Melissa couldn't help but feel curious as she and Trevor made their way across the gym toward the young pair of weremers that were so close together they were practically glued together. Both of them looked to be about a year younger than her, likely fourteen, but like many weres that Melissa had met so far they were well toned and built. The male seemed to be built like an Olympic swimmer scaled down the size of a fourteen year old. His muscles were no where near close to the bulk that Trevor carried, but they were well toned and likely wiry, which she guessed would make sense as it would help him swim. The female, who Trevor said was the mayor's daughter, was just as well toned and was showing many of the developing curves that every female were seemed to have. Her chest seemed to be in the B range, though a LARGE B and given puberty, it wouldn't be too long before she'd grow into the C range and her hips tentatively matched her upper body. The one thing that stood out was the sort of slapping type sound that their flipper like feet made as they danced or walked.
All of that fueled Melissa's curiosity, as it was something different that she hadn't met before in Moon Lake. She didn't really feel to jealous of the female weremers, as the part of her that was growing more and more attracted to Trevor by every moment the two of them were together knew that she would become even bigger when her time to join were society came. It was more that she was curious over seeing a pair of young weres that were "different" from the mammalian based weres that she'd met and befriended in her own grade. It'd be nice to meet new people and make new friends, after all, she figured her dad would probably wish to spend his next few centuries in Moon Lake to stay with Virginia, and if things worked out with Trevor, Melissa knew she'd want to stay in Moon Lake with him. So, it'd make sense to make friends.
The two weremers paused at the end of one dance as the DJ paused to head out before moving toward one side wall to catch their breath, which allowed Trevor and Melissa to calmly make their way through the crowd to meet up with them. As they approached, they found both of them staring into each other's eyes with warm smiles as they looked to each other. They barely noticed the clicking of Trevor's hooves in his bovine form against the hardwood or the clicking of the shoes that Melissa was wearing at the moment. Melissa guessed that that was just whatever "bond" that weremers had that was similar to the bonds that werefoxes formed when they found their life-mates.
"Um... Julie, isn't it?" Trevor spoke announcing his and Melissa's presence, making both weremers jump as they didn't expect the introduction, though they did settle down after a moment.
"Yes...?" the female, Julie, said slowly.
"Hi, just wanted to say hello and introduce a VERY good friend of mine to you," Trevor spoke, "This is Melissa Jenkins."
"Jenkins...?" the male weremers blinked, "You're not...?"
"If my dad and I are related the Jenkins family that supposedly had their wedding today... it's extremely distant," Melissa answered, "though we've chalked that up to coincidence more than anything else."
"Oh..." the male gave a sort of sheepish shrug.
"Anyway, my dad and I moved here fairly recently... and have been adjusting to all things were... weremers is something I haven't met or even thought of being... well... weres, before," Melissa said with her nervous curiosity evident in her voice, as she didn't want to say the wrong thing.
"Most people outside Moon Lake when they think of weres will tend to think of the rather typical werewolf," Julie commented, "and that many of the other shape shifters or beasts of mythology are their own separate creature. Mermaids and mermen included."
"Like werecattle inspiring the legends of the minotaur?" Melissa guessed and glancing to Trevor, who nodded and Melissa almost found herself completely lost in his big brown eyes.
"Yes," Julie nodded, "and with most weres tending to be apex predators, wolves, lions, tigers... it's probably not too surprising that you haven't met many of the other weremers in Moon Lake. There aren't that many and MOST that are here are related to my father in some way."
"Oh," Melissa replied and offered her hand, "Well, I'm Melissa Jenkins and I'm glad to have met you... Julie..."
Julie reached forward and shook Melissa's hand. Despite being scaled and fully webbed in her Stage 2 form, Melissa was surprised to feel that it wasn't "slimy" in any way. In an odd way, where she could feel some definition of individual fish like scales, Julie's hand felt almost like a human hand. Melissa did feel some relief when the young blond did give a warm smile as they shook hands.
"Julie Stovall," Julie said with a warm smile, "and this is my boyfriend and one true love, Eric Anderson."
Melissa paused to shake Eric's hand as well. He also shook Trevor's hand, though he also looked a bit awestruck as he looked up to Trevor. He remained a bit silent before Julie came up with a different question.
"So... if you're not related to the Jenkins that got married today, would you be related to... the Jenkins that got mauled by a weretiger?" Julie asked.
"Not mauled, just scratched," Melissa answered, "and I think my dad was starting to fall for her already. But a pushy wereraccoon started the fight and when he tried to break it up, he got scratched."
Melissa glanced over toward where the refreshment table was. Sure enough she could see two weretigers in togas confronting a group of young wereraccoon boys dressed as cowboys. She then pointed to them and then continued.
"But things got all sorted out and my dad and Ms. McCoy got themselves engaged," Melissa continued, "which is good, because it's made my dad smile again."
