The afternoon ended relatively well with Melissa and Trevor managing to talk over some of the things that had really been troubling her since arriving in Moon Lake. The odd thing was that what had been troubling her had nothing to do with Moon Lake's weres. It had been more with vision of her, or a younger version of her mother speaking to her in her dreams and occasionally when she was even conscious. It was something surprising and something that really unnerved her. And it wasn't just her, as supposedly her dad only consented to letting Virginia complete his transformation because he had some vision of Eliza saying it was "okay."
Trevor's guess that it was a spiritual guest made sense, but that also left Melissa with concerns. As if her deceased mother's spirit was talking to her, and she could HEAR that spirit, what did that make her? Was she supposed to be a spiritualist or something like that? She was glad for the help, protection, and guidance that her mother's spirit could offer, if that was in fact the case, but it still left Melissa wondering as to what that meant. However, as they got into the evening hours, Melissa knew that they couldn't get too into it as it would be time for the dance soon, and she DID look forward to going with Trevor. With that, as it got close to time to go, the two of them did get ready.
Melissa went into one bathroom where she stripped off her everyday clothes to change into the costume that she'd found to wear earlier. It was a nice piece that was made to look like one of the dresses made to look like the black dress Audrey Hepburn wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in the opening scenes, complete with the round beaded necklace and a specialized hair clip to hold her hair up in the stylized bun. That was the hardest part, as Melissa didn't want to mess up the bathroom or use a comb that belonged to Trevor or his siblings as that would have been in bad taste, but she did manage a close enough approximation that it would work. She then pulled on the gloves, and they did fit fairly well. The dress might be a bit lose in some places, but it didn't fit bad and looked beautiful, which Melissa liked.
"This is good," Melissa said to herself as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and gave a small smile. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was an older movie, but it had been one her parents had liked in the sense that it ultimately had a happy ending. Melissa vaguely remembered seeing scenes from the movie from when she was little, fitting stories from Eliza Jenkins that she often watched the movie when Melissa had been fussy as an infant and that had helped calm Melissa down.
"You ready, Mel?" Trevor asked from outside the door.
"Yeah... hold on," Melissa answered and then turned to her regular cloths presently on the floor of the bathroom. She scooped them up and walked up toward the bathroom door and then opened it with the her normal clothes hanging over her arm. She looked to find Trevor standing there in an oversized suit which was made to look like the suit George Peppard wore to play Paul Varjak in the same movie. At present the suit seemed to quite literally hang loose around him, like it might fall off. "But... uh..."
"Things like Halloween Costumes are made special," Trevor answered, "and for large weres, they can be made to fit over us in our were forms... but because the size difference in our were forms is so great when compared to our human form... the clothing is pretty loose on us in human form... It's partially why large weres, like werewolves, weretigers, werelions, werecattle, and werehorses are a far more accepting of nudity in our fursona... normal clothes would be too small for us, and our fursona is to large to give the clothing the specialized alterations that are done so that smaller weres can transform in their clothes and not destroy them."
"So... you didn't transform because..." Melissa began slowly.
"My truck isn't big enough to safely accommodate me in that form," Trevor gave a sheepish grin, "I have to wait until we get there."
"Okay," Melissa said slowly, "So... uh..."
She then held out the arm with her normal clothes on it. Trevor looked down to notice and backed up slightly.
"You can put it in my room, no one will take it from there," Trevor said then then gestured to the door.
Melissa nodded and made her way across the hall. She found Trevor's room to be rather neat and clean, though she was also amazed by a fairly large bookcase that had books that covered a lot of things related to art and sculpture. There were some fiction books and some small guides on agriculture, but the bulk of what was there had to with sculpture. She placed her normal clothes on the bed and then turned to head out. They'd have to come back after the dance for her regular clothes, but that would be later. The only normal attire she took was her purse, but didn't pay too closely to that and made her way out. She rejoined Trevor and they made their way out.
They passed the living room where Jacob and Clint were watching College Football on the television. Neither said anything, but Jacob gave a polite wave and had a small smile as she and Trevor walked by. As they reached the front door, Melissa could hear some sounds coming from the kitchen and some soft instruction as Erma was apparently teaching Anna Bell something.
"Mel and I headed out to the dance," Trevor announced as they reached the door, "We'll probably get what they put food there..."
"Just make sure it's not nothing but candy," Erma called from the kitchen, "they should have some pizza or something... and if not... will you need money for the Diner or would you come back here for dinner?"
"Megumi's been on the planning committee for the dance," Trevor answered, "she said they have pizza ordered. Candy is a prize won for some of the games at the dance."
"Have a good time," Jacob said looking over his shoulder from the couch with a small smile, "Trevor, remember to be respectful and treat her right."
"I will, pop," Trevor answered.
"And Melissa," Jacob said before Melissa could go out the door that Trevor held open for her, "you look good."
