honor in some secret scheme to silence you... since she's already committed herself to some measure of support for your idea."
Tom took that as a sign of relief and wiped his brow for a moment, feeling like a great deal of pressure had been let off of his shoulders. Though there was some tension still in the air as he looked up to see that Harold was still looking directly to him.
"It would still be a good if you could tell us who these men were, besides being werewolves," Harold commented, "Did you get a name? Anything that might give us a clue as to WHO they were? For even if they weren't from Moon Lake and were only here for a visit in our motel... they do keep records on who was there and if they're still checked in if we have to find someone."
"Well... their human forms are pretty non-descript," Tom gave a sigh, "they don't look exactly alike, or even close enough to mistake them as being from the same family... but there isn't anything outstanding about either that would really show up in any sort of police sketch. I can give you a name though, as they did introduce themselves. One was Quintus Fives and he said his partner was Gustavus Amehr."
"I don't know those names," Harold said slowly, "I can help with reporting this to the police, as that will have to be done, if only as a security precaution for you and Alice... though, at some point you'll need to give them your testimony on your own, depending on what your work schedule allows."
"Right now... it's immediately open, but I do have an assignment that's pretty extensive in trying to get facts and figures on what the police departments in the state are ready for with regard to violent crime and so on," Tom commented, "I've gotten all that I can get in Seattle, but I'll have some other trips in state to make, though a lot of that will be slow going, as most police departments won't be super thrilled about reporters from outside their jurisdiction asking questions about whether or not they're ready for things like what happened with Lionel Ulysses or Dymixious Drake... or the Gamboni crime family being in the state... Right now, I'm in the process of trying to set some appointments with these other police units and at least some of the County Sheriff's offices. But... I'd think we could squeeze it in."
"Do you have any schedule with Chief O'Hara?" Harold wondered.
"I think I'd need to check my schedule," Tom said slowly, "but... if you're thinking on trying to double things up with this report... I wouldn't think the city's police chief/commissioner would take a report on what these two werewolves did... That'd be a lower ranking officer. And if I don't have the Moon Lake PD on my schedule at present, calling for an interview on that subject would still be something that would have to fit their schedule and would be separate from reporting the altercation."
"Well... like your idea... no one said this would be easy," Harold told him.