After his phone conversation with the dean, Harold settled into a quick lunch. Or at least as quick of a lunch he could manage given his new appetite. A part of him really wondered as to how well he'd really be able to handle things regarding food, but that'd ultimately be something that he'd have to wrestle with later. As soon as Virginia was cleared of any real wrong doing they could work on that together. For the moment, he had bigger issues regarding his clothing. His normal clothes barely fit and even there, barely might be pushing it. He'd need to get new cloths that would fit him better.
With that, he finished his lunch and wrote a quick note for Melissa, as he wasn't sure as to how long it would take him to get the clothing that would fit him. His note read: "Mel, I've gone to get some things that will fit me better now. Remember your homework and your promise that you'll give me a 24 hour window before you and Trevor have your... moment. I hope to be back this evening and you can tell me about your day. -Dad." With that, Harold collected his completed course plans/schedule and reading list for each class that he was scheduled to start with next semester. He figured he'd kill two birds with one stone to have a lot of his prep work done while getting the certificates and card that he would need to get clothing that would fit him.
The college campus looked quite well when Harold arrived and strangely to the liking of the tiger now within him. He'd seen pictures of it online after researching the college after finding its spring opening online as well. While researching it, he'd thought that the college looked nice for a small school that was out of the way when compared to colleges like the University of Michigan, as it had lots of trees with well maintained lawns and what looked like the college campus was pushed up against the forests that seemed to surround Moon Lake. Now, though, it was as though the tiger within him felt at home here, and it wasn't because he was now one were among many, but because there were so many trees. Things he could use to conceal himself when hunting and things that seemed to speak to the tiger within him. He mentally wrote that off as something that related to the fact that mundane tigers were forest creatures by nature and now with those instincts within him, he was looking at Moon Lake through new eyes.
And it wasn't necessarily a bad view, though definitely intriguing. Especially when he was knowledgeable enough that many of the trees that grew around Moon Lake were not native to that part of Washington State. They grew wild, but it looked as though the forest had been planted. Now, given Moon Lake's history, it was likely that people coming too Moon Lake and brought the seeds needed to plant trees, likely after using the local trees to build the first homes and cabins, but then the trees all appeared to be trees that grew on other parts of the United States. That had also made him wonder on what had prevented the first weretigers who came in the 1850s to escape the British crackdown on the Sepoy Rebellion in the late 1840s didn't bring seeds from India, why werefoxes from China and Japan didn't bring seeds from China and Japan in late 1800s, and why Africans bringing the first werelions and wereleopards/panthers to Moon Lake didn't also bring seeds from their homelands as well, as so many weres from the eastern US of European descent did. Maybe Washington State proved to have the sort of climate or soil that wouldn't support those trees, or maybe that since many of the first weretigers were fleeing failed rebellions and the first werefoxes from the Far East came with the idea of being temporary labor on the transcontinental railroad and settled down later either didn't have the time for it or didn't choose to bring any. And the first werelions and wereleopards/panthers were also freed from slavery by the American Civil War, so it was possible they hadn't been allowed to bring them. That'd all be something to contemplate once he had enough clothing that would fit.
He parked in front of the Administration Building and made his way in. He was soon greeted by Dean Myers' secretary. Her scent was similar to his and similar to Virginia's, but not quite. He guessed that was what made the difference between weretigers and werelions. She looked to him with a fairly friendly face as he approached.
"Hello... I'm Harold Jenkins," Harold introduced himself.
"Yes, the dean did say to expect you," she answered with a smile and looked to him with intent. "And you did turn out well..."
"Thank you," Harold said nervously as he scratched the back of his head with one hand, "though I really don't look that presentable... I need new clothes that will fit me and would look professional while working."
"Oh I don't know," the woman smiled continued to smile and actually seemed to be flirting with him, "You do look good to me."
Harold backed away and gave a nervous smile as heard that. It seemed that every woman he'd met seemed to be interested in him. However, the only one he had interest in dating was Virginia. This secretary seemed to be built like Virginia, which made sense since tigers and lions were built a lot alike in nature and thus weretigers and werelions would be built a lot alike. It actually made him curious as to how well a male werelion's mane would fit around their head and shoulders in comparison to the cheek fur he had in his own transformed state.
"You look well too... but I already have someone I'm interested in," Harold said carefully, not wanting to reveal that the one he was interested was presently having to stay away from him because of how he'd been transformed.
"Likely the lucky tigress who transformed you," the woman answered, "hopefully the two of you end up very happy together."
