The Howler's den hasn't changed too much, the only difference is that James has placed a shiny new laptop on the counter and is currently setting it up, while dressed in a smart suit. A few USB pens are scattered next to it.
Long Fang stood outside the door to the den, coat over one arm and hair looking ruffled beyond even the worst bed head. He knocks out a quick, but somehow recognizable variation of "Hot Cross Buns".
James glances up and considers the door for a moment. "Well, intruders don't knock..", he thinks to himself and chuckles mentally, stepping over to the door and opening it, although his other hand rests under his jacket and on his gun, which he releases when he sees Joseph. "Long Fang, good to see you." He steps back to let the other werewolf in.
Long Fang bows his head as he enters the room. "Good to see you, too. Although your opinion might change in a moment."
James frowns lightly, stepping over to the laptop and setting it on the next stage of installation. "That sounds onimous, but I've heard bad news before." His mouth quirks in a faint, ironic smile as he turns back to Long Fang.
'Fang takes a second or two to look around the Den before facing James. "Well, it might not be that bad," he says with a shrug, "it depends. Firstly, I was just wanting to let you know that I have been in your territory for...a bit now. I believe we already briefly discussed it but I thought I should bring it up again."
James nods, gesturing for 'Fang to continue as he plugs one of the pens into the laptop.
"Hmm, very well. Just letting you know that I've stayed and hunted in your territory. Before you say anyhting, it was only a racoon. Secondly, I've smelt another wolf in the area. Female."
James glances over at 'Fang. "So you know, I wasn't ignoring your first comment, I just wanted to hear everything you wanted to say." He steps away from the laptop lightly, rubbing his ear. "You're here as a guest Joseph and hopefully later a member of the Howlers, and I have no objection to you doing anything here unless it causes trouble for us, and I doubt a racoon would count." He grins lightly before sobering. "That scent is far more of a concern, but it's possible it's not an issue at all. Has that wolf you smelt visited this den?"
"No. It wasn't a common scent and it wasn't hidden but it did cross your borders. Not one with the Anshega, thankfully."
James nods, rubbing his chin. "Did you happen to smell this on new year's eve?" The computer beeps and he does something else to it.
Joseph scowls lightly. "Sorry, that’s what I meant by uncommon, it wasn't fresh. I'm still thinking in a mix of the First Tongue and English, it's annoying."
James nods, relaxing with a smile. "Alison, an old friend of mine, and a skilled werewolf, and given my attempts to rebuild the Howlers, I don't reject considering trying to steal her from her current pack."
The scowl lifts from Joseph's face and he seems to perk up. He begins trying to smooth his hair down, with a only modicum of success so far. "Oh, that's good. Stealing her, eh? Why, what's wrong with her pack?"
James smiles ruefully, shaking his head. "Nothing as far as I know, but this pack needs to be stronger, and she'd be a step in the right direction, I have plans, ideas, and when I get the Howlers together, I can discuss them, Alison would be a very good person to have onboard. Did you have a bad night?" The question seems to come out of nowhere, along with a light grin.
"Yes actually," he replies, returning the grin. "Some asshole dropped a couple bags of trash on top of me during the night. Had to go for a swim to wash the scent off."
James chuckles. "We'll have to sort that out, me and Sally have an apartment you can stay in for now, until we find you somewhere better, it'll be more comfortable then a rubbish filled alleyway. Speaking of such.." He produces a mobile phone and holds it out towards 'Fang. "There's $20 of credit there, it should be enough to get you started, and I put the numbers of everyone on the pack there, Sally's number too."
"A moment..." He walks over to the sink and sticks his head under the running facet for a second or two. He turns the water off and turns back towards James, using his coat as an impromptu towel. "Alright, first I'll discuss the phone. I...thank you for the offer but there must be one thing understood before I take it. I don't accept charity. Ever. If you give me something I will repay you in kind. Thus if I take the phone I will be repaying you for it. Actually..." He digs in his pants pockets for a moment and pulls a wad of wrinkled bills out. He counts through and hands James the money. "There is ten dollars towards repaying that."
James tilts his head as he eyes 'Fang and shakes his head firmly, his face serious. "This has nothing to do with charity, not in the slightest. If there's an emergency and you need to contact one of us, then this", he gestures with the phone, "is your lifeline, if we need -you- then we likely can't afford to hunt you down, we need you to have this to stay in contact with us, you're not getting it because I think you'll like it." He smiles lightly. "Whether you see it as charity of not, I need you to have this."
One corner of Joseph's mouth twitches, but his tone is good natured. "I wasn't trying to insult you or your gesture, but you are sacrificing something for me. Yes, I understand that it is also something for you but I still view it the same way. Here," he says, shaking the money he's holding towards James, "accept my offer and I'll accept the phone."