"Love would conquer all, it seems," Eric quipped and held Julie's hand, "It's why I became a weremer. I'd never known love... outside of what one would have for one's parents and siblings... and then my family recently moved here and I met the most beautiful girl in the school... bright blond hair... jewel like blue eyes... and there for me through a lot of nonsense... I fell deeply in love with her and she made me so happy when she welcomed me into were society..."
That only seemed to remind Melissa of some of the things that she'd noticed so far in Moon Lake. That things like love seemed to have a strong effect here. From what Trevor had told her, his mom when she became a werecow fell in love with Jacob Tyson and they married. Her father had found love with Virginia McCoy after a day or so of talking over history or their respective classes to teach. Then she looked up to Trevor, his deep brown eyes surrounded by gray-brown fur and she felt her heart flutter. He'd been so kind to her, understanding, gentle, protective. Trevor had been so wonderful to her, and Melissa could feel that she was truly falling for him, and knew that sooner or later, and from the way things felt likely sooner, that they would have their own romantic moment and she'd become his werecow.
"I know how you feel there," Melissa gave a smile, "I met Trevor Tyson, here, on my first day here... and... well... I didn't expect to find such a wonderful boyfriend on the first day... but it just seemed to happen. He's been kind. He's been strong..."
Melissa wanted to continue, but words seemed to fail her. Trevor also kind of felt glad that they did, as he feared he would blush through his fur. His meeting Melissa had started as simply being a friend and letting her feel safe in a place that often overwhelmed normals from outside Moon Lake at first. But there just seemed to be so much that was special about her, and the more they talked and hung out, the more he knew that some day, regardless of what kind of were Melissa became, he wanted to marry her. He privately hoped that she would truly go forward and become a werecow, HIS werecow, but something just seemed to tell Trevor that he'd love her regardless of what were she became.
"And that's a great thing," Trevor managed and looked down to Eric, "You say you recently moved here too?"
"Yeah, my family moved in just before the school year started when my dad was hired to be a professor at the college here," Eric nodded.
"Your dad is a professor?" Melissa asked, sounding intrigued.
"Yes, an English professor, mostly with English Literature and specifically Shakespearian Literature," Eric answered.
"My dad was hired to be a history professor, though the man he's replacing hasn't actually scheduled his retirement until the end of this semester," Melissa commented, "So... he won't actually start until the College's spring semester starts. Maybe they'll meet at lunch or something, even though they're from different departments."
"Maybe," Eric gave a shrug.
"And you said your name is Anderson..." Trevor said slowly, "wasn't your dad..."
"Yeah," Eric sighed, "My dad was the one that got jumped by the rogue vixen..." He paused to look to Melissa, "in that, I'd suppose my dad and your dad could compare notes on being scratched against their will... though in my dad's case it was clearly deliberate on the werefox's part. She wanted him and wasn't about to take "no" for an answer."
"I'm sorry..." Melissa said weakly.
Eric managed a small smile, "It's okay. He's adjusted and is actually quite happy to be a werefox now and fully bonded to my mom, who became a werecat as well."
"Aren't werecats..." Melissa began.
"My mom was already bi," Eric explained, "as such her sexuality didn't change when she changed and they've moved into a sort of open marriage. My dad will allow my mom to enjoy the full spectrum of being bisexual and she's apparently also agreed to share some lovers with him if they're also bi and up for it... Odd... and not for Julie and I, but if it makes them happy and complete, it's not my place to judge."
"I suppose so long as they're happy, that's the important thing," Trevor commented as he held Melissa to him, and soon felt her actually snuggle against him a bit.
Eric nodded, "Yeah... and a lot of it also reflects on what love seems to do here... odd and unexplainable, but special and lovely..."
"And there I agree," Melissa smiled.
There was a brief silence for a few moments before Julie looked up to Trevor.
"Say... wouldn't Anna Bell be coming?" Julie asked, "I have her in one of my Freshman science courses..."
Trevor only shrugged. Anna Bell wasn't too far from turning fourteen and having her first transformation. He knew she was a freshman and a year behind him and Melissa. In that sense it'd make sense that Anna Bell knew other freshmen, but Anna Bell hadn't voiced any specific interest in the dance. He guessed she might be a bit nervous over her own upcoming first transformation, but he couldn't know for sure. From what he'd overheard before he and Melissa left his home to come to the dance, Anna Bell had seemed more interested in what his mother was up to in the kitchen, likely making Halloween themed deserts.
"I think she was interested in making some of the special pumpkin cakes my mom makes for Halloween," Trevor shrugged, "though... depending on trick or treating and so on... she and my mom might come by toward the end of the evening... I don't know for sure."
"Well... if she doesn't show or Eric and I decide to head out to the lake for the end of our evening... you'll say hi to her for me?" Julie asked.
Trevor nodded with a small smile.