Harold nodded to that. The dean's secretary was right in that regard and he hoped he and Virginia would be very happy together as well. He didn't know that the detectives on the case had so far built enough to focus more attention of Alice Decrux rather than Virginia, but with the knowledge that Virginia was involved in his transformation by the fact that he was a weretiger rather than a wereraccoon. While he had some fear that Decrux might have some revenge against him by going after Melissa, his last living reminder of Eliza and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe and happy, even if she'd rather be a werecow than a weretigress or any other were, he didn't think that she would truly try to turn her into a wereraccoon. Melissa as a young woman couldn't get Dexcrux pregnant if she tried. Harold also reasoned that based on the Alice was smart enough to figure a way that could have forced him to become wereraccoon that would have made the transformation willing on his part thanks to drugging and with it likely that the "drugging" could be viewed simply trying to make him happy and win him over to Moon Lake and its ways that she wouldn't also try anything with Melissa, as doing so would only increase the amount of attention on her. A part of him also guessed that Trevor probably wouldn't let any harm come to Melissa either.
"Anyway, the dean is waiting for you," the woman spoke and then gestured to the wooden doors behind her seat.
Harold nodded and walked around the desk and knocked on the door and waited until he heard a "come in" come from within. He entered to find Dean Myers seated quietly with a a large mug sitting on his desk in front of him. Harold found himself detecting the strong scent of coffee in the air and figured that Dean Myers was trying to keep some focus on his work. His eyes seemed slightly sunken at the moment and that made Harold guess that Dean Myers didn't get much sleep in a jail cell.
"Hello, sir," Harold reported and offered out one hand, "I believe I have everything needed for syllabi and the reading list for my classes. And the reading lists are organized by class."
"Thank you," Dean Myers managed a small smile and accepted the papers, "I'm afraid I'm still a bit groggy and can't get into any details... but I'll look through them and get them to our supply department regarding the books you may need and get them up on the webpage regarding the Spring Semester."
Harold nodded and kept his focus on the dean.
"Though... all things considered, I hadn't expected you to have all this done today... especially after yesterday," Dean Myers then commented.
"Well... for the moment I've had some free time and between getting my daughter, Melissa, to school, finding out that the police won't let me be with Virginia until after she's been cleared, seeing Virginia in a distraught state that she might loose her job in Moon Lake High and might never teach again, and then having to discuss things with some detectives..." Harold listed the morning's distractions, "I wasn't in much mood to go out."
"I can understand," Dean Myers answered, "Your situation is not an easy one... suddenly having to adapt to new instincts and dealing with someone you don't want wanting you... Definitely not easy."
Harold nodded at that, "Anyway... I took the time until I could fully calm down to get my work done... as you'd probably need it soon, anyway... and since I'd need to pick up this certificate and card... I figured... why not kill two birds with on stone."
"I see," Dean Myers replied, and then turned in his chair and began fishing through a black metal filing cabinet behind him, "Anyway... as I said on the phone, the certificate will only work with stores owned by Moon Lake residents, be they weres or normals. If you use it at any store that has offices outside Moon Lake, they'll think you're joking with them."
Harold nodded as the dean turned held out a long brown envelope. As his hands touched it, he felt something adding some weight to it. It felt about the same size as a credit card and figured that was the card that would go for stores outside Moon Lake. The certificate was likely underneath the card and held flat.
"Thank you, sir," Harold spoke as he took it, "and for curiosity, sir... you said that for me this would amount up to five hundred dollars total."
"And?" Dean Myers asked.
"Well... my daughter... Melissa," Harold spoke, "she's made friends with a young werebull in the high school and the two of them seem very interested in each other..."
"Moon Lake has been fairly odd that way in people fall in love pretty quickly here," Dean Myers gave a small shrug, "and old struggles in marriages resolve happily. The why is something unexplained... it just happens."
Harold thought of Virginia for a moment. While he wasn't sure as to whether or not he was in love with her, he did have to admit that with Eliza's spirit approving of Virginia, he did feel interested in her that he hoped and wanted to fall in love with her, despite only having met Virginia a few days ago.
"Yes, but would this system reset for Melissa if/when she becomes a werecow... or would it only allow for five hundred dollars and if I don't spend that much... Melissa would only get what's left over?" Harold asked.
Dean Myers looked down for a moment and then spoke, "well... for budgetary reasons, we can't give any more than five hundred dollars for each allowance... BUT if you're nervous, werecattle herds generally tend to look after new members on their own. Depending on which herd your daughter joins, you and her my not have to spend a penny regarding her clothing and so on."
"Oh... thank you," Harold spoke, more thankful for the explanation than anything else, "Now... if you'll excuse me... I'll have some clothes shopping to do."