After watching the Marx Brothers save Freedonia in Duck Soup, Peter Talbot walked Karen Yuletide back to her dorm building. The two of them talked along the way. Peter had a great fondness for movies, especially the classics, which mostly qualified as anything made before he was born.
"Bogart, Tracy and Hepburn, the unenhanced original Star Wars trilogy. I like them all," he confessed to Karen, holding her arm in his along the way. "Especially the comedies and musicals. They really don't make them like that any more, which is a dang shame in my opinion."
"The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit. Hollywood still has its moments, but a lot of today's stuff seems to be remakes," agreed Karen, who was not surprised Peter already knew about the classic movie channel available on cable. "But I can't believe you somehow always seem to miss Abbott and Costello. Who's on first? is such a comedy classic routine."
"Then I have something to look forward to whenever it plays next. Especially if I get to see it with you," said Peter with a smile.
But all too soon, they reached Karen's dorm.
"Listen," began Peter, "first off, I am truly sorry I have to cut tonight short, but I really do have that big test tomorrow morning. Yet I just couldn't let the night go by without seeing you again."
"That's really sweet of you," she said, before kissing him. With Peter being several inches taller than her even in his human form, Karen had to stand on the first step of the dorm building's landing to be eye level with him.
"But there's also another reason I wanted to see you tonight,"
"OH?" asked Karen, hoping it might be....
"Do you have any plans for this weekend?" he asked.
"No," she said with a smile, wondering if this would be when Peter made her his were-lioness.
"Good. You don't mind having dinner at my house and meeting my family tomorrow night, do you? If it's too soon, we can reschedule for another night."
"What? No. I'd be happy too," said Karen, not expecting what he did ask. Maybe they still have to approve of me before...
"You don't have any plans Saturday either, do you?" Peter asked, hopefully.
"No..." she replied, shaking her head negatively.
"Then, if you're willing, you can hang out with me at my father's automotive shop and meet all of my uncles and whoever else drops by," suggested Peter.
It wasn't the weekend Karen was hoping for, but she showed no sign of disappointment as she asked, "What should I wear to all of this?"
"Something a tad more than daytime student wear for tomorrow night, but nothing too formal. Saturday, anything casual as long as you don't mind it running the risk of it getting dirty, but I'll pay for professional cleaning if the regular dorm laundry can't do the job," promised Peter.
"This is important to you, isn't it?" asked Karen, studying him closely.
"Yes, it is," confessed Peter. "Given a werelion's libido, I've been sexually active since my first transformation, but that and being romantically interested in someone are two vastly different concepts. You are the very first woman that I have ever had any real feelings for, and I'm afraid I've been talking about you a lot at home, so naturally my parents and, by extension, my extended family amongst the prides are all growing curious about you."
"I see. Well, I hope I live up to everyone's expectations."
"Just be yourself," advised Peter. "That is already winning me over," he admitted, before kissing her again.
Karen let herself go and gave in to the moment as she draped her arms across Peter's shoulders. Even if he wasn't a were of Moon Lake, Karen knew that she was rapidly falling for him. Werelion society's concept of an open marriage was the one hesitation in an otherwise whirlwind relationship.
Peter had his own concerns regarding his position in that same society, for he was the only son and heir apparent to the local "Lion King".
But that didn't matter to Karen Yuletide. Somehow, she had gained full control of her fur fetish*, a problem that had troubled her her entire life.
IF Peter Talbot ever decided to make her a werelioness, let alone HIS werelioness, that would be wonderful.
Yet she was growing more rapidly interested in becoming Mrs. Karen Talbot with every date, kiss, and moment she spent with the man; and wouldn't have cared if he was a were or not.
If I'm not falling in love, then I don't know what the hell I'm doing, she realized, as they continued to kiss until Karen had to part company with him for the night, or be locked out of her dorm building.
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*Actually, Karen's roommate and recently created werevixen Jenny Harper cured Karen. But only Tachibana no Akane, the leader of the Skulk, suspects Jenny might also be a budding but extremely rare mystic healer, foretold in an ancient scroll from Japan.—tmw.