"Thanks," Melissa spoke and the two headed out. It wasn't too long before they were riding along in Trevor's truck and headed toward the High School for the dance with the first stars of night twinkling down on them.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Meanwhile at the Jenkins home, both Harold Jenkins and Virginia McCoy were getting themselves cleaned up and ready for the dance. True, Virginia's role was a chaperone, but as had been explained, the dance had gone beyond a "high school" event and that a good portion of the entire town came, even if they didn't have kids in high school. In this, coming in costume was fine, even for chaperones. So, as the two finished their afternoon fun, they turned back showered and then transformed again so they could wear the costumes had been devised for them, white bedsheets styled as togas.
Virginia couldn't help but marvel at him. He was seeming to adapt quite well to being a were and she had to admit that she'd never once figured that she'd find herself engaged to be married after only a few days. She liked Harold, but that had started as basic friendship and because of their shared interest in history. From there, things just seemed to grow. Friendship turned to love quickly and it was something that she would always want Harold by her side. The knowledge that Alice Decrux was after him triggered her own protective instincts, for as she began to love him, she couldn't let that wereraccoon hurt him. He was hers to love and protect, and while his initiation into were society didn't go quite as planned, it did seem to heal certain aspects in Harold's psyche regarding the death of his wife, Eliza, and soon revealed that he loved her back.
Some things for Harold might take some time to fully adapt to, namely having a weretiger's instincts and a heavily increased libido. As while all new weres instinctively knew all the ins and outs of their were-species once their first transformation was completed, but adjusting to all that knowledge and recognition often could be confusing at first. Virginia even remembered going through the same thing after she first became a weretiger, and now with Harold there to be her mate and for her to be there for him, she'd do her best to help him with those same feelings, and so far he wasn't doing too badly.
"There, that should hold things together," Harold spoke with a smile as the placed a safety pin in to hold the improvised toga on to Virginia's body. "I don't the Romans had safety pins, but this should do."
Harold didn't mention that woman didn't wear togas in Roman society. Those that did were usually prostitutes. Roman women would traditionally wear the stola and palla, but most people didn't know that, and since the Roman Empire had been gone for more than a thousand years, nitpicking over details.
"Roman togas probably weren't improvised bedsheets," Virginia commented with a smirk.
"Well there is that," Harold replied with a smirk as Virginia moved to do the same with him.
Once all the proper pins were in place the two made their way downstairs and on their way out. As they stepped out, neither bothered to put on shoes. After all the strong heavy pads under their toes and the balls of their digitigrade feet in their were form were sturdy enough that there was no major concern over things while going barefoot. The evening stars were already out and Harold made his way toward the Jenkins car. Before he could even open the door, he heard Virginia say something.
"We'd have to change back if we're to drive," Virginia commented, "You won't be comfortable trying to drive at your present size..."
"How...?" Harold wondered, as he'd never had trouble driving before and even after becoming a weretiger he hadn't had any trouble, "I haven't had any trouble..."
"Were you transformed?" Virginia asked knowingly.
"Well... no," Harold admitted.
"And there is a difference," Virginia answered, "EVERY were grows a bit in size when they transform. With smaller weres, based off cats, foxes, raccoons, skunks, rats, mice, and so on, that growth is only marginal. A werecat in her human form could be five foot ten, but in were form, she's only going be about six feet. Two inches isn't that much to gain. However, with larger weres... we grow greatly in size. In my human form I'm about five foot eight."
Harold watched as Virginia spun around for him with his eyes taking in everything, her large rounded muzzle, her rounded ears, and the orange and black striped tail that was held down for the moment by the improvised toga that covered her. In any form she was beautiful. He would always love Eliza Jenkins, Melissa's mother and he would love her dearly. But since becoming a weretiger, himself, he had begun to move past the levels of mourning he'd been in. He'd been able to move on with his life and find someone who cared, and that someone proved to be Virginia.
"In my were form, however, I'm nearly nine feet tall, more than three feet taller than my human form's height," Virginia spoke, "you're even taller than I am... In your were form... I'd guess you're actually OVER ten feet tall. Cars are built for human sized drivers... not weretigers. And besides... it isn't that far to walk."
In that, Harold was reminded a bit how different things were. And what Virginia said did make sense. If he was too big in his fursona for his clothes to fit him, it'd make sense that a car would also be too small. With that, he moved away from the car door and joined Virginia on the sidewalk.
"You'll like the dance," Virginia told him, "there is punch, and if you can't stomach candy, they generally do get food from somewhere delivered. Sometimes it's pizza... other times the students that plan it out make a whole bunch of sandwiches and things, having a sort of pot-luck as well. And I'm sure that Decrux will be smart enough to stay away from the situation. Her shop might have provided the candy for the party... but I'm sure the police made sure that what candy she delivered wasn't tainted."
"I hope you're right," Harold admitted, "I really do."
"Just don't worry," Virginia answered, "I'm sure everything's been taken care off and Melissa will be fine and will have a good time. And so will we. We'll twist the night away... as it were."