James nods after a moment, accepting the money and handing over the phone. "Thank you, and if you want to repay me more, you can hear some ideas I've had, hm? I could use a second opinion before I gather the Howlers together."
"I'm going to repay the full amount in time. But yes, I'll listen to whatever you have to say." He takes the phone and looks it over, pressing a few buttons before putting it away. He nods his head towards James subconsciously.
James settles in a chair, gesturing for Long Fang to do the same. "You've likely noticed the problem yourself when you noticed Alison had been in our territory. Fact is, we need a way to keep an eye on everything that happens here, we need to know when someone or something enters and who or what it is, and we can't do all that alone. How much do you know about spirit courts?"
"Absolutely nothing," Joseph says as he takes a seat, water dripping forlornly from his hair. "Or maybe everything. That is one of the things the Bone Shadows seek answers to."
James peers at 'Fang for a moment, filing that comment, and then nods. "Right. I intend for us to contact the strongest information spirit in the area we can, and try to make an alliance, have them act as our eyes and ears, a real surveillance network. Of course, the Hisil is a mess, and it'll make our job harder, but not impossible."
Long Fang leans back in his chair, eyes raised as he regards James. They soon relax as his gaze wanders to a corner of the room absently, fixating there for a moment before it returns to James. "What is your Deed Name?"
Jonathan walks in. "Hello to both of you."
James winces and rubs his ear. "Not a very impressive one, to be honest, something taken from when I Changed. Wall Scratcher." His eyes flick to Jonathan, and he gives a light smile. "Hi John, good to see you."
Jonathan gets a look of surprise by the warm reaction. What is going on?
"Hello," Joseph greets Jon. He waits for James to explain.
James coughs. "I..scratched a wall with my claws, there wasn't actually a story there. To be honest, I'd disregard it if I could, but it's harder than I thought it'd be."
"There’s always a story. You left a story with those scratches. Now you seek stories..." he lets an infuriating grin spread across his face for a moment before it turns more friendly. "Besides, there is honour in every Deed Name, even if it's hidden."
"And Jonathan, I was seeing what Joseph thought of some ideas I had before I bought the pack together for a full meeting. There's something I'd very much need your help with. I want us to find a court of information spirits, and, form an alliance with them."
"Could be handy, I don't know if there are any such spirits still around. While I have been patrolling its been pretty empty"
James spreads his hands lightly. "Random scratches, I've not even looked at them. I don't think there's a story there, and a deed name has to be earned, I've not done anything to warrant one yet." He turns to Jonathan. "I know, but the spirits aren't gone, just scattered, if we can find a lower rank spirit, hopefully it can take us to its court. We need eyes and ears, that's why I'd need your help with this." He gestures at a laptop on the counter, which is running through an OS install. "If we can form a network, I'm hoping we can connect that computer to it, and you know computers."
"I know mundane computers yes but not how to meld them with spirits. I could set up your network if you want. This may sound silly but what do you want on the network. It would be silly to go to all the work to network computers together for little purpose."
Joseph remains silent, hair still dripping water onto the floor.
"For connecting them to spirits, perhaps Long Fang can help you there?" He glances at the Bone Shadow with a smile. "And for the network, I'd like to keep records of people, people are what's important, people and spirits. With information on them, we can keep a far better idea of what's going on in the city and who and what various people are."
"My experience is limited, so if either of you have anything to add, or even to critize, please do, as long as you make it constructive, and avoid bruising my ego." He grins faintly.
"That sounds like a closed network, they are a bit harder to protect. To do it right you have to make the computers on the network, closed off from any other connection. You wouldn't want that information falling into just any punk’ hands."
"No, it'd need to be extremely secure."
"I've never done anything like that before, although I'm sure it can be done. I'll need to learn about how the Hisil is here, though. That is probably the most important component."
"They seem more secure from the outside, but crackers love a challenge. They offer natural protection as they are closed off from normal network flow. But, not unless we can hard wire the computers together. If your talking about computers at a distance, that becomes a lot of wire. If we can't hardwire the computers that means we have to connect them wirelessly, and that is a weakness."
James nods. "I'd be content to keep the information on a single, secure computer, but the big question is how spirits could connect to it, and how open it would be to them misusing it if they could do that."
"Hmm normally I couldn't see how they would do any harm. But they are spirits, the normal rules fall out the window then."
James holds up a hand. "At this point I should contact the others, they'd want to get their own say in too, I hope." He takes out his phone and types in a few text messages, sendign them off.
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