Karen enjoyed her time talking with Ben Twist and Kenya, but the real joy was simply being with Peter. The two of them had a quiet lunch with some idle conversation on how things were going though, some things did come back to the drawings that Ben had showed her on his phone. It was very good and Karen was not above dwelling on it.
"He was pretty good," Karen commented to Peter.
"Who... Ben?" Peter asked.
"Yeah," Karen nodded before taking a bite from her noodles from a Chinese dish that the college cafeteria had served for lunch. "He was good. Had a lot of stuff that he'd put on his phone. If things go well... I'd gladly hire him for the animation projects I'd like to do."
"You're that impressed?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, I am," Karen nodded, "he's almost as good as me, in my opinion."
"That must be good," Peter commented, "based on what you've shown me."
Karen smiled, as she had shown Peter some of her drawings, including of him and her together as werelions with cubs. Peter had liked the drawing and Karen liked that very much. In a way it was for her to enjoy her furry fandom and be with someone who didn't look at her as odd for it. Their lunch went a little ways like that before they came onto the next item on their agenda.
"So, how's your afternoon?" Peter asked.
"I do have a class early this afternoon and one mid afternoon," Karen replied, "but after two fifty... I'm free for the day."
"Okay," Peter smiled to her, "remember that you're going to meet my folks, right?"
"Of course," Karen answered, "They'll like me, right? They won't say I'm beneath you or anything?"
That part didn't bother Karen too much with some of the other weres, even Elizabeth Brookshire who wanted Peter for her own social standing in werelion society, as they weren't likely going to be people who would really matter in the long run. If she became Peter's lioness and the other lionesses didn't like her, Karen didn't care so long as Peter still liked her. With Peter's parents, however, that was a different story. She was sure she loved Peter, but she didn't want him to cut all ties with his parents. She might not spend her life living near her own parents, and if she became Peter's werelioness, she wouldn't return to California. She'd open her animation studio in Moon Lake or wherever Peter decided live, but she would like the ability to let Peter meet her parents and talk with them about things. If Peter's parents didn't like her, she didn't want Peter to lose contact with them.
"You'll do fine," Peter promised, "Mom may be a bit more into the whole hierarchy thing... but she isn't that judgmental and if you show to her that you're a worthy person, she'll welcome you. And my dad, while he'll say he likes being the head lion, he really doesn't care too terribly much about a lot of the politics that go along with, especially when you remember that he and his brothers do not do the sort of work that would think to be "high class" that Liz would generally be drawn to."
Karen took a deep breath, as that was a great relief to her, though in the end it didn't end her worries. They finished their lunch and eventually went their separate ways toward their respective classes. Peter told her he'd pick her up around five thirty before they parted ways. She then sighed heavily and made her way through her classes, but continued to worry as to whether or not Peter's parents would like her, let alone accept her as Peter's choice for a mate. It never really went away, and it was still there when she made her way back to her dorm room. She found her roommate there and still reciting the mantra that she'd gotten from her latest therapy session.
"I am Jennifer Harper, soon to be Jennifer Jenkins," Jenny spoke while she was packing a new duffel bag that Harry had bought for her. It got some of Karen's attention for the moment.
"What's that?" Karen asked to Jenny.
Jenny looked up with no fright or surprise. She had caught Karen's scent while she was packing and heard Karen's hand begin to turn the doorknob. She did give a friendly smile to Karen, as the two of them had made fairly good friends since the two had come to Moon Lake to attend college. While she was engaged to marry Harry Jenkins, that didn't mean she was going to abandon her friendship with Karen. That would also mean pausing her packing for some of the events that she and Harry had ideas for after the Skulk ceremony for their weekend, including meeting Harry's brother and some of the related wedding planning that they'd have to get in order.
"It's a mantra," Jenny asked, "Something to help me remember that my parents can't control me."
Karen blinked as Jenny's answer reminded her of her worries over whether or not Peter's parents would like her. When Jenny saw her frown, Jenny paused her mantra.
"Is something wrong?" Jenny asked, "You having trouble with this boy you said you've met?"
"Peter?" Karen replied, "no... things between Peter and I are great and still going well. Not fully sure on a werelion's open marriage structure and potential polygamous couplings within their prides... but I do wish to become Peter's lioness."
"Werelions are polygamous?" Jenny asked.
"Just like mundane lions," Karen answered, "but Peter assures me that unlike mundane lions, is that their wife... they one they actually marry remains the most important in terms of who they love and anything else will amount to "pride bonding" as it were. And it wouldn't entirely be that I would be expected to be fully celibate while Peter is with another member of the pride..."
Jenny blinked as Karen continued.
"I'm not fully used to it... but Peter has demonstrated that he loves me and loves me deeply," Karen answered, "so, while I'm not fully used to it... I'm more than willing and even ready to be Peter's lioness regardless."
"Good for you," Jenny answered, "I'm glad you found someone... but that doesn't explain what you were frowning about."
Karen then sighed again. She was worried about whether or not Peter's parents would like her or not, and a part of her wanted to tell Jenny about her fears. That, however, didn't fully sit well with her, either. Jenny was facing having to deal with her OWN parents who wouldn't likely would be hostile to Jenny's own choice of mate and hostile to Jenny as well. Jenny didn't know of Karen's worries on that issue and simply stopped what she was doing to hug Karen to her.
"You can tell me," Jenny assured her, "I'm your best friend here."
"Well..." Karen said slowly, "Peter's going to be introducing me to his parents tonight... and well... I suppose I'm nervous."
Jenny only hugged Karen tighter to give her friend comfort. Karen returned the hug, but was also grateful that Jenny didn't gain too much height in her human form, otherwise she'd be be smothered by Jenny's extremely generous bosom.
"It'll be okay," Jenny promised, "From what you've told me about Peter... he sounds like a nice enough guy. I'm sure he'll stand by you."
"But his parents might not..." Karen blurted, unable to hold back any longer, not knowing why, "Peter... you see... he's rather important to werelion society, practically royalty in a way."
"A major plus for you," Jenny encouraged Karen, "Keep him."
"I want to," Karen answered, "but... his importance may play to more than just me and him. I've already had an encounter with a werelioness with a bee in her butt about how I'm not worthy of Peter. What if Peter's parents are the same way?"
"Hopefully they aren't," Jenny commented, remembering some of the tips Frances had given her to help her with her own situation, "but if it does happen... who is more important to you? Peter or his parents?"
"Personally? Peter by a long shot," Karen answered, "but I don't want to force him to separate from his parents."
"Well..." Jenny said slowly, "You can't control their reaction. Has Peter told you anything that would give you real reason to worry?"
"Not really," Karen admitted, "hopefully I've just imagined all my worries."
"Hopefully," Jenny smiled and they broke apart from the hug, "Now... I have a Skulk welcome ceremony to be ready for, and Harry and I have some other plans for the weekend. You'll be okay without me?"
"Yeah," Karen admitted, "Peter will be by to pick me up later this afternoon to evening, probably before your welcome ceremony."